Merry Christmas!


Merry Christmas!

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Seeds

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SEEDS By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly Spring is fading and summer is nearly here.  The skies are alive with the songs of birds and the landscape is full of life. Just about every living thing comes from seeds—plants, animals, and even people, started out that way.  And once fertilized and planted, they take root.  From a little seed as small as a grain of sand, a huge mustard plant grows, and a giant oak rises up from a tiny acorn. Planting and harvesting are mentioned throughout scripture, not simply as a lovely aside, but because they are principles inextricably woven into the tapestry of life on this planet. We reap what we sow. I may not have a green thumb, but I still plant every day.  So do you.  We have a variety of seeds from which to choose—seeds of compassion, love, generosity and kindness.  We also can plant selfishness, hate, greed and cruelty. We may not see them, but once seeds disappear beneath the soil, they aren’t gon...
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Playing Telephone

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PLAYING TELEPHONE Are you old enough to have played “Telephone” as a child?  In telephone, the first person in a line whispers a phrase to the person standing to their right.  Each person repeats the phrase to the person to their right, until the whispered phrase has made it to the end of the line.  Then the last person repeats what they heard.  The results can be hilarious. Try as we might, our memories are imperfect.  We are unable to accurately remember every detail, so our well-meaning brains fill in the blanks with plausible created memories that we will believe are true. Watch any trial and you will see a variety of testimonies that are completely incompatible with one another.  The longer the time between the crime and the trial, the more likely facts will be embellished, altered or omitted, even if everyone is striving to be truthful. Why do I say all of this?  Because the enemy is bent on killing, stealing and destroying (John 10:10)...
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When Silence Is Golden

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WHEN SILENCE IS GOLDEN By:  Julie Souza Bradley Lilly “Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the testimony they are bringing against you?” But Jesus made no reply, not even to a single charge—to the great amazement of the governor.” – Matthew‬ ‭27:13-14‬ ‭NIV Have you every wondered why Jesus was silent when He went before Pilate and the charges were read against Him?‬‬ For the longest time it perplexed me why the sinless Son of God wouldn’t stand up for Himself, call down His angels and put these puny humans in their places.  But He didn’t.   The silence of Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy: “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” – Isaiah‬ ‭53:7‬ ‭NIV It wasn’t weakness that kept Jesus silent.  On the contrary, His silence displayed meekness —a powerful display of controlled strength.  We make a great mistake to confuse...
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