Advent Devotional – December 14

The mystery of light Light! What a cool subject. I think about light all the time. Now you know what I do when I have mind-numbing duties such as scrubbing the fellowship hall floor or feeding another 1,000 feet of Cat 6e network cable above the ceiling tiles. I use this time to think about…

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Advent Devotional – December 15

Sharing light with a friend It was Christmas 2012 and my friend Eric Lentz was dying. At 6’ 4” and almost 300 pounds, he towered over most people. His favorite way to greet someone was with a big ol’ bear hug. He was the big man around the Salisbury/Spencer area, with an even bigger heart.…

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Guatemala Partnership – #hope

Guatemala Missions – A Story of Hope By Susan Shinn In the 15 months since Paula Bohland became interim director of La Escuela Integrada — originally a 6-week assignment — she has helped the school balance its budget, while it continues to serve the children of Guatemala. The school year just ended, with 300 children…

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Advent Devotional – December 13

Reflecting God at work Please read Matthew 12:15-21  I am involved with a ministry at a school for children living in poverty in Guatemala. The school provides the students (and their families) with food, emotional and spiritual support and an education.  Repeatedly, the families and older  children tell me that they thank God for the…

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Thank You God for Food

3-year-olds and their families learn about table blessings On Nov. 16, a half-dozen three-year-olds and their families attended the milestone, “Thank You God for Food.” Held in the fellowship hall, the event centered around learning different blessings to share at meals, and also taught our youngest members about children who don’t have enough to eat.…

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Advent Devotional – December 12

Turning ‘hope so’ into ‘know so’ “You will be secure because there is hope; you will look about you and take your rest in safety.  You  will lie down, with no one to make you afraid.”  Job 11:18-19 When I told my husband I was writing a devotion for Advent about hope, he said, “Ah,…

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Advent Devotional – December 11

Meeting our Savior face to face In Jesus’ name the nations will put their hope.  –  Matthew 12:21 The phone rang at bedtime, and I picked it up. “We’ve got a sad little boy here,” our daughter Nichole said. Our grandson Connor, about 4 at the time, sobbed inconsolably into the phone. Connor had figured…

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Advent Devotional – December 10

The audacity of hope “Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.” The actor Christopher Reeve, who became a quadriplegic because of an equestrian accident, once shared this quote. Reeves, who went from playing Superman to an individual who spent the latter part of his life in a wheelchair and under the care of others, had this…

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Advent Devotional – December 9

A greater hope Have you ever felt an overwhelming loss of hope? Everyone needs hope to keep on living. A faithful Christian, my father-in-law at almost 91 seemed to lose hope for living. He had worked hard as a Kansas farmer until he retired and then became a welder at a local machine shop until…

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Advent Devotional – December 8

Our emotional reservoir Hope is a fundamental component of the life of the righteous.  –  Proverbs 23:18 Hope. What a powerful four letter word! Hope is an optimistic attitude of our minds. We base the attitude on an expectation of positive outcomes related to events and circumstances in our life or the world as a…

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