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Devotion: Where Are Your Roots Planted To Hold You During The Storms?

March 17, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." (Colossians 2:6-7) As I drove home one gorgeous winter evening, I marveled God's creation - the pearly white snow, the brightly colored birds, the serene sunset, and. . . the totally one-sided tree! I stared at that tree because it looked so out of place. Because of the main power lines, this tree was trimmed. As a result one side was full but the other side wasn't - a strange sight for sure! I was surprised the tree was still standing because it was so "top heavy" on that one side, but it was straight as could be. Then I remembered that it's the … [Read more...]

Devotion: Do I Trust God Even When It Feels Like I Am Walking In Circles?

March 7, 2011 By admin 3 Comments

"Then the Lord said to Joshua, 'See, I have delivered Jericho into your hands, along with its king and its fighting men. March around the city once with all your armed men. Do this for six days.'" (Joshua 6:2-3) "Are you willing to follow God's prescription for your life day after day? Even if it feels like He has you walking in circles?" My pastor ended his sermon with those questions. I thought about that a lot. There are several areas in my life right now where I'm not seeing progression - especially physically; I feel like I am just wandering (blindly) in circles. I don't understand or see what God is doing. But after that sermon, I thought about all the things God had me do over the years and I realize almost all of those … [Read more...]

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Devotion: Our Illness is Always in God’s Sight; He Doesn’t Just Deal With Leftovers

February 22, 2011 By admin 7 Comments

"This is My doing." (1 Kings 12:24) The struggles of life come in many forms, whether it be a prodigal child, unemployment, illness, or the loss of a loved one. We all suffer because we live in a world that is tarnished with sin. There are many hot-fueled emotions, however, about whether God causes this pain or if He simply allows it to touch our lives. 1 Kings 12:24 says, “This is my doing." We all long to believe in a God who comforts us and has a lap we can curl up into. We do not always want to think of God as a Father who must also use discipline, even when it is painful. As parents, however, discipline is not punishment. It is a tool to raise our children to be more Christ-like, just as God desires us to be. Coping with … [Read more...]

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Devotion: Seeking Saturation At The Lord’s Feet In Our Pain, Not Just Getting By

February 21, 2011 By admin 1 Comment

"I will be like the dew to Israel." (Hosea 14:5) Time with God. A daily quiet time. A good relationship with Christ. Crying out to Jesus. It can be rather simple to write devotionals with descriptions of the Christian life that soon sound like cliches. But what does crying out to God look like? Recently I shared a video with you of me crying out called "Lisa Unfiltered." And although it was not me talking directly to God, but rather you, I did shares many of these emotions and did speak with Him about them too. When you go through those days, trying to bite your lip because you feel like the tears are about to burst forth, find a place alone and allow them to pour out. It's okay. Part of dealing with the chronic daily part of … [Read more...]

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Devotion: Growing Older Should Be Celebrated!

February 18, 2011 By admin 1 Comment

"Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day." (2 Corinthians 4:16) It comes as a shock, and it shouldn't. We look in the mirror and see new wrinkles, graying hair, sometimes a person we hardly recognize. We wonder, "How did I get this old? It seems just like yesterday that I was a child, a teen, a young man." Today I must admit simply that I am old. Not an easy admission because when I was young I remember what I thought of old people. Old people were out of touch, could not do anything fun, mostly sat around getting older. Now I am one of them. Growing older does not have to be a burden. Though there are some things we simply must accept in an aging body, we … [Read more...]

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Devotion: God Can Sing Over You When You Are In Pain

February 17, 2011 By admin 2 Comments

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17) Severe pain sent me to bed one day. Curled up, waiting for medication to deliver relief, tears spilled down my face. Hannah, my compassionate 6-year-old, crawled in next to me and stroked my hair as she began to sing to me, “Precious Girl / God loves you / God has a plan for you / Precious Mom.” I had never before heard the words or the tune Hannah sang and I felt incredibly comforted by her voice and her little hand on my head. Peace and comfort settled over me like a warm blanket, and I knew that the words being sung over me and … [Read more...]

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Devotion: How Can We Love Others When We Don’t ‘Feel The Love’?

February 13, 2011 By admin 4 Comments

"We love because He first loved us." 1 John 4:19 As I am writing this on Saturday, my husband just left to take my son to an activity. He asked me if I wanted him to drop off a prescription I'd mentioned I had. I said yes. Then I saw he had a book. "Are you going to Starbucks or something to read?" I asked. "Well, what if I am? Maybe. Is that okay?" In my head I was thinking, Two hours on a Saturday morning where we could actually have a conversation and you are leaving? While also telling myself, You still aren't dressed and do you really feel like having a conversation right now? You are barely awake! My husband could see my rambling thoughts and said, "Okay, I will spell it out. I need go Valentine's shopping for you, okay?" I … [Read more...]

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Devotion: Looking For a Friend Who Needs Our Help Getting Up

February 12, 2011 By admin 4 Comments

"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." (Proverbs 17:17) I am the older brother of a younger brother and a younger sister. While growing up I was always the one responsible for them, and if they got into trouble, so did I. We were close in age and often got into trouble together. Yet there were times I was able to steer my younger siblings away from trouble, or to get them out of trouble. We need each other. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ. When one of us falls down, someone should be there to help them back up again. But sadly, too many hurting Christians do not feel the support or find the help they need when in difficult circumstances. There are those who fall down and have no one to pick them … [Read more...]

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Devotion: Take Heart, God Understands The Affliction of Illness

February 11, 2011 By admin 1 Comment

“Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak.” (Psalm 31:9-10) Have you ever felt like these words written by David? I’d have to say that I have. Maybe for a very different reason to that David was in, but still, distress; sorrow; grief; anguish; groaning; weakness. That happens. I often think that David seems to express himself so well in the Psalms – he expresses his times of joy, of pain, or fear – and he had lots to be afraid of! Yet, I’m encouraged in reading his words, that he still continues to give praise to his Lord … [Read more...]

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Devotion: Finding God’s Love When Our Life Needs Defragmented

February 10, 2011 By admin 2 Comments

"But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you." (Psalm 5:11) I use my computer constantly and feel I have become fairly proficient in using it. However, it's a different story when it develops a problem. That's when I call my husband and let him know that something is not working right. At one point, he informed me that the computer needs to be defragged (whatever that means). He explained that pieces of information become scattered, requiring the computer to search for the pieces before they can be used. The computer becomes slow and sluggish as it searches for the pieces. To fix it, one needs to run a program that retrieves … [Read more...]

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Daily Devotionals Now Available Via Kindle Subscription

February 9, 2011 By admin Leave a Comment

Over at Rest Ministries, we've had daily devotionals for over ten years. We've seen technology continue to move forward and so are excited about this new addition to the devotionals! If you have a Kindle, the popular e-reader from Amazon.com, you will be excited to know that our daily devotionals are now available on the Kindle! If you don't have a Kindle, you can just keep this information in the "things I don't need to worry about" file. [Or if you are considering buying a Kindle use this link and Rest Ministries will get a small donation with our affiliate link!] If you are interested in subscribing to the devotionals via your Kindle, you can do it at the direct link here on Amazon or do a search on the Kindle itself. It will pop … [Read more...]

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Devotion: Daily Re-Learning The Surrender of Our Illness to God, Wheelchairs Included

February 9, 2011 By admin 2 Comments

"For You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well." (Psalm 139:13-14) When I was young I thought when I became an adult I would be "grown up." I would have myself "together," and know everything I would need to know. My emotions would be stable and so would my income. I am now a little bit past middle age, and have found out that it doesn't work that way. I am still changing and hopefully, still growing. It seems to be a two-steps-up, and one-step-down type of situation, and I guess that is okay, for it means that I am still growing. Last fail I wrote some devotionals sharing, (and complaining) about … [Read more...]

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