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Vlog # 14 One Year Later - But What's Next
One year to the day I recorded this video. March 2020 vs. March 2021. What a difference a year makes. Early last year we were introduced to a new virus by the name of COVID-19. It turned this world upside down. But God wasn't surprised. He allowed this for our benefit. To me, it was a challenge and a call to arms - to make a difference in a world gripped by fear and uncertainty. I revisited this exact place but from a different perspective. Check out the video on…
Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 03/19/2021
The Daily Memo | March 19, 2021 | Your Losses Matter
The madness about grief is you think you’ll feel better in a few days. Certainly in a few weeks. The average bereavement leave in corporate America is four days for a spouse or child and three days for a parent. Three days. That’s complete insanity. It communicates an illusion that’s totally detached from reality. At three days you haven’t even begun to breathe. At four days you are still in total concussive shock. So I suggest three months of margin…
Categories: The Daily Memo, The Hope of Healing, The Reality of Our Present World | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 03/19/2021
The Daily Memo | March 18, 2021 | Turn on the Light
As my husband and I (邓书琪) prepared for a cross-country move, I wanted to ensure that we kept in touch with our grown sons. I found a unique gift, friendship lamps connected by wireless internet, which can be turned on remotely. When I gave the lamps to my sons, I explained that their lamps will turn on when I touch my lamp—to provide a shining reminder of my love and ongoing prayers. No matter how great the distance between us, a tap on their lamps would trigger…
Categories: The Daily Memo, Restored in Him, The Hope of Healing, Wounded Healer | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 03/18/2021
The Daily Memo | March 17, 2021 | Bigger God, Smaller Problems
No one enjoys illness, conflicts, or difficulties. Such stressors tend to demand attention and drain energy, narrowing our focus until our troubles become larger and all else is pushed to the side. What we need at such times is a glimpse of the greatness and majesty of the Lord. Looking at Him helps us see our problems from the proper perspective. During the captivity, when Jeremiah was confined in the guard house and Jerusalem was about to fall into enemy hands, the Lord&rsquo…
Categories: The Daily Memo, Understanding Love | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 03/17/2021
The Daily Memo | March 16, 2021 | He Refines Us By Fire
Cloth can dust off a piece of gold, but the metal must be refined to remove embedded impurities. That is, it must be melted by fire so that any tarnish or pollution can rise and be skimmed from the surface. The Christian life is frequently compared to this process. When we face struggles, God is refining us like precious metal, digging deep into our lives to eliminate all the dirt and pollution. He does this not to hurt us, but to help us grow into beautiful reflections of…
Categories: What We Were Created For, The Daily Memo, The Hope of Healing | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 03/16/2021
The Daily Memo | March 15, 2021 | Sewing Lessons
When Jesus died, that most holiest of curtains was ripped in half. Torn, top to bottom. And who was it that did that? Surely not the priests. It was God himself. He took that veil and ripped it in two. So why do we insist on stitching it back up? A whole lot of what passes for worship, sacrament, and instruction in Christian circles is sewing lessons—hanging that veil again. Done in the same spirit that says, “God is too holy for us to approach.” I&rsquo…
Categories: The Daily Memo, Restored in Him, Return to the Garden | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 03/15/2021
The Daily Memo | March 12, 2021 | Resurrection: Our New Body
Scripture uses beautiful imagery to describe the return of Christ. Today’s passage, for example, says at the Lord’s shout and the sounding of a trumpet, the “dead in Christ” will emerge from their resting places and soar into the sky (1 Thessalonians 4:16). Close behind them will be believers who haven’t yet departed this life. They’ll be changed as they are “caught up ... to meet the Lord in the air” (1 Thessalonians 4:17).…
Categories: The Daily Memo, Restored in Him, Return to the Garden | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 03/12/2021
The Daily Memo | March 11, 2021 | The Influence of Our Convictions
Although our circles of influence vary in size, we all have the power to affect people at home, in church, or in the world. The fact is, our life is always on display, whether we’re aware of it or not. Daniel didn’t set out to impress others, but his convictions had an effect on everyone who came in contact with him— from lowly servants to kings of empires. He clung to the truth of the Scriptures. When he was taken to Babylon’s royal court, he &ldquo…
Categories: The Daily Memo, Identity Security, Wounded Healer | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 03/11/2021
The Daily Memo | March 10, 2021 | We're Not God
In Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis recommended asking ourselves some questions to find out if we’re proud: “How much do I dislike it when other people snub me, or refuse to take any notice of me, . . . or patronize me, or show off?” Lewis saw pride as a vice of the “utmost evil” and the chief cause of misery in homes and nations. He called it a “spiritual cancer” that eats up the very possibility of love, contentment, and even common.…
Categories: The Daily Memo, The Hope of Healing, Wounded Healer | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 03/10/2021
The Daily Memo | March 9, 2021 | The Power of Consistency
We live in a noncommittal world, where perseverance is all too rare. If a job is difficult or boring, people often think, Why not find another one? Or when a marriage becomes unhappy, many wonder, Should I be with someone else? Sadly, this mindset is also found among believers. At the first sign of conflict, some Christians hop to another church instead of working through difficulties with their local body of believers. And when it comes to our personal walk of faith, many…
Categories: Walking With God, The Daily Memo | Authored by: sparrowwebsites | Posted: 03/09/2021