Spiritual

Many of you bravely walked the pages of Gari Meacham’s first Bible Study called Be Free. Hopefully, you started the hard work of climbing the hills of freedom, establishing safe perimeters of hope and tenacious belief as you came to the understanding of our Savior’s mandate “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” In Beyond Free, we’ll travel to the strong places of mature assurance. We’ll study the power of obedience and discover what chains may still hold us in of defeat. Beyond Free isn’t a place we arrive when we’ve studied hard enough and mastered self-control. It’s the brilliant knowledge that we can’t go back—we won’t go back—to lesser ways. It’s the revelation that God’s Kingdom is vast and inviting, and anything that keeps us from its fullness and pleasure must go.  It’s the understanding that Jesus wants access to the darkest closets of

Is it possible for just one thing to change your life forever? It is absolutely possible! What changed my life forever was an event in Dallas, Texas in 1972 called Expo ’72. It’s been historically referred to as the Christian Woodstock. Hosted by Campus Crusade for Christ, 75,000 high school students gathered in the Cotton Bowl; one of those was my best friend. With her renewed vigor for sharing the gospel, I was impacted by her love for Jesus and give my life to Christ. My life was radically changed forever. Just one thing, just one book, just one person or even just one habit has the potential to change your life for the better. In the FP4H Bible study Stronger Every Day, Janet McHenry challenges us to incorporate just one new healthy habit for the week. Can you imagine the impact of committing to read your Bible every day

Vicki Strong! I don’t think so. I am the weakest person I know. I may not be physically or spiritually weak, but definitely an emotional weakling. But really, who can say no to grandkids? And I can barely get through a Hallmark movie without shedding a tear or two. And war movies… I’m a wreck. I’m a total pushover for a stray cat. Where does strength come from? There are all kinds of strength, some healthy and some not so healthy. Being so strong and stoic that you hold back emotion or affection that needs to be shared is not a healthy strength. Being strong enough to carry out the will of the Lord is a healthy strength. But then, some of my most fruitful work for Him has been in a debilitating state of weakness. It’s puzzling, and I admit I still have a lot to learn about what

Years ago, I was a mess physically. I had gained a bunch of weight. I was huffing and puffing as I went upstairs. And I needed painkillers to go to sleep at night. The worst moment was when I walked down our back door and found myself in a crumpled heap because my knee had given way. I knew I needed to do something about my health, but I also knew that for some time, God had been calling me to spend more time with him. I decided I would get up a little bit earlier the next morning and walk. And while I walked, I would pray. The next morning when the alarm went off, The List began whispering to me. You are too tired. You need your rest. It’s dark out there!  Nonetheless, I got up, threw sweats OVER my pajamas, and headed out the door. I walked

I hung up the phone laughing; I could not contain myself. I just spent 40 minutes listening to a dear friend share with me her new found Joy in the Lord. She just completed the Bible study, “Forever Changed”, and she is. And she could not stop laughing at what God has done in her life! Every other phrase was interrupted with spontaneous uncontainable joyful laughter! All I could do was listen and smile. Joy is contagious. Mother Theresa said, “Joy is the net by which we catch souls”, and she caught mine. Rejoice – re Joy, re joying all the time, Joy over and over. We are commanded to rejoice in the Lord at all times. That may seem difficult and almost impossible. It bids me ask: can Joy and sadness exist in a woman’s heart at the same time? I think so. I have great Joy that my