Friday, December 9, 2016
When the angels had returned to heaven, the shepherds said to each other, “Come on, let’s go to Bethlehem! Let’s see this wonderful thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” They ran to the village and found Mary and Joseph. And there was the baby, lying in the manger. Then the […]
Thursday, December 8, 2016
Mary responded, “Oh, how I praise the Lord. How I rejoice in God my Savior! For he took notice of his lowly servant girl, and now generation after generation will call me blessed. For he, the Mighty One, is holy, and he has done great things for me. — Luke 1:46-49 (NLT) In recent years a […]
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
That night some shepherds were in the fields outside the village, guarding their flocks of sheep. Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared among them, and the radiance of the Lord’s glory surrounded them. They were terribly frightened, but the angel reassured them. “Don’t be afraid!” he said. “I bring you good news of great joy […]
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Mary responded, “I am the Lord’s servant, and I am willing to accept whatever he wants. May everything you have said come true.” And then the angel left. –Luke 1:38 (NLT) These words of Mary follow a startling message from the angel Gabriel to her. The angel told Mary that she was to be the […]
Monday, December 5, 2016
In those days John the Baptist began preaching in the Judean wilderness. His message was, “Turn from your sins and turn to God, because the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” — Matthew 3:1, 2 (NLT) If you met him once, you would never forget him. His appearance was a bit unusual, and his message straightforward. He […]
Sunday, December 4, 2016
Now this is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But while she was still a virgin, she became pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Joseph, her fiancé, being a just man, decided to break the engagement quietly, so as not to disgrace her publicly. As he […]
Saturday, December 3, 2016
For I am about to do a brand-new thing. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness for my people to come home. I will create rivers for them in the desert! ––Isaiah 43:19 (NLT) If you have ever made a terrible mistake, done something […]
Friday, December 2, 2016
… The Lord himself will choose the sign. Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth to a son and will call him Immanuel—God is with us. Isaiah 7:14 (NLT) These words were spoken through the prophet Isaiah approximately 700 years before Jesus Christ was born. It is one of many prophetic promises that were fulfilled […]
Thursday, December 1, 2016
“O Bethlehem of Judah, you are not just a lowly village in Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.” Matthew 2:6 (NLT) The word “advent” refers to the coming or arrival of someone or something. It is traditionally and liturgically connected with Christmas. Christmas is about an arrival—the most […]
Monday, November 28, 2016
As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses. — Joshua 11:15 (NIV) Before Moses died he gave Joshua a clear set of instructions. Moses laid out for him a job description. Joshua was to take the Israelites into […]
Thursday, November 24, 2016
Two “magic” words: Please and Thanks! They’re called “magic” not because they possess some mystical quality, but because they actually have the power to change an environment. When these words are spoken, something happens. Hearts open. Bridges are built. Requests are granted. Tension is reduced. Thoughtfulness is expressed. Appreciation is felt. These words always make […]
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
There’s a small muscle in the middle of your face that can be one of your greatest assets or one of your greatest liabilities. It’s your tongue. Technically, the tongue is made up of 8 different muscles. The average tongue is less than 4 inches long. It’s essential for eating, taste, digestion, and yes, talking! […]
Monday, November 21, 2016
Self-deception is an interesting process. It’s the practice of telling or convincing yourself that something false is true, or that something true is false. It comes in many shapes and sizes. It happens when we put on clothes that used to fit fine, but now are uncomfortably tight. Our minds look for any possible reason […]
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Survive or thrive? These two words describe significantly different mindsets and approaches to life. Survival is about making it through something. To survive is to endure a difficulty or challenge with little or no margin. Thriving is something else. Merriam-Webster dictionary defines thriving as growing, developing, flourishing and succeeding. To thrive is to do more […]
Monday, November 14, 2016
How many projects, programs, or pursuits have you started that you never got around to finishing? Most of us can look back at our life journey and see lots of abandoned plans, ideas, goals, and initiatives laying along the proverbial roadside. These “starts” usually begin with lots of excitement, passion and a boatload of great […]
Monday, November 7, 2016
Sometimes life is beyond hard; it’s impossible! Webster defines impossible as “unable to be done or to happen.” There are things that come our way that require something we don’t have, can’t do, or are powerless to make happen. Some things aren’t just hard, they’re impossible for us. What do we do when these challenges […]