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Be Still

 Today was Fathers' Day, a day where we remember and honor dads who sacrificed so much to raise us in the Word of God and give us a better life than the one they had. And any good dad will tell you that one of the many things that they struggle with from time to time is the deep-seeded desire to fix everything. Whether it be a broken toy, a conflict at school, a heartbreak, or the trials adult children face in the real world, dads want to fix it. Sometimes they can, but oftentimes they cannot. And there are few feelings as humbling as a father knowing that there are some problems that they can't solve for their children. But there is one Father who can. And in order for Him to do so, He needs us, not just dads, to do something that goes against everything we, in this day and age especially, have been wired to do: be still. Fathers are doers, they are fixers. They are always on the go. But in Psalm 46, God instructs them, and everyone, to take a step back. “Be still, and know th...
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Into the Storm

One of the hardest things to accept in life is that nothing is going to be easy. As much as one may feel that they have earned or deserve a break, a respite from the trials and tribulations that the world throws our way, life on this earth is fraught with challenges. It is not uncommon for people, when the storms of life become great, to turn their eyes to heaven and scream, "God! Why?" I have been there, and perhaps you have been there too.  And, due to our imperfect natures, I have no doubt we will again in the future. Frequently, the story of Jesus calming the wind and waves in Mark 4:35-41 is used as a reminder of how God can bring peace in the midst of the storms of life. And, to be sure, He does.  But there is an aspect of that story that oftentimes gets overlooked.  " That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, ' Let us go over to the other side.'  Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat."  Those familiar ...
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Kicking and Screaming

 Everyone is familiar with the stories. Individuals raised in the church grow up, experience the world, and fall away. Too often, they stay away from the Fold of God that had kept them safe for the entirety of their lives. Instead, they lead the rest of their lives relying on themselves, their own desires, and their own accomplishments to bring them fulfillment. Other times, though, like in the Parable of the Prodigal Son, some of these people, loved and cherished by the God who created them, realize that life without their Heavenly Father is too hard to live without Him. And so, in great humility, they return to God. Perhaps they never lost faith in Him, per say, but they stopped listening to His voice and following the teachings of Jesus. For those unfamiliar, the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15:11-32 tells the story of a man who had two sons. The younger son asked his father for his half of the inheritance so that he could go out on his own. " The younger one said to his...
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