Category: Philippians

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Sweeter Than Honey

When I was a girl one of our best friends was a bee keeper. Since we didn’t have aunts and uncles around, the Smith’s were the closest thing we had to family. When we would go to their house, out in the country, there were always bee boxes lining the fields and the honey barn was at the back of the yard. We never left their place without a gallon can of honey.

Nothing better than honey on toast or a freshly baked buttermilk biscuit except, maybe, the kind words of a friend.

“The heart of the wise has power over his mouth and adds learning to his lips. 24 Pleasing words are like honey. They are sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.” Proverbs 16:23-24 NLV

One of the things we covered on being “in Christ” was having right thinking. Right thinking produces right actions and right words. Words that are sweet to the soul and healing to the bones. The verse that tells us to “Think as Christ Jesus thought” comes from the book of Philippians, chapter 2. Just a few verses further in that chapter we read this:

“Do everything without complaining or arguing.” Philippians 2:14 ERV

Do EVERYTHING without complaining…Really God? ALL things! Yes, all things. Because as the verse goes on to say we will then be a light in the dark world. If we, who believe in Christ Jesus, and have received His wonderful gift of sonship go about complaining all the time, we are no different from the rest of the world. How will they know that there is victory and hope if our lives don’t reflect that Christ is living in us?

“so that you will be blameless and pure, children of God without any fault. But you are living with evil people all around you, who have lost their sense of what is right. Among those people you shine like lights in a dark world,” Philippians 2:15 ERV

It’s so easy to complain about our kids, mates, jobs, health, finances, the politicians, the weather, etc., but we must resist that temptation and live in what God called us to do. When we control our words we prove that we have a wise heart.

Paul, who wrote this verse while he was in prison had been beaten, shipwrecked, stoned, and run out of nearly every town he preached in but he didn’t complain. In fact, he would sing and praise God in the midst of his adversities. He called them “light afflictions”.

There was a Disney movie in the late 1950’s called Pollyanna. Pollyanna always had something good to say no matter  how bad the situation was. She brought gladness to the most sullen souls in town. Her attitude helped people see past their disappointments and brought them healing from their pain.

“Your words can be as satisfying as fruit, as pleasing as the food that fills your stomach. 21 The tongue can speak words that bring life or death. Those who love to talk must be ready to accept what it brings.” Proverbs 18:20-21 ERV

When we speak words of life, words without complaining, we are a testament to God’s power in our lives. We have so much to be thankful for – do all things without murmuring or complaining .

Rejoice in the Lord always because He is the one who can and will cause us to be victorious.

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Everything I Need

If you started making a list of everything you need how long would it be? Not talking about your wants or your wish list but the things you really need. Did you know there is an “In Christ” verse to cover that?

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19 NLT

As I was sitting here and thinking about what my day has in store I found that in Christ He has already supplied all that I need. Just like Noah was kept safe in the Ark, I am kept safe in Christ. 

    He became my sin so that I could become his righteousness

    He took stripes on his back so that I could be healed

    He told me to come boldly to his throne to find help (Him) in time of need

    He became my strength when I am weak

   He became my peace when things around me are in chaos.

    He gave me a cup that runs over when the enemy is trying to steal, kill and destroy

   He gave me wisdom when I asked for it

What more could I ask for? Then these verses came to mind, this is the right kind of thinking.

“ You have been raised to life with Christ. Now set your heart on what is in heaven, where Christ rules at God’s right side. 2 Think about what is up there, not about what is here on earth. 3 You died, which means that your life is hidden with Christ, who sits beside God. 4 Christ gives meaning to your life, and when he appears, you will also appear with him in glory.” Colossians 3:1-4 CEV

Not only do we have God’s promise to be all we need here on earth but we have His promise that our life is hidden in Christ and we will be with Him in heaven.

He is ALL I need!

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Right Thinking

Thinking like Jesus is our thought for today.

“Think about what we have in Christ: the encouragement he has brought us, the comfort of his love, our sharing in his Spirit, and the mercy and kindness he has shown us. If you enjoy these blessings, 2 then do what will make my joy complete: Agree with each other, and show your love for each other. Be united in your goals and in the way you think. 3 In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves. 4 Don’t be interested only in your own life, but care about the lives of others too.

5 In your life together, think the way Christ Jesus thought.

6 He was like God in every way, but he did not think that his being equal with God was something to use for his own benefit. 7 Instead, he gave up everything, even his place with God. He accepted the role of a servant, appearing in human form. During his life as a man,
8 he humbled himself by being fully obedient to God, even when that caused his death—death on a cross. 9 So God raised him up to the most important place and gave him the name that is greater than any other name. 10 God did this so that every person will bow down to honor the name of Jesus. Everyone in heaven, on earth, and under the earth will bow. 11 They will all confess, “Jesus Christ is Lord,” and this will bring glory to God the Father.” Philippians 2:1-11 ERV

A few days ago we saw where God the Father was in Christ to fulfill His plan of reconciliation. And now we receive this admonition from Paul to “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus”. We have the mind of Christ when we are born again. We have the Holy Spirit in us creating God-like thoughts and inspiring us to do God-like actions.

Our thoughts are created by what we hold in our heart. Jesus came to earth with the goal of serving man and telling them of God’s love. His heart was filled with love – love for the Father and love for those who accepted and those who rejected Him. His thinking and His actions didn’t change because of what others thought or did to Him. He was single-minded.

The Apostle Paul, who wrote those verses in Philippians, also gave us this instruction in the Book of Romans.

“And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.  2 Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” Romans 12:1-2 NLT

These verses above teach us how to develop that thinking. We are to be humble and loving, placing God’s desires over ours. If we copy the pattern that Jesus gave us our thinking will be completely transformed.

So I will say with the Apostle Paul today – Let this mind be in me, I want to think like my Father!

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No Need to Hide

Are you crazy or delusional? You can’t be happy all the time! Really?

You’ve got your head stuck in the sand – you just need a good dose of reality!

Ever heard those kind of comments – I have! But what people are really saying is “what gives you the right to be so happy when I am so upset?”.

“Always be filled with joy in the Lord. I will say it again. Be filled with joy.” Philippians 4:4 ERV

There’s a difference between happiness and joy, or at least there is to me. Happiness is our positive reaction to external circumstances. Joy is a character trait that comes from within. Happiness is an emotion that fluctuates; joy is a stabilizing confidence.

I choose to be joyful. I choose to see that God has more in store for me that I can fathom; I see God’s love sustaining me no matter what the circumstances are in my life and so I chose to be filled with joy!

I like me better when I’m joyful. I don’t like being grumpy or aggravated. I just don’t. Those conditions tell me that I’m looking at me. I’d rather look at God the Father and be reminded of His amazing love.

“Consider it wholly joyful, my brethren, whenever you are enveloped in or encounter trials of any sort or fall into various temptations. 3 Be assured and understand that the trial and proving of your faith bring out endurance and steadfastness and patience. 4 But let endurance and steadfastness and patience have full play and do a thorough work, so that you may be [people] perfectly and fully developed [with no defects], lacking in nothing.” James 1:2-4 AMP

We need to practice being JOY FILLED! I went to bed last night humming a praise song that we sang Sunday morning and the words are still in my heart this morning. It is the reason I choose to be joyful regardless of the circumstances. 

You're my champion 
Giants fall when You stand 
Undefeated Every battle You've won 
I am who You say I am 
You've crowned me with confidence 
I'm seated in the heavenly places 
Undefeated with the one who has conquered it all.
Source: "You are My Champion" Lyrics: Dante Bowe

Fill up your joy reservoir and as you go throughout the day. Share it with others. When asked why you are smiling so much or why you’re so happy, let people know that “God loves me” and that’s more than enough reason to be glad. Joy comes from knowing Jesus is always with us and He has faced any struggle, any trial, any circumstance that would try to destroy us. He is greater than Covid, He is greater than social distancing. He has conquered it all and because of that I am filled with confidence. Confidence of who I am in Christ!

“I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with much joy and peace as you trust in him. Then you will have more and more hope, and it will flow out of you by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13 ERV

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True Freedom

This morning started a little differently for me. I woke at 2:30 and thought I should sleep just a little longer…Yikes! Woke at 4:50 am. My youngest daughter and I had committed to walking the “God Shed His Grace on Thee” 5k so I had enough time to change out of my jammies and into my walking clothes. We were out the door by 5:05.

We participated in a virtual 4th of July 5K. Walk done. Cool down in progress and now it’s time to share some thoughts on freedom with you. True Freedom.

On this day of independence, it’s important to remember that we are truly free through our relationship with Jesus Christ. We are no longer held captive or enslaved by sin and/or the devil because the Son, Jesus Christ, broke the chains of bondage and set us free! Hallelujah!

“So if the Son makes you free, you are really free.” John 8:36 ERV

Our nation was founded by men who were seeking a better way of life; an opportunity to achieve life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. They trusted in God’s leading and direction in the founding of this nation.

Many of us have become disheartened, during the recent past months and years, by the events taking place in our nation. But one thing has not changed, God is still, and forever will be, Lord God Almighty who rules and reigns in mercy, truth and justice!

We can trust Him and Him alone! He is our hope, He is our peace, He is our joy, the Everlasting God!

“Don’t be afraid. I am with you. Don’t tremble with fear. I am your God. I will make you strong, as I protect you with my arm and give you victories” Isaiah 41:10 CEV

Kingdoms and nations will rise and fail but the kingdom of God and the liberty that we have in Christ will remain forever. We should be grateful to live in this country that we have but the most important thing of all is that our citizenship is secure in heaven.

“But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.” Philippians 3:20 NLT

Make today a celebration of freedom!

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How Much Longer?

Are you beginning to wonder “how long can this go on”? Or perhaps you’re saying “I don’t think I can take much more”, “I just can’t do this any longer”? Well I have good news for you today!

In II Kings, chapters 6 & 7, the king of Syria (Aram) brought his army against the Israelites and they had surrounded Samaria and cut off all the food supply to the city. The situation became so grave that people in the city were eating animal dung and there were even reports of cannibalism. They were in a desparate place – hope was all but gone.

There were four lepers who were outside the city wall and they asked a question: “Why are we sitting here waiting to die? 4 There is no food in Samaria. If we go into the city, we will die there. If we stay here, we will also die. So let’s go to the Aramean camp. If they let us live, we will live. If they kill us, we will just die.” II Kings 7:3-4 ERV

How long will we sit here, until we die? It was time to do something even if it meant that they might die. They couldn’t go into the city because there was famine in the city, if they stayed where they were they would starve to death and if they went to the enemy camp they also faced the possibly of death but they had to do something. So they went.

I’ve faced some difficult situations but none have been this serious, how about you?

When the lepers got to the enemy camp they found that the army had fled and left all of their food, clothing, horses, tents and gold.

“So that evening the four lepers went to the Aramean camp. When they came to the edge of the camp, no one was there! 6 The Lord had caused the Aramean army to hear the sound of chariots, horses, and a large army. So the soldiers said to each other, “The king of Israel has hired the kings of the Hittites and Egyptians to come against us.” 7 The Arameans ran away early that evening. They left everything behind. They left their tents, horses, and donkeys and ran for their lives. 8 When these lepers came to where the camp began, they went into one tent. They ate and drank. Then they carried silver, gold, and clothes out of the camp and hid them. Then they came back and entered another tent. They carried things out from this tent and went out and hid them. 9 Then they said to each other, ‘We are doing wrong! Today we have good news, but we are silent. If we wait until the sun comes up, we will be punished. Now let’s go and tell the people who live in the king’s palace.’” II Kings 7:5-9

Through these four lepers, the outcasts of society, God provided for the whole city. They were men in a desperate situation and in that situation they saw God work a miracle for them personally and for their city.

We are told in the Book of Acts that God is no respecter of persons and He is the same yesterday, today and forever (Book of Hebrews). Now I’m not saying that we’re going to go out today and find an enemy camp with horses, clothing, food and gold but I am saying that God will provide. Our desperate situation isn’t desperate to God. He has the answer and is providing a way. One of God’s names is “Provider” and His name is a reflection of His character.

“Abraham named that place ‘The Lord Will Provide.’ And even now people say, ‘On the mountain of the Lord it will be provided.’” Genesis 22:14 CEV

“My God will use his glorious riches to give you everything you need. He will do this through Christ Jesus. 20 Glory to our God and Father forever and ever.” Philippians 4:19-20 ERV

Again, we come back to putting our hope in God. When we trust Him and follow what He calls us to do we will find Him there to help.

“So whenever we are in need, we should come bravely before the throne of our merciful God. There we will be treated with undeserved kindness, and we will find help.” Hebrews 4:16 CEV

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Moving Forward

As you probably know by now I like to reminisce. However, I’m not in this alone, am I? That’s why we take pictures or keep a journal. We want to remember special events – weddings, births, graduations, a new car, school or home. The memories remind us of blessings and give us hope for the future.

A couple of days ago I had someone ask me when we moved to this house. Without thinking I quickly replied May 29, 2014. She was surprised but that day holds in my memory because we had prayed and waited for eight years to move from Montana to Arizona. With each month and year that passed the longing to move home grew greater. I won’t forget that day.

We said good bye to friends and started out on our journey. We didn’t get far the first day but we started. It was good to stop and rest – good dinner and a good bed. Moving to a new state, a new home or a new job is much like our walk with Christ.

We aren’t abandoning the old, we’re taking the knowledge and strength that we gained from the past with us as we walk new ground. It’s in these “alone” times when we are without the familiar that we deepen in our relationship with the Father and listen more intently for the voice of the Holy Spirit as He gives us direction.

Forward progress doesn’t always come in great distances covered but more often comes from moment by moment, hour by hour, mile by mile forward movement in developing who we are in Christ. It’s important to stop and rest – to come aside to be refreshed and then to pick up and begin again, faithfully following and moving forward in what the Lord has called us to do.

We were excited about the move to Arizona and we’re glad we came. We were joined on our journey by our son and his girlfriend. They helped with the driving and the unpacking at our new home. We so appreciated that. It’s good to have help with difficult challenges. God has promised to never abandon us or leave us alone. Help is always there when we need it!

So today I leave you with this encouragement from God’s word:

“I don’t mean that I am exactly what God wants me to be. I have not yet reached that goal. But I continue trying to reach it and make it mine. That’s what Christ Jesus wants me to do. It is the reason he made me his. 13 Brothers and sisters, I know that I still have a long way to go. But there is one thing I do: I forget what is in the past and try as hard as I can to reach the goal before me. 14 I keep running hard toward the finish line to get the prize that is mine because God has called me through Christ Jesus to life up there in heaven. 15 All of us who have grown to be spiritually mature should think this way too. And if there is any of this that you don’t agree with, God will make it clear to you. 16 But we should continue following the truth we already have.” Philippians 3:12-16 ERV

Keep moving forward – reaching the finish line brings great joy!

Love to you all.

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No Broken Promises

Do kids still do “pinky swear”? You remember, we’d be on the play ground or at a friend’s house when something would be said or done, a secret was confided or a promise made and we would “pinky swear”. There was nothing stronger than a pinky swear – it was unbreakable!

But as I grew up pinky swear was replaced with “I cross my heart”. And then we knew there was definitely nothing stronger than that…A promise is a promise and should never be broken. Yet, I have broken promises and have also experienced the breaking of them. I know we all have. It can be devastating.

However, there is One who never breaks a promise!

“All of God’s promises have their yes in him. That is why we say Amen through him to the glory of God.” II Corinthians 1:20

When God makes a promise He keeps it. Simply put, God cannot lie. What promise has God made you that you haven’t seen come to pass yet? Don’t get weary, stand strong it will happen!!

The life of Joseph reveals God’s promise keeping commitment. He had that dream as a seventeen year old and then his brothers sold him into slavery because of their jealousy. I’m sure Joseph was beginning to wonder how God was going to make this all come about but he knew God was with him.

“The traders who bought Joseph took him down to Egypt. They sold him to the captain of Pharaoh’s guard, Potiphar. 2 The LORD helped Joseph become a successful man. Joseph lived in the house of his master, Potiphar the Egyptian. 3 Potiphar saw that the LORD was with Joseph and that the LORD helped Joseph be successful in everything he did.” Genesis 39:1-3

“Joseph told them to come closer to him, and when they did, he said: Yes, I am your brother Joseph, the one you sold into Egypt. 5 Don’t worry or blame yourselves for what you did. God is the one who sent me ahead of you to save lives.” Genesis 45:4-5 CEV

Joseph had been in Egypt for thirteen years. Most of that time he had been enslaved or imprisoned. He held on to God’s promise that he would be placed in authority and his brothers would see his prominence. Joseph became second in command in Egypt and God used him to save his father, brothers and their families from starvation.

I will ask again, what promise has God made you? Is it one of these?

“My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:13

“I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.” Philippians 4:19

“Great shall be the peace of thy children for they are taught of the Lord.” Isaiah 54:13

“No weapon formed against you shall prosper and every tongue that rises up against you, you shall condemn for this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord.” Isaiah 54:17

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: 3Who forgives all your iniquities; who healeth all your diseases;” Psalm 103:2-3

“Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God believe also in me” John 14:1

“The thief cometh not but for to steal, kill and destroy but I am come that ye might have life and have it more abundantly.” John 10:10

I’m not sure if your promise is in this list but if it isn’t add it. God will keep His word; He is faithful to a thousand generations. He hasn’t lied in the pass and He’s not going to start now by lying to you.

“God is not a man;  he will not lie. God is not a human being; his decisions will not change.
If he says he will do something,  then he will do it. If he makes a promise, then he will do what he promised.” Number 23:19 ERV

When God makes a promise it’s unbreakable – pinky swear!

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Learn What’s Important

I often remember my college days; the friends I made, some hard life lessons and the kindness and wisdom of some of my professors. At the beginning of each semester, one professor in particular would welcome us to class and then explain his expectations of our learning.

He made a statement that we all made note of. He said, “If I say something twice it’s significant and you should retain it to memory, if I repeat something a third time it’s important and will be on the test. Write it down.” He kept his word; when I heard him repeat something I would write it in my syllabus and underline it. This was my indication that it was important.

I don’t know about you but it seems that we have been going through exam week. There have been so many things to test our resolve. The one thing I have been careful not to do is blame God. He’s not at fault – that I know for certain.

“Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same.” James 1:17 ERV

Our heavenly Father is the giver of life and peace. His character is to give love and comfort. He is always the same. There is a Psalm that reminds me of what my college professor said. Read these verses and see if you can figure out what’s important to the Father.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His faithful love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords. His faithful love endures forever.

4 Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles. His faithful love endures forever.
5 Give thanks to him who made the heavens so skillfully. His faithful love endures forever.
6 Give thanks to him who placed the earth among the waters. His faithful love endures forever.
7 Give thanks to him who made the heavenly lights— His faithful love endures His faithful love endures forever.
8 the sun to rule the day, His faithful love endures forever.
9 and the moon and stars to rule the night. His faithful love endures forever.” Psalm 136:1-9 NLT

This Psalm has twenty-five verses and each verse boldly proclaims that God’s love for us endures forever. There are two important things we should take away from this Psalm. 1) Give praise to the Lord and 2) His love endures forever. Since the second statement is true it becomes the premise for the first statement.

Since we know that God’s love endures forever we can always give praise to the Lord. No matter what we experience – joys and challenges – if we remember that the Lord loves us unconditionally we can praise Him, knowing that He will protect and provide, knowing that He desires to fill our lives with good and perfect gifts.

“Always be filled with joy in the Lord. I will say it again. Be filled with joy.

5 Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon. 6 Don’t worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks for what you have. 7 And because you belong to Christ Jesus, God’s peace will stand guard over all your thoughts and feelings. His peace can do this far better than our human minds.” Philippians 4:4-7 ERV

Now, what I think Paul is wanting us to see is that even in difficulty we can remain joy-filled. God will not abandon us or have us figure things out on our own. No, to the contrary, He will be there to give us the wisdom we need and we will come through this time stronger, with greater resolve.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.”

The question on the exam of life may be this: How do we handle the difficult situations of life? The answer, He repeated it several times to make sure we get it: Give thanks because God’s love for us endures forever!

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Whatcha Thinkin’

How many times have we asked someone, “whatcha thinkin” or how many times has someone asked us that question?

Each day we are bombarded with so much information and it’s all competing for a place in our minds. We are the ones who decide what downloads we accept and we are the ones who decide what data to delete.

The Apostle Paul had a horrible past. He wasn’t much different than Hitler. Both men spent a great deal of time destroying the Jews and feeling they were justified in doing so. Paul was a part of the lynch mob that killed Stephen, the first Christian martyr. After that he did everything he could to track down the Christians, have them arrested and killed. Hitler rounded up the Jews and tried to annihilate them. The difference between the two men – repentance!

Paul’s message of God’s unconditional love and his understanding of grace was born out of his past. He could preach the amazing grace of God and absolute forgiveness because he had experienced it. He wouldn’t allow himself to be sidelined with thoughts of his unworthiness.

Our minds may be telling us, you’re unworthy – God can’t or won’t love you; He won’t forgive you; He won’t use you! You’re a disgrace – if people knew who you were or what you did, they wouldn’t want anything to do with you. Paul had those thoughts and this is how he handled them.

“All the other apostles are greater than I am. I say this because I persecuted the church of God. That is why I am not even good enough to be called an apostle. 10 But, because of God’s grace, that is what I am. And his grace that he gave me was not wasted. I worked harder than all the other apostles. (But I was not really the one working. It was God’s grace that was with me.)” I Corinthians 15:9-10 ERV

Paul knew how it felt to deal with feelings of unworthiness but instead of wallowing in that he filled his mind with an overwhelming dose of God’s grace and stepped into the acceptance of God’s unconditional love.

“But Christ died for us while we were still sinners, and by this God showed how much he loves us.” Romans 5:8 ERV (written by Paul)

Worry is also a tactic the mind uses to sideline us. With everything that’s happening around us it’s easy to worry. How do we not worry?

“Then, because you belong to Christ Jesus, God will bless you with peace that no one can completely understand. And this peace will control the way you think and feel. 8 Finally, my friends, keep your minds on whatever is true, pure, right, holy, friendly, and proper. Don’t ever stop thinking about what is truly worthwhile and worthy of praise. 9 You know the teachings I gave you, and you know what you heard me say and saw me do. So follow my example. And God, who gives peace, will be with you.” Philippians 4:7-9 CEV

Worry can be replaced with peace when we keep our thoughts focused on things that are good and pure. We need to remind ourselves that we have a loving, heavenly Father who protects us.

We can let our thoughts imprison us with bars of worry and unworthiness or we can stay focused on God’s love and have grace and peace unlock the prison door and set us free.

Guard your thinkin’!

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