About: jen

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Lift me up, please

Lift me up, please
Our society makes self-reliance and independence a virtue. Western culture pervades my thinking and the temptation to tackle things myself is strong. We root for characters like John Wayne, Jason Bourne, Indiana Jones and, need I say, the Lone Ranger. I’m applauded if I try to “pull myself up by my bootstraps,” which is ironic…
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Understanding Death: Not

Understanding Death: Not
A tribute was being given for a dear friend as he was remembered for his faith and faithfulness among the church. The remarks of one of the speakers struck me and it has been rolling around in my thoughts. It seemed such a simple and profound insight. He said, “We don’t really understand death, because…
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Fruit of the Spirit: Singular

Fruit of the Spirit: Singular
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23 The fruit of the Spirit is described in Galatians by giving us a variety of its traits. All those qualities together make the whole. The Greek word for fruit is karpos, which is singular. The fruit of the Spirit is a…
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Fruit of the Spirit: Not mine but His

Fruit of the Spirit: Not mine but His
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Galatians 5:22-23 The metaphor of bearing fruit is scattered throughout the Biblical text. Taken symbolically, fruit is the natural product of something. We even use phrases like “fruits of our labor” in modern conversation to represent the result of our work. When…
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