How Well Are You Known?

Posted by on Feb 20, 2015 in Archives, Blog, Devotions | 3 comments

  By Ava Pennington— Fifteen years ago, I moved from New York City to a small town in Florida. I welcomed the fresh air, the slower pace, and the improved quality of life. But I also needed to make some adjustments… About a week after our move, after a particularly long day unpacking boxes, we tried getting a pizza delivered. Several phone calls later, we discovered that nothing remained open after 10pm. The satellite post office near our home closed for lunch each day. I was late for church one morning...

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WHO ARE THE GOOD GUYS?

Posted by on Feb 18, 2015 in Archives, Blog, Devotions | 4 comments

    By Peggy Still— Terrorist, extremists, militants, Isis, al queda, are names that strike fear in all of us. They all seem evil, yet we are told that some are worse than others. Why are young people so drawn to these false prophets? How does our government decide who to partner with and who is the worst of the worst? We are trusting that our military and political leaders have the discernment to judge these groups well. In the Christian context, discernment is perception with a view to obtaining...

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Nine Misconceptions About Love

Posted by on Feb 13, 2015 in Archives, Blog, Devotions | 2 comments

  By Ava Pennington— We want love. We need love. More than one thousand song titles contain the word love. Books have been written about it. Poems recited. We chase it and sing about it and fall for imitations. And no matter what we do, we can’t get enough. Maybe that’s because we don’t understand what love really is. And there’s no time when love is more misunderstood than Valentine’s Day. We think of love as something that happens to us, but love is an intentional decision. “A new commandment...

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Marriage Boundaries

Posted by on Feb 6, 2015 in Archives, Blog, Devotions | 2 comments

    By Ava Pennington— The older I get, the more I enjoy watching a few of the retro-television channels. A few years ago, a television station aired episodes from a ’60s program called The Dick Van Dyke Show. Remember that one? The airings were in honor of the series’ 50th anniversary. It’s fun to watch old programs that chronicle a simpler time. Valuing faith and family was the norm, and right and wrong were clearly defined – or at least more clearly identified than they are today. Don’t...

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NO WRONG CHOICES?

Posted by on Jan 30, 2015 in Archives, Blog, Devotions | 4 comments

  By Ava Pennington— A friend of mine likes to post inspirational quotes on her social media pages. I usually enjoy reading them (and love staying connected with her and others), but I couldn’t get past one particular quote. It was from self-help guru Susan Jeffers, who said, “There are no wrong choices; there are only different choices.” No wrong choices? Really? I don’t know about Ms. Jeffers, but I can personally attest to making hundreds (thousands?) of wrong choices in my life. Trust me, they...

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RESOLUTION OR REVOLUTION

Posted by on Jan 28, 2015 in Archives, Blog, Devotions | 2 comments

By Peggy Still— For now we see through a mirror darkly, but then it will be face to face. Now I know partially, but then I will know completely in the same way that I have been completely known.I Corinthians 13:12 (Common English Bible) At the beginning of each New Year many of us make resolutions to live a better life. Resolution, in Webster’s Dictionary, is defined as the act of finding an answer or solution to a conflict or problem. It is also the ability of a device to show an image clearly and with a lot...

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