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Dear SCC & Friends, …casting all your anxiety upon Him, because He cares for you. ~1 Peter 5:7 Reflection #98                Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday. The confusion and fear of present-day culture is a fertile breeding ground for heightened anxiety, edginess and even despair. Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrows; but only empties today of its strength. Anxiety may be defined as a feeling of worry, nervousness or unease, often coupled with a lack of control over a future…

Dear SCC & Friends, The first account I composed Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach… ~Acts 1:1 Reflection #97             There is no dichotomy in Jesus… all that Jesus began to do and teach… His doing was His teaching, and His teaching was His doing. Most of us have heard the oft-used cliché, “Do as I say, not as I do”. There can be a big disconnect between what we believe and what we do. But what do…

Dear SCC & Friends, Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. ~2 Corinthians 3:17 Reflections #96             Forces beyond your control can take away everything you possess except one thing, your freedom to choose how you will respond to the situation. ~Victor Frankl~ Liberty is a multi-faceted word which in a general sense means freedom from restraint. Spiritual liberty is a two-edged sword, as it simultaneously restrains and releases. It is absolutely clear that…

Dear SCC & Friends, …The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth does not become weary or tired… ~Isaiah 40:28 Update #95             I love the Christmas holidays, but I think most of us would agree they can be exhausting. It’s almost like we need a vacation from our vacation. The word “renew” means to give fresh life or strength to… It can also mean to extend for a further period the validity of (a…

December 22, 2021 Dear SCC & Friends, …Behold, a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel. ~Isaiah 7:14 Update #94 Who could have cared about the birth of a baby while the world was watching Rome in all her splendor? Two thousand years ago the Roman Empire was rife with political intrigue, ethnic tension, and immorality. Palestine was occupied under the crush of Rome. All eyes were on Augustus, the Caesar who…

Dear SCC & Friends, The Magnificat And Mary said: “My soul exalts the Lord…” ~Luke 1:46 Update #93 …And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; for behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. For the Mighty One has done great things for me; and holy is His name… His mercy is upon generation after generation towards those who fear Him. He has done mighty deeds with…

Dear SCC & Friends, …for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. ~Matthew 6:21 Update #92          Our neighbors are great people. This year they went all out with their Christmas decorations… a multi-colored, illuminated six-foot candy cane, lights galore throughout the yard and all very well done. We complimented them for their festive efforts, and then she implied they had nothing to look at when they saw our house… So, we upped our game and for the first…

December 1, 2021 Dear SCC & Friends, But when the fulness of the time came, God sent forth His Son… ~Galatians 4:4 Update #91          Advent is upon us…four Sundays leading up to Christmas Day. The Latin word for advent is “advenio” which literally means to come. Advent refers to Christ coming in the flesh. …And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and…

Dear SCC & Friends, Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His lovingkindness is everlasting. ~Psalm 118:1 Update #90          Four hundred years ago this month, the first Thanksgiving was held in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Governor Bradford made this first Thanksgiving Proclamation three years after the Pilgrims settled at Plymouth: “Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, peas, beans, squashes, and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to…

Dear SCC & Friends, …In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world. ~John 16:33 Update #89 Historic evidence and personal testimony make it quite clear that we will have struggles in this present life. The Apostle Paul testified to it… I have fought the good fight (struggle), I have finished the course, I have kept the faith… ~2 Tim. 4: Contrarywise, there are those who believe this present life can be utopian…an imagined state of which everything is perfect. John…

Dear SCC & Friends, How blessed are the people whose God is the Lord. ~Psalm 144:15b Update #88 Most people hate being labeled, but for some of us there is nothing we can do about it. PK’s – “preachers’ kids” or MK’s – “missionary kids” know what it’s like to be boxed in by a label. I was raised as an MB – “military brat,” but never liked the “brat” part, as it intimates a badly behaved child. I must admit…

Dear SCC & Friends, Cast your burden upon the Lord, and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken. ~Psalm 55:22 Update #87 Where would our lives be without experiencing a “good crisis” now and then? Wait, is there such a thing as a good crisis? It is good if good comes out of it. Crisis may be defined as a critical juncture or an acute turning point which may bring a radical change in…