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The Daily Memo | October 19, 2021 | No Such Thing As Ordinary
When Anita passed away in her sleep on her ninetieth birthday, the quietness of her departure reflected the quietness of her life. A widow, she had been devoted to her children and grandchildren and to being a friend to younger women in the church. Anita wasn’t particularly remarkable in talent or achievement. But her deep faith in God inspired those who knew her. “When I don’t know what to do about a problem,” a friend of mine said, “I don&rsquo…
Categories: The Daily Memo, Identity Security, Understanding Love, Knowing & Being Known, Our Purpose | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 10/19/2021
The Daily Memo | October 18, 2021 | And They Lived Happily Ever After
And they lived happily ever after. Stop for just a moment, and let it be true. They lived happily ever after. These may be the most beautiful and haunting words in the entire library of mankind. Why does the end of a great story leave us with a lump in our throats and an ache in our hearts? If we haven't become entirely cynical, some of the best endings can even bring us to tears. Because God has set eternity in our hearts. Every story we tell is our attempt to put…
Categories: The Daily Memo, The Hope of Healing, The Reality of Our Present World, Safe People & Safe Community | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 10/18/2021
The Daily Memo | October 15, 2021 | Healing Through the Fire – An Excerpt from 90 Days on the Inside
Did you know that there are at least 10 beautiful flowers that only bloom at night? One of those is the Red Flare tropical water lily. I continue to be amazed and enamored by God’s creation. We can learn so much through nature. I was particularly struck by the oddity of flowers blooming at night. My innate instinct was to believe the Sun and daylight produce the most vibrant of colors, in most every living thing. Ah, but therein lies the dichotomy. Is it possible that…
Categories: The Daily Memo, 90 Days on the Inside Book Excerpt | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 10/15/2021
The Daily Memo | October 14, 2021 | Rich Treasures In Us
The story of Eve holds such rich treasures for us to discover. The essence and purpose of a woman are unveiled here in the story of her creation. These profound, eternal, mythic themes are written not just here in the coming of Eve, but in the soul of every woman after. Woman is the crown of creation—the most intricate, dazzling creature on earth. She has a crucial role to play, a destiny of her own. And she, too, bears the image of God. But in a way that only the…
Categories: What We Were Created For, The Daily Memo, Identity Security, Knowing & Being Known, Our Purpose | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 10/14/2021
The Daily Memo | October 13, 2021 | The Blessings of Inadequacy
Have you ever considered inadequacy a blessing? Life is filled with struggles that reveal our insufficiency, and it arouses uncomfortable emotions that make us feel useless, insignificant, and weak. No one likes the frustration and fear of facing challenges that are too big to handle, but God can use them for our good. Our job is to acknowledge our helplessness, depend on His strength, and step out with confidence in Him. Inadequacy can be a blessing since it ... Drives us…
Categories: The Daily Memo, Understanding Love, The Reality of Our Present World | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 10/13/2021
The Daily Memo | October 12, 2021 | What's Your Name?
Someone said we go through life with three names: the name our parents gave us, the name others give us (our reputation), and the name we give ourselves (our character). The name others give us matters, as “a good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold” (Proverbs 22:1). But while reputation is important, character matters more. There’s yet another name that’s even more important. Jesus told the…
Categories: The Daily Memo, Identity Security, Knowing & Being Known, A New Name | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 10/12/2021
The Daily Memo | October 11, 2021 | Joyful Learning
In the city of Mysore, India, there’s a school made of two refurbished train cars connected end-to-end. Local educators teamed up with the South Western Railway Company to buy and remodel the discarded coaches. The units were essentially large metal boxes, unusable until workers installed stairways, fans, lights, and desks. Workers also painted the walls and added colorful murals inside and out. Now, sixty students attend classes there because of the amazing…
Categories: Walking With God, The Daily Memo, The Hope of Healing, Knowing & Being Known | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 10/11/2021
The Daily Memo | October 8, 2021 | Grace and Brokenness
The human soul is a place of profound mysteries. God is a person of infinite creativity. He can do this any way he wants. Sometimes he goes straight for the wound or the brokenness. Having had that healed, we find it far easier to resist the enemy and renounce our sins. Sometimes it requires binding the enemy first, simply so we can think clearly enough to do the repenting and find the healing we need. This is an outline to the process whereby we become holy in his name.…
Categories: Walking With God, The Daily Memo, Restored in Him, Practicing His Presence | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 10/08/2021
The Daily Memo | October 7, 2021 | Flight of Ichabod
In The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving tells of Ichabod Crane, a schoolteacher who seeks to marry a beautiful young woman named Katrina. Key to the story is a headless horseman who haunts the colonial countryside. One night, Ichabod encounters a ghostly apparition on horseback and flees the region in terror. It’s clear to the reader that this “horseman” is actually a rival suitor for Katrina, who then marries her. Ichabod is a name first seen in…
Categories: The Daily Memo, Identity Security, A New Name | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 10/07/2021
The Daily Memo | October 6, 2021 | Where We Belong
Think back to a time when you were passionate about pursuing something—a job, a cause, or even a relationship. Once you finally attained the object of your desire, was it everything you imagined? Or did it lose its luster over time, perhaps even becoming a problem in your life? That’s what happens when our focus is on temporal things rather than eternal ones. It’s the reason Paul wrote, “Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking…
Categories: The Daily Memo, The Reality of Our Present World, Our Purpose | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 10/06/2021