An emotional boundary isn’t set in place to keep the other person “in line” or behaving in a prescribed manner; rather, the boundary is me giving myself permission to not give another access to my soul.
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Once upon a time, there was a girl simply following God’s plan. All of a sudden there was a young man in need of God’s love. That girl would be me, and for the first time ever, I can’t even tell you the first time we met. My most solid and best beginning memory of our friendship was the rooftop of a bar in Milwaukee where a young adult’s group was doing street outreach. I watched my quiet friend get chest bumped into a dance battle. All of a sudden he and another dude are in a full on break dance battle in front of me.
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We’ve all heard the story of the innkeeper. He’s the bad guy in the story, right? The one we talk about who forced Jesus to be born in a barn. It’s interesting to me that he gets a bad rap. God started showing me how the innkeeper was a good guy in the story. He’s the one who gave what he had. He didn’t have a palace, but he gave what he had. That makes him a hero in the story and why he was given a place in the story.
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For years, I was happy being single. Naturally, during my years as a single Christian woman, I had crushes and possibilities, but inwardly, I thought that I was probably one of those Christians meant to be single my whole life. Instead of viewing this as a loss, I would instead get excited to think about all the people I could meet and help and all the trips I could take!
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As I sit in the hospital cafeteria typing this, amid the hustle and bustle of the lunch crowd, I feel God’s presence. With the rays of sunshine through the window, I feel God’s presence. As I watch my newborn son on the webcam in his NICU room, I feel God’s presence. When I see my husband hold our son, I feel God’s presence.
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I recently saw the movie, Cyberbully (via ABC Family and available in Redbox). Although the quality left something to be desired, I thought the message behind the movie was a worthy subject that, in my opinion, has been a bit neglected.
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Susan entered the café and her eyes scanned the room looking for Reya the birthday girl. The crowded space and the chatter of people made her feel invisible.
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People like to say that they will “forgive but not forget”, as though forgiving and forgetting are mutually exclusive. This was the attitude of the people of the church of Corinth. Paul wrote to the Corinthian church because they chose to sue each other rather than resolve their differences.
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Work has always been a part of the equation. We were always meant to tend, cultivate, and name; but, we don’t like to think about how the Fall created more work for us. In every way imaginable. Eve missed the manipulation maneuver Satan pulled on her as he hacked his way into the equation. We still too often miss the clues that he’s hacking his lies into our lives.
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Lord, we pray for the wedding coming up, for good health for all,
Pleasant weather, safety, and your presence in every part of the church and hall.
We pray for strength of body, heart, and mind for the elderly,
Joy and gladness for those who plan, arrange, and execute,
For wisdom, guidance, and your watchful eye over all,
When he asked me to be his girlfriend, I ignored that voice in my head that said, “Pray first.” There is no doubt in my mind that was the voice is the Holy Spirit. “I am leaving you with a gift-peace of mind and heart. And this peace is a gift that the world cannot give.”-John 14:27 NLT
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In the early stages of dating there is a phase that we all probably walk through. This phase is called Rose-Colored glasses. It is when you are so caught up in infatuation and having a man pay attention to you that all reasoning and clear thinking goes out the window. We let things slide that are our core values.
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For those who don’t know, Reformation Day is the day that Martin Luther nailed the “95 Theses” to a Catholic Church door. During this time, much of the church was following Catholicism and practices that said you could earn forgiveness and salvation. Martin Luther’s theses explained that the Bible was the ultimate authority and only Jesus could forgive sins. This started the Protestant Reformation and helped spark a new day for the church in history.
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Now, we all know or have heard about Ruth’s past – was married into a household that worshiped God, lost her husband and father-in-law, and had the option to go back to her family but instead she decided to remain loyal to her mother-in-law, Naomi. We also know what happens afterwards – Naomi’s family member, Boaz, marries Ruth and they live happily ever after. This is a love story far better than any made-up Disney romance.
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True confession: I’m not a huge fan of books on dating. I’ve always focused more on marriage. This is a personal preference. However, I LOVED Godly Dating 101. I think it’s an incredibly useful book - whether single, dating, or married. Why? Because the title is a sneaky one.
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To the first man, the one who held me in his arms when he was only an 18 year old. The young man who I watched grow because of our closeness in age. Thank you for loving me and taking me with you while you worked and served. Some of my fondest memories are seeing the houses you helped build, taking a college class together, and learning how to start non - profits. Thank you for protecting, providing, loving Jesus, and loving my mom.
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'Loving Others As Christ Does' is Unit 101 in the Bible College of life, wouldn’t you say? Yet, as I meditated upon the topic, the Lord said, "Yes, but there's more (greater depth)". So, I've been praying, "God teach me. Show me."
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I remember the special words my sister said to me before walking outside for the ceremony. I remember crying with joy as my new husband and I came walking down the aisle. I will forever remember the sweet few moments my husband shared right after the ceremony alone just having been proclaimed husband and wife. Mostly I think of God’s faithfulness to me my entire life, including that glorious day when I got to marry the best man in the world.
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Like I said I don’t run so here, I am walking through singleness. I wish I could rush past this, but God has me in this season for a reason, and it’s only for a season. Seasons always change. After the winter comes the spring. We sometimes have to face the fire before we get the rain. Walking through singleness means you might face some fires before the rain. But going through the fires makes dancing in the rain with your significant other and every blaze worth it.
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In preparation of our July Tirzah in the Word, I wanted to challenge us to focus on a couple of topics to pray over this week. As you know, I, Alycia, highly enjoy our times of prayer and fasting as a global community. I have seen so many answered prayers over the years and so have many of you women from all over!
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