Stories
Christian Devotionals
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You’re stupid…now go conquer the world.
There are a lot of mixed signals in this world about being unique. When you’re young you’re encouraged to be yourself and to dream big. Parents and teachers reinforce the idea that you can do anything you put your mind to. Then you get to high school. Not to say peer pressure doesn’t occur before this big chapter in life, and not to say that everyone has a negative experience, but generally speaking high school hits you like a bus. All of the sudden your self confidence and control is tested like never before at a time where you are still growing and learning who you are – and it…
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God wants us to be reckless
There’s no shadow You won’t light up, Mountain You won’t climb up, Coming after me. There’s no wall You won’t kick down, Lie You won’t tear down, Coming after me. (Reckless Love – Cory Asbury) I wish I could accurately explain the images in my head as I listen to that bridge. The image of God lighting up the dark like an explosion, climbing up mountains in a rage, busting through walls and battling with the enemy… This warrior-like description of God is nothing new – this is part of God’s character. Oftentimes we put God and his angels in a box. God is an old man with a white…
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Dreams: How Big is Too Big?
Dream: (noun) A cherished aspiration, ambition or ideal An unrealistic or self-deluding fantasy We all have -or have had- an ambitious dream. Maybe yours was extreme, like becoming an astronaut or playing a professional sport. Maybe it was to graduate from a specific college, start a nonprofit organization or open a coffee shop. Whatever the dream, something was on your heart. The thought made you excited! You had planned it out in your head and it was awesome. You were passionate when you talked about it. But somewhere along the line – LIFE. The older you get, the more complicated life gets. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but it…
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Stomping On Landmines
“A miracle can happen now, for the Spirit of the Lord is here…” We repeated this bridge over and over in church tonight. You know how that goes; the first few times you are deep in worship. Hands raised, eyes closed…then about the sixth time, one eye opens. You start looking around as you continue to repeat the same line. Are they going to sing another line? Maybe another song? As much as I love that song, I was about to have one of these moments when it hit me – A miracle can happen now. The reality of this statement is mind-blowing – don’t miss it. We are so…
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Hopelessly Ever After
Hopeless romantic. This person sees the world with rose-colored glasses. They love the thought of love. Every scenario plays out like a scene from a romantic comedy. Even when things go wrong, their imagination can spin it as a plot twist as they anxiously await the happy ending. Something as simple as hearing birds singing can launch them into daydreams. Hi, my name is Emily. I’m a hopeless romantic. I was thinking about this term the other day. Hopeless? Thanks. Couldn’t we say something like “optimistic romantic” instead? Hopeless seems better fitted for a pessimist, not someone who is always imagining the best in a situation. In fact, hopeless romantics…
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Epic Sadness
I recently discovered the secret to my random sad thoughts, fears and discouragement: something epic is about to happen. The other night was just one of those nights. Nothing was wrong, but I felt emotionally drained. Is there a sort of jet-lag for major life changes?! Some days I am on top of the world, and by evening I am overcome by sudden discouragement and sadness. It comes like the weather in Michigan: sporadic. One day it is 75 and sunny and the next day there is a foot of snow. But I noticed that pattern: the negative usually comes right after a positive… The next morning I got up…
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The Belayer, the Rope and the Rock Wall
So I went rock climbing (indoors) for the first time today! I have always wanted to do this. No time like the present, right? I was super nervous but excited. It wasn’t the typical nerves one may assume would come with your first climb. I had no fears of falling, breaking bones, or equipment malfunctioning (although the fact that the person I went with is an awesome, positive, encouraging person who just so happens to be an instructor probably helped to keep any of those traditional fears at bay). My fear was much less logical than all of that: the fear of failure. We started at what was basically the…
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Why Christians Should Meditate
Meditation is defined as follows: to think deeply or focus one’s mind for a period of time, in silence or with the aid of chanting, for religious or spiritual purposes or as a method of relaxation. It is derived from Latin meditate, meaning ‘contemplated’, and from the verb meditari, meaning ‘measure’. To contemplate means to look thoughtfully for a long time at or to think profoundly at a length. Measure (as a verb) has many synonyms including evaluate and assess. Stillness, Silence and Simplicity There are three main components to meditation. In relation to meditation, stillness simply means to be still and remove any distractions. Silence means to let go…
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How To Have A Successful Day
We can be so critical of people. We are quick to judge before knowing the backstory; we notice flaws before strengths; we hold grudges. When someone hurts us, we feel entitled to hold onto it. We use words like “fair” or “deserve”. I’m in the air right now and I’m looking down at what looks like little boxes and little specks moving along a little line. Below me are thousands of people. Some are getting up and going to work. Some are dropping their kids off at school. Some are still curled up sleeping in bed, and some are curled up on a street corner because they have no bed.…
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Flex Your Faith
While working out, I started thinking about how faith is like a muscle. Seems like a corny illustration, I know, but it’s a very accurate one! When you first get into fitness, your muscles are in a state of shock. They quickly begin adapting and the results you start seeing are amazing and motivating! You feel happier from the endorphins, you feel strong physically, and you become more confident in both your body and your abilities. You can do more than you anticipated and you feel unstoppable. You crave more. Fast forward a little and here comes the inevitable brick wall. You are still strong, but the results you once…