Scripture: [from one of St Paul’s letter from prison} ” . . . in chains for the gospel . . .” (Philemon 1:13 NIV). We know from Bible history that St Paul spent several years in Roman prisons, including several years under house arrest chained between two guards.  Every so many hours, these soldiers finished […]

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Scripture:  “With God, nothing shall be impossible” (Luke 1:37 KJV). I grew up in a small town in Oklahoma.  On Saturday nights, cars filled with teenagers cruised from one end of Main Street to the other, honking, laughing, and flirting. We called this “dragging Main.” While the noise annoyed adults, this was much less dangerous than […]

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Scripture: Jesus’ cry from the cross–“My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”  Along with the rest of the world, I grieve for little Charlie Gard and his parents. This precious little boy, so full of love and promise, has been given no hope for life. We too lost a baby several years ago.  My husband’s […]

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Scripture: “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:29 NLT). I find myself offended when people pity me for having to work, gray-haired though I am. Do they expect me to spend my days watching the inane entertainment on TV? No way! My parents both […]

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Scripture:  What joy for the nation whose God is the Lord, whose people He has chosen as his inheritance” (Psalm 33:12 NLT). On July 4, 1776, fifty-six men signed their names to the Declaration of Independence, pledging their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor in their incredibly audacious quest for freedom. They knew the risks. Had they […]

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Nothing can rob a home of happiness more than unresolved anger and constant quarrels. Over and over, the Bible warns against this. The Book of Proverbs is filled with admonitions against strife, as are the New Testament letters of Paul, Peter, and James. But once quarrels start, they are difficult to stop. My parents were […]

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Of all my volunteer activities, I have found literacy tutoring one of the most rewarding.  For several years, I met one-on-one with foreign-born students  to help them learn to read, write, and speak English. Among these were a very fine Korean gentleman and two delightful Vietnamese ladies.  The man wanted to personally welcome customers to his cafe.  The ladies were hair […]

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Stories can be a powerful way of conveying great truths, particularly to a resistant audience. A story originally attributed to Jacob Kranz, an 18th century Russian rabbi, illustrates this well.  One day, the rabbi’s students questioned him.  “Why do you always teach in parables?” In reply, he told another story: A young man named Truth […]

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