Tag: Week 3 // Wednesday

The God of Hope

Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you believe in him, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. —Romans 15:13 One of the sweetest, most amazing, touching aspects of our relationship with God is how, in

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With Her Own Hands

I’ve been a runner since I started racing around the track as a fourteen-year-old. A few years ago, I signed up (and paid) to run the Chicago Marathon. It was a long-time goal I was excited to accomplish.  As I started the necessary long training runs, I developed migraines that

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Chosen

I see her in my mind’s eye: an insecure girl wearing flat shoes and a bright neon shirt. She is sitting at a desk in a crowded classroom holding a Trapper Keeper and hoping someone will notice her sassy new haircut and say she looks cute. Her stomach is in

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The Reality of Jesus

I will admit that, at times, I get confused as to how something written so long ago could apply to my life today. However, I am excited to remind you (and myself) that we serve a God who is timeless and whose Word will never return to us void (Isaiah

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The Heart of the Matter

As a child, I clearly remember a friend at school telling me that I should stop pointing my finger at her because three of my fingers were pointing back at me. I am pretty sure I was standing there with pigtails and a frowny face feeling like I was righting

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Faith that Overcomes Shame

I love the story of Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46-52. Bartimaeus was a blind man, a beggar sitting by the road when Jesus and His disciples passed by. Bartimaeus was a man whose life was marked by shame. During that time period, disabilities were reasons to cast out people rather than

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Changed for the Better

My children told me earlier this year that if you break a pinky promise (a promise made while your little finger wraps around another person’s little finger) then your little finger will fall off! This is a new development since I was young, but thankfully for them (and us!) it

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He Remains for All Time

Close your eyes and take a deep breath. Let yourself remember the sweetest day of your life. You were wandering the wrong way and broken down by sin, but Jesus encountered you. You were striving to save yourself, but then He stepped in, received you, and set you apart as

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The Testimony

When I visited Israel, one of the most significant places for me during the trip was our visit to the Jordan river. It looked nothing like I envisioned. Whenever I thought about the Jordan river I’d pictured a lush river bank, full of green trees and lots of grass. I

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Overnight

My dad said something to me years ago that has been a great reminder in my life. He said, “Things can change overnight. Don’t lose heart, lots of life to come.” I knew he didn’t offer it as an empty platitude or cliché statement, simple as it is. I knew

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