Devotionals from Dad

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According to Merriam-Webster dictionary success is defined as getting or achieving wealth, respect, or fame. According to a Gallup News poll Americans with a lower household income tend to report a lower rate of success than those with a higher household income. It could be said that money is the root of a majority of the problems in our homes and families. The devil's plan is to kee...

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Jesus was about to make his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. He and the 12 disciples were were at Bethphage on the Mount of Olives. Jesus sent two disciples with these instructions, Go over to the village across from you. You’ll find a donkey tethered there, her colt with her. Untie her and bring them to me. If anyone asks what you’re doing, say, The Master needs them! He will send them w...

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A solid house foundation provides essential structural support by evenly distributing the weight of the home, which includes dead loads, such as the walls and roof and live loads, the occupants and furniture, to the soil beneath. It prevents uneven settling, sinking, or collapse, while acting as a barrier against moisture, pests, and natural disasters like floods or earthquakes. Once the ...

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When I was young I spent many a Saturday morning in front of the television set watching cartoons. Some of my favorites were the Road Runner and the Coyote, Speedy Gonzales, Marvin the Martian, The Tasmanian Devil, Elmer Fud, Yosemite Sam, Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig. The Looney Tunes cartoons got their start in 1937. The Iconic cartoons had a signature ending. Porky Pig would pop out of a d...

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Many last will and testaments during the 19th century began with this quote, “Knowing the uncertainties of life and the certainty of death….” The certainty of death has been a human constant since the fall of Adam and Eve into sin. Yet in the twenty-first century, death often seems a taboo subject. Even the word “death” has become infrequent in our speech. In an effort to avoid the diffic...

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The “I love Lucy” show aired from 1951 to 1957. Lucy and Ricky Ricardo slept in separate beds on the show to comply with 1950's television censorship codes, which considered it indecent to show a married couple sharing a bed. While they occasionally appeared in twin beds pushed together, network standards forced them apart to adhere to conservative moral standards. Television produce...

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I must begin by saying that this devotional is written to myself as much or more than it is to those who may hear it. I have always thought that if I have a question, a quandary, an uncertainty, or a difficult dilemma that I am struggling with, I bet someone else is facing a similar problem. Here is my hearts cry, my difficult question, does the devil focus his attention more on me when I...

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One of my greatest struggles is working with God rather than for God. God cares deeply about our work, our impact in this life, not because he needs us to serve him or work for him, but because he wants to work with Him. He wants to give us a picture of His goodness and love at work in the lives of others, and He wants to deepen our relationship with Him by identifying and empowering us i...

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When I was a child my Grandpa Miller used a lot of idioms, which is to say he used a lot of figurative language, sometimes vivid and descriptive phrases, to get his point across. A couple of his commonly used phrases were, “Well isn't that just crooked as a dog's hind leg,” and another was; “Now that's just as slick as snot on a Teflon door knob.” His Country or rural phras...

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When I was younger I was working in the kitchen and cut the first finger on my left hand all the way to the bone. I was living in a very rural community and I went to the doctor, who was bit older and near sighted. He stitched me up and I survived but the tendon in that finger was damaged so that I can no longer straighten the tip of my finger. Genesis 32 recounts the story of Jacob in an...

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We hear the term, forgive and forget, but how can we forget? Don’t you wish there was a delete button for your brain? We can choose to forgive the person who has hurt us and not allow the memory to control our lives. So in that sense, we can forgive and forget. It is very hard to do, but it is possible to forgive those you have hurt or wronged you. That being said the one person I have th...

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What is at the center of your life? What is it that you strive for? What is the one thing that anchors your life? I would venture to guess that a large portion of the world centers their lives around their careers and the size of their bank accounts. Some may focus their lives around their children. Behind every Olympic athlete is a parent or two, who have encouraged and pushed their chil...

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A good friend of mine recently made a post on social media stating that she believes we are living in the end times and we should be careful not to be deceived.  She went on to say, as we get to the end of the year, she thinks about the end times, and wonders if she will live to see it. There are so many things that the Bible talks about, that is happening in our world today. She asked th...

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I enjoy cooking and I grew up in a family that had many great cooks. When I was younger my fathers family gathered for reunions, I think sometimes just to eat. I have 24 first cousins and I had seven Aunts and Uncles and they were all amazing cooks. There always more than enough food, enough you could feed a small army. I was taught by my conservative parents that I was to eat whatever wa...

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During the Christmas season many of us get super focused on stuff. Some get obsessed with Christmas decorations, some get obsessed with greeting cards and some of us think we need to buy everyone gifts. The world bombards us with advertisements, there is Black Friday, Cyber Monday and countless other sales. It is easy to see how we can get distracted from what the true meaning of the Chri...

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Have you ever looked up at the night sky on a clear night and tried to count the stars. There are so many it is impossible to count them. Stars are giant, glowing balls of hot gas that produce light and heat. The vary greatly in size, temperature and distance. Our sun is just one of trillions of stars in our milky way galaxy we live in. Humanly speaking stars our innumerable, there are so...

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What is the one thing that instantly strikes fear in your heart? Is it public speaking? Maybe you fear losing your job and not being able to provide for your family. Not having enough money for retirement or the fear of losing your job and facing a financial crisis are the cause of major anxiety and fear for almost everyone. I have a fear that my wife could have a health crisis and I woul...

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All my life and have had a disability, I am vertically challenged, in other less friendly words and am short. I used to claim I was 5 foot 7 inches tall because I am 5 foot 6 and ½ inches tall, so I just rounded up. As I have matured I have come to the conclusion that it is just easier to admit my short comings and say I am vertically challenged. I tell all my co-workers that I have a dis...

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In my household we try to be as conservative as possible. God has richly blessed us in many ways, but we still try to be as financially responsible as possible, especially during the Christmas season. I would love nothing more than to be able to give my children and grandchildren their every desire, but doing that really isn't being a responsible parent. I have tried to teach my chil...