Words of Hope: God as Love 

I have been contemplating God as Love and a God with emotions like anger. It is a deeply unsettling space. So many beautiful theologians throughout history have wrestled at this nexus. I think of one of my favorites, Julian...

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Words of Hope: Words and Snakes 

I read an interesting passage of scripture from the Old Testament. It is the story of the complaining Israelites who are unhappy about being in the desert. They wished they were back in Egypt because of the food. It...

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Words of Hope: Five Daily Gratitudes

Research suggests gratitude helps beat cancer. Dr. John Gottman has proven through extensive testing that when the heart jumps over 100 beats per minute when angry, the ability to solve problems diminishes. Clinical tests are proving gratitude promotes health. Writing five...

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Words of Hope: Immeasurably More

I love Ephesians 3:14-21 and try to pray it every day. I love to go slowly through each verse imagining the person I am praying for. It is such a beautiful prayer. Each time I start I get secretly...

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Words of Hope: Servant Leadership 

Leading up to Easter, our church participated in a foot washing service in remembrance of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. I was selected to be one of the main people washing feet or assisting as members washed...

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Words of Hope: Helpless Take Heart

Hope is helpful if you find yourself in a position much like myself, helpless take heart are words that speak loudly. This sun-filled, blue-sky May morning inspired these words gleaned from David in Psalm 33 and 34. No one delights...

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Words of Hope: How to be Uncommon 

At a group I attended, a woman shared her story of hatred toward her stepfather. She said he verbally and emotionally abused her and made her teen years miserable. Now, as a mother of older children, she still cries...

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Words of Hope: A Teen’s Four Most Enemies

Military battles, sports, and music competitions all demand mind management and self-regulation skill training and development. It is said that elite, world-class stars in sports or the arts practice more than 10,000 hours. Soldiers also endure much practice. Yet, every...

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Words of Hope: In Celebration of Marrying Young

Shann and I will be married for thirty-five years this June. A young man asked us if we were glad we married young in light of so many people feeling they made mistakes by marrying too soon. Shann and...

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Words of Hope: Divine Imagination

In the Bible study Shann and I are part of, this week’s task is to spend time with a 10 year vision of what God is doing in your life and what He is asking of you. My dad...

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