Posts by Lisa Morrone
Today’s Truth
“And remember, it is a message to obey, not just to listen to. So, don’t fool yourselves.”
James 1:22 TLB
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I was in middle school when body builder Arnold Schwarzenegger won his 7th Mr. Olympia title. His chiseled musculature was simply stunning, leaving many an onlooker slack-jawed. For many, he was a physical wonder to be marveled at; to a few, he became an inspiration to begin pumping some serious iron!
Viewing a body building competition can be entertaining, fascinating, even captivating, but you never leave the “show” stronger than when you entered, simply for having been a spectator.
Church-going for a Christian can be much like viewing a body building competition. You show up on Sunday, take your seat, and watch the worship team and your pastor “flex their spiritual muscles” by showing you the results of all the
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Today’s Truth
So, the other disciples told [Thomas], “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks [scars] in His hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into His side [scar], I will not believe” (John 20:25, NIV) He was pierced for our transgressions…and by His wounds [evidenced by His scars] we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5, NIV)
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As a physical therapist, I spend many hours each week working on the post-surgical scars of my patients. You see, scars, when left to themselves, have a tendency to become bound down and restricted. In the process of forming they can even adhere themselves to other nearby structures, such as skeletal muscles and organs. It’s my job to make sure new scars heal in a flexible manner and any existing scars are mobilized and released so they won’t continue to pull on or bind up the fluid motion of neighboring anatomical structures.
Through the course of our lives, we can have close encounters with wounded people who leave us with wounds of our own. (Hurt people, hurt people.) Add
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Today’s Truth
A wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.
Proverbs 14:1
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In the past, whenever I’ve read the above verse, I’ve always thought of it in the context of the maternal head of a family, or of a wife. But truly, this “Demolition Debbie” role could belong to a big-mouthed teenaged girl, a disagreeable girlfriend, a disrespectful coworker, or even a dismissive adult sister. Scripture takes care not to label this woman beyond “wise” or “foolish,” giving each of us the opportunity to slip ourselves into this descriptive warning.
How, exactly, does this foolish woman tear her house down? Well, knowing (and being) a woman, I have a strong hunch: Her tongue, Ladies. Most of us have been said to possess the ‘gift of gab.’ And a few of us,
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Today’s Truth
“This [the annual ministry the high priest performed in the Most Holy Place] is an illustration for the present time, indicating that the gifts and sacrifices being offered were not able to clear the conscience of the worshiper.” But when Christ came as high priest…He entered the Most Holy Place once for all by His own blood…How much more, then, will the blood of Christ… cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death! Hebrews 9:9,11a, 12,14
Hebrews 9:9, 11a, 12, 14
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As far back as I can recall, I was a trouble maker. Born into a home where my parents modeled disrespect, I learned how to buck authority figures with great competence. I was made to sit alongside my teacher’s desk, placed outside the door of my elementary school classrooms, and sent to the principal’s office more times than I care to recount.
As I grew, so did my propensity to sin. It got to the point where I could say with certainty, having been raised in a Bible-teaching church, that “Shame” was my middle name. I knew I was guilty of breaking the laws of God. He was holy, and my actions were most certainly not.
Few things are as
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Today’s Truth
From one man He has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live.
Acts 17:26
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Abraham, or Abram, as he was first named, was called by God to leave home…and to go. Where to, you ask? Great question. I’m sure Abram asked the very same one. The answer? “…to the land I will show you.”
Huh, so that’s it? Just leave? Follow you, Lord, with blind trust?
Yes, Abram. Just leave…and go. I will show you where to make each turn along the way, but on a “need to know” basis.
A former pastor of mine once said, “Just as it’s easier to steer a car that’s already rolling forward, it’s easier for the Lord to move a person who’s already in motion.” I guess this is as true for you and me today as it
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Today’s Truth
But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit”
Jeremiah 17:7-8
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This past September my husband and I had a trip planned to visit Miami, Florida. I had never been there and the opportunity to see a few of our favorite bands at an outdoor concert venue was too good to pass up! I remember when I booked the tickets I remarked to my husband that September would be a perfect time to be outdoors in Miami—barring a hurricane.
Well, I guess you may have figured out some of what happened next. Her name was Irma. She was the category 5 hurricane which devastated, first the Caribbean, and then had its way with much of the state of Florida. Irma struck US soil the week before we were due to
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Today’s Truth
“See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.”
Hebrews 12:15
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I grew up drinking from a bitter cup.
Brewing daily in my childhood home was a large vat of bitterness. The longer it was left to ferment, the stronger the brew became. Because my mother drank from it on a daily basis, her bitterness began to grow roots—bitter roots. Pouring me a cup from her portion of bitter poison, she would share her deepest pain with me, how victimized she felt, and how crippled her emotions had become.
Granted, my mother’s life had been troubled. Her father was physically abusive to the members of her family—herself included. As a result, her self-esteem was very poor and she suffered with fear, anxiety, and depression…and anger. Lots and lots of anger. My
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Today’s Truth
“But now, this is what the Lord says—He who created you, [insert your name], He who formed you, [inset your name]: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine’”
Isaiah 43:1
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Recently, my friend was asked to speak during chapel time at the elementary school where she works. She began by asking for three volunteers, each of whom were assigned a “name,” unbeknownst to them, by way of a sign held up behind them. The opening game required her volunteers to ask numerous questions of their peers in order to solve the mystery of their assigned name. When each participant finally discovered their fictitious identity, some were happy (Bill Gates, Taylor Swift) while others were disappointed (Daffy Duck). My friend began to explain to the children that when we go through life, other people
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Today’s Truth
Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he [Jesus] saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him.”
Mark 1:16-18
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Long ago, in a faraway land…well, actually, it was back in 2006 in the den of my home on Long Island, NY…a calling was heard: “It’s time to write.” Excuse me, Lord, are you speaking to me?
What was I to do with that directive? I guess there were three options: 1-shake it off and go on with my life as is, chalking it up to a random, self-directed thought, 2-stall on it—put it on a shelf until a more “appropriate time,” or 3-put voice to it; tell my husband and a few trusted friends who would hold me accountable and then run, head first, into the great unknown (to myself) world of writing.
I don’t know about you, but
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Today’s Truth
Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you.
Psalm 42:5-6
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Last week, while selecting some avocados in the produce aisle, I heard a loud gasp which caused my attention to be diverted to a woman who had just started an avalanche of sorts over by the oranges. As she restacked the fruit I distinctly heard her mutter, “Stupid girl! How could you be so clumsy?” In that moment I imagined her as a five year old child being berated by her mother, in the same tone, for the same offense.
From an early age, I remember learning that spoken words have power, both to hurt and to heal. My mom taught me to use the words that came out of my mouth with care, particularly when they were directed
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Today’s Truth
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.
Galatians 6:9-10
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When I was in my thirties, I spent seven years serving my local church and the surrounding community as the Co-Director of Vacation Bible School (VBS). One of the tasks I was charged with was to fill the roughly 150 staff positions required to reach the 400+ children attending with the gospel message of Jesus Christ.
It was during this staffing pursuit that I witnessed a sharp contrast in the “heart-itude” (attitude of the heart) of some of the older parishioners who attended my church. On the one hand, there were two 90+ year-old ladies who I could count on year after year to serve on the kitchen staff—doling out snacks and washing dishes—whatever needed doing. But sadly, in
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Today’s Truth
You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me.
Psalms 139:5
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Have you ever tugged firmly on a thread hanging from the edge of your garment, in hopes of breaking it, only to have it unravel further? Yeah, me, too.
Life can, at times, behave like that garment. What we thought was held together securely can unexpectedly begin to unravel. Sometimes the unraveling happens suddenly—a late night phone call, an unwanted discovery, a disappointing lab test result—or it can happen gradually over time, like the slow fade of a dear friendship or the foundation of your marriage.
While our external circumstances can unravel, would you agree that it is most disturbing when it feels as if WE are unraveling? In those times, not only do we doubt our capacity to handle
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