Scapegoat.

In the Bible, specifically in the book of Leviticus, the author refers to a scapegoat. This was a goat they determined would take on the sins of the Israelites.

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Consumed.

To be consumed with something is to have so much of a feeling that it affects everything you do. You will be so completely absorbed with this thing or person or place that it will dominate your life.

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A clean slate.

Have you ever just wanted a “do-over” day; a day you could just erase and start again? We’ve all had them, but what about a year, two years that you would just rather erase from your memory?

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Service.

Whatever your job title is, cook, accountant, mom, you have a duty to someone or some entity. Service is helping others who need assistance.

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Who are you leaning on?

Since the beginning of time, man has made a mess of things. We think we know better and often try to do life on our own. As a Christian, leaning on our own understanding will sometimes lead to a dead end or unresolved conflict.

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Encouragement

Our lives are not defined by our failures, each and every one of us have and will fail. We must accept our failures and use them to grow.

If you’ve ever been around young children, you know that it doesn’t take much to see their eyes light up when you smile, clap or just tell them, “good job.”

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How strong?

There’s not one of us who started out in this life with strong muscles. It’s a process. You start by working that muscle to its capacity and gradually increase the load. Eventually if you keep at it, you will possibly one day have a very strong muscle.

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Worship vs. Mission.

Worship is when we give our deepest affections and highest praise to something. In my case, God. True worship of God is when we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. It’s putting God first in your life, not last.

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Life as a cruise ship.

When I was saved I knew little about how to navigate through this journey. I realized that I was made for a purpose and once I accepted Christ into my life, I knew that I would never be the same.

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Adversity.

No one wants adversity in their life, yet trouble seems to find us eventually. As a Christian I have found that you can let adversity move you towards good, or you can let it disable you from doing anything at all.

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Fear is the father of failure.

Have you ever noticed that anxiety is like rust? It starts by destroying its brightness and weakening its power. It is the rare person who has not felt anxiety at one time or another.

Anxiety can be debilitating, especially when it triggers panic attacks. Individuals dealing with anxiety may live in fear of daily activities and feel as if their anxiety dominates their lives.

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Guaranty.

Few things in life come with a guarantee. Some products will claim that as long as you own the item, the warranty is valid, but once ownership is transferred, it becomes void.

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God gave us family.

Do you sometimes wonder why you were put in the family you have?

The family was God's idea – an integral part of being human. God affirms families. He intended them to be something powerful for good, places of belonging and trust, of learning and loving.

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Storm embracer.

The storms in our lives may surprise us at times, but they do not surprise God. We may feel betrayed thinking that God would allow such a storm. But, if we learn to embrace the storm, knowing that God is in it with us, we can begin to ride it out.

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Backpack.

Have you ever had to carry a heavy backpack? You know that eventually your back will begin to ache. You will learn to take out what you don’t immediately need to lighten your load.

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Frozen in time.

If you’ve ever been on a Zoom call you know that anything can happen. You can lose sound, your connection drops or your screen will freeze. This usually means that somewhere the connection has been broken.

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Heart healthy.

We were all born into sin. Some acknowledge this sin and turn their life over to God.

The world wants us to believe in the decency and goodness of every person, so it can be hard to accept that our hearts are wicked.

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A pause.

I once read that the death of a child is like a period in the middle of a sentence. We question God and often blame Him for it. But, death is a natural part of life. None of us will ever avoid it.

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