Blog
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Devotional of the week: Hebrews 12:1–3 (8 in series)
Our Crown Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. (Hebrews 12:1–3) By…
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Devotional of the week: Hebrews 11:32–40 (7 in series)
Delayed gratification These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised, since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. (Hebrews 11:32–40) The writer to the Hebrews wraps up his discussion of the heroes of faith in…
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Am I Beautiful?
We met in the ladies’ loo, an unplanned meeting that seemed appropriate, given the evening’s agenda. Author and editor stood under the harsh fluorescent lights, applying makeup and (in my case) moaning about having a bad-hair day. All the while appreciating the irony that we were worrying about our appearances while celebrating the launch of…
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Soaring on the wings of the wind
The irony isn’t lost on me, that to retreat next week I’m cramming as much as I can into this week. All the while wondering if I’ll get it all done, and if I do, whether I’ll be so washed out come Monday that I’ll not be good for anything. The venue is the amazing…
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Devotional of the week: Hebrews 11:20-31 (6 in series)
Invisible One By faith [Moses] left Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger; he persevered because he saw him who is invisible. By faith he kept the Passover and the application of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel. (Hebrews 11:20-31) A couple of years ago I…
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Stuff, stuff, and more stuff
“How much stuff does a person need?” The question keeps rolling through my mind, a massaged version of the title of Leo Tolstoy’s short story, “How Much Land Does a Man Need?” (in which the zinger at the end is, only six by six, for a casket). I’ve been pondering this question as I reenter…
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When life changes in a moment… why?
A couple of weeks ago I posted about my family’s near accident, giving thanks that they walked away unscathed. The post has been in the back of my mind as I think about mothers losing children through car accidents or disease; about sisters living life without their brothers; about families disrupted from a cycle of…
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Devotional of the week: Hebrews 11:13–19 (5 in series)
Our biggest test By faith Abraham, when God tested him, offered Isaac as a sacrifice. He who had embraced the promises was about to sacrifice his one and only son, even though God had said to him, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” (Hebrews 11:13–19) Our passage in Hebrews…
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Devotional of the week: Hebrews 11:8–12 (4 in series)
Strangers and foreigners By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country… (Hebrews 11:8–12) …
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Devotional of the week: Hebrews 11:4–7 (3 in series)
Holy fear By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that is in keeping with faith. (Hebrews 11:4–7, TNIV) The unknown writer of the book of Hebrews was warning…
