How’s Life?
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy...." John 10:10a NIV
"How's life?" Someone I once knew often asked me that. Depending on the day that can be a loaded question and often I didn't really know how to answer them.|
Donna |
Voice Lessons
This week Nona challenges us to live with a clear understanding of baggage and what happens when we lose our voice. Nona writes, "Even on good days and there were many good days, my heart and my ministry were on a short leash, captive to the taunts of the dragon. Day after day I chose to believe only bad about myself and my unwillingness to open up to anyone crippled me. Deuteronomy 31:6 tells me, "Be strong and courageous; don’t be terrified or afraid of them. For it is the LORD your God who goes with you; He will not leave you or forsake you." I lived my life cowering in the shadow of rejection and it wasn't helpful because a victim is a good target for contempt, and it wasn't necessary because God protects his own--if we only let him. Yes, I was victimized, but I didn't have to be a victim. " Are you letting God protest you? Meet us in...
Moved but not Shaken
When the strong winds come, it usually leaves everything in my yard in disarray. Patio chairs and flower pots blow over, branches fall, and leaves scatter. It looks like the whole yard has been turned upside down and everything has been shaken loose from its foundation. For those of you moving through the “winds of change” in your life, you might feel like the very foundation of your world is shaken. Just like the wind is beyond our control, so are many of the circumstances that blow into our lives. From a traumatic job loss, home foreclosure, or unwanted move; a devastating divorce, or being a self-supporting single mom; a debilitating illness, or the painful death of a loved one; being an empty nester, or a caregiver to aging parents---change can leave your life turned upside down and often brings unexpected chaos to your world. Nothing seems the same around you and you don’t know...
Speak and Live
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For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. (2 Corinthians 1:20 NASB)
Are you living a "Yes and Amen" ministry journey? Years ago when God called your husband and you to the glorious work of serving in ministry, do you remember that call? Is there a time when God has spoken promises to your heart through His Word? In 2 Corinthians, Paul is speaking to the church in Corinth concerning letting their yes be a yes and their no being no. God is always faithful. HIS YES IS ALWAYS YES! "He sent his Son as the greatest sign of His Yes in fulfilling the promise He made to Abraham that by his seed all the nations of earth will gain blessing and His yes was heard through David's...
Believe When You Don’t Feel Like ItI can tell it has been another bad day by the way he walks in the door, his shoulders slightly slumped and the grin that used to welcome me is turned upside down. He pretends to smile for me and the kids but it never fully reaches his eyes. He unloads all his stuff onto the dresser but the weight of years of disappointments rest heavily on his shoulders. I watch him, wondering how to help ease his irritation. I want to offer words of encouragement but they stick in my throat, not knowing how to dislodge his hurt. When I finally open my mouth, my suggestions sound canned and only increases the hurt. He gently responds to me,
"I know the correct answers but I am just mad." His wounds masks themselves as anger but deep into his green eyes you see the hurt.
From the outside, few would know his struggles and search for...
Believe- Because I Know it WorksBelieve - Because I KNOW IT WORKS! Today, We recorded our devotional for you. Hope you enjoy it! Click on the link and go back to multi-tasking! At the end join us in the forums or post a comment to be entered in for a chance to win a gift card for Date Night! See you in the forums! Do You Believe?Do You Believe that Jesus can transform a heart in a moment, in a twinkling of an eye? Our business, our work, is the work of religion. There are times in our work - if we are not on guard - we simply get used to believing! I mean we lose the awe of the powerful work of the Holy Spirit. We're in the trenches - doing the work and we just get used to the supernatural. Now that's an oxymoron. When someone makes the proclamation, "I do believe!", confesses their sin and asks Jesus to be the Lord of their lives a mighty supernatural work occurs! The scriptures tell us that the angels of heaven celebrate! I find that in our business of religion we can just forget the powerful moment of transformation for an individual. We forget that God has been... Fear to Living HopeWhat if............. My cell phone rang. "Where are you? Have you seen the news?"......Words you do not want to hear from your husband when your 19 year old daughter is in the Middle East on a Mission Trip. She had been within 100 yards of a car bomb. Fear gripped my entire being. What if she is killed in the Middle East? The house phone rings. "Mrs. Avant, we need you to come to the school immediately your son has been in an accident." I could literally hear him screaming in pain through the phone. Again, fear grips my heart as the doctor tell us "Your son has broken his leg in five places. We need to take him to surgery immediately." Fear plagues my mind.......what if my son never plays football again...the game he loves so much! My husband of 25... Rest in Hope!Rest in Hope - the Anchor of the Soul! Been a bit busy? Need rest? Well, the best rest begins with hope. Think of the last time you used the word hope; what did you really mean? I began to think about the concept of hope and the common understanding today. I discovered many people used the word hope when they really mean wish. Not good! Of course, everyone needs encouragement at times, like when you just want to quit - or when your husband is discouraged. Sometimes we feel desperate for hope, and wonder where to find it. I suppose this desire is as old as Job, when he questioned, where then is my hope? Webster's dictionary defines hope as: (1) A desire -- combined with expectation; a thing desired; to desire with belief in possibility of obtaining (2) One who, or that which,... God of All Hope!Yesterday was rough. It started out with a root canal and went downhill from
there. It's bad when a root canal is the highlight of the day. Later that morning, I was standing at my sink washing dishes and Jackson ran in and said one of the neighbor kids was hit by a car. I ran out after Jackson, crossing the street to the neighbor's front yard to find a sweet mom in the grass holding her baby boy. He was crying, but thankfully coherent. He looked scraped and bruised but otherwise okay. I moved into action mode, called 911, got the witnesses, talked to the police, and took care of her older boys. (HE IS OK. He is home with his mom right now with only bumps and bruises).
Once all the chaos settled down and all the boys were taken ca Expect More InJoy  |
