Lyli Dunbar's Blog, page 46
July 31, 2015
Granite Strength
I’m sharing “Granite Strength” and joining like-minded sisters at Still Saturday and Give Me Grace.
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July 29, 2015
Be Fearlessly Authentic
Photo Credit: Ryan Mcguire, via Pixabay
She looked at me across the table with a question in her eyes.
We were the two Latin girls in room full of Gringos. She was trying to describe a difficult someone, and she couldn’t think of how to accurately express her sentiments in English.
“Disfraces. Se pone muchos disfraces,” she verbalized in her native tongue.
I smiled knowingly. “He likes to masquerade,” I interpreted for the group.
Hypocrisy is so ugly.
On the way home after our Bible study, I mentioned to my husband how much I was enjoying our new Tuesday night family of eight.
“Everyone is a real person,” I observed. “They aren’t scared to tell the truth, and they aren’t trying to impress anyone.”
It’s so refreshing to break bread with people who are fearlessly authentic.
Something to think about…
I’m sharing “Be Fearlessly Authentic” with like-minded friends at Faith-Filled Friday.
Have you written something thought-provoking, challenging, encouraging, or inspiring lately? Link it up here! For best results, write the title of your post in the name box. 
As a courtesy, please link back to 3-D Lessons for Life in your post. Grab and share the Thought-Provoking Thursday button to spread the word. Use #ThoughtProvokingThursday to share your post and connect on Twitter.
Check back later to see what other GREAT posts have been linked up! Visit the post immediately before yours and leave an encouraging comment.
An InLinkz Link-up
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July 24, 2015
Quiet Retreat
I’m sharing “Quiet Retreat” and joining like-minded sisters at Still Saturday and Give Me Grace.
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July 23, 2015
5 Powerful Prayers for the People of the Cross
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I have a confession to make: I’ve stopped watching the news. I stopped watching because it either makes me incredibly sad, or it fills me with fear. I still follow the headlines a bit on twitter and the internet, but I refuse to watch another one-hour news report that is more like an episode of Jerry Springer than an informative documentary.
One thing I think we can all agree on is that these are dark times. The Bible warned us that as The Day of Christ return approaches we will face greater persecution. Matthew 24: 6-13 explains:
And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are but the beginning of the birth pains.
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake. And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
I want to endure to the end. I want to stay faithful to my Jesus in these difficult days. I want to be counted as one of the People of the Cross.
Recently, my pastor reminded me that the People of the Cross have always faced persecution and opposition. Paul was stoned for proclaiming His faith. Why am I surprised that suffering is part of the life of the believer?
In looking at the life of Paul, I see that he was a man who believed in the power of prayer. He often asked the church to intercede on his behalf so that he could proclaim the Gospel with freedom. Following his example, I want to fight on my knees for my brothers and sisters around the world…
I’m sharing “Five Powerful Prayers for the People of the Cross” over at Missional Women today.
To read the rest of this post, join me here.
The post 5 Powerful Prayers for the People of the Cross appeared first on 3-D Lessons for Life.
July 22, 2015
Empowered
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BOOM! The thunderclap roared down, and then I heard a tiny sound that scared me even more.
Beep, Beep — A click followed, and the room dissolved into darkness.
Noooo!
The unexpected power outing paralyzed me.
What am I supposed to do now? I picked up my phone to call for help, but the line was dead.
Enclosed in my office tomb, I felt alone and defeated.
I groped around blindly and found the tiny light source on my smart phone. That little pin prick ray settled me down and stuffed down my panic.
Honestly, the fearful feeling was familiar to me. Lately, the darkness of life has descended, and I find myself easily sapped of the energy required to push through the pain.
Maybe you’ve had the same experience? You get an unexpected phone call that is a black cloud of discouragement. Suddenly, you are scared out of your mind and scrambling for steady footing.
The good news is that we’ve got a built in source of strength and stability.
God’s limitless power never runs out.
Tap into these high-voltage promises:
The One who defeated death itself lives in you and can bring life into any situation: “If the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:11).
His power is constantly guarding His own and giving us a living hope that cannot be taken away: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (I Peter 1:3-5).
He has supernaturally provided EVERYTHING we need for today and for tomorrow: “His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us to His own glory and excellence, by which He has granted to us His precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire” (II Peter 1:3-4).
My prayer for you is that you will “be strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light” (Colossians 1:11-12). “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13).
You are empowered, my sister. Stand strong in the power of His might.
Something to think about…
I’m sharing “Empowered” with like-minded friends at Faith-Filled Friday.
Have you written something thought-provoking, challenging, encouraging, or inspiring lately? Link it up here! For best results, write the title of your post in the name box.
As a courtesy, please link back to 3-D Lessons for Life in your post. Grab and share the Thought-Provoking Thursday button to spread the word. Use #ThoughtProvokingThursday to share your post and connect on Twitter.
Check back later to see what other GREAT posts have been linked up! Visit the post immediately before yours and leave an encouraging comment.
An InLinkz Link-up
The post Empowered appeared first on 3-D Lessons for Life.
July 17, 2015
Six Years
Photo Credit: Curtis Copeland Photography
The post Six Years appeared first on 3-D Lessons for Life.
July 15, 2015
Sunshine
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Apparently, today was a nightmare day — frightening and hellishly impossible to handle.
I declared today a terrible, horrible, no good very bad day in every way, and I hadn’t even had lunch yet.
What is a girl to do when the rain clouds hang heavy, and the outlook is gloomy?
Some days you have to put your big girl pants on and make your own sunshine.
Over the last 6 years of hard hallelujahs, I’ve learned a few ways to help bring back the happy:
1. Turn off the noise: Is someone squashing your air hose? Take a break from your phone and your e-mail. Spend less time trolling social media sites.
2 Turn up the worship: Create a playlist of songs that makes your heart sing and play on repeat. Make time for church where God inhabits the praises of His people.
3. Tune in to creation: Get outside and note the beauty all around you. Breathe in deeply and relax your weary spirit.
4. Turn toward community: Go out for coffee with a friend and laugh till your tummy hurts. Ask a few close friends to pray for you.
Remember His mercies are new every morning. The sun may hide for a bit, but your hope will never be fully cut off.
Fill your day with sunshine — joyful and full of expectation.
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Something to think about…
I’m sharing “Sunshine” with like-minded friends at Faith-Filled Friday.
Have you written something thought-provoking, challenging, encouraging, or inspiring lately? Link it up here! For best results, write the title of your post in the name box.
As a courtesy, please link back to 3-D Lessons for Life in your post. Grab and share the Thought-Provoking Thursday button to spread the word. Use #ThoughtProvokingThursday to share your post and connect on Twitter.
Check back later to see what other GREAT posts have been linked up! Visit the post immediately before yours and leave an encouraging comment.
An InLinkz Link-up
The post Sunshine appeared first on 3-D Lessons for Life.
July 10, 2015
Wonderful Road
I’m sharing “Wonderful Road” and joining like-minded sisters at Still Saturday and Give Me Grace.
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The post Wonderful Road appeared first on 3-D Lessons for Life.
July 8, 2015
Run Deep
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I left work at 5:30 PM and drove 40 minutes south to sit beside a very important person in a hospital room. I’d pulled night watch for the fourth time this month. My body ran ragged, and my heart ached.
When I arrived at room 601, I discovered a posse of people filling up the room and spiling out into the hallway.
Bed A was now occupied by the patriarch of a new family. I waved hello and scooted over to Bed B. The room was easily the size of a postage stamp, but at least 10 people were crowded around the feverish Hispanic male in the bed to my left. One daughter placed cold compresses on the sick man’s forehead while everyone else spoke simultaneously in Spanish and asked loud, intrusive questions of the patient.
I smiled. Most people would be annoyed to be stuck in the cramped room with the Latin Mafia, but I found it most comforting.
I immediately adopted the crazy clan that reminded me of my own. I think the nurses were looking for an excuse to kick them off the floor, but I was happily chatting away with an Uncle and Aunt who had drifted past the curtain over to our side of the room.
A couple of hours later, a security guard loomed in the hallway and attempted to encourage the determined crowd to dissipate.
No one budged.
The TV blared a Spanish SOAP opera, and the youngest son was sent to Burger King with everyone’s order.
“We run deep,” proclaimed the curly haired daughter as she placed a fresh compress on her daddy’s temple.
Indeed, they do.
I contemplated their passion and purpose as they defiantly plopped down on the cold hospital floor to eat Burger King.
I want to run deep.
I want to stand in the deep with my family.
I want to walk deeper with my friends.
I want to dig deeply with you, dear reader.
I want to plunge into the deepest of the deep with my Jesus.
Photo CreditLet your roots grow down into Him,
and let your lives be built on Him.
Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught,
and you will overflow with thankfulness.
Colossians 2:7, NLT
For further deep contemplation:
Something to think about…
I’m sharing “Run Deep” with like-minded friends at Faith-Filled Friday.
Have you written something thought-provoking, challenging, encouraging, or inspiring lately? Link it up here! For best results, write the title of your post in the name box.
As a courtesy, please link back to 3-D Lessons for Life in your post. Grab and share the Thought-Provoking Thursday button to spread the word. Use #ThoughtProvokingThursday to share your post and connect on Twitter.
Check back later to see what other GREAT posts have been linked up! Visit the post immediately before yours and leave an encouraging comment.
An InLinkz Link-up
The post Run Deep appeared first on 3-D Lessons for Life.
July 7, 2015
Learning Curve
My students loved it when I graded on the curve. As a teacher, I accepted that if no one got a perfect score on the test, then a little adjustment was required. Consider it “educational grace.”
I spent seventeen years in a high school classroom. As the years progressed, I became more and more lenient. A note from Mom meant you got an extra day to finish your homework. I started grading student work in pencil, rather than bleeding in red all over their words and hearts.
Life will either soften you to the humanity in others, or you become jaded and untractable.
I want to be a sponge, not a rock. I want to be a safe place to land, not a stumbling block.
God has softened me to the brokenness in others by providing me some painful “field trips.” Over the last 6 years, I’ve experienced miscarriage, sickness, and depression. I’ve grieved the loss of loved ones, and I’ve walked with those who are grieving.
I’ve hit rock bottom and found that God is still there.
Learning is a gift… even when pain is your teacher…
I am honored to be sharing over at Holly Barrett’s blog today for “Testimony Tuesday.”
To read the rest of this post, join me here.
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