Red Apples and Kind Words

Sparkling dew drops slipped off the apple tree leaves and hit me on the nose. Squinting, I tried to avoid the splash against my eyelashes. I stretched as I tried to reach the shiny red apple hanging just out of my reach. With one final effort, I stood up on my tippy toes and grabbed the apple. “UGG!” I exclaimed as I fell backward, a shower of cold dewy sprayed on me. My jacket was damp, but I had secured my prize. I looked down at the beautiful red apple in my hands. It almost felt wrong to eat something so beautiful. I wish I could save it forever. But apples only last so long, so I brought the apple up to my lips and took a big munch. The sweet flavor of the apple exploded in my mouth. It was better than any candy I had ever eaten! Proverbs 25:11 says, “A...

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Spiritual Strength

I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Philippians 4:13 How strong would you have to be to defeat the Incredible Hulk? You’d probably need biceps the size of boulders and superhuman strength. How strong is the Hulk exactly? He’s so strong that he could lift a planet over his head or destroy an asteroid in one punch. While it would be nice to have limitless physical strength like the Hulk, as Christians, we have something even better…spiritual strength. The apostle Paul said “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.” Paul was imprisoned for five years for preaching the Gospel, and although his body was weak, Jesus gave him the spiritual strength to overcome his circumstances. He continued spreading the Good News by...

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Jesus, Our Peacemaker … Referee … Mediator

For there is one God and one Mediator [Peacemaker; Referee; Connection] between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people. 1Timothy 2:5-6 🙂   Picture who JESUS is.  Stretch your brain a bit and tell me what do you see in your mind’s eye? Loving parents who nurture, teach, protect, correct and enjoy their children with deep love? How about a Chief Shepherd caring for  tenderly comforting, defending, feeding, rescuing them? Brightest of Lights in the darkest of places? Sunshine on cloudy days? Shield, Cool, pure, clean drink of water in sweltering heat? Strong Tower, Great Physician, tried and true, trusted Friend, freshly baked Bread! How do you see...

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Old Pete’s Wild Ride: The Night The Son Invented Surfing

Arr, gather ‘round, ye scallywags, and hear the tale of Old Pete, the only sailor ever to defy the mighty pull of the deep without so much as a driftwood plank under his feet! Aye, this be a tale o’ brave hearts, blustery waves, and one mind-bogglin’ walk that’d make even the great Kelly Slater give a salty salute! Now, Old Pete was one o’ Skipper’s Son’s best mates, always eager to jump in first, feet a-paddlin’ even when he hadn’t a clue what he was doin’. So one night, after a long day o’ teachin’ and healin’, Skipper’s Son sent His crew off in a boat, sayin’, “I’ll catch up with ye later.” Well, hours passed, and wouldn’t ya know it, the wind started howlin’, the waves were...

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Show-Offs and Screechers: When Sounding Off Is Annoying

I was so excited to visit my grandparents in Florida. Every year, we went down to their house, and every year, something new and weird happened. This time, it was the “Proud Screeching Fowls with Foul Mouths.” My grandparents live in a quiet neighborhood, or at least, it used to be. Granddad told me that when he was little, there were only two of them in the neighborhood, and they lived in this big, walled-off compound down the street. You know, like a gated community of one family. The place was super mysterious. Granddad said he and his friends used to run by it as fast as they could. Older kids swore there was a creepy old man inside who turned kids into animals. That sounded scary to me. But after that old man left, the residents inside the...

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How Skipper Tamed the World’s Wild Waters

Ahoy, mates! Brace the main and prepare fer the greatest sea tale ever told. This be the story of how the Skipper tamed the world’s wild waters. 

In the beginning, there be nothing but water. Everywhere and all around, water covered everything, with no Land-Ho for a pirate to make port. ‘Cept back then there were no pirate mates, only the Skipper and the water.

And not the kinda water ye wantin’ ter splash around in, but wild and deep like a never-ending tidal wave. 

Now, Skipper, seein’ how He created all things, knew the potential of this water, and the Skipper pulled off the greatest feat in history!

Skipper’s Spirit roiled the surface of the deep. And there was lightnin’ and booms! Stars and flashes and with a mighty thunder out popped the seas, oceans, rivers, and dry land! 

Land, mates! 

The thing we don’t sink into!

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