The furniture deliveryman called me right on cue. He told me they were a half-hour away and would be at my house shortly. I was excited to get the new family room furniture. It came as an unexpected gift from my sister-in-law and would replace the worn-out, duct-taped pieces we’d used for years. But one thing concerned me about the deliverymen that made me anxious about their arrival. You see, I didn’t have a tip for them. My husband had worked in furniture delivery years before I knew him and told me that you always tip for this backbreaking job. But funds were tight, and I had nothing to give the men. They came in and brought my couches one by one, being careful not to scuff my walls. And they meticulously set up the pieces. They were punctual, respectful and worked well as a team. Ugh! And I had no tip. What was I going to do? Click here to read more Who is God? God wants everyone to be saved, and He wants us to share His love with others. No one’s exempt at sharing the Good News – no matter how shy or fearful we are. Right before He left this earth, Jesus gave marching orders to all of us saying: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” Matthew 28:19. The soft, pitiful cries of the homesick boy reached my ears and resonated with my heart. “I miss my fam-i-ly!” he cried over and over again. The boy had been staying with us for the weekend and even though his parents were due back the next day, it wasn’t enough. He longed for the completeness and security of what was home to him. Deep within his small frame was a pain that was real and heart wrenching. “I miss my fam-i-ly,” he cried again. Ouch. My heart hurt for him. And as I lay in bed later thinking about it, a memory came flashing back of a little curly haired girl, homesick at a Girl Scout sleepover. We were in a large gym and many of that day’s events had come to an end. My friends and I had laid out our sleeping bags in a neat row. And, although I was having fun, I remember being washed with a sudden feeling of ... Click here to read more Who is God? God is so much bigger than the here and now. He not only has today in His hands, but He also holds our futures. When we start to get "settled" into our routines, sometimes God reminds us that we're not home yet. For the Christian, this can be a joyful reminder. This life is not "it" and no, we're not home yet.
By Debra Torres Everything about the teenage girl spelled rebellion to me. I watched her carefully as she stood in line and wondered about her life. Her choice of clothing and her choice of company alarmed me, and I quietly began to think about her parents and her teachers. And, after noticing the pattern of cutting marks that ran up and down her arm, I began to think about her heart. Earlier in my life, I would have looked at the girl and blamed her for her choices. I would have labeled her as “bad” and definitely scratched her off my social list. But now, as I grow older and maybe a bit deeper in my walk with God, I’m starting to see... Click here to read more Who is God? The more I learn about God, the more I discover how much love he has to give. God so badly wants to see us whole and healed. He is a loving Father who wants to heal us completely. When we think of healing, we often think of physical needs. But God wants to go even deeper -- touching, healing and bringing truth to our most painful hurts. By Debra Torres Our sunflower house was the highlight of our vegetable garden this year. Long ago, I learned how to grow one from a library book, but my first attempt was a flop. Last spring, my daughter and I decided to try again and carefully mapped out the space. We cut holes about 6 inches apart in our black plastic making a perfect square and leaving room for a door. Then we shared jobs digging holes and planting small handfuls of sunflower seeds into each. It wasn’t long after that when hardy leaves began to poke up and each hole had 5 or 6 bright, healthy looking seedlings. But like most plants, the sunflowers had another admirers who had a taste for them -- especially my archenemy -- the slug. One night my daughter and I would enjoy the growth of the sunflowers and the next, I’d go out to the garden to see ... Click here to read more Who is God? God is the only one who can help us stand strong in spiritual warfare. Because of what Jesus did on the cross for you and me, we are able to stand up against Satan's attacks. But be careful to remember it is only through Jesus that the devil is defeated. We cannot do this on our own.
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