29
Sep 2024
Hello Friends, It is officially Fall!! (Actually, it’s been Fall for over a week now!) Have you done anything exciting or fun to celebrate this new season? Have you jumped in a pile of leaves? Have you roasted marshmallows? Have you cooked any hotdogs over a bonfire with your parents? Have you enjoyed the cooler temperatures as you went on outdoor adventures and excursions? I hope you have found some time to enjoy the beginning of this new season before it gets too cold to do anything outside. Unfortunately, because of a......
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22
Sep 2024
Hello Friends, Can you believe that it is OFFICIALLY FALL?! Just before 8:00am this morning, Fall arrived at our doorsteps. Pretty soon the leaves will change from their green color to an array of majestic colors like red, yellow, and orange. Pretty soon those leaves will be raked into giant piles all over the yard. Pretty soon people will be walking around wearing sweatshirts and long pants. Pretty soon neighborhoods will be hosting weekend wiener roasts and making s’mores. Pretty soon families will spend their Sunday afternoons watching football on television while......
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15
Sep 2024
Hello Friends, Well, I looked out my office window the other day and noticed a few things: the rain drops on my window, a few leaves on the ground, some red leaves dispersed amongst the green leaves in the trees, and a gloomy sky. I don’t know if I should be saying this or not, but I think FALL is closer than we might think. Are you ready? Not only is God’s created nature showing signs of change, but so are our homes and communities. There are Fall decorations on my doors,......
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08
Sep 2024
Hello Friends, How are you doing today? Did you do anything fun to celebrate the Labor Weekend–the last official weekend of Summer? Did you go swimming, did you hangout with family or friends, did you go anywhere, or did you just stay home and relax? My wife and I popped on over to the Popcorn Festival in Casey, Illinois. We got some free popcorn, looked around at all the fascinating crafts, ate some lunch, and enjoyed being outside. We had a really good time, but we can’t believe that Summer is almost......
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01
Sep 2024
Hello Friends, I have some exciting news to share with you! Do you want to take a guess at what this exciting news might be? No, it’s not my birthday; and it’s not Christmas…yet. Let me tell you….DRUM ROLL PLEASE. This post marks the beginning of a new Chapter! Last week, the 200th Post was posted on this here website! Over several years, myself and Mrs. Sarah Dart have shared with you lessons that can help you become more like Jesus every day in what you do and in what you say.......
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25
Aug 2024
Today, as we begin a new school year, we take a moment to recognize and bless our students, parents, and teachers. To the parents, grandparents, and all in this community that help to care for these young people, I remind you of these words from Proverbs: “Train children in the way they should go; when they grow old, they won’t depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6, CEB). Their success in the classroom can be aided and even amplified by the love, support, and direction you provide to them. Many times throughout the Bible,......
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18
Aug 2024
Hello Friends, Well, this is the week that many of you return to school…. Are you ready? Are you ready for new adventures, new stories, and to make new friends? Are you ready to learn new things? Some of you are ready, but some of you might be a little scared to go back to school–and that’s okay. Why? Because it is okay to be scared of something that we are unsure of. Many people are scared of doing something new or are scared because of what may have happened in the......
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11
Aug 2024
Hello Friends, Well, the first day of school is just around the corner…. The next time we meet, it will be the Sunday before the first day of school. Are you ready? Do you have all your school supplies bought, labelled, and put in your backpack? Do you have your schedules memorized? Do you know when the school bus is picking you up in the morning or when your mom or dad is dropping you off and picking you up from school? Are you ready for school to start again? When I......
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04
Aug 2024
Hello Friends, Have you ever been scared before? To quote Veggie Tales, do you get scared when the lights are off, when the “room is kind of creepy,” when the “furniture starts creeping,” or when a big and harry thing is “casting shadows on the wall”? Have you ever gotten so scared that you just shout “NOOOOOOOOOOOO”? Well let me tell you something…I have been scared lots of times. I used to be sacred of the dark. Sometimes I get scared to do new things or go up on high places or......
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28
Jul 2024
Hello Friends, This past week I have been thinking about kindness a lot. It seems that kindness is not something we practice a lot these days. People say things that causes hurt to others. People send messages or leave comments that cause pain. And some people would rather choose division and mistreatment than unity and understanding. This world could use a lot more kindness. Have you been kind or nice to someone this week? The Bible is filled with stories about kindness. But there is one story that comes to mind that......
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