Clean Air, Clean Water…Clean Lives?

By Gina Stinson

A friend recently said, “People today want clean water, clean air, but don’t necessarily want clean lives.” Isn’t that the truth?

Before we go pointing the proverbial finger, we Christians have to take a look at ourselves. It’s easy to say we want to live a life after God, but how often do we get caught up in the world? The muck and mire of our earthly walk stains our spiritual skin. We say on Sunday “I surrender all,” but by Tuesday we are singing a different tune.

Dedicating ourselves to clean living is a life process. We aren’t programmed for clean living, so it means we have to reprogram the way we think, talk, act, and walk. Instead of complaining and gossiping, we have to reprogram ourselves to be thankful and encouraging. Instead of doing our own thing, we have to reprogram ourselves to think of others…and the contrast could go on forever.

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The Greatest Organizer

By Virginia Smith

Thank goodness for electronic calendars. Back when I worked in the corporate world I learned to rely on my computer to organize my day, and that’s a time management technique I’ve kept in my career as a writer. Each morning I turn on my computer and examine my schedule, so I know what’s in store for me during the day. Often my hours are filled with back-to-back conference calls, appointments, meetings with editors, and looming deadlines. Without my electronic day planner, I wouldn’t know where to go, or what I’m supposed to do when I arrive.

God has a plan for my day, too. The Bible declares that the Lord has made each day, and arranged every moment to fit perfectly into His plan. Not only does He know about my lunch with a grieving friend, He also knows about the neighbor I’ll see on my way to the mailbox who needs a smile to brighten her morning. He knows about the lady at the grocery store who needs help lifting heavy bags into her car at the exact moment I pull into the parking place next to hers. Not a single encounter will take the Lord by surprise, because He has filled in every moment on the calendar He maintains for me. When I trust in Him, He’ll show me where to go and what to do, and my day will bring glory and honor to Him.

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From a Hole

By Cheri Cowell

Have you ever fallen in a hole? Recently my local news shared the story of a woman who, while out walking her dog, fell into a ten-foot deep, two-foot wide cylinder-shaped hole. It took several hours for the rescuers to safely extract her from her earthen prison.

There have been many times I’ve fallen into a hole. Oh, not a real hole, but a hole nonetheless. These are the dark times in my life; times when I’ve felt alone, persecuted, misunderstood, even abandoned by God. There is no way God can reach me here, I say, knowing that it’s not true.

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Summer Clearance

It’s that time of year.  Stores are calling your name with signs that yell “Summer Clearance, Summer Markdowns, Summer Savings.”  But in reality, the message they are sending is “Summer’s Over.”  School starts in just a matter of days and routine will replace lazy days of summer.  It’s a fact.

We love summer because it gives us a change of pace.  Kids run wild, we vacation, we plan fun events…it’s a virtual party with spend-the-night guests and late nights.  The variety makes it fun and come February we are literally salivating on it’s memory.

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Looks Can Be Deceiving

Have you ever met someone who made a really lousy first impression? Have you ever been introduced and immediately you wrote them off and stereotyped them as common, ordinary, average—only to find out later that they were terribly gifted in some area?

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