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Ode To Joy
The perseverance we find in hope, steadied by peace, gives us the ability to hold tightly to joy. Beethoven composed his 9th symphony with a choral finale and vocalists (something no major composer…
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The Quiet Secret
We are halfway through Advent as we light the third candle, Joy. In preparation for this devotional on joy I spent days pouring over verse after verse on joy. I was amazed how…
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The Depth of Surrender
At the bottom of surrender is peace. I think peace is the steady flame in our hearts to trust beyond understanding even when that flame can become dim as weariness grows and trust…
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The Posture of Peace
We wrestle with much when waiting stretches out beyond our expectation. I am all too aware of how often answers come in ways I don’t expect. Before Jesus was born, the Jews were…
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Making Space for Peace
Advent is a wonderful reminder that peace is possible. Because the peace that Advent reflects on isn’t one where conflict ceases or disagreements are simply halted-Advent peace rebuilds. In other words, it doesn’t…
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Peace on Earth
The word for peace in Hebrew is the word shalom. And while this word can mean the absence of conflict, the definition is meant to highlight the presence of something. Shalom at its…
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Unwrapping the Gift of Peace
On this second week of Advent, we light the peace candle. When you look up the definition of peace in the English language, there are several definitions often referring to a tranquil state,…
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Interrupting Darkness
A few years ago, I had the incredible opportunity to spend ten days in Jordan filming a music video for their tourism board. It was an amazing experience with a wonderful yet hectic…