Hope
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Finding Faith Amidst the Waves

It was a blustery day as I gingerly walked down the pier to enter the boat that was to carry us across the bay. The wind tousled my hair, and I could hear the waves crashing against the wooden supports, creating a somewhat eerie soundtrack to my adventure. My husband had to preach at a… Continue reading
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Finding Hope Amid Despair

I was so humbled and overwhelmed with joy standing alongside my husband as he received his ministerial ordination, a moment that felt like the culmination of years of hard work, dedication, and unwavering faith. We stood on stage with a handful of other ministers who were receiving their ministerial ordinations as well. As I looked… Continue reading
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Finding Purpose in the Waiting Season

Pressing the send button on my email, I felt a wave of sorrow overwhelm me. Music, after all, has been my whole life. I remember my first piano lesson at the age of eight and how much I enjoyed playing each key, which, pressed together in the right way, would make beautiful music. I loved… Continue reading
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Navigating Through the Storms of Life

There I was, lying wide awake, counting down the minutes until the next “free light, noise, and wind show” courtesy of mother nature, wrecked through the area. As my phone lit up telling me of each warning, I anticipated it to be a really bad storm. I absolutely despise storms at night; especially with high… Continue reading
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Finding Joy in Life’s Brokenness

As I strolled down the driveway toward the back of the house, I was greeted by the unmistakable symphony of my mom’s disgruntled grumblings. There she stood, bravely battling the outdoor spigot, her shirt now sporting a fashionable wet mark and an expression that could cause the grumpiest of people to turn a frown upside… Continue reading
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Overcoming Worry: Lessons From my Birdhouse

As I hung my painted gourd turned birdhouse out on the limb of my apple tree, I wasn’t really expecting much. I just thought it looked pretty and I wanted to display it in my yard, adding a touch of color to the lush greenery surrounding my home. The vibrant hues of red and green… Continue reading
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Why Won’t You Remove This Thorn, Lord?

Have you ever gone through a trial that seemed to last forever? No matter how often you pray for relief, none can be obtained. It feels like you’re caught in a never-ending cycle of struggle, where each day brings its own challenges and weight to bear. You might find yourself questioning why these hardships have… Continue reading
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Trusting God’s Plan for Your Future

Can you believe we have entered a new year? It blows my mind that we are a quarter of the century into the millennium. And as with any new year, we are given a blank slate to start new and afresh. My husband and I, for example, are on a “diet” to eat less sugar… Continue reading
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God as Our Protector: Trust and Surrender

Who else loves to be in control? We like to have some sort of control over situations that occur in our lives. Whether those situations be protecting our children, protecting ourselves, or protecting our homes; we try to hold on as tightly as we can to prevent harm, danger, sickness or disaster. We tend to… Continue reading
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Soaring Above Life’s Storms with Faith

– By Lori Benka I saw the most incredible sight the other day. As I was bringing my groceries into the house, I heard the cry of what I thought was one of our many hawks. The cry kept ringing out causing me to stop what I was doing and look upwards. I noticed four birds… Continue reading
