tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72649810986900634272024-03-05T19:42:12.536-06:00Fragrant Offerings"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us
and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." ~Ephesians 5:1-2Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.comBlogger50125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-68146016068092149632019-02-05T00:02:00.000-06:002019-02-05T00:02:52.246-06:00Savoring God's Sweet Grace...When Life's Left a Bitter Taste<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrknt1R3RTM-BseIp21qpZFUWUWR6q8B-MHyQliWleYnNnBmR1juL6kXHKFpb46n7Q4vNBxd1yc-awB2PpCtOqRW4KUgqeOvnEqo_diozXALLXZ1UohHd2BywbPzENlQxR2TjQiEyak1uD/s1600/Savoring+God%2527s+Sweet+Grace...When+Life%2527s+Left+a+Bitter+Taste.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1056" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrknt1R3RTM-BseIp21qpZFUWUWR6q8B-MHyQliWleYnNnBmR1juL6kXHKFpb46n7Q4vNBxd1yc-awB2PpCtOqRW4KUgqeOvnEqo_diozXALLXZ1UohHd2BywbPzENlQxR2TjQiEyak1uD/s400/Savoring+God%2527s+Sweet+Grace...When+Life%2527s+Left+a+Bitter+Taste.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">My love for chocolate was already strong when I was quite young. And I knew there was a big box of baking bars in my mother's cupboard. Would she even notice if I snuck just one bar from the box? <i>Doubtful.</i> So I climbed the cabinets one day, grabbed the box and stole a bar. <i>Mmm! </i>It sure smelled like the real thing. Ever so sneakily, I popped it into my mouth and began chewing. <i>Ugh! Yuck! Eww!</i></span><br />
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<i></i>I was old enough to know that chocolate was a good thing, but young enough that I didn't understand the meaning of <b>"Unsweetened Baking Chocolate."</b> My naive expectation of something rich and sweet was dashed by a blast of bitter, unsweetened nastiness - <i>100 percent pure cacao! </i>My happy chocolate-sneaking smile was replaced with an unhappy puckering grimace as I attempted to rinse my mouth out to erase the bitter taste.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYySUuBPq0wjnnufNPuz1PP0hjRHtnVtueTu3EYEwudeDP7_yhUeBbTWQ7znQ_955ZQl3WpriV6Or4kxGDpNYYnMP9lBctm6bA002xMssA0HPe9ISmskjCp4I-v_6sCCMo5cupvcnLyfF7/s1600/Unsweetened+Baking+Chocolate.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1056" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYySUuBPq0wjnnufNPuz1PP0hjRHtnVtueTu3EYEwudeDP7_yhUeBbTWQ7znQ_955ZQl3WpriV6Or4kxGDpNYYnMP9lBctm6bA002xMssA0HPe9ISmskjCp4I-v_6sCCMo5cupvcnLyfF7/s320/Unsweetened+Baking+Chocolate.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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Where I had hoped for something sweet, I received something bitter instead. <i>Life is kind of like that sometimes too. </i>Where we hope for sweet morsels of <b>happiness</b>, we sometimes receive bitter nuggets of <b>pain and suffering</b>. In our sin, we allow ourselves to become embittered by the circumstances into which we are often <b>dipped</b>, to be disappointed by the effects of the world that threaten to change our taste and leave a bitter aftertaste.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How can we maintain a sweet outlook on life when there is so much bitterness, so much <b>anger, hurt, and heartache</b>? Bitter feelings are often packaged in unsweetened circumstances:</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Maybe you struggle with anger against those who've ridiculed you for your faith or for something else. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Are you struggling to let go of hurt from loved ones, and it's keeping you from reconciling with them? </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Maybe you live with chronic pain or fear of news you suspect your doctor has for you. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Or maybe you ache from the heartache of losing the person you held most dear.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How can you survive these circumstances and so many more like them? What do you do when you're crushed under the weight of sorrow or pain? How can you not become embittered when you're brokenhearted or angry? And maybe a most difficult question: <b>to what may you resort in your attempt to erase the bitter taste of your troubles?</b></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Many of us turn to something we think will <b><i>remove</i></b> the bitter taste or temporarily <b><i>numb</i></b> the emotional pain, <b><i>sweeten</i></b> the flavor of our dark days, or at least <b><i>offer a distraction</i></b> from our misery. <u>But that something never delivers real relief from our troubles</u>...and it often causes an even nastier taste. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We may have rationalized the distractions we've chosen, and maybe we've tried to find a solution on our own, seeking help through self-talk or self-help sources, to no avail.</span></span><br />
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Can our sweetness be restored? Is there a real solution, a true answer? Yes. And our Savior, Jesus, has that answer. He says, <b><span style="color: #660000;">"Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). </span></b>We can take our pain and sorrow to the One who went to the cross, tasting the bitter pain, suffering, and death that should have been ours. <b><span style="color: #660000;">Hebrews 2:9 </span></b>reminds us that Christ tasted death for everyone. He knows our anger, hurt, and heartache. Our compassionate Lord feels our pain. His blood covered our sins and the sins of the whole world; <i>sweet salvation is ours in Christ!</i> Jesus <b><i>rescues</i></b> and gives <b><i>real rest</i></b>. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-6w6hmL6FAmdiPVRJTCMnGBoByIsyKi766o8-6HsJmOSzcsZrvWaIPALKoQE9afGvfB0wwECZmmMSgWh3DisQ-XDh5YUS53U5HRo9kI7jB3ezEhkAVnAYoQVq_8Tj9AwynpTaqEN9GQ5/s1600/Sweet+Salvation.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1056" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi-6w6hmL6FAmdiPVRJTCMnGBoByIsyKi766o8-6HsJmOSzcsZrvWaIPALKoQE9afGvfB0wwECZmmMSgWh3DisQ-XDh5YUS53U5HRo9kI7jB3ezEhkAVnAYoQVq_8Tj9AwynpTaqEN9GQ5/s400/Sweet+Salvation.png" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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Lean into His strong arms instead of striving to earn grace and attempting to restore sweetness on your own; receive His forgiveness, healing, and hope. Cry out to your Rescuer, who says, <b><span style="color: #660000;">"Come to Me." </span></b> </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">"The eyes of the </span><span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Lord</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">are toward the righteous</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-34-15" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-14404B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-14404B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>and his ears toward their cry.</span></div>
</span><span class="text Ps-34-16" id="en-ESV-14405" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; text-align: center; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">16 </span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-14405C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-14405C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span><span class="text Ps-34-17" id="en-ESV-14406" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; text-align: center; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">17 </span><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-14406E" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-14406E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><div style="text-align: center;">
When the righteous cry for help, the <span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Lord</span> hears</div>
</span></span><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-34-17" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">and delivers them out of all their troubles.</span></div>
</span><span class="text Ps-34-18" id="en-ESV-14407" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; text-align: center; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">18 </span><div style="text-align: center;">
The <span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant-caps: small-caps; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal;">Lord</span> is near to <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-14407F" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-14407F" title="See cross-reference F">F</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>the brokenhearted</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-34-18" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">and saves <span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-14407G" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-14407G" title="See cross-reference G">G</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span>the crushed in spirit."</span> -</b></span><b><span style="color: #660000;">Psalm 34:15,17-18</span></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Seek His help, recognizing that He may provide just what you need through a pastor, a Christian counselor, or a person with wise, godly counsel who will speak truth into your situation and provide hope and help, by <i>God's Sweet Grace!</i> (Savor His grace!) Trust the Holy Spirit's continual work in your life, comforting and guiding you, according to <i>God's Word</i>.</span></span><br />
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So turn to <i>God's Word</i> in the middle of every circumstance and cling to your Savior's words, trusting that <b>His loving grip is upon you</b>. Read His comforting words here, as God reveals how deeply He cares for you, on the days that are light and smooth and on those that are dark and lumpy, and especially at the center of every trial and difficulty: </span><br />
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><b><span style="background-color: white;">"The </span><span class="small-caps" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Lord</span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">your God is in your midst,</span></b></span><br />
<b style="color: #660000;"><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="text Zeph-3-17" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; position: relative;">a mighty one who will save;</span></span></b></div>
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</span><span class="text Zeph-3-17" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"></span></span></b></span>
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<span style="color: #660000; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text Zeph-3-17" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; position: relative;">he will rejoice over you with gladness;</span></span></b></span></div>
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<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-ESV-22838C" data-link="(<a href="#cen-ESV-22838C" title="See cross-reference C">C</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="indent-1-breaks" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Zeph-3-17" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;">he will quiet you by his love;</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">he will exult over you with loud singing." -Zephaniah 3:17</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: black; font-weight: 400;">Even in the middle of our trials, we can rest assured that we have a Savior who is bigger than every tribulation we will ever face. Jesus promised, </span>"In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." John 16:33 <span style="color: black; font-weight: 400;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Today, Christ provides His strength TO YOU, to not only <i>endure</i> your trials, struggles, or suffering, but even more, to ultimately <i>overcome</i> them victoriously through Him who has overcome the world at the cross and the empty tomb!</span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHcvPXdb0G0s8-rMObL1n60X8TPv0kiqRgif2L8IDhf38-spOaRP7WXH9l160yMTlMiE9RW4ozVjllfd8y_yp7NFimf_K7BpBwi6RnOJlueImQvdMhd6F26N8qAZFFmxrY59A6lXD4hauP/s1600/Lean+into+Jesus%2527+strong+arms....png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1056" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHcvPXdb0G0s8-rMObL1n60X8TPv0kiqRgif2L8IDhf38-spOaRP7WXH9l160yMTlMiE9RW4ozVjllfd8y_yp7NFimf_K7BpBwi6RnOJlueImQvdMhd6F26N8qAZFFmxrY59A6lXD4hauP/s400/Lean+into+Jesus%2527+strong+arms....png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large;">Portion from <i><a href="https://www.cph.org/p-27469-living-a-chocolate-life.aspx">Living a Chocolate Life</a></i> © Concordia Publishing House. Used with permission.</span></span></div>
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</span></b></span>Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-74520029166336314322019-01-26T07:00:00.000-06:002019-01-26T10:13:57.889-06:00CHOCOLATE BROWNIE FUDGE PIE - Ah! Sweet Surrender!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10uMuF3flOU0epY9YYb52Lu0CSyzDfJq9K4gwo28l8WTY9ZkGqFQZjoKwnoL_4bnytYr9KQUhcFpfV-SQvsFgyuodEbf3kWpJ9gvcwibvC_oG-SovHpIjqiO2M2sY4K326liMh6W_R-2v/s1600/Chocolate+Brownie+Fudge+Pie+%253DRecipe%253D.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1056" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj10uMuF3flOU0epY9YYb52Lu0CSyzDfJq9K4gwo28l8WTY9ZkGqFQZjoKwnoL_4bnytYr9KQUhcFpfV-SQvsFgyuodEbf3kWpJ9gvcwibvC_oG-SovHpIjqiO2M2sY4K326liMh6W_R-2v/s320/Chocolate+Brownie+Fudge+Pie+%253DRecipe%253D.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Chocolate-Brownie-Fudge Pie</span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1 c. butter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">4 oz. unsweetened chocolate</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1/2 c. flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">3/4 c. chopped pecans</span></div>
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<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Preheat</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> oven to 350 degrees. </span><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Melt</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> butter and chocolate together. </span><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Combine</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> sugar and flour. </span><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Add </strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">chocolate. </span><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Beat</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> in eggs. </span><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Add </strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">vanilla and pecans. </span><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Pour</strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> into greased pie plate. </span><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Bake </strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">25-30 minutes. </span><strong style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Serve </strong><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">with whipped cream or ice cream. Ah! Sweet surrender! (In moderation...) ;-)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Read: <span style="color: #660000;"><b><a href="http://debburma.blogspot.com/2019/01/sweet-surrender_22.html">"Sweet Surrender"</a></b></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Read: <span style="color: #660000;"><b><a href="http://debburma.blogspot.com/2019/01/surrendered.html">"Surrendered"</a></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: #222222;">Read: </span><a href="https://debburma.blogspot.com/2019/01/life-keeps-coming-up-chocolate.html"><span style="color: #660000;"><b>"Life Keeps Coming Up CHOCOLATE..."</b></span></a></span><br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">From <a href="https://www.cph.org/p-19550-a-chocolate-life-womens-devotional.aspx" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;"><i>A Chocolate Life</i> </a>by Deb Burma © CPH. Reprinted with permission.</span></strong></div>
Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-51828978270659911232019-01-25T09:36:00.001-06:002019-01-25T09:36:41.969-06:00Surrendered!<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>"For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." </i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>-Philippians 2:13</b></i></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4oRjFhwS20FahNlQgnHK3M06M45hcGTZe2L2zsaZyee6jk7_ziuOt88X35sqd7UJS5LRz-hTnIs43jUFjUYdkAH2SOhGMLqRnHVbjVHk7p8IJYC1PocrY_3uG_XyKF3QVSgSdwYv6gA43/s1600/Philippians+2+13+-+image.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1056" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4oRjFhwS20FahNlQgnHK3M06M45hcGTZe2L2zsaZyee6jk7_ziuOt88X35sqd7UJS5LRz-hTnIs43jUFjUYdkAH2SOhGMLqRnHVbjVHk7p8IJYC1PocrY_3uG_XyKF3QVSgSdwYv6gA43/s400/Philippians+2+13+-+image.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;">On this new day (and every day...), you and I can REST, assured that we can trust the Spirit's saving work in our Baptism and through the Word. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><b>The One who saved us and fills us with the desire to be like Jesus is also transforming us in His likeness. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;" /></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><i>"Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting." <b>-Psalm 139:23-24 </b></i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;">Like the Psalmist, we can cry out to God with a repentant heart, knowing <b>His grace covers us</b> as He gives us the strength to live our lives in Christ, SURRENDERED to Him. Even running to Him with reckless abandon!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQBWE9xX3tn54NMy_u8TTiTWiwfYQpEciE5bsXQLSxtrjA3CttbrElIQtOvDdqItXc83iW_RAoL8CoG5FSFN3E8ex8fjU2VHSetyfD7sx7cE-E-fcADxiBVtvYRLJkHl0iiffF7w-FT0d/s1600/Sweet+Surrender+verse+%2526+prayer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="816" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcQBWE9xX3tn54NMy_u8TTiTWiwfYQpEciE5bsXQLSxtrjA3CttbrElIQtOvDdqItXc83iW_RAoL8CoG5FSFN3E8ex8fjU2VHSetyfD7sx7cE-E-fcADxiBVtvYRLJkHl0iiffF7w-FT0d/s400/Sweet+Surrender+verse+%2526+prayer.png" width="308" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><br /></span></span>Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-26675718635310906642019-01-22T07:00:00.001-06:002019-01-23T09:54:18.160-06:00Sweet Surrender!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUoYPR9yLnudh8K6Ux79QsSUZvMSl_bRj9Kp3GBaaE52xISfA3p4hCA53KAlm_KPVACyW6N9VpFSJBSYdv96hb7maWBCA1f3s-QkjrXrlEc365_WodNUrGW54Ld48AZnq9rE_G5eZiHpo/s1600/Sweet+Surrender%2521.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTUoYPR9yLnudh8K6Ux79QsSUZvMSl_bRj9Kp3GBaaE52xISfA3p4hCA53KAlm_KPVACyW6N9VpFSJBSYdv96hb7maWBCA1f3s-QkjrXrlEc365_WodNUrGW54Ld48AZnq9rE_G5eZiHpo/s320/Sweet+Surrender%2521.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>"For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Philippians 2:13</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My little white flag just went up. Do you see it? I'm waving it weakly back and forth in front of you. I held it out long enough and finally, I surrender. <i>I give up. You win. All my resistance is gone.</i> I am no match for you, you irresistible <b>Chocolate-Brownie-Fudge Pie</b>! I surrender all my resistance, all my will power, all my diet plans, and I run toward you with a fork in my hand. Ah, but it is a<b> sweet surrender</b>! Mmm, delicious!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">While I may joke about surrendering to chocolate, I wonder about the the kinds of things we usually yield to helplessly. We all have weaknesses, areas of strongest temptation and feeblest resistance against which we cannot stand on our own. Maybe we <i>surrender</i> to gossip or gluttony. Perhaps we <i>give in</i> to peer pressure, envy, or greed. Possibly, we <i>struggle </i>with an addiction to something that hurts us and those we love. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwpFnmX85vSkJDY6MoNQNKeGL34rWlJEKcVMuURJm0pkhD42idlGzNWdoBA6jGREe12YFqjXlfkJrW3SJIiDs1MpXOu9vgtaGYhAQ_nF8Eo5fRowTWLyL780rA9syIC5F0BlQWkhFOePv/s1600/Surrender-+temptations.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1056" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlwpFnmX85vSkJDY6MoNQNKeGL34rWlJEKcVMuURJm0pkhD42idlGzNWdoBA6jGREe12YFqjXlfkJrW3SJIiDs1MpXOu9vgtaGYhAQ_nF8Eo5fRowTWLyL780rA9syIC5F0BlQWkhFOePv/s400/Surrender-+temptations.png" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In His sweet mercy and grace, our heavenly Father saw us drowning in our sins, weaknesses, and temptations. He lifted us out, saving us from our faults and failures and forgiving us through the death and resurrection of His Son, <b>Jesus Christ</b>. The Holy Spirit working through God's Word breathed new life into us and filled us with faith.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">God traded our weakness for His strength and enabled us to surrender to the Lord! <i><b>We give up:</b> </i>We give up all our feeble attempts to be strong enough on our own, all our futile efforts to do good things by our own strength. <b><i>You win, God!</i></b> You won salvation for us when You defeated sin, death, and the devil. In Your victory, You give us eternal life in Christ! <b><i>All our resistance disappears. </i></b>Through the power of the Spirit, we no longer resist Your lead, but gladly follow.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In our sin, we cannot match God's holiness, but He took away our sin and made us holy in Christ! We surrender all our foolish plans, selfish ambitions, and evil thoughts and ways to God's perfect ones. <b><i>Jesus runs toward us with outstretched arms.</i></b> Filled with His Spirit, we yield to His loving touch. Truly, this is <b>sweet, sweet surrender</b>!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjruQ2SexwExGJ0oFzKnh4Mgdka7QoPknApjVvm3ItTaydXl3ZQ7q5fvFAuibTecuJGqm6j7O13-XwGcZ_NMJvfmESQDGgovr-fcVZzN82aDPf_07QMlBzmKi9NLuQPPpvceWqYNRRfOR18/s1600/Sweet+Surrender+quote.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1056" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjruQ2SexwExGJ0oFzKnh4Mgdka7QoPknApjVvm3ItTaydXl3ZQ7q5fvFAuibTecuJGqm6j7O13-XwGcZ_NMJvfmESQDGgovr-fcVZzN82aDPf_07QMlBzmKi9NLuQPPpvceWqYNRRfOR18/s400/Sweet+Surrender+quote.png" width="400" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Surrendered, we can only imagine the amazing work ahead as the Spirit works in us, fulfilling His plans and purposes according to His perfect will.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>Lord, do with me what You will today. I surrender my ways to You. Work in and through me to do Your will, for Your purposes, and for Your good pleasure. </i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.</i></span><br />
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<strong style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">From <a href="https://www.cph.org/p-19550-a-chocolate-life-womens-devotional.aspx"><i>A Chocolate Life</i> </a>by Deb Burma © CPH. Reprinted with permission.</span></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmaa4U1zilsfXYWqMwi9ZbMMPXkjuip0zEvVNDbb34o0Lcog9KAtoSL7lHW4Hu3bQ4H_BXbwD0QB1eG5rqdIewj03H256BSh_p4dZULyNcxeBALy6NZWAddBbNGn2hv1CP6CKyA3KmTFxq/s1600/A+Chocolate+Life+devotion+book+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="989" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmaa4U1zilsfXYWqMwi9ZbMMPXkjuip0zEvVNDbb34o0Lcog9KAtoSL7lHW4Hu3bQ4H_BXbwD0QB1eG5rqdIewj03H256BSh_p4dZULyNcxeBALy6NZWAddBbNGn2hv1CP6CKyA3KmTFxq/s320/A+Chocolate+Life+devotion+book+cover.jpg" width="197" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-59388322834023887482019-01-21T09:38:00.000-06:002019-01-21T09:38:13.743-06:00WE ESCAPED!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDC9w2PjNQyq6x7b4emuVYhmUenN0J4SmCGwbtxz3AKlly7oeAu5BV243IrD6Erpad8U-t0E089dHvO4FponQ4lCGM1WVDg2bBdKD7zIjxcT_L_Roji_0yt7Z9kymbDHW-6L1nd2inZBWv/s1600/WE+ESCAPED%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="805" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDC9w2PjNQyq6x7b4emuVYhmUenN0J4SmCGwbtxz3AKlly7oeAu5BV243IrD6Erpad8U-t0E089dHvO4FponQ4lCGM1WVDg2bBdKD7zIjxcT_L_Roji_0yt7Z9kymbDHW-6L1nd2inZBWv/s320/WE+ESCAPED%2521.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">See that sign my hubby is holding?! <b>“WE ESCAPED!” </b>From what? What’s held us captive? We are so ready to escape the cold, the winter, the dark days of January… (Spring is coming, right?! Meanwhile, hot chocolate helps...) </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />We’ve mourned beside loved ones and prayed fervently with others. We’re walking beside the people of our community now during days of pain and loss. It’s been a tough month for a <span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">lot of people. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">So why the silly photo and the sign, <b>“WE ESCAPED”</b>? Following a fun Holiday moment with family at an escape room - after this photo was taken - I got to thinking: it’s true. <b>WE ESCAPED</b>. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">No matter what we face in this life: <i>cold days, depression, accidents, illness, loss...</i> You and I and all believers in Christ have <b>escaped</b>: from bondage to freedom! And not by our own doing… we were set free from sin, death, and the power of the devil because Jesus took our place. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">In exchange for His life, we have New Life today… Life forever… </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">We have Eternal Hope and Hope for today, even when all looks hopeless. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">We have Freedom from bondage. Freedom to hand out His Hope...His Help...to a hurting world around us. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">Jesus is with you now: <b><i>“I am with you always...” (Matthew 28:20) “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)</i></b></span></span></div>
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Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-55997020518349160822019-01-20T17:01:00.000-06:002019-01-21T17:53:47.406-06:00Life Keeps Coming Up CHOCOLATE...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNjM33KIpn1vKk_MzcutmSbS6nOH4DmRgbBPBO0tkTwDawUNdvb0Y8jsLnHBZ1SSGMz1azYsqziBsaGI96FJQbpeV050dPl8xqDpJt67ZVelXHYBMbuynF9_9-Ffp0meB2WQ-OAW5rKsP/s1600/Life+keeps+coming+up+CHOCOLATE....png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="864" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJNjM33KIpn1vKk_MzcutmSbS6nOH4DmRgbBPBO0tkTwDawUNdvb0Y8jsLnHBZ1SSGMz1azYsqziBsaGI96FJQbpeV050dPl8xqDpJt67ZVelXHYBMbuynF9_9-Ffp0meB2WQ-OAW5rKsP/s400/Life+keeps+coming+up+CHOCOLATE....png" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As if I
didn’t already savor and swallow copious quantities of chocolate (and countless
cups of coffee) over the holidays, in this New Year, <b>life keeps coming up "chocolate".</b> Yes, right here at the start of all-things-healthy, and in the
midst of resolution lists, I’ve resolved to focus on <b>chocolate… </b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Well, sort of.
I mean, I had you at the mere mention of it, right?</span></span></div>
<ul><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBmRiuzfESQGzXgflryVMGfcITlMoGC0ud68JwrfnbJugFlBF3OhHkDZtvdKu_wQLTnUXZ84aur5QSuIxhYlneyf0dNpy75o1ardwlXA78jvtjudD6gIf8cq5VmUnTyNBVVuIGURzwXtG/s1600/Nebraska+The+Chocolate+Life+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgBmRiuzfESQGzXgflryVMGfcITlMoGC0ud68JwrfnbJugFlBF3OhHkDZtvdKu_wQLTnUXZ84aur5QSuIxhYlneyf0dNpy75o1ardwlXA78jvtjudD6gIf8cq5VmUnTyNBVVuIGURzwXtG/s200/Nebraska+The+Chocolate+Life+poster.jpg" width="133" /></a>
<li><span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just when I'd started my diet, a friend handed me a gift with imprinted words, <b>"Chocolate Fixes Everything"</b> - and I couldn't argue. (And in this New Year, I have so much I'd like to "fix" - how about you?!) - <i>Keep reading!</i> ;-)</span></span></li>
<li><span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Then social media surprised me with one of those anniversary posts, celebrating my publisher's early release of my <b><a href="https://www.cph.org/p-27469-living-a-chocolate-life.aspx">"Living a Chocolate Life" </a></b>Bible study. (Funny timing, right?!) </span></span></li>
<li><span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Friends shared posts pertaining to chocolate. One even sent me breaking news sharing more health benefits of dark chocolate (see, I knew this would work with my New Year's goals...): <b><a href="https://www.wftv.com/news/trending-now/chocolate-may-be-a-better-cough-suppressant-than-cough-syrup-study-says/904624734?fbclid=IwAR1M3r4RJsTmasaBEqD5Fl33tAa6YiYXxNL9PvYcqsokfPJvAGiu25-4ZZk">"Chocolate May Be A Better Cough Suppressant..."</a></b></span></span></li>
<li><span style="background: white;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">My publicist reminded me it's "National Chocolate-something Day" and I celebrated again...of course. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background: white;">And we’re only weeks away from the airing of <b><a href="http://www.netnebraska.org/chocolate">Nebraska Public Television’s <i>Chocolate Life</i> documentary</a>. </b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129;"><b> </b></span></span></li>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So you see, life keeps coming up "chocolate"...I'd better roll with it.</span></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><i>Virtual </i>chocolate (like the sweet image above) grabs our
attention, even when we’re not grabbing an actual bite – or even when we are.
Why?</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="background: white;"><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; float: none; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Maybe it’s simply something that makes us smile. We relate to
it (and to its tempting qualities…). We revel in its beauty; we know its aroma and taste. Chocolate is rich. Sweet. Satisfying. And chocolate gifts can be lavish – even extravagant. (Don't even get me started...)</span><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">So, my friends, for the next few weeks, let’s talk chocolate. Wait…better
yet, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">let’s talk about</b> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">topics our favorite confection can take us to…<o:p></o:p></b></span></span><br />
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<li><b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Temptation...and Sweet Surrender</b></li>
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<li><b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Savoring God's Sweet Grace...When Life's Left a Bitter Taste</b></li>
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<li><b style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Seeking Satisfaction</b></li>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">So maybe chocolate doesn't "fix" everything...but by way of sweet chocolate analogy, we go to the One who can...and does. We search His Word; we seek His strength; we trust Him.</span></div>
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<span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If you’ve
sampled my <b><i>Chocolate Life</i></b> devotional or savored the <b><i>Living a Chocolate Life </i></b>Bible study, you’ve touched on some of these topics. We’re going to dig in a little
differently. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Will you “resolve”
to follow me as I lead you down a chocolate-rich road? We’ll savor nuggets of
God’s Word as we explore some timely and tough topics. Look for blog posts and social media posts with: Scripture, devotions, </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">questions,</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">…and even the occasional recipe. </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Comment, chat with me, ask questions…We’ll look at
life – your </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">chocolate</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> life – in the
light of God’s grace.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>"Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!" Psalm 34:8</b></span></div>
<br />Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-70142776788080255982018-07-10T18:09:00.003-05:002018-07-10T18:09:22.367-05:00A Latte Love<br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A
Latte Love!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">God’s
love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given </span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">to us. Romans 5:5<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A Latte Love. Hot or iced, it’s a favorite on most coffee shop
menus, and it’s at the heart of The Savior’s Grace Place Menu! Creamy and bold,
with or without added flavor, my latte is loved … a lot. (Does that mean I have
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">a lot</i> of Latte Love?!) </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The Italian
phrase, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><b>caffé latte</b></i>, is translated
literally <b>“coffee & milk”</b>. To make a hot latte, a shot of espresso is
poured into steamed milk and the two marbleize as they mix. A barista may
double as a latte artist, creating a <b>masterpiece </b>in the foam as one is poured
into the other. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>God’s Latte Love is poured into our hearts by the power of the
Holy Spirit. He loves us … a lot. </b>But maybe you don’t feel loved or loveable.
Perhaps the world has led you to believe you must earn God’s love. Or maybe
you’ve fallen for Satan’s lies and think that God’s love has limits. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJa99lDr2b2_sk2AFyFhbyxWZ1bJ9ikFwwPFwY1snMtzb06x0ufoMUaT4ImQwvPXIEgUr95Wv9qQ_esm6OcBzYwM2lgJYAoPD0_0dQ0KUtIVy1PWq7AOhFboj5fFLW5KD9oj5nvSAzg4r/s1600/God%2527s+Latte+Love.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1237" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaJa99lDr2b2_sk2AFyFhbyxWZ1bJ9ikFwwPFwY1snMtzb06x0ufoMUaT4ImQwvPXIEgUr95Wv9qQ_esm6OcBzYwM2lgJYAoPD0_0dQ0KUtIVy1PWq7AOhFboj5fFLW5KD9oj5nvSAzg4r/s320/God%2527s+Latte+Love.jpg" width="247" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">His love knows no limits and has no end. We cannot earn it and
don’t deserve it, but He lavishes it upon us anyway. While our feelings may
betray us, God’s perfect Word never will. There we read that He so loved us
that He gave His Son (John 3:16), who <b>poured out</b> His life as a sacrifice for
our sins, filled us with faith, and gave us eternal life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">We
are God’s creations, His <b>masterpieces</b>, created in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:10)
according to His plan and His lavish love for us!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">And
this lavish love enables us to love others: <b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“M<span style="background: white; color: black;">ay the Lord<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>make you increase and abound in love<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>for one another and for all</span>” </i>(1
Thessalonians 3:12).<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> </i></span></b>By His grace, we can abound – overflow – in love for fellow
believers … and for all. <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">All?</i> (Gulp)
Even the unlovely woman who shouts insults at us in the latte line at the
coffee shop? The misguided people in our midst who reject Christ and may even
mistreat us? The family whose culture and values are so different from ours?
You and I are to love <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">all </i>of these?
Yes, and it’s possible only because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). <b>The Gospel
frees us and the Holy Spirit empowers us to share God’s Latte Love – the same
love He first poured into us! </b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear God,
Help me to remember that I am Your masterpiece! Because of Your redeeming love
for me in Christ, I can overflow in love for others. Lead me to share the same
love You’ve poured into me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<br />Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-72943522139280452852018-06-28T16:08:00.001-05:002018-06-28T16:12:52.011-05:00Mocha Moment<br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Mocha Moment</span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">“Mary…sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his
teaching” Luke 10:39.</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span class="text"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="background: white; color: black; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Just
a stone’s throw from a busy street but positioned perfectly at the edge of the
woods lies a little cabin, home to Mocha Moment, a coffee shop like no other
I’ve ever seen. Outdoor seating on the wraparound deck conveniently faces the
woods, while indoor seating includes sofas near the fireplace and chairs
surrounding a roaster in the middle of the room. Homemade <b>chocolate chip scones
</b>and cinnamon-swirl coffee cakes fill the display cases, and a full coffeehouse
menu graces the order boards above the counter. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnln1VRumQFRp1kZZcDOKbAA2qJySrVczOZQSU1-6vnLzfO_q3M5pNmGtPhMG0lohvqLsFhpKuMMWfolZJqeZKmRWOu6osX0OuPd0VgD7SH_3QYq13XIMEzkL2PD_49hHYArx8p9AOhG1/s1600/IMG_5769.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYnln1VRumQFRp1kZZcDOKbAA2qJySrVczOZQSU1-6vnLzfO_q3M5pNmGtPhMG0lohvqLsFhpKuMMWfolZJqeZKmRWOu6osX0OuPd0VgD7SH_3QYq13XIMEzkL2PD_49hHYArx8p9AOhG1/s320/IMG_5769.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Having a Mocha Moment, complete with Chocolate Chip Scone!</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Who
wouldn’t want to spend a Mocha Moment (or two…) in this woodland-respite coffee
shop? I recall many a moment there, seated across from my husband, cup in hand,
as we met for<b> mini-dates</b> just to get away. I treasured the early-morning
moments with two friends who met regularly with me for <b>talk time and prayer</b>.
Then there were the special moments spent with a group of girlfriends on the
deck, soaking in the sunshine, sipping our beverages, and <b>solving one another’s
problems</b>. I miss those moments; they were far too few. They meant even more
than the mocha that filled my cup, though that was wonderful too!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Can
you picture a place where you might go, alone or with others, for a moment of
respite, a brief get-away?</b> (Maybe you’ll have a mocha in that moment so you can
give it the same name!) Too often, we let life’s frenzied pace keep us from
taking these precious moments to relate and refuel. And while we may meet with
a friend or loved one, what we need even more are <b>regular moments with Jesus</b>.
How can we find a time and place to sit at His feet and listen to His teaching,
just as Mary did when Jesus came to her home (see Luke 10:38-42)? I think we’re
more often like her sister, Martha, whose task list distracted her from sitting
beside her sister and before her Lord. We justify, “I’ll be with You in a
moment, Jesus. I’m much too busy now.” But that moment doesn’t come. Ouch!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In
His mercy, our Savior invites us to bring our distractions to His feet. We
confess the many moments we’ve chosen to put other things first, and there at
His feet, <b>we receive His words of forgiveness, of salvation won for us at the
cross</b>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pick
a place, alone or with a sister in Christ, and He will meet you there,
providing respite like no other. Your getaway moments with Jesus will provide
the most meaningful “talk time” as you listen to His teaching and reply in
prayer. <b>He relates to you and refuels you in ways that no one else can.</b> (By the
way, no matter which beverage you choose to sip on the side, go ahead and call
it a Mocha Moment – with your Savior.)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dear Jesus,
I need a moment (or more) with You today. Lead me to a place where I listen and
learn from You, sitting at Your feet. In Your name. Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilW-Omx9Xi8L5P7nw9b1MvfbnYUeMPSjY92z9_jNwLOXp7f0uRqtkaKxzZOxrSc1yXZhHPeDCXJpVvxJOqdsjIWdX1h795OYDp7t2v0mDBdYIU-DXbwrYfLuhlcLWxpGXH7bzhiUKrGf-E/s1600/Spend+a+Mocha+Moment+with+your+Savior%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="1056" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilW-Omx9Xi8L5P7nw9b1MvfbnYUeMPSjY92z9_jNwLOXp7f0uRqtkaKxzZOxrSc1yXZhHPeDCXJpVvxJOqdsjIWdX1h795OYDp7t2v0mDBdYIU-DXbwrYfLuhlcLWxpGXH7bzhiUKrGf-E/s320/Spend+a+Mocha+Moment+with+your+Savior%2521.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chocolate
Chip Scones<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">-Inspired by
the Mocha Moment Coffee Shop-<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 cup flour<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3 T. sugar<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 ½ tsp. baking powder<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dash salt<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 T. cold butter<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 egg<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">3 T. heavy cream<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">½ cup miniature chocolate chips<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Coarse
sugar for sprinkling<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Preheat </span></b><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">oven to 350 degrees. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Combine </b>flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cut in</b> butter until the mixture
resembles coarse crumbs. In a separate bowl, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">mix </b>egg and cream; <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">stir </b>into
dry ingredients just until moistened. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Fold</b>
in chocolate chips. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Turn </b>onto a
floured surface; <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">knead</b> gently, then
pat into a circle. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Cut </b>dough into
wedges and sprinkle coarse sugar on top. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Bake
</b>on an ungreased baking sheet for 15 minutes or until lightly browned. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Serve </b>beside your favorite coffee
beverage and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">enjoy</b> a Mocha Moment
(or two).</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 115%; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: georgia, utopia, "palatino linotype", palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px;">
<strong style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From <a href="https://www.cph.org/p-30303-sip-savor-and-drink-deeply-receive-gods-overflowing-gifts.aspx" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #783f04;"><i>Sip, Savor, and Drink Deeply </i></span></a><a href="https://www.cph.org/p-31104-sip-savor-and-drink-deeply-devotional-receive-gods-overflowing-gifts.aspx" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: #783f04;">Devotions </span></a>by Deb Burma <a href="http://www.cph.org/p-21610-stepping-out-to-a-life-on-the-edge.aspx" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;">© </a>2017 CPH. </span></strong></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;" /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Utopia, "Palatino Linotype", Palatino, serif; font-size: 13.2px; text-align: center;">
<strong style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Reprinted with permission</span></strong></div>
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Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-18922704887315743502018-03-29T17:46:00.000-05:002018-03-29T17:46:21.996-05:00Stepping Out...in HOPE<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative;">
Hope. Is it merely wishful thinking? A<span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"> </span><strong style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><em>verb</em></strong><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"> </span><em style="font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">"I hope we win the game. I hope we're going to have a beautiful summer after this long winter. I hope they like me. I hope I can be forgiven..."</em></h3>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-6973120700530295774" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 640px;">
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Often in our world, we have minimized or mistaken the deeper, real meaning of hope. A <strong><em>noun.</em></strong> Given with the greatest of Gifts. Found in our Savior, Jesus Christ.</div>
<br /><strong>"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living HOPE through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3</strong> </div>
<div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-6973120700530295774" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 640px;">
<i><br /></i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_HdgfmGroosvlUr_V3rE0tRjlmzl30dIZecrjWEo83LcyyMkJD18dL5SeY0pTtHoNsKIBqOvh12cXKp54aD4crM_JQcoFAkgKz1zSTA_8nyMGs1fytkUpefNSrI6wTc9hgdONKwKy4KE/s1600/Hope+in+Christ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: black; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf_HdgfmGroosvlUr_V3rE0tRjlmzl30dIZecrjWEo83LcyyMkJD18dL5SeY0pTtHoNsKIBqOvh12cXKp54aD4crM_JQcoFAkgKz1zSTA_8nyMGs1fytkUpefNSrI6wTc9hgdONKwKy4KE/s1600/Hope+in+Christ.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a>In Jesus, our hope is real. Our hope is certain. God handed us hope in the manger, and He secured our hope at the <strong><em>cross</em></strong> and the <strong><em>empty tomb</em></strong>. Through Jesus' death and resurrection, by faith we have the hope of salvation and eternal life in Him; we are<strong><em>forgiven</em></strong> by His grace; we receive the promise of the final resurrection. Our hope is a reality, NOT wishful thinking!<br /><br /><strong>"May the God of HOPE fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with HOPE by the power of the Holy Spirit." Romans 15:13</strong><br /><br />Yes, our God of hope is able to fill us with joy and peace in every circumstance as we trust in Him; we overflow with His hope poured into us, and this enables us to persevere through the pain and difficulty that all-too-often fills our days. Maybe you have struggled with an addiction or suffered from depression or mourned a terrible loss. Maybe you live with chronic pain or struggle with a strained relationship. The Lord brings comfort to you through these words from <strong>Romans 5:3-5:</strong> <strong>"We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, HOPE. And HOPE does not disappoint us..."</strong><br /><br />We're not called to rejoice <em>because</em> we suffer, but to rejoice <em>in the midst</em> of our sufferings. In them, character is developed; the kind of character that allows us to recognize and empathize with others as they face similar struggles because we have walked a related road.<br /><br />And character produces hope. <em>Real</em> hope in a <em>real </em>Savior who knows our every need and enables us to<strong><em> step out</em></strong> in hope when sufferings and struggles surround us, because we know that one day we will be delivered out of all of them and into His arms. We have His promise.<br /><br /><strong>"Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful." Hebrews 10:23</strong> As you face the cross on Good Friday; as you gaze in wonder at the empty tomb this Easter, worshiping the One who died and rose for YOUR sins; as you hold unswervingly to the hope you profess, you can hand out hope in His name.<strong><em> </em></strong>Point people to the Hope that IS Christ.<br /><br />If people mistake hope as merely wishful thinking or attempt to place their hope in anything or anyone else, they will find themselves disappointed and disillusioned. There is only One in whom real hope can be found.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjnmiK6DC8GBaFQwRN1L_DO5P5OBeuro_W4lSGN8iXjjQ7uZ579EWRMrmdXZT-QkXYJMN2fNkazkAGDV91yKJwdqCuH4r3LsaYfV5MoXqdfnL87fBLNJ-wspweurN8LU7dkd-FhHgx0VI/s1600/Jesus+Easter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: black; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration-line: none;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjnmiK6DC8GBaFQwRN1L_DO5P5OBeuro_W4lSGN8iXjjQ7uZ579EWRMrmdXZT-QkXYJMN2fNkazkAGDV91yKJwdqCuH4r3LsaYfV5MoXqdfnL87fBLNJ-wspweurN8LU7dkd-FhHgx0VI/s1600/Jesus+Easter.jpg" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 1px solid rgb(238, 238, 238); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1) 1px 1px 5px; padding: 5px; position: relative;" /></a>In our Savior's strength, we <strong><em>step out</em></strong> to share with them our hope in the One who stepped in and saved us by His amazing grace.<br /><br />The One who <strong>heals</strong> our past, no matter where we've been or what we've done.<br />The One who<strong> helps</strong> us in the present. Right now. In the midst of every struggle.<br />The One who <strong>holds</strong> us now and in the future, whatever may come.<br /><br /> He is the One who stepped out of the tomb that first Easter morning, giving real and certain HOPE for eternity.<br /><br />Step out. In Hope.</div>
Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-67170963663311419722017-12-30T17:26:00.000-06:002019-04-01T15:54:56.480-05:00Served on the Side<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Served on
the Side</span></span></span></b><br />
<i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background: white; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">“And<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>let us
consider how to stir up one another to love and good works” Hebrews 10:24.</span></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>My car brakes for coffee shops.</b></span></i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><b> </b>This might as well be my bumper-sticker
statement because it’s true. The hot cappuccino/latte/mocha/breve inside calls my
name, and my car comes to a screeching halt when I spot a shop. But I have to
admit, there’s another reason for the braking. It’s the sweet treats served on
the side of my beverage. They also call my name. “Over here!” they whisper.
“This will complement your coffee and make it taste even better!” So I stare
into the display case, wondering which I should choose today. Brownie or
biscotti? Coffee cake or scone? Any one of these treats is sure to go really
well with my drink. <b><i>And besides</i>,</b> I
reason, <i><b>two are better than one. I
wouldn’t want my coffee served all alone.</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In
life, we can become a bit more like the sweet treats at the coffee shop, not as
we are served, but <u>as we willingly <i>serve </i>on
the side</u>. The Lord calls us to a life of wholehearted service in whatever we do
(Colossians 3:23). Our sinful pride may tell us it’s better to go it alone, but
God calls us, instead, to humble service alongside others. And it IS true that
two are better than one (Ecclesiastes 3:9-12), though I’m not sure this truth
works with my sweet-treat reasoning. 😊</span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> By His grace in Christ, the Lord leads us away from our prideful place,
forgives our sins, and puts us in the humble path of someone with whom we’re
called to serve.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Whether
it’s a coworker, a relative, a fellow church member, or a friend, there’s
someone we can serve alongside. And when we do, God uses our gifts and
abilities to complement theirs – to make their service even better. And He is
glorified!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The
writer of Hebrews says we’re <i>to stir up
one another</i> – spur one another on – <i>to
love and good works.</i> So let’s consider how we can do that, with the Lord’s
help. As you ponder the New Year just ahead, consider: <b>What “calls your name”? How and where can you serve-on-the-side with
someone else?</b> Consider how your God-given gifts may work really well with
theirs. Maybe you can crunch numbers for your friend’s fundraising event. Or
maybe you can offer creative ministry ideas to a staff that’s looking for
assistance. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">You
can give encouragement exactly where it’s needed - now...and later too! Stir up a loved one or a
sister in Christ as you humbly harmonize her gifts with yours, serving with her
on-the-side. (Mmm…even better than hot coffee with </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Cappuccino Brownie Squares </b><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">served on the side</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">!)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lord, lead
me to a humble place of service alongside others, that You may be glorified as
we stir up one another to love and good works. In Jesus’ name. Amen.</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></i></div>
<h1 style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">
<span style="line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Cappuccino Brownie Squares</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h1>
<h1 style="line-height: 200%; text-align: center;">
<i><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">These rich, layered
brownie squares combine favorite flavors of coffee, cheesecake, and chocolate
for a decadent delight! Enjoy served on the side of your favorite coffee
beverage.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1
large pkg. (19–21 oz.) brownie mix + ingredients to make cake-like brownies + 1
T. instant coffee granules<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 cup milk<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">¼ cup instant coffee granules<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) cheesecake instant
pudding<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">1 container (12 oz.) frozen whipped topping,
thawed, divided<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">20 cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies,
coarsely chopped <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chocolate
candy bar to grate on top, if desired - or - chocolate-covered coffee beans<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Preheat
oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease
9x13” pan. Prepare brownie mix according
to package directions for cake-like brownies, adding 1 T. instant coffee
granules to batter. Pour into pan,
spreading evenly. Bake 25–30 minutes. Cool completely.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">In
mixing bowl, combine milk and ¼ cup instant coffee granules; stir until
dissolved. Add pudding mixes and half of
the whipped topping; whisk until smooth.
Coarsely chop cookies; fold into pudding mixture. Spread filling evenly over cooled brownies.
Spread remaining half of whipped topping over top. Grate chocolate candy bar on top, if
desired. Refrigerate at least 30
minutes. Cut into squares and serve chilled.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzl-YFgd2PavFo94mAtAfEBhRikcPrgPdJlic66A1tCZ72jRYjFnolGKl2kTj70_x37Hm5FUiYOEfn9mpq5J_dSQMv_ru1UePKZhTJSsIYnh-WJfcsc05OgwogBpBtBwaTcaZjd-1s26Zu/s1600/Cappuccino+Brownie+Squares.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="614" data-original-width="409" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzl-YFgd2PavFo94mAtAfEBhRikcPrgPdJlic66A1tCZ72jRYjFnolGKl2kTj70_x37Hm5FUiYOEfn9mpq5J_dSQMv_ru1UePKZhTJSsIYnh-WJfcsc05OgwogBpBtBwaTcaZjd-1s26Zu/s320/Cappuccino+Brownie+Squares.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-25385532700908114602017-07-06T12:02:00.002-05:002017-07-06T13:17:00.718-05:00The Savior’s Grace Place Menu: Breve Blessings <div class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-add-space: auto;">
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Did you know...?? Your Savior has a “menu” of sorts (yes, you read that right!) and it's filled with
the very best of His abundant provision and served up to you. </span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In this excerpt
from <b><i>Sip,
Savor, & Drink Deeply</i></b> (found in both the Bible study book and the
devotional), you will receive a selection from <i>The Savior’s Grace Place</i> menu by way of the description of one
popular coffee shop beverage. Other selections include: <i>Mocha Mercy, Cappuccino Comfort, </i>and <i>Latte Love, </i>to name a few. And guess what?! Your cup overflows with an endless
supply of each menu item, poured out in abundance by His grace and generously
served up to you today and every day. Enjoy...<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>BREVE </i>BLESSINGS</span></b></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #8c5c3e;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Blessed
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ
with every </span></span></i><i><span style="color: #8c5c3e;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">spiritual
blessing. Ephesians 1:3</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A
<i>breve </i>is perhaps the least known beverage on a coffee shop menu. This
delicious drink is created simply by substituting half-and-half or light cream
for the milk in any espresso-based beverage. Take your latte, cappuccino, or
mocha, and simply replace the steamed milk with a creamier option and—voilà!—you
have a <i>breve. </i>If you’re thinking, <i>But I’ve always added cream to my
coffee, </i>keep in mind that a <i>breve </i>is more parts <i>cream </i>than
coffee. It’s really rich.</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIq6hpDQ3A0seUo5ntuosEtQBmuhvn6imLgH8FtIrwAlIiRW6W2icYoqP1TichrrRaBfpdDDuMrk7VDiem-MASTuOnK4-PpL_sSlAxCKb9ARmy5x6N3Gy2aVMcKIwNmWjkmjjvNvdXd-rc/s1600/Breve+Blessings.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="940" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIq6hpDQ3A0seUo5ntuosEtQBmuhvn6imLgH8FtIrwAlIiRW6W2icYoqP1TichrrRaBfpdDDuMrk7VDiem-MASTuOnK4-PpL_sSlAxCKb9ARmy5x6N3Gy2aVMcKIwNmWjkmjjvNvdXd-rc/s320/Breve+Blessings.png" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We
are brimming with God’s </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">breve</i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">-rich blessings, overflowing for us in
Christ and found near the front of The Savior’s Grace Place Menu! His blessings
are not limited to the past. </span><i style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">(Sigh. My cup was rich and running over at one
time.) </i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">They’re not restricted to special moments and milestone events we
log in our memory books. In our sin, we are shortsighted. Not only do we fail
to remember or recognize some of our blessings, but we neglect to acknowledge
and praise our Savior as the one who provides each and every one of them. We
bring our shortsightedness and neglect to the provider Himself, who knows our
failures and forgives all of them for Jesus’ sake, blessing us “with every
spiritual blessing,” beginning with the forgiveness we receive at the cross and
flowing forward with the blessings of faith, peace, love, joy, and more!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Today’s
blessings that fill our cups may have a new look, a different flavor than
yesterday’s blend, and we may not yet recognize them to be the blessings that
they are. Maybe they’ll appear through new means, revealing God’s continued
provision in a different way.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One
day, while waiting in line at my local coffee shop, I was startled as a woman
appeared suddenly and grabbed me by the arm. With a smile larger than my <i>grande
breve, </i>she exclaimed, “Can I pay for your drink? I am so blessed today, I
just want to share my joy!” By God’s grace, this woman recognized His rich blessings
in her life and let them overflow onto me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Praise
be to God, our cups of <i>Breve </i>Blessings are brimming over! The Lord’s
blessings really do spill over from our cups of plenty; our cups overflow (Psalm
23:5).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dear God, help me
to recognize Your rich blessings as they flow into my life, sometimes </span></i><i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">through
unexpected means. May I give You glory as I acknowledge and praise You for each
and every one. In Jesus’ name. Amen.</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Drink Deeply:</b> God is the giver of every good and perfect gift - every blessing - both physical and spiritual. All that we have comes from His hand. Read <b><i>Ephesians 1:3-14</i></b>, which begins, <i>"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ."</i> We "bless" or <i>praise</i> our triune God - the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit - for His countless blessings, beginning with the spiritual blessings in Christ we read about here.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1. According to <b><i>verse 3</i></b>, you are blessed in Christ. Find and mark every "in Christ" or "in Him" across this passage. Why is "in Christ" so significant?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">2. Because you are "in Christ," united with Him in your Baptism, you are a recipient of every spiritual blessing from heaven. Read the passage again, looking for some of the countless spiritual blessings you receive by His grace.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">3. According to <b><i>verse 6</i></b>, the blessings you receive "in the Beloved" - in Christ, the one He loves - are the result of what? [The blessings we receive are the result of God's grace, not something we earn or deserve.]</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<strong style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">From </span><a href="https://www.cph.org/p-30303-sip-savor-and-drink-deeply-receive-gods-overflowing-gifts.aspx"><span style="color: #783f04;"><i>Sip, Savor, and Drink Deeply </i>Bible Study</span> </a><span style="color: #222222;">and </span><a href="https://www.cph.org/p-31104-sip-savor-and-drink-deeply-devotional-receive-gods-overflowing-gifts.aspx"><span style="color: #783f04;"><i>SSDD </i>Devotions </span></a><span style="color: #222222;">by Deb Burma </span><a href="http://www.cph.org/p-21610-stepping-out-to-a-life-on-the-edge.aspx" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;">© </a><span style="color: #222222;">2017 CPH. </span></span></strong></div>
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<strong style="line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Reprinted with permission</span></strong></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTX9mWzQDFmvTokNZ-1wQ7LJqD312IHzHjAG_BoUjf69n8V2wkaVdnSx11yqmSoMBNY8F3WJYo8PiUAhWum34MVeXPBPTCXbwkuTmszXgxE2OUtIzbuA3mPvtjaH6sc-eENDnwghOKOxk/s1600/Sip%252C+Savor%252C+and+Drink+Deeply+book+cover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1067" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmTX9mWzQDFmvTokNZ-1wQ7LJqD312IHzHjAG_BoUjf69n8V2wkaVdnSx11yqmSoMBNY8F3WJYo8PiUAhWum34MVeXPBPTCXbwkuTmszXgxE2OUtIzbuA3mPvtjaH6sc-eENDnwghOKOxk/s320/Sip%252C+Savor%252C+and+Drink+Deeply+book+cover.JPG" width="213" /></a></div>
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Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-10409727135029985852017-05-17T12:37:00.000-05:002017-05-20T09:06:10.668-05:00Sip, Savor, & Drink Deeply: He Knows Your Name<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands. </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Isaiah 49:15–16</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I stepped inside my favorite coffee shop the other day and two familiar voices called out together from behind the counter, <i>“Deb!” </i>A warmth flowed into me as if I’d already taken my first sip of hot latte, and I thought, <i>They never forget me! </i>As I approached the counter, we began the friendly rapport we share each time I walk into their shop. Sometimes I’m grabbing a cup to go; other times I’m meeting a friend. But that day, I arrived at my favorite coffee shop alone, ready to sit with my Savior for a time of devotion, writing, and prayer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I’ve become what some would call a “regular” at this shop, and when I arrived that day, the baristas not only knew my name, but they also knew my favorite flavor blend, served up just the way I like it. <i>“Let me </i><i>guess, Deb: a halfsie again today? Half raspberry and half white chocolate; half skim and half whole milk; a </i><i>half shot of espresso. Am I right?”</i> I laughed and nodded. We chatted a little while longer, then I headed to my table and opened my Bible.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRHZlfcdn9yNpkxwZZK-Nlge0gk2rhJUem9v69XwDdBpVsNuJSTcvinEHDF3NsUjJLByMWcUBEculJoZpuL7lbLCvAXkaks16h8Mm2S1rn8_XIPucyZoxWWLVux2gr3fXf3_QF-olpgYg4/s1600/Name+on+cup+quote+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRHZlfcdn9yNpkxwZZK-Nlge0gk2rhJUem9v69XwDdBpVsNuJSTcvinEHDF3NsUjJLByMWcUBEculJoZpuL7lbLCvAXkaks16h8Mm2S1rn8_XIPucyZoxWWLVux2gr3fXf3_QF-olpgYg4/s320/Name+on+cup+quote+image.jpg" width="221" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">As I began to read, they delivered my drink. The side of the cup read </span><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">“We love Deb!” </b><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">with a big heart. Once again, a warmth flowed through me, this time as I pondered the expressions of love printed on the cup and written across the pages before me. I paused to pray, thanking God for the baristas’ reminder that I am known. I am loved.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">While my barista buddies know my name, label my cup with love, and learn a little more about me each time we meet, there is One who knows me completely (<b>Psalm 139</b>) and loves me with an everlasting love (<b>Jeremiah 31:3</b>). He created me in His image (<b>Genesis </b><b>1:27</b>) and sent His Son to the cross to save me from my sins (<b>1 Corinthians 15:3</b>). He calls me His child (<b>1 </b><b>John 3:1–2</b>), and He will never forget me (<b>Isaiah 49:15</b>).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Even better than seeing my name handwritten on the side of a cup is knowing my name is engraved on the palm of God’s hand. And so is yours. He loves you! He knows your name.</span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Father God, You know my name! Thank You for expressing Your everlasting love for me across the pages of Scripture and at the cross of Christ, my Savior! In His name. Amen.</span></i></div>
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<strong style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">From <i><a href="https://www.cph.org/p-31104-sip-savor-and-drink-deeply-devotional-receive-gods-overflowing-gifts.aspx">Sip, Savor, and Drink Deeply Devotions</a></i> by Deb Burma <a href="http://www.cph.org/p-21610-stepping-out-to-a-life-on-the-edge.aspx" style="text-decoration-line: none;">© </a>2017 CPH. </span></span></strong></div>
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<strong style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Reprinted with permission</span></strong></div>
Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-3642148117650405122016-10-02T17:58:00.000-05:002017-01-07T21:13:28.646-06:0012 Ideas to Guide Your Child to a Life of Prayer<div style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); color: #0a0a0a; margin-bottom: 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>This post first appeared on <a href="http://blog.cph.org/everyday-faith/life-of-prayer/"><b>The CPH blog (click to view) </b></a>under "Everyday Faith".</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Momma, momma, huwwy! We need to pway!” My toddler ran to me the very moment he heard the siren from a fire truck speeding past our house down the nearby highway. I scooped my little guy into my arms and held him close. Together, we talked to Jesus, asking for help and protection on behalf of the people who may be hurting or in danger.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Just as my husband and I sought to teach our children that prayer can and should be our first response in every situation, you, too, can lead your growing children to pray, helping them see the <em style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">need for it</em> and the <em style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">power of God in and through it</em>. You can remind them that their loving heavenly Father’s eyes are always upon them, and that He hears and answers every prayer. They can draw near to His throne of grace with confidence (Hebrews 4:16) because of Christ’s sacrifice for them at the cross!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc5DyiN8kT5rFJLazfz3HoI5LOL3Z6PG6KwQhjLBKOgV7fIbxKmQASQuu3S0uU2GH9dvy498KRYE8g9XWJeZGyf-rTuWGZVcP3VRWDujTbiOMlnnKBdCN8oZK1veGRiewmyLvbfHdwQNBa/s1600/Mother+praying+with+daughter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc5DyiN8kT5rFJLazfz3HoI5LOL3Z6PG6KwQhjLBKOgV7fIbxKmQASQuu3S0uU2GH9dvy498KRYE8g9XWJeZGyf-rTuWGZVcP3VRWDujTbiOMlnnKBdCN8oZK1veGRiewmyLvbfHdwQNBa/s320/Mother+praying+with+daughter.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Here are 12 ideas to help you along the way:</span></strong></div>
<ol style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); color: #0a0a0a; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 20px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">From your children’s earliest toddler years, you can <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">teach them to stop and pray</em></strong> for others when they hear sirens or when they witness any other potentially scary situation.</span></li>
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<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Encourage your growing child, and <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">praise her for her humble words</em></strong> given to God in prayer. No matter how long or short her prayer, it is a beautiful offering to Him.</span></li>
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<ol start="3" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); color: #0a0a0a; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 20px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Teach your child how he can <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“pray without ceasing”</em></strong> (1 Thessalonians 5:17), offering pop-up prayers in the middle of the day and developing an attitude of constant prayer and dependence on God.</span></li>
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<ol start="4" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); color: #0a0a0a; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 20px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Pray for and with your child <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">on the spot</em></strong> as a crisis or need arrives: when she walks through the door in tears, when you learn of another family’s illness or accident, or when another person suddenly comes to mind.</span></li>
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<ol start="5" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); color: #0a0a0a; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 20px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Develop a prayer habit for your family <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">at regular times</em></strong> in your daily routine, such as mealtime, devotion time, and bedtime, if possible.</span></li>
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<ol start="6" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); color: #0a0a0a; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 20px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sing the doxology or a table prayer <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">set to music</em></strong>, and encourage your children to sing with no inhibitions as they offer praise and thanks to the Lord.</span></li>
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<ol start="7" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); color: #0a0a0a; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 20px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Pray with them about <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">big and small things</em></strong>, revealing that it all matters to God. He is a God of details and desires that we bring them all to Him.</span></li>
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<ol start="8" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); color: #0a0a0a; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 20px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Encourage your children to be <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">honest and forthright</em></strong> in their prayers. God knows every hair on their heads, so He surely knows everything on their hearts. They can pray about anything, even those things that they can’t talk to you about.</span></li>
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<ol start="9" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); color: #0a0a0a; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 20px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tell your child that however his heavenly Father answers his prayers—yes, no, or wait—<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">he can expect God to change and grow him </em></strong>as a result of his prayers.</span></li>
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<ol start="10" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); color: #0a0a0a; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 20px 30px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Present your child with a journal, and encourage her to <strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">record her prayers and others’ prayer requests</em></strong>. Encourage her to look back to her past journal entries, recognizing God’s provision and answers along the way.</span></li>
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<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Model prayer as you teach it</em></strong> to your precious children. Pray openly and honestly. Let them hear you confess your sins and praise your Savior. Let them listen as you thank Him for the many blessings of the day and as you hold them up in prayer.</span></li>
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<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Pray the Scriptures</em></strong> for and with your children, inserting their names into them. Here’s a great place to start: <em style="background: transparent; border: 0px rgb(221, 221, 221); margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“It is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you [ child’s name ] may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9–11).</em></span></li>
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<span style="line-height: 23.2px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Scripture: ESV®. Portions excerpted f</b></span></span><strong style="line-height: 18.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">rom <a href="https://www.cph.org/p-27473-raising-godly-girls.aspx" style="text-decoration: none;"><i>Raising Godly Girls</i> by Deb Burma © 2015 CPH</a>. Reprinted with permission.</span></strong></div>
Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-81890830829227473082016-03-02T14:42:00.000-06:002017-01-07T21:11:47.590-06:00Making Appearances: Your Daughter and Social Media<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WJvWdUmp-2YNIYZiXKpjsftLWErdyZVSmt2u7WSqhllVokJAQn74bzVed5zY4Q8wG3m1p1Cv5GvnasnXYjv42APZN25K697ka_r1wj77n_kqjXb1J8HDLp536VVrwuoSw-J14mbZ81km/s1600/Raising+Godly+Girls+-+daughter+%2526+social+media.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3WJvWdUmp-2YNIYZiXKpjsftLWErdyZVSmt2u7WSqhllVokJAQn74bzVed5zY4Q8wG3m1p1Cv5GvnasnXYjv42APZN25K697ka_r1wj77n_kqjXb1J8HDLp536VVrwuoSw-J14mbZ81km/s320/Raising+Godly+Girls+-+daughter+%2526+social+media.png" width="320" /></a></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #741b47; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">This post first appeared on </span><b style="color: #741b47; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><a href="http://blog.cph.org/family/children/making-appearances-your-daughter-and-social-media/">The CPH blog (click to view.)</a> </b></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #741b47; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Your daughter stares into the screen of her phone, deeply engaged in social media. Many of the images are recognizable. </span><b style="color: #741b47; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><i>The comments are personal. </i></b><span style="background-color: white; color: #741b47; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Some elicit laughter. Others hit a little too close to home. Still others leave her feeling uncomfortable and upset.</span><br />
<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.2px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.2px;">What your daughter may not realize is that <b><i>the limited view of her friends via social media—shared for the world to see—are skewed, a little or a lot.</i></b> As friends share flattering photos and make enviable remarks, they give her the false impression that everything in their world is ideal. They may be “making an appearance” before their peers, attempting to build themselves up, to appear a certain way. </span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.2px;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.2px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.2px;"><b><i>The result?</i></b> Your poor princess ends up feeling inferior to or resenting her friends, whose goal may not have been to intentionally hurt anyone but merely to look good to others. In other cases, friends may share suggestive images or inappropriate content to seek negative attention and end up causing even further hurt as a result. In still other cases, so-called friends may attempt a direct attack against your daughter, using social media as the means for cyberbullying.</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.2px;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.2px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.2px;">Research reveals <b><i>a direct correlation between time spent on social media and negative feelings of self-worth,</i></b> especially among growing girls, who often struggle with confusion and uncertainty regarding their changing appearance, their acceptance by peers, and their very identity. Researchers from the School of Psychology at Flinders University in Australia surveyed more than 1,000 adolescent girls. Dr. Amy Slater reported, “Our findings demonstrate a worrying correlation between excessive media use, particularly social media and the internet, and lower self-esteem, body-esteem and sense of identity and higher depression” (</span><a href="http:" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: none; cursor: pointer; display: inline; float: none; line-height: 23.2px; list-style: disc outside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Medical Daily). </a><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.2px;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.2px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.2px;">I’m not advocating a ban of social media for our girls (once we’ve determined that they are old enough and prepared to make use of it). So many excellent Internet-driven tools for connectivity, conversation, and education have the potential to powerfully and positively impact our children when used with discretion and when our children’s eyes are wide open to the potential deception and harm that can be found in them. </span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.2px;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.2px;" /><em style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: none; display: inline; float: none; line-height: 23.2px; list-style: disc outside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>You have the opportunity to let social media be a great teaching tool for your daughter.</b></em></span><br />
<ul style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: none; float: none; line-height: 23.2px; list-style-image: none; list-style-position: outside; margin: 0px 0px 20px 30px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; clear: none; float: none; list-style: disc outside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Be the mom. Set limits and explain them clearly; define appropriate and inappropriate use and provide clear-cut guidelines as you also educate yourself about the latest trends in social media.</span></li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; clear: none; float: none; list-style: disc outside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Alert your child to the very real dangers that exist. Don’t mince words. If you’ve determined that she is ready for social media, then she must also be ready to understand the inherent dangers: Internet pornography, sexual innuendos, crude language, cyberbullying, and other vices exist across cyberspace. Help safeguard her by providing ample information, for her protection. </span></li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; clear: none; float: none; list-style: disc outside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Pray for and with her, asking God to guard her heart and guard her eyes: “<strong style="background: transparent; border: 0px; clear: none; display: inline; float: none; list-style: disc outside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Turn my eyes from looking at worthless things; and give me life in Your ways” (Psalm 119:37). </strong></span></li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; clear: none; float: none; list-style: disc outside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Establish a level of care and trust so she knows she can approach you with concerns and every possible scenario that may appear before her.</span></li>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.2px;">Your daughter is “making an appearance” before her peers when she sports her first smartphone, when she sets up her first Facebook page or Instagram account , and every time she texts, posts, pins, or tweets (or whatever term the latest social media uses to define sharing something across cyberspace!).</span><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.2px;" /><br style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.2px;" /><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.2px;"> </span><em style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: none; display: inline; float: none; line-height: 23.2px; list-style: disc outside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><b>What kind of appearance will she want to portray? </b></em></span><br />
<ul style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; clear: none; float: none; line-height: 23.2px; list-style-image: none; list-style-position: outside; margin: 0px 0px 20px 30px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; clear: none; float: none; list-style: disc outside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Help her to think carefully about the image she wishes to project, about how she wants to represent herself publicly.</span></li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; clear: none; float: none; list-style: disc outside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Encourage her as you remind her of her true identity as a godly girl. The image she projects doesn’t have to try to impress because she is made in the image of God.</span></li>
<li style="background: transparent; border: 0px; clear: none; float: none; list-style: disc outside none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #741b47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Share God’s Word of truth, which tells her that she is being transformed into Christ’s likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18). With God’s help, her every appearance before others can be a reflection of Him by her character, as she chooses to reveal it.</span></li>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #741b47; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; line-height: 23.2px;">What an opportunity! As she shares images of herself, words, interests, video clips, and more, she is free to express her unique identity as a chosen princess of the King, a redeemed child of God in Christ Jesus.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 23.2px;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Scripture: ESV®. Portions excerpted f</b></span></span><strong style="background-color: white; line-height: 18.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">rom <a href="https://www.cph.org/p-27473-raising-godly-girls.aspx" style="text-decoration: none;"><i>Raising Godly Girls</i> by Deb Burma © 2015 CPH</a>. Reprinted with permission.</span></strong></span>Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-53269199274026882592016-02-22T16:53:00.000-06:002016-02-22T17:00:43.634-06:00Stepping Out from Behind My Secret Stash of Masks<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I have a secret stash of masks that
I keep handy for all those times when, for a variety of reasons that you will
soon know, I am feeling particularly prideful. Yep, that's right. Prideful. <i>(Sigh.) </i>My assortment of masks does a
nice job of concealing the truth that lies beneath them. So I slap them on as
needed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">When life decisions, large or
small, need to be made, pride would have me say, “It’s my decision. It’s my
life. I’ll live it however I want to.” That’s when I slap on my <b>In–Charge</b> Mask. Sporting this mask, I
try to convince myself and others that I can take the driver’s seat, make all
my own decisions, and operate under my own power regarding everything from
relationships to finances, from my career plans to my moral and ethical
choices. Oh, and by the way, when I am wearing this mask, pride has me believe
that I am never wrong. After all, a go-to gal like me, in charge of her own
life, could never make a mistake. Right?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On other occasions, when a loved
one or a trusted friend asks, “How have you been, Deb?”, instead of revealing
the truth (which might sound something like, “I’ve been struggling lately”), I
slap on my <b>I’m-Fine</b> Mask. You know,
the one that gives the impression that everything is just great. “Couldn’t be
better.” Why? The difficult truth stares me in the face (under that mask, of
course): Pride. Again. Oh, sure, I can justify my answer: “Oh, I don’t want to
bother them. They have enough worries of their own.” The truth is, though, that
I don’t want them to see me in my weakness. Yep, that is a pride issue. To
admit that I am struggling with something—anything—is to admit
weakness, dependency on others, or the need for help. And I don’t need help.
Right? I can do it all on my own.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In similar situations, I want to
have all the answers—at church, at school, at home. As an example, when
attending a Bible study, I want to give the right answers, should someone ask.
So I slap on the <b>Answer </b>Mask, the
one that lets everyone think that I am super knowledgeable, that they need only
look to me for a quick answer. Ouch. Does pride keep me from learning from and
listening to others? And does it inhibit others from answering or sharing?
Could it even keep me from attending Bible study or another learning
opportunity because I don’t want to reveal my lack of understanding or
inability to answer? Maybe.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What mask should I wear for those
times when I drive by another car and think proudly, “Look at that old jalopy;
mine is nicer than theirs”? Or when I stare at someone’s lack of fashion sense
or poor hygiene, their addictive habits or embarrassing behaviors, and say
smugly under my breath, “Well, at least I’m not <i>that </i>bad”? For these
proud moments, there is the ever-popular <b>Better-Than-You</b>
Mask. Because I <i>am </i>just a bit better. Aren’t I?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Every mask attempts to conceal some
important truths — and they are more than a bit humbling:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">• I am <i>not </i>in charge of my
own life, and I do make mistakes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">• I am weak, and I could use some
help.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">• I don’t have all the answers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">• I am no better than the next
person.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Jesus
Steps In<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The truth is that God is the Lord
of our lives, and we are not. In our sinful pride, we fail to follow His
leading. We put our trust in ourselves instead of in Him. We think we know
better than He does. On our own, we are stuck in our selfish sins. It is only
by the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts that we can confess our sins of
pride and ask Him to show us where and when we are too full of ourselves. With
repentant hearts, we surrender our pride, yield our lives to His lordship, and
humble ourselves before our God. In His limitless mercy, He washes us clean in
Christ, covering these countless sins with His pure and perfect forgiveness. Because
<i>Jesus steps in</i>, it is possible for us
to <i>step out</i> of our pride, to lay
aside the masks that caused us to try to conceal the truth from ourselves.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Humility begins as He enables me to
recognize my proper place in relation to my Maker. No longer do I trust in my
ways and my desires, but in His. Humility does not selfishly ask, “What do I
want to do today?” but “Lord, what would You have me do today?” and then seeks
His Word and follows His lead. Humility is putting God in His proper place as
Lord of my life, and me in my proper place at His feet. <b><i>Good-bye, In-Charge Mask!</i> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>“For
My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the
Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than
your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8–9).<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As the Lord enables me to recognize
my helplessness and accept my weaknesses, I learn reliance on His power and on
others’ help. It is humbly freeing to admit to another Christian, “I am
struggling and would like your prayers.” <b><i>Farewell,
I’m-Fine Mask!</i> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><span style="color: #073763;">“But He said to me,
‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.’
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power
of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:9).</span><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">My Savior helps me to accept a
position of humility, where I listen and learn from others. He gives me an
appropriate perspective in which I can say things such as, “I don’t have it all
together, but I trust the One who does.” And, “I don’t know the answer to that,
but I will try to find out from someone who does know, and then I will get back
to you.” <b><i>Adios, Answer Mask!</i> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>“To make an apt answer is a joy to a man,
and a word in season, how good it is!” (Proverbs 15:23).<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">God gives me eyes to see His other
children as He sees them: loved and valuable and—just like me—in need of a Savior.
He enables me to stop judging them in my pride and start loving them by His
grace. <b><i>Bye, bye, Better-Than-You Mask!</i> </b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>“For by the grace given to me I say to
everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think,
but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that
God has assigned” (Romans 12:3</b>).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Make no mistake, the
only reason we can lay aside our masks of pride and clothe ourselves with
humility is because Jesus has <i>stepped
into</i> our lives with His grace and forgiveness, filling us with faith. </span></span><br />
<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>Thank you, Jesus! </i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5A-0BAy7miYWPEXW329tl_Am94RJuANfgI7R47BWryCWeld-BeHTdeCRd7cLqGRQkc_SDfve9uLiW0JR0jveSpedzK8_7QOCyFWSNihX3U-0SCytWbDSe5CITSJOHkODZzR2FpZi6PE5l/s1600/Stepping+Out+title+image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5A-0BAy7miYWPEXW329tl_Am94RJuANfgI7R47BWryCWeld-BeHTdeCRd7cLqGRQkc_SDfve9uLiW0JR0jveSpedzK8_7QOCyFWSNihX3U-0SCytWbDSe5CITSJOHkODZzR2FpZi6PE5l/s320/Stepping+Out+title+image.jpg" width="215" /></a></div>
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #411a14; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-align: start;"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #073763;">From </span><a href="http://www.cph.org/p-21610-stepping-out-to-a-life-on-the-edge.aspx" style="color: #411a14; text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;"><i>Stepping Out</i> by Deb Burma © 2013 CPH.</span></a><span style="color: #073763;"> Reprinted with permission</span></span></strong></div>
Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-54100592923639438972015-09-22T12:25:00.001-05:002017-01-08T13:18:20.861-06:00Savor This Season of Parenting<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">When my children were very small, a dear mentor and friend of mine listened to my woes. </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><i><b>"Will this parenting thing ever get easier? It just has to get easier!"</b></i> </span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">I cried. The words came tumbling from my mouth following several sleepless nights, when I wondered if I would ever accomplish more than cleaning up messes, folding laundry, and feeding little mouths. My friend's tender response was </span><i style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><b><span style="color: #4c1130;">"Oh, Deb, parenting doesn't get easier; the difficulty is just different."</span></b></i><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"> She had loved every minute of her children's youth, but recognized the realities and the difficulties that were a part of each age and stage.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Consider how a young child lives in the moment, enjoying it for what it is, and emulate that attitude. Resist the urge to say, </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b><i>"Mommyhood will be so much easier when [you fill in the blank] is over!"</i> </b></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">(You might fill it in with anything from potty training to driver's education, from packing the diaper bag for her to packing boxes with her as she leaves for college or a career.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Don't be tempted to wish away the days, even the difficult ones. It's in the difficult days that we often learn the most. And what about the current schedule, activities, and commitments with your [son or] daughter that you may take for granted? Stop to notice and cherish the little things. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today will never come again. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">She will never be this age again. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">She will continue to change, maturing physically, emotionally, and spiritually, sometimes seemingly in the blink of an eye. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Delight in each day with your daughter! </span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Enjoy the present, and savor every season of parenting!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Don't wait for the weekend or holiday to spend a little one-on-one time with your daughter. Even a brief while in the evenings is significant. <i>Suggestions:</i> </span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Create fun moments together. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Spread out a picnic blanket in the middle of the living room floor. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Trade back rubs, or give each other manicures. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Go on an outing. </span></li>
<li><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Read a mom-and-daughter devotion, and receive the blessing and guidance provided through that nugget of truth for both of you. </span></li>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Live each day as though it is the last opportunity you have to impact her world for Christ: <b>"This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).</b></span><br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #411a14; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "tahoma" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">From <a href="https://www.cph.org/p-27473-raising-godly-girls.aspx"><i>Raising Godly Girls</i> by Deb Burma © 2015 CPH</a>. Reprinted with permission.</span></strong>Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-13897259111455349812015-09-03T15:54:00.003-05:002015-09-03T15:54:22.516-05:00Your Daughter's Life Story & Yours - Life in the WordA small excerpt from Chapter Three of <b><u><a href="https://www.cph.org/p-27473-raising-godly-girls.aspx">Raising Godly Girls</a></u></b>, <i>"Life in the Word, Part One - In the Palace".</i><br />
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<b>And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them <i>when you sit in your house,</i> and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Deuteronomy 6:6-7</b> (emphasis added)<br />
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GOD'S LIVING AND ACTIVE WORD<br />
With the turn of every page in these earliest chapters of your daughter's life story, you can trust that God continues to cover you with His grace as you raise her to be a godly girl, secure in her identity, which is found and formed in Christ.<br />
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With your gentle and guiding hand upon her life from the start, you'll watch your princess grow and change before your very eyes - sometimes noticeably overnight! - and you can trust that God will provide you with what you need to be fully sufficient for this most important task.<br />
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And what you'll need, first and foremost, is His Word - God's living and active Word <b>(Hebrews 4:12).</b><br />
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Do you dream of how your daughter's life story will be lived out? If so, do you envision that it could be one lived in the Word? And what does <i>"life in the Word" </i>even mean? It refers to more than intentional time spent reading and studying the Bible; it's also about <u>life lived by it</u> (although time spent regularly reading God's Word is foundational and a large portion of what I address [in this chapter]).<br />
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Every moment of every day, by God's grace, you can treasure His Word in your heart and teach it to your children by your words and example. That intentionality begins at home in your palace, under your royal roof, of course (as we read in <b>Deuteronomy 6:7: "when you sit in your house..."</b>)...<br />
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DON'T CONFORM - BE TRANSFORMED!<br />
<i>Life in the Word</i> is a life of dependence upon God. And that flies in the face of modern-day culture, which attempts to train us and our children to be self-made people, kings and queens of our own destiny.<br />
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I recently read a Facebook post that told me I should not wait for a prince to ride in on his white horse to rescue me from my struggles or my sins because I can be my own savior-of-sorts. The words turned my stomach. Each of us is in desperate need of a Savior, and we certainly won't find it within ourselves or from some guy riding a horse.<br />
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The truth is, there is only One who can save us: <u>Christ Jesus, our Prince of Peace, is our Rescuer</u>. Our Savior. And this truth is at the center of God's Word of life. That's why life in the Word is critical.<br />
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The Word reminds us, <b>"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect" (Romans 12:2). </b><br />
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While the world may tell your daughter that she doesn't need the Bible and attempt to lure her into believing the Bible is outdated or irrelevant or merely the words of man, you know better. And you're teaching her the truth as you sit together in your house, reverently talking about Jesus and guiding her into the Bible over and over.<br />
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Show her by your life that you are dependent upon God for everything. Then trust Him to work in her heart and yours, as He transforms you both through His Word, the very means by which you may discern His <b>"good and acceptable and perfect"</b> will!<br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.2000007629395px; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">From <i>Raising Godly Girls</i> by Deb Burma © 2015 CPH. Reprinted with permission.</span></strong>Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-89185593344416034802014-09-02T10:01:00.000-05:002015-02-05T12:57:50.895-06:00Satisfied!<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"And my God will fully supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory </span></i></b><b><i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have a craving, and I want something that will satisfy me! At least one candy bar claims that it satisfies. So this is my theory: if one candy bar satisfies, then an entire box ought to make my day, right? Or so my craving says.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0nRJUQ1_c58zd1qdamHhFi01NrSrGOXNMV0Dtl8WWJ7gEHw-8dfLtvfmntq6zVzI5oc2pZQJNVxNtRUM_Iwr4beOVzqSMMP54XvbkSsaWYw5pWuzEUoxZSdg5anEchxhlziWB_5ARhC9/s1600/chocolate+chip+cookies+and+milk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0nRJUQ1_c58zd1qdamHhFi01NrSrGOXNMV0Dtl8WWJ7gEHw-8dfLtvfmntq6zVzI5oc2pZQJNVxNtRUM_Iwr4beOVzqSMMP54XvbkSsaWYw5pWuzEUoxZSdg5anEchxhlziWB_5ARhC9/s1600/chocolate+chip+cookies+and+milk.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What do you crave?<i> </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Chocolate-dipped strawberries? </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies with a tall glass of milk?</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><i></i></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>A juicy steak with all the fixings? </i>(Occasionally, cravings do exist beyond chocolate, you know!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It is so natural to crave our favorite foods. God created us with physical hunger that needs sustenance and craves satisfaction. There is a hole in our stomachs that longs to be filled with what satisfies most. God provided every nutrient necessary to satisfy our physical needs, but He didn't stop there. He created fabulous flavors and vast varieties of foods for us to enjoy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>And women have clearly shown that chocolate satisfies us the most, haven't we?</i> But what other craving do we have besides physical hunger? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>What do we crave most in life?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Maybe we are hungry for <b>love</b> because we are lonely, or <b>strength</b> to overcome our many weaknesses. Perhaps we are craving <b>peace</b> because our world is full of strife, or <b>comfort</b> because we are anxious or afraid, dissatisfied or depressed.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In our daily walk in this sin-filled world, we often feel emotional and spiritual hurt and hunger.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God created us with spiritual hunger that needs sustenance and craves satisfaction. Sometimes we try to fill that hunger with things this world has to offer, <i>but nothing truly satisfies. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Thanks be to God for His redemption in Christ's blood! In His rich mercy, He filled us with faith by the power of the Holy Spirit. We are saved. We are forgiven. Only Jesus satisfies our hunger for a Savior!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">God's Word tells us how He satiates our other spiritual needs too. About our hunger for love, God says, <b><i>"See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are" (1 John 3:1). </i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In our cravings for strength,<b><i> "He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might He increases strength" (Isaiah 40:29).</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We long for peace, and Jesus says,<b><i> "My peace I give to you" (John 14:27).</i></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We hunger for comfort and learn we have a Father <b><i>"who comforts us in all our affliction" (2 Corinthians 1:4). </i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He fills us and satisfies our every hunger and craving, every need as only He can. Living a chocolate life, we find satisfaction in Him!</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Heavenly Father, fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Satisfy my every need according to Your riches in glory in Christ Jesus! In His name I pray. Amen.</span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;"><strong><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">From <i>A Chocolate Life</i> by Deb Burma © 2012 CPH. Reprinted with permission</span></strong></span></div>
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Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-76238205736598991162014-08-22T17:14:00.000-05:002014-08-23T11:10:32.629-05:00The Path Less Traveled<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><i><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father </span></i></b><b><i><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">except through Me.'" -John 14:6</span></i></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeElLO6ORouTJZZqXi9Om_IDoqoSQwF_lkMqFaRhvHiHsPAT9K-2piwwMn7960ySiVKPCq_23XazxTJE6GjkUVXUTf4DUq4f5oMACq4AOQw0g0IljAL7Q4hC15M3q-ir1CCHY24uf8b57L/s1600/fork+in+the+road.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeElLO6ORouTJZZqXi9Om_IDoqoSQwF_lkMqFaRhvHiHsPAT9K-2piwwMn7960ySiVKPCq_23XazxTJE6GjkUVXUTf4DUq4f5oMACq4AOQw0g0IljAL7Q4hC15M3q-ir1CCHY24uf8b57L/s1600/fork+in+the+road.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">While hiking with my husband on the trail around the base of the Grand Tetons, I could see the fork in the path ahead. Clearly, the lower trail was the one chosen by most - clear and wide, easy to follow. But we were intrigued by <b>the path less traveled </b>and ventured there on our own, up a much narrower trail. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Although the path was rougher and steeper, we shared an unexpected adventure and were awed at the sight of a beautiful hidden lake - a view we would surely have missed if we had stayed on the main trail.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sometimes walking on the path God chooses for us means taking <b>the path less traveled </b>or even blazing a whole new trail. Following the footsteps of the crowd would certainly be easier, and in our sin, we sometimes do just that. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We choose the lower trail, the path of least resistance. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We place our trust in ourselves to find the way. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We allow the world to define our values; </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">we make crowd-pleasing decisions that do not honor God; </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">we even fail to stand up for our faith. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Despite our sinful steps down the worldly path, God does not give up on us. In His love, He sent His Son to die for our sins, cleansing us from our worldly ways and filling us with faith to follow Him.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As the Holy Spirit leads, we<b> step off</b> the beaten path and take the narrow, winding way instead. This is the way the world finds unappealing. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The way that trusts God to provide, even then the numbers in our checkbook aren't "crunching" very well. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The path that refuses to watch popular TV shows that try to redefine our moral values. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The way that makes choices for our children that may not be outwardly cool or crowd pleasing. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The way that stands up for our faith and our Savior in situations where God's Word is called into question.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Although the world continues to try and redefine our beliefs, wanting us to fall for the lie that all roads lead to heaven, by the power of the Holy Spirit in us, we trust the truth of God's Word that tells us otherwise. Jesus said, <b><i>"I am the way...No one comes to the Father except through Me." </i></b>No other roads or paths lead to salvation - to eternity in heaven with our Savior.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Taking the way less traveled, we can't always see what lies ahead on the path as we <b>step out</b> with our beautiful feet; sometimes His path for us is rough and steep and rocky; it may even look scary. But that forces us to trust the maker of the path. As we follow His lead, we are in for an adventure! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sgXColgssyPBXGScmnqdVyRe_DSWDZzDzfEKCQumpuQyMFO0Pb_zo2OUY22kowFWltCSR8laPAoIlKN7keretn-fdp43WRTm4vCEcmL7Jr97RkPGjHnnizZYdtVk_p_6YguWTsRfG96s/s1600/Beautiful+Feet+quote+-+The+Path+Less+Traveled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6sgXColgssyPBXGScmnqdVyRe_DSWDZzDzfEKCQumpuQyMFO0Pb_zo2OUY22kowFWltCSR8laPAoIlKN7keretn-fdp43WRTm4vCEcmL7Jr97RkPGjHnnizZYdtVk_p_6YguWTsRfG96s/s1600/Beautiful+Feet+quote+-+The+Path+Less+Traveled.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>We know that with every step we take, He has walked before us, making our way clear. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>As we walk, He also walks beside us. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>When we stumble, He catches us and steadies us. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #741b47; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>And when we can no longer stand, He picks us up and carries us. </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He knows the length of our walk, the end of our journey in this life, and the endless walk we will share with Him in eternity! We will most certainly be awed at the sight of heaven, a view we would have missed on the main trail. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>By God's grace, I'm taking the path less traveled. How about you?</b></span><br />
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<i><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Dear God, forgive me for walking a worldly path instead of following You. By Your Spirit, lead me down the path less traveled; I know my Savior walks beside me. </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In His name. Amen.</span></i></div>
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<strong style="background-color: white; color: #003b79; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #20124d;">From <a href="http://www.cph.org/p-18402-beautiful-feet-devotional.aspx" style="color: black;"><i>Beautiful Feet</i> by Deb Burma © 2010 CPH</a>. Reprinted with permission</span></span></strong><br />
<br />Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-72158068266526308032014-08-04T07:38:00.000-05:002014-08-04T07:38:10.399-05:00Stepping Out of My Insecurity...<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If insecurity speaks to you, what lies do you hear? Perhaps they have to do with your <b>relationships</b> or your <b>career</b>. Maybe they are connected to your <b>abilities</b> and <b>gifts</b>, or your perceived lack of them. Or maybe they are related to your <b>appearance</b> or your <b>accomplishments</b>. Perhaps your insecurities are a combination of several of these. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Do they start with words such as <i>"You will never be good enough to..."</i> or <i>"You are lousy at..."</i> or <i>"You don't belong because..."</i>? </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe they try to tell you, <i>"You're not very pretty next to..." </i>or <i>"You have to admit that you are lacking in..." </i>or <i>"You're just not confident enough to..."</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Maybe the lies you hear come from inside your head, or maybe they are thrown at you from others. Someone has flung damaging words your way, and you have not been able to dodge them. That person's flawed view of you has left a <i>bruise</i>. Satan loves to use such lies to discourage us and deem us ineffective.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFD8Z3ZorR1NUQaQUY9rnYebbRi8MYTTzu8OL44f510awZS7ZhzTJLPPK9iplImmsWXo1IoNn9OC1LTcpYlPZhJ4OpQQWA3Qobt5MM-MsP4E07k71CKKM-fsRcXS0zLP-9IwZhC3b0Z4j/s1600/girl+at+diving+board+-+scared.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMFD8Z3ZorR1NUQaQUY9rnYebbRi8MYTTzu8OL44f510awZS7ZhzTJLPPK9iplImmsWXo1IoNn9OC1LTcpYlPZhJ4OpQQWA3Qobt5MM-MsP4E07k71CKKM-fsRcXS0zLP-9IwZhC3b0Z4j/s1600/girl+at+diving+board+-+scared.jpg" height="200" width="191" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Trapped by insecurity, we may </span><i style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">stop in our tracks</i><span style="color: #073763; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> instead of stepping out to serve, lead, or give, because we are convinced that we don't have enough of the right skill or ability - or we aren't good enough - for God to work with in order to accomplish His purposes...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The enemy is intent on filling our minds with destructive thoughts, redirecting our focus to what we may be lacking, what we don't have to offer, and how we are completely insufficient. He seeks to convince us of our failings, either through our own negative beliefs about ourselves or through others' critical words or actions against us. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Then Jesus steps in! </i>He forgives us for falling so easily for Satan's lies, for the lies that caused us to sink into the depths of insecurity. He lifts us out of those depths so we may look to Him, our All-Sufficiency, who so richly provides all that we do have to offer - which is more than enough for Him to accomplish His purposes through us! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>"Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God" (2 Corinthians 3:4-5).</b></i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Led by the Lord, we<b> step out</b> of that insecure place into one where we are emboldened to serve Him with confidence, not the so-called self-confidence the world speaks of, but God confidence, which is incomparably greater! </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We are confident not because we think we have all that it takes, but because we know the One who does. We know the One who is working in and through us to accomplish His perfect plans. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_rDgV-SZ4Cl-OAaYwX-LHBdKOlSNAfoiYmIHvtw7cLFXpsirpjt-FBWgMTN_95hTTi-tKhFbC7RAhx6MWZzPYqO-4J-Ozi-2WDALJYOyvbums2iixL-t8DJlyVkj2XKtJ53ezhnRGZJ5/s1600/Stepping+Out+Confidence+quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD_rDgV-SZ4Cl-OAaYwX-LHBdKOlSNAfoiYmIHvtw7cLFXpsirpjt-FBWgMTN_95hTTi-tKhFbC7RAhx6MWZzPYqO-4J-Ozi-2WDALJYOyvbums2iixL-t8DJlyVkj2XKtJ53ezhnRGZJ5/s1600/Stepping+Out+Confidence+quote.jpg" height="320" width="283" /></a></div>
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>"God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work" (2 Corinthians 9:8)</i></b></span><br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #073763;">From </span><a href="http://www.cph.org/p-21610-stepping-out-to-a-life-on-the-edge.aspx" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="color: black;"><i>Stepping Out</i> by Deb Burma © 2013 CPH.</span></a><span style="color: #073763;"> Reprinted with permission</span></span></strong>Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-65979976680826289122014-07-15T14:10:00.000-05:002014-07-15T14:50:51.397-05:00Stepping Out of My Past...<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am taking a walk down memory lane again, only this time it's more of a prickly path. Instead of gazing back on a trail of fun adventures and favorite memories (and there are plenty of them), I am stuck - again - in a stinky place, rehashing my major regrets and mess-ups, my foibles and failures.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJ7K0B_X4n8Wh-7aKnXAELYPjtEBx8ogQL7ucNp1nYF6NCIzE83k7XTLZQ7okf-whN6pO3PYcfeyPPOAEpJuhmHzw6vQkoh7_ubrlQnkQ51xKVbbqqDXT1GKvFjSoTOq8ZJRnBTXdqjWl/s1600/feet+on+path.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikJ7K0B_X4n8Wh-7aKnXAELYPjtEBx8ogQL7ucNp1nYF6NCIzE83k7XTLZQ7okf-whN6pO3PYcfeyPPOAEpJuhmHzw6vQkoh7_ubrlQnkQ51xKVbbqqDXT1GKvFjSoTOq8ZJRnBTXdqjWl/s1600/feet+on+path.png" height="160" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I regret decisions I made during college. I bemoan the times I failed to share my Christian witness with an acquaintance. I rehash hurtful conversations or interactions with family and friends - everything from opposing political viewpoints to differing perspectives on the rearing of children. (Good grief!) Along the way, because of my actions, communication has often been stifled and relationships have suffered.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Some of my rehashed regrets were downright silly; others were very serious. But all have threatened to stop me in my tracks and prevent me from moving forward in regard to making good decisions, sharing my faith, and enjoying rich relationships with open and honest communication. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="color: #4c1130;">Are your failures and regrets from the past threatening to prevent you from living life fully in the present? Do you find yourself stuck on the same well-beaten path, continuing to tread over the same trampled ground? </span></b><span style="color: #073763;">Maybe you are still stewing over yesterday (or twenty years ago), berating yourself with thoughts such as </span><i style="color: #073763;">"I should have talked to her"; "I should never have done that dreadful thing to him";</i><span style="color: #073763;"> or </span><i style="color: #073763;">"If they knew what I did way back then, they wouldn't want to be friends with me now." </i><span style="color: #073763;">Satan loves to have us dwell on hurtful past events such as that awful argument we had with our mother, that terrible thing we did to our friend, or that lie we told that ruined a relationship.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The enemy would have us constantly looking back over our shoulder, peering into the past, focusing on our former sins, failures, and regrets. He may even whisper such lies as <i>"You will never get over this. You will always struggle with that past sin holding you captive. Just give up. After all you have done, God could never forgive you, and neither could anyone else."</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">You know what happens if you don't look where you're going - you trip. It is difficult to take even one step forward when we are so busy looking back, stumbling backward down those same old trails. We struggle so much to live in the present that we can't look to the future.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As we despair over the past, we may think that the sins of yesterday disqualify us from any happiness today, that our former failures exclude us from the Body of Christ in His Church, and that our mess-ups of the past prohibit us from living a respectable life in the present and in the future. We listen to these lies and allow them to condemn us.</span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Then Jesus steps in!</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">His Word promises us, <b><i>"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death" (Romans 8:1-2).</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We don't have to fall for the enemy's lies! We are no longer condemned for our sins, because we are forgiven in Christ. Led by the Holy Spirit, we can look to the Lord with a repentant heart. As Jesus grabs hold of us, He leads us to step out of the past, sorry for our sins and trusting in His forgiveness and grace to cleanse us completely: <b><i>"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).</i></b></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jesus steps into our lives and enables us to STEP OUT of the past...</span></b><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He knows where you have been and what you have done. Lost or broken, addicted or ashamed; still stumbling down a trail full of former failures or regrets. You are found by Him; you are forgiven and free, restored and renewed, made whole and holy in His name. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8TmeZIDI-SjObLgTAP0xAkRIFbFgbMDFSB2d5mhp0_2P2aY_ZzXQiSG_t_z_B0rb1bgmvJ_Q6P8UcOrEpnrVDHtoMp-9zJKIRRWcjKL8R9cBDVfStJbbraLmia_y1UOYlmGwR65fIwKw/s1600/Stepping+Out+of+past+quote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8TmeZIDI-SjObLgTAP0xAkRIFbFgbMDFSB2d5mhp0_2P2aY_ZzXQiSG_t_z_B0rb1bgmvJ_Q6P8UcOrEpnrVDHtoMp-9zJKIRRWcjKL8R9cBDVfStJbbraLmia_y1UOYlmGwR65fIwKw/s1600/Stepping+Out+of+past+quote.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<b style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i>"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17).</i></b><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> You are a new creation! The old you - the sinner of the past - is gone; the new you - a new creation in Christ - has come. Ask the Lord to help you move past the past. To step out of the past so you may live fully in the present. He has already forgiven you. And He can help you forgive yourself.</span><br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">From <a href="http://www.cph.org/p-21610-stepping-out-to-a-life-on-the-edge.aspx"><i>Stepping Out</i> by Deb Burma © 2013 CPH.</a> Reprinted with permission</span></span></strong>Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-32804735716647623522014-04-02T13:55:00.000-05:002014-04-02T17:14:35.633-05:00The Beautiful Feet of Jesus<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhopdOHNqOgEHTgaMTiodpe0uxTvalFTlg8cpvmMljJ80nLjqTm0lmu6iQD9UrgkW-9Pt9FMws6iLREUDjvVlCnNrfU6TwLQLTk2xYBn7_lnH37Is6qNy-YwocY4Pe0_A7uAS99O1xNR8yS/s1600/The+Beautiful+Feet+of+Jesus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhopdOHNqOgEHTgaMTiodpe0uxTvalFTlg8cpvmMljJ80nLjqTm0lmu6iQD9UrgkW-9Pt9FMws6iLREUDjvVlCnNrfU6TwLQLTk2xYBn7_lnH37Is6qNy-YwocY4Pe0_A7uAS99O1xNR8yS/s1600/The+Beautiful+Feet+of+Jesus.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;"><b><i>"Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made Himself nothing, taking the form of a servant." (Philippians 2:5-7)</i></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;">In our journey toward Christ's cross this Lenten Season, let's pause to take a look at the </span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><b>beautiful feet</b> </span></span><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">of our Savior... </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #37404e; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">...who walked in love, service, and sacrifice. What does it look like to be the hands and feet of Jesus today?</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d;">During His earthly ministry, Jesus' </span><b><span style="color: #4c1130;">feet</span></b><span style="color: #20124d;"> took Him many places - through crowded cities, across the open countryside, over mountains, through winding valleys, across the rugged terrain of Israel, and even onto the raging waters of the Sea of Galilee. Every step Jesus took was filled with purpose: bringing hope, faith, and forgiveness; providing healing, peace, and joy to people everywhere.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;">His </span><b><span style="color: #4c1130;">feet</span></b><span style="color: #20124d;"> brought Him, one last time, into the city of Jerusalem. It was the evening of the Passover and the Last Supper, which Jesus was about to share with His disciples. He knew His time had come; He would soon return to His Father in heaven. Later that night, He would be betrayed and arrested; the next day, beaten and crucified. His </span><span style="color: #4c1130;"><b>beautiful feet</b> </span><span style="color: #20124d;">would be pierced. Nails would be driven into them. As the Scripture says, He was </span><b style="color: #20124d;"><i>"pierced for our transgressions" (Isaiah 53:5 NIV).</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That night, before Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, during the Passover meal, He began to wash the disciples' feet. After He had finished, He said these words: <b><i>"Do you understand what I have done to you? You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do just as I have done to you" (John 13:12-15).</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Traveling in the Holy Land was dirty business for feet. Sand and dust blew and were kicked up constantly. Entering a home meant removing one's sandals. And then, the lowest servant of the house would perform a foot washing on those disgustingly grimy feet.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lAEX8OHXuz62vWbUHIxBf8JviemsgaIjX8GgPlWEsnwrEljHkkH_9CJhgGcrv-46uRopfoJRpau0_nYCyztA-n465blohAxyYWGytkeXr5uLcCnTG6gytP-btFdrnSmmBZapioDwCR3Q/s1600/Jesus+washing+feet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lAEX8OHXuz62vWbUHIxBf8JviemsgaIjX8GgPlWEsnwrEljHkkH_9CJhgGcrv-46uRopfoJRpau0_nYCyztA-n465blohAxyYWGytkeXr5uLcCnTG6gytP-btFdrnSmmBZapioDwCR3Q/s1600/Jesus+washing+feet.jpg" /></a><span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jesus, Teacher and Lord, took on the lowliest servant's role and did this for His disciples in an enormous gesture of love and service. </span><span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>He was about to die for them, and here He was, washing their feet, setting an example for them to serve others as He first served them.</b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Just as Jesus washed the disciples' feet, so He washed us in the waters of Baptism with new birth in the Spirit, giving us faith. He cleansed us of all our sin by His death on the cross so we might be saved. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In response to His incredible saving love, empowered by the Holy Spirit, we willingly serve one another as Jesus taught us to do. In humility, we can place others' needs ahead of our own <b><i>(Philippians 2:3)</i></b>. </span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">With servant hearts, we perform those lowly tasks and labor that might be humbling. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">We make meals, scrub floors, wipe noses, and clean up others' messes. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">We pray for our friends as well as our enemies. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">We continue to teach the Gospel, even when it seems no one is listening. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">We forgive others, even when they are unrepentant. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #4c1130;">We meet others' needs, even when it means sacrificing some of our own. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #20124d;">By God's grace, we serve just as Jesus did!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>Dear Jesus, Your feet are truly beautiful! You humbly took the form of a servant and willingly went to the cross, dying that I might have life. Give me servant feet by Your Holy Spirit, that I may humbly serve others as You have taught me to do. In Your name. Amen.</i></span><br />
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>In what ways have you humbly served others? </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #4c1130; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>How, where, and to whom do you have opportunity to serve today?</b></span></div>
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<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #20124d;">From <a href="http://www.cph.org/p-18402-beautiful-feet-devotional.aspx"><i>Beautiful Feet</i> by Deb Burma © 2010 CPH</a>. Reprinted with permission</span></span></strong></div>
Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-63643389124169323882014-03-12T11:17:00.002-05:002014-03-12T11:18:25.484-05:00Broken <div style="text-align: center;">
<i><span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." -Psalm 147:3</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Mommy, Mommy! Look!" the little girl sobbed. "It's broken. Please fix it!" The plastic princess jewelry set had sustained many hours of hard play, but now the gem-filled necklace had broken and fallen to the floor, causing several plastic diamonds to fall out of their glue settings and one little princess to break into tears. Although it would have been easier to buy another cheap set than to successfully mend this broken piece of plastic, the mother lovingly took the trinket in her hands. With a little hot glue and a lot of heavy tape, the necklace was "as good as new" and a tiara-topped tear-stained little girl smiled again.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How many broken pieces of real jewelry sit in your case waiting to be repaired? Broken chains, broken pendants, broken rings. They sit there, unusable and unappealing in their broken state. Maybe you don't know how to fix them or you are incapable of mending them on your own. Is it time you took them to someone who can and will?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">How many broken pieces of your life are waiting to be repaired today? </span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCdMLb2HqDiEykMHzqDseAR3b-RFPiKo-JT4KbGQLL09UHP8Sl2elxmV9EouAQUrQwB7mV4Br5GiR8elF6LN7Uonec2UPtmJwn3mXFMQryM5fCPO5QB16ZBdTdshU4Dgm6jTYxAvqCZKLJ/s1600/broken+heart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="color: #073763;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCdMLb2HqDiEykMHzqDseAR3b-RFPiKo-JT4KbGQLL09UHP8Sl2elxmV9EouAQUrQwB7mV4Br5GiR8elF6LN7Uonec2UPtmJwn3mXFMQryM5fCPO5QB16ZBdTdshU4Dgm6jTYxAvqCZKLJ/s1600/broken+heart.jpg" height="169" width="200" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #073763;">Maybe you broke promises you made to others and have failed to mend them, damaging your relationship as a result. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #073763;">Is it possible that you have broken the spirit of someone you love because you continually cut him or her down? </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Maybe you come from a broken home or live in one now. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #073763;">Or perhaps you have broken ties with family members who have hurt you. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #073763;">Have you suffered a broken heart because someone you love betrayed you or did not return your love?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Although you desperately desire healing, you don't know how to fix what is broken. Because we are sinners, we all live in a constant state of brokenness, unusable and unappealing; we are in desperate need of repair. In our sin, we are completely incapable of mending anything on our own. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It is time to take our broken lives to the only One who can.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfRmxAt6Ti_U1gukm2lzdg9bYYJN3S1yiQe13ZxOvzymF2Bbfm01m0Lwv5Pht6CpvbU5yVBEJEJMnDvFg8_cKvMGoH64DeNtWeSeQ1u-qGoGw1yK4X3UbaYYr3Y0cKB0BjFwULmfSgtrbc/s1600/Abba-Father.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfRmxAt6Ti_U1gukm2lzdg9bYYJN3S1yiQe13ZxOvzymF2Bbfm01m0Lwv5Pht6CpvbU5yVBEJEJMnDvFg8_cKvMGoH64DeNtWeSeQ1u-qGoGw1yK4X3UbaYYr3Y0cKB0BjFwULmfSgtrbc/s1600/Abba-Father.jpg" height="129" width="200" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Like the little princess, as adopted daughters of the King, we can cry out, "Abba! Father!" (Romans 8:15) </b></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><b>"I am broken, Daddy! Please heal me; bind up my wounds!"</b> </i></span><br />
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Why does God even bother with us in our broken, messed up state? Because we are precious to Him; He treasures us! Out of His great mercy and love, He chooses us in the midst of our brokenness and sin, <b>and He nails those sins to the cross of Christ.</b> <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLVqLiYfvMmrp9MqJOSVFQnxW41WgtjylUvISHvPdAq9fuoLGO7Bl4xVSoJUytlqJ4uVnwwiI1-HEUjmP49cujngCRH7jDPWK8_AfzD9kS53esKyFC9oim04dzjLsvXc6v8UTiJkd8ooL/s1600/Psalm+147+3+with+cross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRLVqLiYfvMmrp9MqJOSVFQnxW41WgtjylUvISHvPdAq9fuoLGO7Bl4xVSoJUytlqJ4uVnwwiI1-HEUjmP49cujngCRH7jDPWK8_AfzD9kS53esKyFC9oim04dzjLsvXc6v8UTiJkd8ooL/s1600/Psalm+147+3+with+cross.jpg" height="170" width="200" /></a></div>
He lovingly takes us in His hands and heals our broken hearts; He successfully mends our broken lives, binding up our wounds. We are as good as new!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">By the power of His forgiving Spirit at work in our lives, we can offer the same forgiveness to those who have broken our hearts. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #073763;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We can seek restoration from a broken relationship, and we can ask for forgiveness from those whose spirits we may have broken. </span></span><br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Abba! Father! I am broken. For Jesus' sake, heal me of my sin and brokenness. Bind up my wounds today. By Your grace, I am as good as new. In Your Spirit's strength, enable me to bring the same forgiveness and healing to others. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.</span></i></span><br />
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<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.200000762939453px;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #073763;">From <a href="http://www.cph.org/p-18400-treasured-devotional-book.aspx"><i>Treasured</i> by Deb Burma © 2010 CPH</a>. Reprinted with permission</span></span></strong></div>
Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-55878354556515943082013-03-15T20:33:00.001-05:002014-07-18T18:51:50.111-05:00Stepping Out...<em>Today, I want to encourage you specifically to STEP OUT in your faith walk. </em><br />
<em>Out of your past. </em><br />
<em>Out of your struggles. </em><br />
<em>Out of your comfort zone. </em><br />
<em>Maybe that also means stepping out of fear or pride, worry or anger, insecurity or a judgmental attitude...</em><br />
<em>Or more.</em> <br />
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<em>The Lord led me to the humbling task of penning a book for women that deals with these very issues, because I, too, struggle with each and every one of</em> <em>them. He led me to His Word and into the lives of many women who shared their stepping-out stories. </em><br />
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<em>Rejoice with me, if you would, in the release of <strong>Stepping Out: To a Life on the Edge</strong>, published by CPH. I pray that God will use every word to powerfully impact women's lives for Christ.</em><br />
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<em>I'd like to share with you a glimpse from the opening pages...</em><em><strong> </strong></em><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrInvtlKg2sIeGBf4EUDkeEetFZxrRqz8ptTeB8lS7wxVI3txohw4-bdui0FAdhdyPmUSYbhIGIfEFoXF8kbKAN3fQIRjbMUGzZ1hj4cmEl_um8woSWVKolPZUY6sEZNVSQ1OqVer8GdgY/s1600/Stepping+Out+book+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrInvtlKg2sIeGBf4EUDkeEetFZxrRqz8ptTeB8lS7wxVI3txohw4-bdui0FAdhdyPmUSYbhIGIfEFoXF8kbKAN3fQIRjbMUGzZ1hj4cmEl_um8woSWVKolPZUY6sEZNVSQ1OqVer8GdgY/s320/Stepping+Out+book+cover.jpg" height="320" width="215" /></a>I'd like you to use your imagination for a minute. Picture an in-ground backyard swimming pool filled with calm, clear, cool water and surrounded by a beautiful concrete patio. There's a diving board perched over the deep end. It's a hot summer day, and everyone around you is enjoying a good dunk in the shallow end of the pool. Now envision yourself standing behind the diving board on solid patio. You eye the platform, then you eagerly step up, sprint to the end, yell "Cannonball!" and jump. What awaits you is the exhilarating feeling of release and total immersion in cool, refreshing water.<br />
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Or do you?<br />
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If you have timid tootsies like mine, you stare at the diving board in front of you and wonder how you will ever move from the solid surface where your feet are firmly fastened to the slick, slippery edge w-a-y out there. Do you inch up and onto the platform, or do you remain frozen at the far end of the board, paralyzed in place? Do you focus on the fear of losing control, of being in over your head?<br />
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My stepping-out story begins with a diving board and a backyard pool (as you can read in chapter 1). Moving from behind the board, where my feet were firmly planted, stepping up and onto the spring-loaded surface, and slowly shimmying out to the edge symbolizes for me so much more than stepping away from the safety of the solid cement.<br />
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Despite my sins and shortcomings and timid tootsies, God has called me to step out of my struggles to a life on the edge. He continually covers me with His grace and fills me with His strength; He extends His hand to me, walks beside me, and empowers me to live for Him. I must admit, some days I feel as though I am taking the cliched "one step forward and two steps back." But I have a Savior who enables me to keep stepping out in His strength because He keeps stepping in with His saving grace!<br />
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As we struggle to step out of our past, our insecurity, our judgmental attitude, and other circumstances, we may be trapped into thinking,<em> If I just try harder</em> or <em>If I can just get my act together</em>. We <em>do</em> try, but on our own, we are bound to fail eventually and sink to the bottom of the pool. (Many times in my case, I fail right away.)<br />
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The world shouts, "Get a grip! Just do it already. What are you waiting for?" But our God of grace knows we cannot take even one baby step forward all by ourselves. So He comes to us right where we are, stuck in our sin, and He places His firm grip of grace upon us. Forgiven, renewed, and strengthened by the Savior, we <em>step out to a life on the edge</em>, resting in His truth, which tells us, <strong>"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13).</strong><br />
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The Lord will lead you to take stock of your struggles and confess them to Him. And by His grace, He will unfasten your feet from where they are planted behind the diving board. He will help you step out to a place where He would have you live!<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">From <i><a href="http://cph.org/p-21610-stepping-out-to-a-life-on-the-edge.aspx">Stepping Out: To a Life on the Edge</a></i> © 2013 Deb Burma, published by Concordia Publishing House. For ordering information, please contact Concordia Publishing House at 800-325-3040 or visit them at <u><a href="http://www.cph.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">www.cph.org</span></a></u>. </span>Deb Burmahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01434162508393655879noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7264981098690063427.post-33088258338994175062012-01-28T16:52:00.001-06:002014-07-18T17:33:49.464-05:00A Chocolate Life ~ Sweet Surrender<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em><a href="http://cph.org/p-19550-a-chocolate-life-womens-devotional.aspx">A Chocolate Life</a> brings sweet morsels of joy and bitter nuggets of pain. Some days are light and smooth; others are dark and lumpy. No matter what, God sustains us with grace in Christ. Wrapped in forgiveness, the Holy Spirit fills us with sweet faith in our Savior! </em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: large;"><strong>Sweet Surrender</strong></span></div>
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<strong><em><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">"For it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure." ~Philippians 2:13</span></em></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">My little white flag just went up. Do you see it? I'm waving it weakly back and forth in front of you. I held out long enough and finally, I surrender. <em>I give up.</em> <em>You win.</em> <em>All my resistance is gone.</em> I am no match for you, you irresistible <strong>Chocolate-Brownie-Fudge Pie</strong>! <em>I surrender</em> all my resistance, all my will power, all my diet plans, and I run toward you with a fork in my hand. <em>Ah, but it is a sweet surrender!</em> Mmmm, delicious!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">While I may joke about surrendering to chocolate, I wonder about the kinds of things we usually yield to helplessly. We all have weaknesses, areas of strongest temptation and febblest resistance against which we cannot stand on our own. Maybe we surrender to gossip or gluttony. Perhaps we give in to peer pressure, envy, or greed. Possibly, we struggle with an addiction to something that hurts us and those we love.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In His sweet mercy and grace, our heavenly Father saw us drowning in our sins, weaknesses, and temptations. He lifted us out, saving us from our faults and failures and forgiving us through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit working through God's Word breathed new life into us and filled us with faith.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">God traded our weakness for His strength and enabled us to surrender to the Lord! <em>We give up.</em> We give up all our feeble attempts to be strong enough on our own, all our futile efforts to do good things by our own strength. <em>You win, God!</em> You won salvation for us when You defeated sin, death, and the devil. In Your victory, You give us eternal life in Christ! <em>All our resistance disappears.</em> Through the power of the Spirit, we no longer resist Your lead, but gladly follow.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">In our sin, we cannot match God's holiness, but He took away our sin and made us holy in Christ! <em>We surrender</em> all our foolish plans, selfish ambitions, and evil thoughts and ways to God's perfect ones. Jesus runs toward us with outstretched arms. Filled with His Spirit, we yield to His loving touch. <em>Truly, this is sweet, sweet surrender!</em></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">Surrendered, we can only imagine the amazing work ahead as the Spirit works in us, fulfilling His plans and purposes according to His perfect will.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em><strong>Lord, do with me what You will today. I surrender my ways to You. Work in and through me to do Your will, for Your purposes, and for Your good pleasure. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.</strong></em></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: large;"><strong>Chocolate Brownie Fudge Pie</strong></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 c. butter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4 oz. unsweetened chocolate</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">2 c. sugar</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1/2 c. flour</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">4 eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">1 tsp. vanilla extract</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">3/4 c. chopped pecans</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong>Preheat</strong> oven to 350 degrees. <strong>Melt</strong> butter and chocolate together. <strong>Combine</strong> sugar and flour. <strong>Add</strong> chocolate. <strong>Beat</strong> in eggs. <strong>Add </strong>vanilla and pecans. <strong>Pour</strong> into greased pie plate. <strong>Bake </strong>25-30 minutes. <strong>Serve </strong>with whipped cream or ice cream. Ah! Sweet surrender!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><strong><span style="font-family: "Tahoma", "sans-serif"; font-size: 10pt;">From <i>A Chocolate Life</i> by Deb Burma © 2012 CPH. Reprinted with permission</span></strong></span><br />
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