WINDING THROUGH THE CIRCLE OF LIFE

"For what is your life?  It
is even a vapor that 
appears for a little time
and then vanishes away."
(James 4:14)

While most households, those who celebrate Christmas that is, were noisily opening up gifts. I found myself doing something quite unusual that morning.  At least I thought so until I sat down to read my devotionals.

I was just trying to clear away a bit of clutter from my desk i.e., rubber bands, paper clips, and Christmas cards yet to be opened.  Trying to bring some order to the space. A writing desk sits in the corner of my rarely used living room and it is my favorite spot to meet and chat with the Lord!  

I picked up an obituary from a recent funeral to file it away. (Call it an age thing but for years I've been bringing funeral programs home, reading through them again and promptly putting them in a folder in my file drawer.)  I can't seem to throw them away. It feels disrespectful, like throwing away the memories or legacy of those departed!

I have obituaries of church members, family friends, family members of friends, and relatives (misfiled because I have a separate folder for those!).  A collection of different sizes, various styles, full page and bookmarks.  It was like leisurely looking through a family  photo album. 
  
They commemorated people of all ages.  One was of a baby only a few months old.  A few had lived to their eighties or nineties! They dated back to the early 2000s, so of course I began to see members of the same family appear (husband and wives, mothers and fathers of friends, sadly, some of children of parents still  living).  There were beautiful and brilliant twenty year olds; talented millennials, and I grieved all over again for the knowledge and wisdom taken to the grave by  senior saints who blessed and encouraged me while they were alive!

I stood there just remininscing,  thinking about where I was in my own life when these souls transitioned.  I was beginning to feel a bit morbid when I settled down to read my In Touch Devotional by Dr. Charles Stanley.   He put it all into perspective.  Christmas is the perfect time to reflect on life, death, and eternity.  After all isn't that why Jesus came into the world? (John 3:17; John 10:10; John 14:1-3).

Mary, Jesus' mother had to consider His death not long after rejoicing at His birth (Matthew 2:13-21).  King Herod pronounced a death sentence on all Jewish male children, two years old and younger to deter the One prophesied from taking the royal throne.  In those critical hours, Jesus' earthly parents had to envision the brevity of their son's life and so it should be with us.  

For some the Circle of Life may be long and winding filled with many high points.  But for others short and abrupt! The reality of it all is that some that we celebrated Christmas with this year may not be with us next Christmas.  Show them love while you can and remind them when they start to complain, that the greatest gift they could ever receive is Jesus!

In reading the title of this blog post your mind may have wandered back to the movie Lion King, one of my favorites!  The similarity in name and theme was no accident.  I love the song, Circle of Life.   In fact the entire movie teaches life lessons worth sharing.  But when I look at the lyrics of this particular song a bit closer I find a great deal of wisdom in them.  Wisdom that is appropriate no matter what stage of life you are in or your religious preference.

As humans we all flow through a life cycle predetermined by our Creator (Psalms 90:10). It is up to us to find our place and purpose in it while we can because as is attested to by both the psalmist David and writer James in the bible, it goes by so quickly.   Now that Christmas is over, our minds tend to lean toward the future. New resolutions, prospects, and opportunities to look forward to.

While we prepare for what will be a wonderful year of beginnings for some, let us be thoughtful.  It may also be a year of finality.  Sadness and regrets may also be in our futures. Still your hearts now against anger or bitterness for any losses that may occur.  Embrace it all as it comes!  The ebbs and flows, the ups and downs.  All are normal and with God's help we'll find our way through it.  

It's the Circle of Life

And it moves us all

Through despair and hope

Through faith and love.

'Til we find our place

On the path unwinding

In the circle,

The Circle of Life.

(Circle of Life lyrics by Lebo M.)

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

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COMPASSION: A Priceless Christmas Gift

But go and learn what this means.
I desire mercy, not sacrifice...
(Matthew 9:13a)

As I have matured and become somewhat limited in my finances as a retiree, I've ceased trying to find the perfect Christmas gift for others!  I'm sort of done with asking the grand kids for their list and then rushing all around town trying to fulfill their wishes!

I'm thankful that I no longer have to participate in Secret Santa gift exchanges and cookie swaps at work.   Yes, they were fun at the time but grew mundane year after year.  Then it's that tedious chore of  shopping for obligatory gifts.  You know, those gifts you buy individuals out of guilt, because they buy you one every year!  Of course when you find something suitable it has to be of the same quality and price range as the one they bought you so as not to appear cheap! Does anyone beside me think that to give without any thought but price is shallow and hypocritical?

When it comes to giving Christmas gifts this year, I'd like you to consider one that is actually appropriate all year around but is rapidly falling into oblivion...compassion!  One of the down sides of having access to 24/7 media is that we are bombarded with our world's brokenness and soon become desensitized to it.  I must confess, I'm no longer shocked at the perversion and violence going on in my city.  Concerned,  Yes!  Shocked hardly! What my local news misses, I can catch in the form of made from real life movies; reality or talk shows.  If I'm not careful, I sink into the same kind of negativism and apathy as the world!  This should not be so!

Compassion is not the same as empathy (although close).  The lack of it is not always apathy!  One can feel very strongly, even pray for a situation without really getting involved.   It goes much deeper than that.  True compassion can be seen demonstrated by the Lord, Jesus, Christ.  It is identifying with the pain and suffering of another although keenly aware of the circumstances and consequences that caused it.  It's seeing others as God sees them!  Broken but still of value! 
Looking beyond where people are to where they could be or were meant to be!

In the Gospel of John we find Jesus moved with compassion to intervene in the life of two women: The Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:4-26 and the woman caught in adultery in  John 8:1-11.  Both women were considered social outcasts in their religious communities.  No doubt past decisions and current lifestyles put them in the predicament they were in, but Christ never condemned them! He not only felt their pain (He was considered a rebel and outcast to the Pharisees) which is empathy; but He did something to make their lives better.  That's compassion! 

On our current political scene, hundreds are at U.S. borders trying to escape poverty, drugs, and violence in their birth countries.  I understand the immigration pundits "hard line" defense.  But history tells us that they have not always taken this stance.  It is the color of the immigrants it seems that makes a difference.  In any case I must agree with Laura Bush's quote from earlier this year  in regard to the immigration issue: "Can we not find a kinder, more compassionate and moral answer?

We seemed to have lost both empathy and compassion not only for those trying to get to America, but citizens born here.  When will we as, I heard said: "Stop looking at issues through the eyes of the pocket book" and do something about them.  People are dying for lack of affordable healthcare insurance and those with it compromise their standard of care because of the rising cost of prescriptions and premiums to keep it.  Yet pharmaceutical and insurance companies are thriving.  The CEOs of these companies empathize with the situation (they get sick and die too) but because their ability to afford healthcare comes from the profit they make off others, compassion seems somewhat lacking. 

There's not much we can do on the national or global scene but we can demonstrate compassion now, right where we are!  As the body of Christ, let's stop politicizing compassion, picking and choosing who we will pray for, minister to, invite to our churches.  Let's reserve judgement of a person until we've first taken time to know them.  Everybody has a story....stop and listen!  Don't just pray about a situation, get involved in a "real, significant" way.  God did this for us when He sent His Son, Jesus to die for our sins (John 3:16)!   He had compassion for our brokenness and every wretched life style that existed.   Don't you think it's time to do the same.  Let's RE-GIFT COMPASSION this Christmas.  It just might make a difference!


UNTIL NEXT TIME...

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TUESDAY REWIND: SON Therapy For Winter Blues!!

"Why, my soul, are you down
cast? ...Put your hope in God
...my Savior and my God. (Ps. 42:11)

(A reprint from a December 2014 blog post)

D uring my tenure as a marketing assistant with a large pharmaceutical company I had the opportunity to learn a lot about psychological diseases and their symptoms.  One in particular caught my interest.  It was a condition called Seasonal Affective Disorder.  You may know it as The Winter Blues or as researchers dub it... S. A. D.

Generally, it is treated with anti-depression meds, life style changes and sunlight therapy.  Although it can occur almost any time it is more prevalent during the dark, cold, and activity prohibitive winter months. People who suffer from S. A. D really are sad and depressed, so I guess that explains some of the moods we're seeing lately!  But I'm beginning to see a bit of it among a particular group of individuals and in one particular place....The Church!

Here are the symptoms: Lack of focus; sleepiness; irritability; don't care about spiritual things, i.e., bible study, prayer, morning devotions.  If not in the acute stage one can make it out to church, but barely.  Once you sit down the hearing becomes dull.  You're too tired to stand for praise; no clapping or hallelujahs during worship and you can't remember a thing the pastor said even between the dozing!

I don't think it would be much of a stretch to call this S.A.D too...Spiritual Apathy Disorder!  With all the hustle and bustle this time of year it's just too doggone hard to get excited about Jesus!  Too many parties to attend, too much shopping and of course the extra weight we gained from eating all that free food has more than our butts dragging!

No worries my friends.  If you take heed this can be only a temporary condition.  All you've got to do is apply some SON THERAPY to your day. I'm talking about a big dose of JESUS!  Similar to the medical one, exposure to the Light works wonders!  In John 8:12 we find that Jesus is the Light of the World.  Like natural sun light, a dose of Jesus releases spiritual serotonin in your body which means He's an automatic mood lifter.  You just want to smile more!  Gone is moodiness and depression.  Just a few minutes talking to Him in prayer each day makes all the difference!  Wake up early and join us on the prayer line!**

Having problems getting those skinny jeans on with all the cakes and cookies consumed since Thanksgiving?  How about fasting some of those heavy meals and feasting on God's Word the Bible!  John 6:35 says that Jesus is the Bread of Life.  I know you think you could live on bread alone but from one carbohydrate junkie to another...believe me you can't! Extra pounds make you sluggish and sleepy in church. Your clothes become too tight and you get subconscious, so you plant your self on the pew and don't get up until it's time to go home and take them off! Now THAT'S when the church really says AMEN!!

The Enemy works extra hard to keep Christians from focusing on God at church but he takes a vacation during the holidays because we distract ourselves!  Yes, there's lots of things to do and it seems that everyone and everything demands your attention.  Even the most organized soul finds it hard to keep up...no wonder we're irritable and stressed out.

 So why not pick up the bible, turn to John 10:10-11.  Jesus tells us that He is the Good Shepherd.  Sheep don't go to psychiatrists!  They don't worry or stress out over Christmas lists and dinner preparations.  They just follow the Shepherd's voice and they know that green pastures are straight ahead.   Jesus came to give us a life of peace...we've just got to stop long enough to enjoy it!

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

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SUITED AND BOOTED (Gearing Up for the Fight of Our Lives!)

"... and with your feet fitted with
the readiness that comes from the
 gospel of peace." (Ephes. 6:15)

As the old song goes...You oughta been there! I'm talking about the Spiritual Boot Camp hosted by the Sisters4Sis-ters ministry of my church this weekend.  S4S is one of several ministries seeking to embrace, encourage, and em-
power women of all ages to serve and fulfill their roles biblically!

About 250 sister soldiers came off life's battle field to prepare their hearts and minds for deeper training in spiritual warfare!  A training that they would get no other place than the incomparable and infallible Word of God!

My heart leaped to see them pouring in from the parking lot Friday evening.  The younger women helping the older women.  Mothers and daughters coming in together.  Old friends reuniting
and embracing. Some hobbling on canes still recuperating from joint replacements. One dear sister weakly making her way after an exhausting day of chemotherapy!  All patiently waiting in line to go through military processing, pick up a gear bag, and report to a waiting squad leader!

This was the first leg of a spiritual journey that many have told me not only changed their thinking and perspective on biblical womanhood but was a starting point for changing their lives and marriages!  They now understand that it won't always be easy....but with God it is possible!

The 2018 women's spiritual bootcamp (the first for the women of our church) has long been anticipated.  For fourteen years we have encouraged husbands, sons, and other significant males to join the men of Emmanuel M.B. Church of Indianapolis in what has become a nation wide phenomena for Christian men empowerment.  It was now, NOT OUR TURN....but OUR TIME to join the fight against a common enemy, Satan!

The goal for this first boot camp was to Reclaim our Spiritual Identity, Authority, and Power in Christ. We are indeed as the apostle Peter reminds us in I Peter 2:9 (NIV):

 A chosen generation, a royal priesthood,

an holy nation, a peculiar people; that

we should shew forth the praises of Him

Who hath called us out of darkness into 

His marvelous light: 

As women of God, I believe we have lingered too long in the shadows and darkness of our present culture.  We have traded in real power for the pseudo and temporary rewards of feminism; denying ourselves the protection and benefits that God has promised!  For those who have stood strong against the waves of culture, we have been mocked and made to appear weak!  Be sure my Sister Soldiers, God's word will prove us right!

To put it plainly, in this present darkness, feminism reigns but disappointment is on the horizon.  We need to be prepared to help those gone astray, pick up the pieces of shattered marriages, sexually confused children, and drug dependent lives trying to escape the dysfunction of it all. We WILL  be there!  Because as one of our Bootcamp mantras declares: 
No Sister is Left Behind! 

The Enemy's attack against Sister Soldiers is unique, strategic and potent.  Therefore, the weapons and the skills we employ against him must be of the highest order.  We've known for ages that this fight is supernatural (2 Corinthians 10:4-6), but we have become somewhat deficient in warfare.  Our boot camp was indeed a basic training in spiritual weaponry.  We revisited not only the pieces and usages of the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) but began to examine the strategies that is needed to assure victory in every type of attack. 

Discipline, Accountability, and Unity were areas of special focus.  Prayers for humility and submission to God's Word prompted confessions, testimonies and drew us spiritually and visually to the very Throne of God!  It was there that we unleashed all burdens and obstacles,   emerging as God-Empowered, Ezer Warriors (Genesis 1:18; 20) suited and booted for warfare. 

This journey has just begun for us.  There is much to learn concerning this good fight
of faith (I Timothy 6:12).  The fight for the lives of our homes, our children, our communities and our nation! Each training session is designed to hone us into stealth weapons against the Enemy of God.  If you're in the Indianapolis area please join us.  If not,  Pray for us and revisit this blog where we will be chronicling our progress in proposed 2019 post-boot camp bible studies!  

Until Next Time...HU-AH! (Heard, Understood, and Acknowledged!)
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The HIGH PRICE of Ignorance!

My people are destroyed for
lack if knowledge: (Hosea 4:6a)

Here we go again, another case of foot in mouth disease. News commentator, Megyn Kelly joins a long list of high profile individuals (black and white) who unwittingly made comments offensive to ethnic, racial, or particular people groups.

In Ms. Kelly's case, she felt comfortable bringing back blackface as part of any costume. (Blackface is the painting of one's body and face to emulate a stereotype of black people during the mid-1800s Minstrel show period).  Costuming involves creating over sized white or red lips; wearing kinky hair wigs and accentuating the whites of the eyes).  Her demotion from a prominent television role, if not firing is surely on the way!

Will America ever find peace living in a diverse country? One that is not homogeneous but made up ethnically and culturally of people who do not always look like each other.  I wonder because I still feel the sting from Roseanne Barr's tweet referring to Valerie Jarrett as the spawn of the Muslim Brotherhood and Planet of the Apes.  And, popular chefs, Paula Deen and John Schnatter's (Papa John's Pizza) free use of the "N" word in conversations. (I refuse to patronize either!)

They paid some pretty high costs for their freedom of speech! Roseanne lost her job and suffered a big hit to a lucrative acting career.  Papa John Schnatter was forced to resign from the company and his reputation in Indiana is in the tank.  Purdue University even took his name off a building and offered to return a multi-million dollar donation!  Money, reputation, and fame mean a lot in the good Ole USA.  But they lost something even greater...an opportunity to foster respect and good will among all people!  In this present political climate we can't get enough of that! 

 The defense, at least for some of these offenders has been that they just didn't know their comments were offensive!  I'll buy that!  By and large, I believe we are in the midst of prevailing cultural and biblical ignorance.  So I guess we shouldn't be surprised when supposedly intelligent people say stupid things!  I threw biblical ignorance in there because a simple look at Genesis, the very first book of the bible proves that all mankind originated from the same parents (Adam and Eve) and are created in the image of God: intelligent, decisive, with sensibilities that decry any notion of a superior race. 

Hey folks, whether you like it or not we're all brothers and sisters! Born in sin with attitudes, proclivities, faults and failures common to us all (Romans 3:23).  To hate and disparage any race or ethnicity is to throw shade on yourself!  It is self-hate at its saddest. 

Speaking of that, on yesterday's broadcast (October 24, 2018) of the Dr. Phil show I witnessed what ignorance and self-hatred looks like from an impressionable youth.  Raised privileged by an African American mother and Caucasian step-father, they kept her ignorant of her ethnic history.  When the step-father died the mother had to return to her black roots. The teenage daughter suffered an identity crisis when she was forced to live a typical black teen's life. 

 Click on the link below and meet Treasure:

16 Year Old Treasure

The Prophet Hosea, says that God's people perish for lack of knowledge (4:6). He was referring to the willful ignorance and disobedience of God's Word by the Israelites who sought cultural pleasures over a covenant relationship with Him.   But I say, both Christians and non-Christians who ignore biblical and cultural history regarding ethnicities are also guilty of denying a covenant that causes death.  A human relations covenant that says all humans have value and significance and are deserving of respect. 

 It is the duty and responsibility of each of us to take a moment to learn something about a person before flippantly making comments that could cause them pain. To do as James 1:19 says, to be quick to listen and slow to speak.  We should not assume we know what is offensive or not until we've humbled ourselves enough to do some research or at least ask someone who knows!  Racism, white privilege, fear, and bias are all symptoms of an ignorance that we can no longer afford.  It is killing the spirit of people in this present generation and destroying the hopes of those in future ones. 


UNTIL NEXT TIME...

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WHAT'S Going On In This World Today?

"Mark this: there will be terrible
times in the last days..
(2 Timothy 3:1 NIV)

"Mother, mother,

  there's too many of you crying.

  Brother, brother, brother,

 there's far too many of you dying.

You know we've got to find a way.

to bring some loving here today,

What's Going on?"

(Song by Marvin Gaye -What's Going On? Lyrics by:

Alfred Cleveland, Marvin Gaye, Renaldo Benson)

Never has this song been more relevant than it is today!  I'm not just talking about the general chaos in the political arena, but in the world at large.  Every morning it seems there's a new level of ethical dysfunction we have to deal with. Hurricanes of historic proportion have been pounding our shores. Wildfires are occurring in unusual places like the one this year north of the Arctic circle.   California continues to burn (approximately 6,906 this year and counting) causing the Northern portion of the state to be declared a national disaster. And let's not even talk about the rise in violence and murder in every major city!

If you have any doubt that we're living in the last days, all I have to say is just open your eyes! 
Here's how the Amplified Bible translates 2 Timothy 3:1

"But understand this, that in the last days there

will set in perilous times of great stress  and 

trouble - hard to deal with and hard to bear."

In eschatology (the study of last things and end of time for humans), the Last Days chronicles the time period beginning with Jesus Christ's resurrection and ends at His Second Coming!

How easy it would be to just shake our heads and bemoan these tragedies, but instead of tearing our hair out why not use these now frequent occurrences as spiritual opportunities.  Professional Spin doctors are skilled in turning bad news into good.  As Christians, there's no better news to share than what we have...God's Word.  Here's an excerpt from an article published on Christianity Today's website in 2005.  I came across it in my files and because it is Family and Friends Month at my church decided to pass it along to you.  Read it prayerfully and be discerning as to when to introduce these thought provoking questions.  Feel free to adapt it to fit your individual conversation's focal point.  With things the way they are, it is only a matter of time before someone asks you:  What's going on this world today?

20 Questions to Help You Share Your Faith
(Transitions you can use to turn a conversation to spiritual things by Worldwide Challenge.
Worldwide Challenge.org

1.  People invest time and energy into developing their career, their bodies and relationships, but often neglect the spiritual dimension of their lives.  How do you actively pursue spiritual growth?

2.  Do you think much about spiritual things? (This usually leads to conversations about what spiritual means, i.e., religion vs. relationship).

3.  How has this experience affected the way you look at God?

4.  We've never had a chance to talk about your religious background.  Where would you say you are in your spiritual pilgrimage?

5. I'd like to tell you how I established a personal relationship with God (Tell your personal testimony)

6. What is your concept of God?  Do you view Him positively or negatively?

7.  Have you come to a point in your life where you have trusted Jesus as your personal Savior or do you think that is something you're still moving toward?

8.  Do you find that faith and spiritual values play a role in your work, marriage, perspective on life?

9. Do you go church? Why or why not?

10.  We've been friends for quite some time now, and I've never really talked to you about the most important thing in my life.  May I take a few moments and do so?


**I've only given you ten of the twenty. To learn more go to the following website: https://www.christianitytoday.com/biblestudies/articles/evangelism/051012.html

UNTIL NEXT TIME...

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EMBRACE YOUR SEASON!

To everything there is a season,
a time for every purpose under
heaven (Ecc. 3:1)

Stopping by a local discount store, I was struck instantly by the various merchandise displays.  Within only an aisle or two,  I came across Fourth of July picnic supplies; Fall pumpkins, and Christmas decorations all ready for purchase!  It was hard to know what to focus on first!  What a confusing mess!

It made me think about the seasons in a human's life. You know God is so thoughtful and orderly. He designed each one of us with a specific purpose and time frame to fulfill His plan. Furthermore, He did it with such wisdom and loving care.

Each season of life is unique with a special beauty about it.  Within its intricacies and limitations, it develops and matures us for leaving one and gracefully entering the next one.  However, we tend to miss the glory of God's handiwork by either rushing into one season too soon or lingering longer than we should in another!

Read this familiar passage from Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:

3 For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:

2 a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
3 a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.

There are 28 different seasons illustrated in this text!  More than enough to capture the essence of our human existence.  But in our foolish vanity we refuse to embrace the normal ebb and flow of each season and its valuable lessons opting instead to manipulate them for our own selfish desires.

It saddens me to see adult women in one season trying too hard to fit into a season they left long ago.
I'm all for personal expression at any age.  And there's something quite inspirational about a man or woman who stays active and vibrant as they age. But this does not mean that every fashion trend is appropriate for you.  You don't have to dress down or dowdy to be attractive but as an older woman once told me; just because you can get in it....doesn't mean you should wear it! 

Men too, suffer from this cultural phenomenon.  We've all seen the jet black hair and the gray mustaches that don't match. Shirts opened to the navel with gold chains over salt and pepper chest hairs.  Speedos at the swimming pool barely visible under pot bellies and ads for pills promising more stamina and virility. No one it seems is content with being who they are and the consumer industry is making big bucks off of it all!

Staying seasonally appropriate has benefits with long range effects we might not have thought about.  It teaches the following generations how to transcend the ravages of aging in an emotionally healthy and spiritual way.  Robbed of the season of innocence, our children are sexualized early, their minds focused on adult things. This makes it difficult for parents to train and mold them into the moral, productive individual God desires (Proverbs 22:6) .

 Even if we're blessed to get them through the adolescent and teen seasons, there is a tendency for them to languish there.  They do not want to take on the accountability and responsibilities of the adult season and become independent.  Think about it!  Why should they? They now have parents who have become adult playmates with lots of money! 

America has a long way to go in the respect they show seasoned adults!  Perhaps if we caught up with other countries, we wouldn't find it so hard to embrace our seasons:  In Asian countries like China, Japan, and Korea to get older is to be revered, respected, and to become an honored member of the family and society.  In fact, in China the elderly can sue their children for financial and emotional support.  In Scotland older citizens are sought after mentors, and founts of wisdom.  They are influential and do not have to fight to be heard. Regardless, the greatest motivation one can have to appreciate the gift of years is to remember that if you're not satisfied with the season you're in, God's love is big enough and long enough to follow you into the next one.  You'll always have a place and a plan in His kingdom!


UNTIL NEXT TIME...

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