Simplifying… me

Embrace the past
Embrace tomorrow
Embrace the joy
Embrace the sorrow
Embrace the simple
Embrace the uncertain
Embrace the weathered
Embrace the new again
All the days ahead
Are made what they will be
By all the days behind.
The gift of what seems too hard
Appreciated for what growth
Awaits on the other side.
The goodness of it all
The excitement, challenge, stretching, breathing in grace and peace
Found in [...]

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“But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart.” Luke 2:19
As December draws to a close, and as we wrap up another year into a nice, neat bow – kind of like a present on Christmas morning – I think it would be advantageous to pause. Before we start making resolutions [...]

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“In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8
God’s perfect keeping keeps us in perfect peace.
Even though the night may not be so silent, the Prince of Peace still reigns, so that we can sleep in heavenly peace.
Throughout the month of December, I have a [...]

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Peter walked on water.
I see this story as a vivid depiction of the realities of walking by faith.
Think about it.
Peter wanted to be where Jesus was, and so he climbed out of the security of the boat and took his first step onto the water. And then, when the wind began to pick up speed, [...]

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“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” I Thessalonians 5:16-18
In our home we a have a dinnertime tradition in which we go around the table and each person shares one thing they are thankful for that day. We do this all year [...]

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“We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near; people tell of your wonderful deeds.” Psalm 75:1
The nearness of His presence is as close as the mention of His name.
When we declare the goodness of God, when we tell others of his wonderful deeds – all that he has done – God [...]

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“Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my [...]

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“He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God.” Psalm 50:23
I love November.
This is the season of thankfulness. This is the time of year when we set our hearts on remembering the goodness in our lives; a time of recalling God’s faithfulness [...]

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Life doesn’t pick and choose the who, the what or the when it will blow in and turn things upside down. Every person on this planet – young, old, rich and poor – will come face-to-face with the harsh reality of life at some point. None of us gets a pass. We are all affected, [...]

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In the cold, damp, dreary cell, after the dinner hour had passed and the quiet of evening slowly and silently settled in, I wonder – as Joseph processed the happenings of the day – what thoughts and feelings, emotions and curiosities wandered through his mind as the sun sank its way into the night. Once [...]

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