A Living Legacy

Hebrews 9:17 – “For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth.”  The late great North Carolina Men’s Basketball coach, Dean Smith, who passed away this past February at age 83, was one of the most successful college coaches in history.  Smith was called a...

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I Don't Own a White Flag

Hebrews 12:3 - "Consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest you be wearied and faint in your minds".  Did you know that the state of New Jersey has established what is called a "safe surrender" program offering persons wanted by the police for non-violent crimes to turn themselves in...

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Sweatless Grace

Ezekiel 44:17-18 – “And it shall be, when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with bleached linen clothing. And no wool shall come on them while they serve in the gates of the inner court, and inside. Turbans of bleached linen shall be on their heads, and shall have bleached linen undergarments on their loins. They shall not clothe themselves with anything that causes sweat.”  Did you ever buy a deodorant that didn’t…do what it was supposed to do, stop the sweat?  I have...

 

 

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Who's Your Daddy?

John 17:25-26 – “O righteous Father, indeed the world has not known You; but I have known You, and these have known that You have sent me. And I made known to them Your name, and will make it known, so that the love with which You have loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”  In the movie Taken, Liam Neeson plays a character named Bryan, the father of a young adult girl abducted in Paris by a human trafficking ring.  The outlook is not good as the daughter...

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Deposit Slip

Matthew 12:34 - "Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks".  You know how it works, when you deposit money in the bank, you are able to pay bills and write the checks you need.  To my amazement...

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C.S.I. - Christ Scene Investigation

John 20:6-7 (21st Century King James Version) "Then came Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulcher and saw the linen cloths as they lay and the napkin that had been about His head, not lying with the linen cloths, but wrapped together in a place by itself."  The hit show C.S.I. has been around for a long time, and although I am not a fan, I am fascinated by...

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Once Shaved, Always Shaved

1 Corinthians 1:8-9 – “Who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.  God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord.”  I know that beards are making quite the comeback these days, but every day, no matter what, like most men, I shave...

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Live Loved. by Natalie Fortunato

Ephesians 3:17 (Amplified Bible) – “…May you be rooted deep in love {and} founded securely on love,”  Livin’ large.  Live, Laugh, Love.  Live on the edge.  Livin’ for the weekend.  Live and let live.  Live free or die.  Livin’ in the fast lane.  Live Mas!  How about…live loved…by God.  Imagine living every moment of your life loved.  Deeply, intimately, unconditionally, and intensely loved.  Imagine having the power to... 

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Do the Next Right Thing

Isaiah 50:7 - "The Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded.  Therefore have I set my face like a flint and I know that I shall not be ashamed."  Have you ever found yourself feeling as if you've got far too many burdens, too many people depending on you, too many things on your list of things to take care of...

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Bobo's Back!

Matthew 6:9 “Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed by thy name”.  Some of you may remember me talking about Bobo in recent years, a dog in my neighborhood where I grew up.  He was chained up in the yard at his house, all day long, rain or shine, near the softball field where we played.  Bobo was a huge black dog with matted fur and very large teeth, and barked nonstop.  Unfortunately... 

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Take What's Yours

Matthew 6:11 – “Give us this day our daily bread”.  Some of my favorite memories are of dinner time as a young boy in the Fortunato household.  Imagine five kids, mom, dad, around the kitchen table…a lot could, and often would happen.  People talked over one another, lots of hijinks, questions were asked that you were supposed to answer, it was really interesting.  But there’s one thing that none of us ever did...

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Ring in the New Gear

Philippians 3:13-14 – “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do , forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”  To see God do something great in your life, quit can never be an option...

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Dynamic Soaring in 2015

Isaiah 40:31 “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”  When I was in the window and siding business many years ago, there was a saying among the sales people, “Are you working hard, or working smart?”, meaning...

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The Naughty and Nice List

Romans 4:4 “Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt".  Christmas brings back some really great memories for me from my childhood.  How about the lyrics to the song “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”?  We used to sing that song all the time, loved it.  But as I got older and really listened to the lyrics...

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Stickability

Ephesians 6:18 - “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;”  Stickability.  Stick with it.  Persevere.  Press through until the end.  Keep praying until you pray through.  So many times, if something doesn’t happen as quickly as we think...

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Absalomic Vinegar

2 Samuel 15:2 – “And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate: and it was so , that when any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.”  I really enjoy a nice salad with my dinner…and my dressing of choice – balsamic vinaigrette!  Did you know that the name balsamic comes from...

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"Thanks-given"

2 Peter 1:3 "According as his divine power has "given" unto us all things..."  My favorite holiday to celebrate has always been Thanksgiving.  As a child, I have great memories of our family going to the big rivalry football game on Thanksgiving morning and then...

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