Devotionals from Dad

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At my church, just outside the sanctuary is everyone's favorite stopping place, the candy dish! It is nearly always filled with a soft peppermint candy. If you have attended my church any time at all you know exactly what I am talking about. The candy dish is visited by all ages, young and old. Every now and then the candy dish does not get refilled. You can always see the disappointment ...

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In 1988 Nike launched, “Just Do It” a marketing campaign that became more than just a slogan; it was a motivational message that inspired people to overcome their limitations. The very first commercial featured 80-year-old runner Walt Stack jogging across the Golden Gate Bridge while talking about running 17 miles every morning. Instead of focusing strictly on technical produc...

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I think all of humanity, even those of us who are devoted Christians, have at one point in our lives faced a difficult trial and struggled with why is this happening to me or even why is this happening to my loved one? My wife is currently in one of those moments in her life and the most difficult part of the trial is the fact that there doesn't seem to be an end or a solution anytime in ...

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Modern cars today are filled with devices that can cause distracted driving. Built-in touchscreens, digital dashboard displays, and GPS navigation systems are the primary devices that can cause dangerous driver distraction. Infotainment touchscreens are like small computers that light up the dashboard. The large center screens control the radio, climate, and vehicle settings, just to name...

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When my daughters were still young girls I could always tell exactly when they wanted something from me. First of all they would become suddenly very obedient. They would clean their rooms without being told to, they would volunteer to do the dishes and they might even help clean the house without me nagging at them about it over and over again. However the number one way I knew they want...

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On many occasions I have told my children that I changed your diapers when they were young and your going to have to change mine when I get old,... and mine is gonna be bigger and stinky! The reversal of roles in care giving can feel daunting. You once looked up to your parents for strength and guidance, and now you may now find yourself managing their day to day affairs. In this heavy an...

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There have been moments in my life when I have been overcome with the difficult task that is in front of me! I am confident that each of us can think of a moment when we just didn't think we could go on! Maybe your spouse left you or they died unexpectedly and you were left alone. Maybe you lost your job, your lost your home and all your possessions in a fire, your dealing with a child or...

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I got married at a very young age and for all the wrong reasons. My first wife was a beautiful young woman and she was a very well behaved child and young lady. On the other hand I was lucky if I was an average looking and I certainly was not a well behaved child and I wasn't a very well behaved adult. All this being said, I was raised by parents that were Christian's. I also had grandpar...

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If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your savior you likely will have a memory or a story about the moment you accepted him into your heart. Many people can recall the very day, location and time it happened. I accepted Jesus Christ as my savior at a very young age so I don't remember all of the details, but this is what I can tell you. It happened at the First Baptist Church in Stanberry...

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I don't consider myself old, but at 60 years old I have gained a few more life experiences than some. I have have struggled with a marriage that ultimately failed. I have had two infant sons that I have buried. I spent 4 years as a single father raising 3 young girls. I shared my sister's grief when her 19 year old son was killed in an auto accident. And now my wife and I are in the phase...

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The year 2026 marks the 250th birthday of the United States of America. It has become a year long celebration for our nation. I will be the first to tell you that I feel very blessed to have been born in a free nation where I can worship and gather without fear. I do not consider myself to be a rich person but in comparison to other countries I am wealthy. The poorest 20 percent of Americ...

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I got married at a very young age and for all the wrong reasons. After 8 years my marriage failed. It was during this point in my life, I believe I developed OCD. My life seems to be in chaos, so I did everything I within my power to try and control that chaos. I had red and blue plates and those plates always had to be sorted by color. In my cabinets I sorted all the fruits into a sectio...

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I am confident that if you are a devoted and faithful Christian you have experienced an unanswered prayer. In the fall of 2020 my father in law, Garland Hendren, was going to the doctor for some health issues, at the time seemed they seemed insignificant. A mass was found on his pancreas and surgery was scheduled to remove it. We learned he had pancreatic cancer. Garland was a faithful Ch...

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I can always tell when I have said or did something that made my wife Joyce unhappy with me. As soon as the words leave my mouth, the expression on her face tells me what she is thinking, without her saying a word! Joyce speaks as much with her facial expressions as she does with her words. I have always jokingly told her, I was going to make a calendar that displayed her facial expressio...

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If you know me very well at all you know that I have a mental illness. I have no official diagnoses and I don't seek medical attention, I just manage my own symptoms. I am sure if I went to a doctor I would be diagnosed with Obsessive Control Disorder or OCD. I count everything. I alphabetize the spices in my spice rack. The volume control on all my electronic devices must stop on an even...

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Upon occasion I have been to a large office facility and just inside the door is a map of the building with locations for all the office and names of the each person, in each office. Also on the map is a big star with the words “You Are Here.” I know, at least for me, I can study that map intently, and even though the star is indicating to me where I am, I am still not confide...

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I got married when I was 18 years old and my bride was only 16. I had this dream that if I loved my wife, like my father loved my mother, my marriage could survive anything. I truly thought love conquered all, boy was I ever wrong! My marriage lasted 8 years. During that time I had 3 daughters. After my divorce I spent 4 years as a single parent. This time was the most agonizing and diffi...

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I have to admit at times I can have a very sharp tongue. Sometimes the sarcasm just flows out of my mouth so quickly and easily, it is amazing! Stupid people really get my sarcasm flowing. Some of my favorites quips of sarcasm are, “I would agree with you, but then we would both be wrong,” “If I were any better there would need to be two of me,” and one of my most ...

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I am a type A personality. I love to make plans of all I am going to accomplish for the day. Every week almost without exception, I write a todo list for the weekend. My inner control freak gets a bit of a sense of accomplishment, when everything on my todo list completed. On the other hand it gives me a great deal of anxiety when my list doesn't get completed. When this happens I start a...