Archive for the 'Daily Devotional Thoughts' Category

May 15: Communication Part 3

Isn’t it brilliant that I got behind on devotionals during a series on communication? The irony of it all…. just didn’t want you to miss that!

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So now that we have talked about taking responsibility for your half of the communicating, even when you are the needy one, I’d like to address this whole topic of being the needy one.

Sometimes we really have a reason to be down. Sometimes we are struggling through some hard providences, or some difficult people, or we haven’t talked to an adult in 12 days (or just since 7 a.m. which can feel the same). Sometimes we are pregnant and exhausted, or  stretched thin and feeling like quitting. Sometimes you have needs. No wait. Always you have needs. Everyone. All of us. All the time. Your husband too. Continue reading ‘May 15: Communication Part 3′

May 14: Communication Part 2

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In the last post about communication the biggest application that I wanted to make is that even when you are the one who is hurt or needy or upset, you need to take responsibility to treat others the way you would like to be treated. Other people who are around you do not necessarily know what to do with you, and you need to take responsibility to help them. Even if what you are saying is, “Thanks, but I’d rather not talk about that right now. What have you been up to?” Continue reading ‘May 14: Communication Part 2′

May 13: Communication Part 1


We have all heard countless times how important good communication is. It is important in marriages, in parenting, in work relationships, and in broader community settings. Whenever we have a relationship in which we can be both the needer and the giver, communication becomes a very big issue. Continue reading ‘May 13: Communication Part 1′

May 6: Remembering Part 3

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“Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is great and terrible , and fight for your brethren, your sons, and your daughters, your wives, and your houses” (Nehemiah 4:14).

“Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7).

Here are two verses in which “remember” is used as a strengthening. Look back on what the Lord has done to give you boldness, to give you courage, and to give you the strength to fight against seemingly impossible odds. Remember that even if the priests of Baal scare you, that they don’t scare God. Remember how God makes a fool of them. Remember how God is the creator. Remember how God is not afraid, and use that to not be afraid yourself. Continue reading ‘May 6: Remembering Part 3′

May 3: Remembering Part 2

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Another angle of remembering is that while we freely make promises to our children, (we’ll do that soon, maybe tomorrow, not right now, in a little bit) we frequently hope that they will forget. When they continue to bring up these things with us, we can almost feel like their memory is an unseemly fault of theirs. Like remembering is nagging. Like claiming their right to something is selfish and wrong. God is the opposite of this to us. He delights in the transaction of promise and remembering. He loves for His people to repeat His promises back to Him. To come before His throne and say, “Lord, you said..” Continue reading ‘May 3: Remembering Part 2′

May 2: Remembering Part 1

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Probably one of the most common excuses that children like to use is, “I forgot.” Yes, they know that you just told them that, yes they heard you. They just forgot about what you told them before they followed through on it. Or they intended to follow through so slowly that by the time you came back around to check on them you see that they really have forgotten.

Of course as parents, it is our responsibility to make sure that “I forgot” is not a line that gets your children off the hook. That is not a reasonable reason to disobey, it is an additional sin to confess. Forgetting is not something that we are allowed to do. Forgetting is in itself a sin. Continue reading ‘May 2: Remembering Part 1′