A New’s Year Reflections on Prayer

As I was reading in the book of Joshua today, I thought of my children, and that led to thinking of how grateful I am to God for all the prayers He has answered regarding them.  There were so many times I scrambled to understand how to be a mother, and I felt my failures […]

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Connections

In the last half of Philippians 2 there are such wonderful examples of connections of love and friendship. Paul’s love is so evident in his joy in pouring himself out for them, and his high recommendation of Timothy speaks of his regard for both Timothy and the Philippians in sending to them someone he trusts […]

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Lights

So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure. Do all things without […]

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Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendour

Carol of the Bells featured a hand bell choir in Taiwan.  The lyrics of Thou Who Wast Rich Beyond All Splendour were written in China by Frank Houghton, an Englishman.  The words, the music and the story behind the writing of this hymn make this song one of my favorite Christmas carols. “…This hymn was […]

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And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us…

“But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” Galatians 4:4-5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and […]

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Mary, Did You Know?

There are some songs with words and music so personally significant, I still remember the first time I heard them.  Mary, Did You Know? is one of those songs.  I first heard it sung by a small vocal ensemble at the water’s edge of a town harbor during an outdoor Christmas celebration ten years ago. […]

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Having—Minding—Counting—Looking

In Philippians 2:1 Paul lays the foundation of these next three verses by describing the reality of God’s grace in the Philippians’ lives. Because of this reality, he tells the Philippians to  “make full (the measure of) my joy.” 2 make full (the measure of) my joy by being of the same mind, having the […]

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Grounds of Appeal

In the second chapter of his letter to the Philippians, Paul turns to writing to them about considering each other—serving each other—ministering to each other.  He lays the groundwork—the foundation—the irrefutable bedrock of ministry as he makes this appeal to them. Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of […]

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Slaves of Christ Jesus

When Jesus washed the feet of His disciples the evening before He was crucified, He was demonstrating the command He had given them just before He traveled to Jerusalem for the last time: But Jesus called them to Himself and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their […]

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