Enjoying the Journey

7 Ways to Show Kindness Today

Rush Limbaugh died today. He was one of the most loved and hated men in America, like so many who hold strong positions on anything. As I scrolled through the posts about his passing I was struck, not by the many tributes, but by the vitriolic and even violent comments about his death. When “Satan,” “hell,” and other unprintable words are used about any man’s death it reveals more about their heart than his. I could weep as I read the bitter and vile sentiments. No one who knows the love of God or understand the evil of the Devil could post such things. What has happened to our society that people laugh and joke about things sobering and sad.…

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3 Things to Remember Behind the Mask

It is a strange day. I can’t get use to seeing everyone in masks. The last few days I have been flying frequently and wearing my mandatory mask in airports and planes. The arguments for and against range from medical to political, from governmental to personal. It is not my purpose to stir that debate, but to remind believers of some things the mask must not change… You are not anonymous. Funny, isn’t it? How easily people begin to act like they are “hidden.” Mask or no mask, you are a follower of Jesus Christ and should exemplify His character through every interaction you have with others. We are to be the same in private as we are in public,…

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Don’t Lose Your Joy!

This world is full of joy stealers.  Behind them all is a miserable devil whose only delight is to “steal, kill, and destroy.”  It is a rare and refreshing thing to meet someone whose mission is to bring the joy of Jesus into other lives.  Paul was such a man.  In one of the most difficult letters he ever wrote we read these touching words: “Not for that we have dominion over your faith, but are helpers of your joy: for by faith ye stand” (2 Corinthians 1:24). Joy is rooted in personal faith in God.  Each of us must believe the Lord for ourselves and in so doing discover the joy that only He can bring.  Yet in the…

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Your Countenance Matters

I was walking across the parking lot.  I did not see anyone watching me and was deeply engrossed in some meaningless thought.  Then I heard him say,  “Why are you grimacing?” Grimacing?   Me?  Was I grimacing?  Perhaps, or perhaps my friend could not see my expression well.  Either way we had a good laugh and went our separate directions.  But the question stayed with me. Your countenance matters.  Others are reading our expressions and drawing conclusions.  The conclusions they draw may not reflect poorly on us alone; they may reflect poorly on the God of all joy that resides within us. Yes, your countenance matters.  Ask Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.  It separated them from everyone else (Daniel 1:13-15).…

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