Lovers

2382) I lived for several years in the beautiful state of Virginia. Rolling green hills, beautiful farmland, acres and acres of crops. The motto of Virginia (at least when I lived there) is Virginia is for Lovers. Though I don’t think Virginia’s motto is what John had in mind in 1 John 4:8, we will
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Restored Wholeness

2374) I like to watch someone restore an antique. How they can look at an old and sometimes decrepit piece of furniture and see what it can look like restored is a wonderful ability. Reflecting on this, Isaiah 43:1 comes to mind. Here, the prophet says as God’s spokesman, Fear not, for I have redeemed
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Inventory

2371) I have had a small sewing business for many years. Because I work full-time, most of what I sell, I have to make before I place it in my shop. Because of this, I always inventory all my products to make sure what I’m selling is what I have literally on the shelf. When
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Chasing

2364) The dog I had several years ago was a hunter. You could see his little dachshund tail whipping back and forth in the tall grass, hunting a mouse. Once, he saw one in a camp where we were staying. He sat facing the stove, where the mouse retreated, for two hours, finally catching it.
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Not By Accident

2384) In the last couple of years, I have taken up watercolor painting. I’m not very good at it, but the exhilaration of creating something with paint is enough to keep going. Each little painting I have kept until the stack was taking up too much room. I knew it was time to purge. I
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A Better Solution

2349) I learn a lot from my young scholars. Some lessons come as I observe their words and actions. One such observation is when one of them is sharpening a pencil. They’ll grind it and grind it and grind it and then, almost always on cue, they’ll say, This pencil won’t sharpen. At this point,
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Knives

2348) For many years now, I have been prone to drop things. I don’t know if there’s a medical problem, but it’s a reality. I have found that if I’m not careful to acknowledge this when I’m holding things that can cause great damage or be damaged if I drop them, it can lead to
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Flattery Will Get You?

2341) There’s a difference between encouraging and flattering. When we encourage, we are supporting someone. We hope to bring confidence and maybe hope. (Oxford Languages.) To flatter someone, we give insincere praise, usually to further one’s own interests. (Oxford Languages.) The word flatter in Hebrew is chalaq, which means to separate and divide. (biblehub.com) Flattering
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Examples

2313) I had someone ask me if I feel “unworthy” to write about the spiritual life we should have in these minute devotions. They weren’t trying to insult me; instead, their sincere question was, do you have to be perfect in the areas of your spiritual life which you write about? It is a relief
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Bowing Down

2312) Most people in our country have heard the name of Jesus. The name can come up in casual reading; amidst swearing; in the news and more. What I wonder about the people who use his name casually is what or who they think Jesus is? Is he just someone people generally think of at
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