Devotions Archive

Praise God Anyway

Today’s Truth

Sing to God, sing praises to His name; Cast up a highway for Him who rides through the deserts; whose name is the Lord, and exult before Him (Psalm 68:4).

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I love the story of the woman who woke up one morning, looked in the mirror, and noticed she had only three hairs on her head. “Well,” she said, “I think I’ll braid my hair today. She did and she had a wonderful day. The next day she woke up, looked in the mirror and saw that she had only two hairs on her head. …

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The Ache for Something More

Today’s Truth

“We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing” (Psalm 39:6 NLT).

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Most of us come to Christ with a certain “inloveness”—a stirring of emotion mixed with an inexplicable knowing that we’ve discovered our reason for being. But some years into our spiritual journey, the wonder that swelled during the early years ebbs into routine religion laced with busyness. And we secretly question the point of it all. There has to be more than this, we muse. There has to be something more. What am I missing? What’s wrong with me? …

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Beautiful Iritations

Today’s Truth
Isaiah 45:3 “I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places so that you may know that I am the LORD, your God (NIV).

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Life can be so irritating. More often than not, it is the little things that annoy me the most.  The lost set of keys. The misplaced cell phone. The ice-maker that refuses to do its job on a hot summer day. The empty tea pitcher stuck back in the refrigerator. But then there are times when people are the problem. They show up uninvited or call when …

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Masterpiece by The Bay

Today’s Truth
“You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free,” (John 8:32 NASB).

Friend to Friend
I grew up on the East Coast and was excited when my family decided to visit San Francisco for our vacation. My heart’s desire and prayer for each day was that we would see God’s handiwork, hear His voice and be reminded of His greatness as we ventured out like three eager explorers to discover new aspects of His creation.

We traveled south along the shoreline and were amazed at the 200 foot regal cliffs that rose from the …

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The Power of Quiet

Today’s Truth
The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters; he restores my soul (Psalm 23:1-3a, NIV).

Friend To Friend
There are times when laundry takes over my house. Piles build up, though I try to stay on top of them. Many of the clothes are clean and even folded, but not put away. That tricky put-away-part is always hard for me.

Then there are the socks. Oh, the socks! They burden me so! I’m half tempted to believe that a great sock …

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God Said, “It Is Very Good”

Today’s Truth:

“God saw all that he had made, and it was very good,” (Genesis 1:31 NIV).

Friend to Friend: 

It’s 7:05 AM.  I’m sitting on my patio with a cup of steaming coffee in my hand and a well-worn Bible in my lap. A gentle morning breeze ruffles my hair. Quietly, God whispers, Listen.

“What God,” I answer, “Are you going to tell me something special?”

Just listen.

I close my eyes and let the sounds of morning paint a picture on the canvas of my mind.

A robin sweetly sings. She’s answered by a crow’s caw. A red …

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Always on Time

Today’s Truth
Philippians 4:19 (NIV) “And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”

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I grew up in Texas where we lived in what some might call a “shack” on the edge of a small town. To me, it was just home. My amazing mother often worked three jobs to make ends meet but that “meeting” did not always happen. Looking back, I can honestly say that God always provided what we needed – when we needed it. He still does.

My husband and I knew the finances would be …

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When The Soul Bleeds

Today‘s Truth
[Jesus said] “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering” (Mark 5:31-34 NIV).

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When we read the story of Jesus healing the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years, it is hard for us twenty-first century women to imagine such a condition lasting for so long. Medical science has progressed far beyond the rudimentary knowledge of Jesus’ day. It is simply unthinkable today.

But I suggest there are still many women with chronic bleeding of a different sort. We bleed from the heart.

From the time Sarah …

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The “Little” Sin

Today’s Truth
Matthew 7:3 (NIV) “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”

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My husband, Dan, was a church pastor in South Florida for several years. One of our favorite traditions at that church was the Thanksgiving Day breakfast. Even our kids got in on the action. We woke while it was still dark and headed to the church to help dozens of volunteers mix and cook mountains of pancakes, stacks of bacon, and, as they say in the south, a …

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Put Your Faith Where Your Action Is!

Today’s Truth 
Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead - (James 2:17, NIV).

Friend to Friend
I remember a time, back in 1993, when I was swept up in the whimsical world of wedding planning. Every detail mattered. I was excited to be marrying Brad Smith and I wanted our wedding day to be a magical springboard to a life filled with amazing adventures and deep years of God-centered love. From the cake choices – to the dress choices – to the music choices – to the guest list choices – to the bridal registry …

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