The Spark that Ignites Fires

roaring fire giving off sparks

The entire nation witnessed the tragedy of the Pacific Palisades fire that ignited on January 7, 2025.  Although that was almost a year ago, residents and businesses are still trying to dig out and recover.  What many lost is irrecoverable, and those familiar with the area’s former beauty are doubtful…

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Too Many Voices

I am told by friends who wear hearing aids that one of the hardest adaptations is trying to weed out superfluous sound that their brains used to automatically label “white noise,” not worthy of attention.  Hearing aids magnify all sound, requiring the wearer great focus to hear a selected thing…

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How Then Should We Live

man walking beside car on fire

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you.2 See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples,but the Lord rises upon you and His glory appears over you.” —Isaiah 60:1-2 Darkness and evil appear to be having their way.  Senseless murders are rocking this nation.  Lies are rampant, aimed at…

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Kingdom Assignment

hand writing the word "assignment" with chalk on a blackboard

Jesus’ description of the last days sounds like our present time: “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be…

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Redirection

man with ace hidden up his sleeve

I have always been fascinated by magic shows where redirection is the key to pulling off the trick.  Either I am too gullible or too unobservant to spot the redirection, because I always get suckered in.  With each new opportunity, I promise myself that this time I will spot the…

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Open for Business

storefront sign with the words "Yes we're open"

On a recent vacation to the beach, my husband and I were abruptly switched from our reserved unit to completely different accommodations on a different island because of a broken air conditioner.  A week at the beach without AC is unthinkable, so we agreed to the move, even though we…

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The Blessing Qualifier

man dragging oversized boat anchor behind him

The most monumental decision we can ever make is to accept the gift of salvation and eternal life through Jesus; but as great as that blessing is, it does not guarantee blessing throughout our lives.  The assumption of blessing usually comes from the profound contrast between our old life and…

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Do Something!

man seated on white folding chair, there are four empty chairs next to him

Man has a tendency to want to do things like those around him, whether it’s owning a home and two cars, or emulating another nation’s system of government.  After God gave Israel the Promised Land with the homes and properties of its former occupants, the Israelites decided they also wanted…

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