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Showing posts with the label Christian devotional

Looking Out the Window: Amanda Flower Reminds Us That God Is Always With Us

WELCOME AGATHA CHRISTIE AWARD NOMINEE AMANDA FLOWER Searching for the Blue Danube If I rise on the wings of dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. Psalm 139:9-10 There’s nothing quite as terrifying as being lost by yourself in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language. This has happened to me more than once. The most memorable time was when I was twenty-five, and I got this ridiculous notion in my head that I should travel to Budapest, Hungary alone. I was already in Eastern Europe visiting a friend, and my friend had to work the day of my Hungarian adventure. I didn’t want to waste one minute in Europe by sitting around her apartment when a whole continent was right outside the window. I took the train from Bratislava to Budapest without incident. I felt confident I knew where I was going. I had a map and a travel guide—what could possibly go wrong? I figured I’d find the Danub

Looking Out the Window: A Good Laugh with a Spiritual Message from Margaret Brownley

                                             Notes from Camp One day, Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray.” Luke 11:1 NIV When my oldest son went away to summer camp for the first time I was a nervous wreck. Although he was nine years old he hadn’t as much as spent a night away from home, let alone an entire week. I packed his suitcase with special care, making sure he had enough socks and underwear to see him through the week. Since this was prior to the advent of cell phones I also packed stationery and stamps so he could write home. Thanks to a conscientious camp counselor I received the first letter from my son three days after he’d left. I quickly tore open the envelope and stared at the childish scrawl. Camp is fun and I only barfed once. The next letter offered little more. Jerry wet the bed. Who’s Jerry, I wondered. The third and last letter provided this interesting piece of news. The

Looking Out the Window: Finding Refuge Because of a Storm

Award Winning Author Eva Marie Everson Talks about Finding Refuge in the Eye of a Storm. Eva Marie is offering a free book to one lucky reader who leaves a comment. She's picking a number, she's writing it down--will yours be the one? To win a copy of Eva Marie's Latest Book be sure to leave a comment and your email address.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                FINDING REFUGE BECAUSE OF A STORM I found a place of refuge because of a fierce storm. Not just one, actually. Four. The 2004 Hurricane Season is one most Floridians will long remember. In August, Hurricane Charley swept around the eastern coastline, encircling the state, and threatening to hit the west coastline. Instead, on Friday morning August 13, 2004, Charley took a turn toward Port Charlotte near the Southern tip

Looking Out the Window: Watch Me by Christa Allan

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Christa reminds us in a poignant, touching way that parenting is forever, and we need God's help. She will be giving away a copy of her debut novel, Walking on Broken Glass. Look for her new book, Edge of Grace , in August.                                                                                                         WATCH ME                                                       You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb." Psalm 139:15 NLT When my children were young, we lived in an area with a community pool. The kids and I would schlep there, the car a container of wiggling bodies, pool toys, and over-sized towels. Sometimes Penny, our saved from the dog pound pooch,

Looking Out the Window: Beach Walking with God by Leigh Delozier

Christian writer, speaker Leigh Delozier shares her experience the day the clouds stood still when she walked on the beach in Charleston, S.C. BEACH WALKING WITH GOD It’s a beautiful spring day, and I’m walking on the beach in Charleston, SC, with friends while we enjoy a girls’ weekend away from the world. The sun is already warming things up and the sky is bluer than blue, even though there are a lot of clouds trying to cover it up. But they’re pure, white clouds with no rain in sight – it’s just the right setting for a lazy day together. The sand is flat and packed down perfectly for walking. Countless shells lie half-buried near the water. So many colors, so many shapes, so many designs. Seeing things like that reminds me just how creative God really is. Waves curl and roll up and back, up and back, depositing new shells while they steal away others. Where did the shells come from? How far have they traveled? How many beaches have they washed up on, only to be pulled back