“God loved us and chose us.” Have you ever been chosen to represent the team, receive an award, or hold a prestigious position? Any type of chosen, selected, or handpicked feels good, doesn’t it? Chosen is more than being accepted. To be chosen is a deliberate act. Chosen also expresses the motive that there is…
“Once you were..but now you are.” What happens when we choose better? When we choose to sit at the feet of Jesus and allow Him to teach us, we will be transformed. In this week’s true story episode, we talked with Alice Shiflett. She shared about her journey with choosing better. Reflections on the True…
“Guard your heart.” What or who would you fiercely protect? In our home, we have a saying, “Don’t make her go momma bear on you.” The phrase is a funny way of telling someone they had better back off because I, the momma bear, will go into complete defense mode—a mode you do not want…
“Abide in Me.” How do we “choose better”? Making the better choice is being like Mary when she sat at Jesus’ feet. We tend, however, to be more like Martha, being pulled away by a myriad of distractions. (Luke 10:38-42) One who masters choosing better has learned to sift through the distractions and recognize the…
“Mary has chosen what is better…” Have you ever looked back and wished you had made a better choice? I have tried to live my life without regret, but if I could go back in time, there are a few things I would have done and said differently. I would have been kinder to myself…
“Welcome the King of Glory.” Have you made time to welcome Jesus into the Christmas season this year? Pause now. Welcome Him In. “Welcome the King of Glory, for he is about to come through you. You ask, “Who is this King of Glory?” Yahweh… invincible in every way! So wake up, you living gateways,…
“Him who had no sin.” Do you see innocence at Christmastime? What about the young children whose eyes twinkle with Christmas? Their untainted belief of what could be. What about fourteen-year-old Mary? A virgin, chosen to carry the Son of God. What about a newborn baby in their first hours of life? The Christ Child…
“This wonderful message of reconciliation.” What is the hardest part of Christmas for you? Fighting not to be caught up in the hustle and bustle? The stress of finances? The pressure to present perfectly? The people you need to pretend to like? Hidden behind all the tinsel, lights, and gift wrap lies a secret dread…
“And all of this is a gift from God.” There are few better examples of pure love and grace than when a grandmother lavishes love on her grandchildren. The unexpected $20 bill slipped into your pocket. The cookie jar that is always full when you go to visit. The type of hug that buries you…
“I have strength for all things.” What does life after the storm look like? Recovery can be slow in the aftermath of a storm. We can stay sheltered inside, clenched and stuck. Or, we can let the storm’s refining fire melt the hard shell of hurt to make space for the seed of new to…