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The ups and downs of a reading life

I’ve been talking to readers for a long time now about their reading lives, and how they get more meaning and enjoyment out of the books they choose to read. Would you like to know the no. 1 piece of advice I can offer on how you can improve your own reading life, based on those thousands of conversations? It’s this: You don’t have to finish every book you start. For a long time, I thought the question of abandoner vs finisher was one of personality: some people are finishers by nature; others find it easier to abandon books that aren’t working for them. I used to believe ...

Spending a day with an angel

One of the most sacred stories in the Bible was brought to my attention again yesterday, as I shared the day with an angel. As the day played out, yes, I was very sure that I had the privilege of being in the company of one who had been with Jesus. She just gushed with His love for the world; for the broken. She will deny it, but I know that I know, an angel spent the day with me. Luke 8:43-48 A woman suffering from bleeding for twelve years, who had spent all she had on doctors and yet could not be healed by any, approached from behind and touched the end of His robe. Instantly, ...

10 things bible says about sex

It may come as a surprise to some that the Bible has much to say about sex. And while it may be off limits in some Christian homes, sex is not one of those subjects that is taboo in Scripture. Quite the opposite. Here are 10 things the Bible teaches about sex. It is good! The Bible has an overwhelmingly positive view of sex. It is not something naughty, dirty, sinful, or wrong. No, it is a good gift of God, meant to be celebrated and enjoyed within the confines of marriage. Listen to these rather erotic words from the book of Proverbs: “Let your fountain be blessed and rejoice ...

Worship services in all shapes and sizes

The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth – John 4:23 As I scrolled down Facebook, I came to this advertisement of a local church. “Worship Service 10:30 a.m., come join us.” Most of the churches in our area have a worship service on Sunday mornings. It is a time when many people like to look around at the churches that are available. They like to find out what kind of songs are sung. Do they use an overhead projector? Do they still use hymn books and read Scripture out of the Bible? They also want to see how the service is handled; is it done in an ...

Warning to apostates a sobering one

Jude is a very small book but it deals with a very important matter which is highlighted in v.3. It is an appeal for us to contend earnestly for the faith. We are called to arms to protect the faith and fight for the truth because v.4 certain persons have crept in unnoticed and intend to turn the grace of God into a license to sin and to deny Jesus as Lord and Master. The tares have been sown amidst the wheat. Satan and his ministers are disguised as angels of light and they have infiltrated the church. So we have to be discerning. The subject is apostates, defectors from the faith. ...

New Year’s wishes from Bev’s Kitchen

Happy New Year from the kitchen! I hope you are all rested up from the holidays. As always, my most favorite gift was having all my kids home. As I get older, I’m realizing how important it is to be with family. I believe my mother was the same. She brought the family home with offers of ham dinners and chocolate cake with caramel icing but it was the sitting around that kitchen table chatting and sharing stories, telling jokes and reminiscing about days gone by that made her happy. As it does me now. Around the table, we solve the world’s problems, laugh at, and with, each other ...