Testimony

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Mother's Day Remembrance of Love and Beauty

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--Celtic Knot of Motherhood, from tglass.net 2009 will be my sixth Mother's Day celebration without my mother. In addition, my grandmothers and (ex) mother-in-law, a woman I never met, are also deceased. I am grateful for the "play mothers" who have filled in with a love and concern that go beyond short phone conversations and holiday gifts. "Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." --Proverbs 31:30 Love and beauty are two of the qualities most associated with what most of us consider to be feminine. My mother's love was expressed to me as a child when she taught me to help her in her rose garden and took the time to carefully explain how she cared for the plants. She loved the color and fragrance of the roses, and I came to love them, too. Her love was gentle, but contagious. Whenever I see a vibrant, healthy rose bush or a dozen roses in a vase, I think of her. M. Scott Peck wrote tha
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Higher Ground; Heaven's Tableland

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(image from wikiwand.com) A hymn I grew up with--one  I seldom hear anymore--was titled "Higher Ground." In the chorus of the hymn, we sang these words: "Lord, lift me up and let me stand, by faith, on heaven's tableland, A higher plane than I have found, Lord plant my feet on higher ground." What is a tableland? A tableland is a plateau, a mesa, or an elevated flat ground. Often sheep would graze on tableland. What is heaven's tableland?  Many commentators have said it is the afterlife, when we all live in the heavenly kingdom of God's goodness. Not so fast. Heaven's tableland is not for the future; it is for now. It is for us to live on now. We won't need faith in heaven. It is only in this world that we need faith. Note carefully what the hymn writer wrote: "Lord, lift me up and let me stand, by faith , on heaven's tableland." In this world, we need faith. We need heaven's tab
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Declaring Yourself "Blessed and Highly Favored"? Slow Down A Bit...

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--spreadshirt.com I used to speak regularly with someone who often declared herself to be "blessed and highly favored." When I telephoned her and would ask "how are you doing"? or "how is it going with you"?, the instant answer was always "I am blessed and highly favored!" Her answer came too quickly, almost as if no thought went into the response. I understand what many people teach about speaking only those words that reflect the reality you wish to experience. I think I have a least a little bit of understanding regarding why this type of thinking is so popular. I am not sure it's a good idea, or even biblical, but it is popular. I suppose we all like to think we are blessed of the Lord, but what does it mean to be highly favored? I reflect upon two persons from Scripture (Mary, Jesus' mother and the Apostle Paul)  I would consider to be "blessed and highly favored" of the Lord, but their lives were challenging,
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