August 26, 2018

Focus this week on 

CHRISTIAN LIFE

For

Acts 1:8 NIV

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August 19, 2018 - Memory verse

Focus this week on the

CHRISTIAN LIFE

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses,

let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.

And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us,

fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.

For the joy set before him he endured the cross,

scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV

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Missions in Africa

Monday, August 13, 2018

I had the opportunity to hear Jenny York, a nursing student at Western Kentucky University, talk about her summer mission trip to the Congo last night. It was amazing. She went to a VERY remote area deep in the jungle to assist at the Pioneer Christian Hospital. 

She was privileged to help deliver a baby while she was there — a highlight for her. But she also witnessed first hand the amputation of the leg of a six year old due to a traumatic injury. Leprosy, yellow fever, and malaria are common in this area of the world. So Jenny got invaluable experience working with patients with those diseases. 

I was thrilled to hear all the ways God provided for Jenny and for her hospital while she was gone and even after her return. I hope you will take the time to watch this video clip from our local tv station. 

https://www.facebook.com/WBONTV/videos/416310682224901/

If you are interested in contributing to the hospital financially, here is the link to do that. 

Pioneer Christian Hospital donation site

(Add your donation amount, press “give,” click on “add instructions to finance office,” add the  phrase, “for Poor Fund Pioneer Christian Hospital,” and continue to provide your information.)

Keep in mind that just 20 cents can provide the medication necessary to save a life from malaria. Imagine what $20 could do. 

Thank you, Jenny, for answering God’s call to the Republic of Congo. He used you well. 

August 12, 2018 - Memory Verse

Focus this week on the 

CHRISTIAN LIFE

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, 

joy peace, forbearance,

kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

Pero el fruto del Espíritu es amor,

gozo, paz, paciencia, 

benignidad, bondad, fidelidad, mansedumbre, dominio propio; 

contra tales visas no hay ley. 

‭‭ Gálatas 5:22-23 NBLH

People who align themselves with God become very aware of His characteristics. We should strive to be like Him. 

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Steel Magnolia

Saturday, August 11, 2018

by Patience (aka “my Alpha”)

In August of 2005, there came a great storm along our southern states. It destroyed many communities and displaced countless families, leaving approximately 1500 people dead in its wake. 

We watched the video footage from the storm-ravaged region in horror. Sheer devastation. Houses marked with a red spray-painted “X” to indicated no one was there to be evacuated. Whole neighborhoods were later torn down because of the overwhelming and irreparable destruction. 

One really good thing came from this storm: Maggie. She was found somewhere along the Mississippi gulf coast and crated northward along with multiple other displaced dogs. One thing led to another and she ended up on a farm outside of Lexington. She was thin. She was frightened. She was withdrawn. And she was precious. 

Lizzie and I brought this Hurricane Katrina dog home in November 2005 and she changed our lives. 

At first she was so reserved that I thought she might be deaf. I began to wonder what was going on in her head. If she could talk, what could she tell us? Do our accents sound different than her owners’ in southern Mississippi? Does inland air smell different?  What does post-traumatic stress disorder look like in a dog? What had she done to survive this ordeal? Does she have nightmares about it? Would she ever be happy again?

Because she was found in Mississippi (the Magnolia State) and she had exhibited such fortitude to survive, I named her Steel Magnolia. Over time I watched her bud open up and become a beautiful blossom. 

I would never know the answers to my questions about her ordeal. But my imagination could fill in the gaps. So it did. And with that, the concept for “Magnolia Blossoms” was born — a children’s book written from Maggie’s perspective about her new life and the characters in it. 

Steel Magnolia was the perfect name for this girl. She was so strong physically and mentally. And, although she was a mixed breed and not necessarily the most beautiful dog in the world, she truly blossomed in her new environment. She loved us and we loved her. 

Unfortunately, just like the Magnolia in our side yard, Maggie began to fade over time and we laid her to rest in March of 2015. She had placed her mark on our lives and we will be forever thankful that she bloomed here with us. 

Your Name

Friday, August 10, 2018

Do you recognize the names Monet, Edison, Einstein, Dickens and Jordan? These are people who might be recognized for their contributions in art, inventions, science, literature and sports. 

Do you recognize the name Nave? If you know my family you’ll know that is my father’s name. What was he known for?

• education (he was a professor at WKU)
• woodworking 
• calligraphy 
• family
• hard work
• benevolence
• kindness
• spiritual insight

Most of all, Daddy was a man of his word. He was highly respected in his family, his church, and his community. He taught me the value of building a good reputation and protecting it — of living every day with determination to honor our Heavenly Father. 

I am who I am because of my daddy — genetically, spiritually, socially, etc. He always helped me have a good perspective on life. I hope I will always bring honor to his name. 

Father, thank you for my daddy. Thank you that he always sought to glorify you. I pray that above all, I will always honor your name and make you proud. 

Adonai

Thursday, August 9, 2018

I think names are so interesting. I love learning about the origins of people’s names  — partly because my own name has a history. And I especially love it when a name has a meaning which fits the person’s character. We see such names all through the Bible. 

In the Old Testament and in the Jewish Torah, the Hebrew word for God is translated as “YHWH.” You’ve probably seen it further written out as “Yahweh.” For the Hebrews, this word was holy. It encapsulated the essence of God and therefore was not to be spoken. 

When the Torah was read aloud and the reader came to this name (YHWH), he automatically substituted the word “Adonai” for it. And if a Hebrew wanted to speak about God with someone else, he used yet a different term like “HaShem.”

I don’t know how many names there are in the Bible for God. But they all have something to do with His character. 

Adonai = LORD

HaShem = The Name

El Shaddai = God Almighty

Elohim = plural word meaning power and strength and referring to the Trinity

El Roi = God is Shepherd

Jehovah Jira = the Lord will provide 

We can call on Him using any of these names. He hears us. We should give our Creator ultimate respect when we call on Him. He alone is worthy of that kind of awe.