Lyli Dunbar's Blog, page 71

The Anchor Verse

I am sharing my 2014 anchor verse with like-minded sisters at

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Facebook: Ministry or Mania

 

 

I decided to delete my Facebook account.   The mania had become too much.  Facebook was sucking my life away – it was a time waster.  The platform was a breeding ground for dissatisfaction and superficial relationships.  I was exhausted by the “oversharing” of personal information and the wars waged by friends with differing political ideologies.  I wanted to return to the quiet days of reading a book and listening to music.  The voice of Facebook had to go.

But, before I could hit the delete button on my social media life, God sent me a reminder.  He reminded me that I am to be a light in a dark place.  He reminded me through a Facebook private message.

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I am sharing over at Missional Women today.   To read the rest of this post, head on over here….

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Hold Fast (Thought-Provoking Thursday)

 

Hold fast.

Eight weeks ago, I read these two words in Melissa’s post.

Two days later, my one-year Bible reading brought me to Hebrews 4.

Therefore, since we have a great high priest

who has passed through the heavens,

Jesus the Son of God,

let us hold fast our confession.

One again, “hold fast” jumped right off the page and into my heart.   I wrote it down in my journal.  I wanted to remember.

Just four sleeps and a wake up later, our world imploded with crushing news.  The last two months we’ve sailed stormy seas.

Through it all, I’ve tried to stay anchored firmly to Him.  I am holding fast to His promises.

I’ve learned that on a ship “hold fast” implies that rigging is tied securely.  During inclement weather, sailors would actually wrap themselves in the lines to help maintain their grasp.   Seamen often tattooed this phrase on their knuckles as a reminder.  With this information in mind, I had to smile when I read verse 14 again in The Message:

Now that we know what we have—

Jesus, this great High Priest

with ready access to God—

let’s not let it slip through our fingers.

As we start 2014, this sailor is securing herself to Her Savior.

May He tattoo these two words on my heart:  Hold fast.

I know He specializes in stormy seas, and He won’t let me slip through His mighty fingers.

Something to think about…

Looking for more thought-provoking posts? Check out the ones written by my blogging friends in today’s link up.

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 Hold Fast (Thought-Provoking Thursday) appeared first on 3-D Lessons for Life.

Lessons Learned in 3D — Wrap Up

 

Dear December,

Thanks for coming to visit.  You brought some unexpected surprises, and you demanded way too much of my time and energy.  But, I still like you.  I love your tinsel.  You’ve got style, even if you are a lot of work.

As we wrap up and part ways, I wanted to share the top 10 lessons you have taught me as a way of saying “thanks for the memories.”  (Cue the Bob Hope song here.)

1.  If your mom says that your dad has an “infected pimple,”  this could actually be the shingles.

2.  If your dad gets the shingles, your mom will probably get the chicken pox.

3.  If your mom gets the chicken pox, you should run to Walgreens and get a Varicella vaccine.  You won’t need a prescription, and it will cost you $150.  If you do this within 72 hours of kissing your infected mom, you will probably avoid catching what she is sharing.  (Note:  If your mom attended your cousin’s wedding the day before she got the chicken pox, you may need to go into a witness protection program before the next family reunion.)

4.  I discovered that I really love song #3 on the album We are Young and Free by Hillsong Young and Free.  I can’t get the lyrics and melody to “Wake“  out of my head….

5.  If your girl gets really terrible news on a Friday night, it helps to split a really ginormous sundae.  This is excellent therapy.

 

6.   I need to use my crock pot more.   For Christmas, I bought a 6 lb.  Boston Butt and made Pulled Pork just like my sweet mother in law used to make.  It was easy peasy and very yummy.  My husband was super happy.

7.  Quiddler is a card game with letters instead of numbers.  You try to put words together with your hand of cards.  (Note: My husband is very good at this game.)

8.  If you invite your friends to come over on a Thursday, they will show up and have a story to tell.  (Many thanks to everyone who is participating in Thought-Provoking Thursday!  You have encouraged my heart.)

9.  This year, the Christmas staff party was at a Mexican Restaurant.  Then, a week later, my sister in law decided we should move our family Christmas dinner to a Mexican restaurant.   Apparently, Santa likes to eat burritos.  Who woulda’ known?

10.  For 46 years, I have been singing the wrong lyrics to “Up on the Housetop.”  Tonight, I googled the lyrics and discovered that the last line of the verse actually says “Who wouldn’t go?” instead of  “Who woulda’ known?”

Who woulda’ known???

Q4U:  What did you learn in December?
I’m joining Emily and friends today.

 

The post Lessons Learned in 3D — Wrap Up appeared first on 3-D Lessons for Life.

The Year in Review — 2013

As we close out 2013, I thought we would take a little lookey back at the top posts from each month of the year.  Consider this my own personal version of the “12 days of Christmas.”  There won’t be a partridge in a pear tree, but I would be happy to leap like a Lord or milk a cow with 9 maidens for you if you find that sort of thing necessary.  Here is the year in review…

January: Fruitilicious

   My one-word focus for 2013 is to be “fruitilicious” — a bright, tasty, juicy morsel shared and given away to sustain life in others.   I will not hide behind the fence in fear and apathy.  (Philippians 1:9-11)

 

 

 

 

February:  The C-Word

   On being a Cuban Christian — These days, the word “Christian” has almost become an expletive to some.  It causes me to wonder — how well are we loving others?  Are we obeying the rules?  They will know we are Christians by our love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

March:  The Limp

“…God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction” (Genesis 41:52,b).

…

April:  Eclipse

  My Story as a Survivor of Clinical Depression: It’s an eclipse. The Light never leaves you. The shadow that obscures is but temporary.  You are not alone.  (Proverbs 23:18)

 

 

 

 

 

 

May:  Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (with Free Printable)

  The life of a disciple requires some form of accountability.  We must speak truth to our neighbor and allow our spiritual sister to come “sit for a spell” in the parlor of our heart.  She will have “an eye” for things that you might miss — letting her in will make your heart a more inviting place to visit.

 

 

 

 

June:  Burn the Midnight Oil

  It’s time to burn a little midnight oil, my friends.  Make the most of every chance you get.  Time is short.  How do you “redeem” the time? (Ephesians 5:11-16)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July:  Survivor

  What would you do if you were confronted with death? What gives someone the strength to survive? Is it luck, chance, instinct? (Psalms 121:2)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August:  On Surrender

  I don’t know what tomorrow will hold.  My heart will remain lifted to God in surrender no matter what the outcome.  God holds my tomorrow.  He holds my friends.  He holds my very life.

I will trust God with my yesterday, my today, and my tomorrow. (Philippians 1:29)

 

 

 

 

 

 

September:  God Loves You

   Because God is love, He relishes in giving us a fresh glimpse of His glory.  He longs to refresh our spirit.  (Jeremiah 31:3)

 

 

 

 

 

October:  31 Days to Fruitful Living (a series)

  My desire to is to live a fruitful life for God, but He is teaching me that this will require me to put in some spiritual elbow grease.  I can’t buy this kind of fruit in the store.  I must cultivate it.

So, for 31 days, I explored what it was required for me to live a more fruitful life.  I did my best to not let my black thumb get in the way of things.

 

 

 

 

 

November:  Be a Light

  On how God spoke to me in a public restroom: Is God calling you to take a step of faith and “Be a Light” in a dark place? (Matthew 5:16)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December:  Comfort and Joy

 His comfort and joy change everything.  This Advent, may I burst with the God-news. (Luke 1:46-47)

 

The post The Year in Review — 2013 appeared first on 3-D Lessons for Life.

An Announcement

 

Joining like-minded sisters at

The post An Announcement appeared first on 3-D Lessons for Life.

WonderFully Made

My dad lost 40 pounds the year I was born.  He was young, so young.  He’d fled his home country to America to find freedom – leaving behind his parents and all he knew.  He met my mom, and they exchanged vows.  Two year later, I arrived with unexpected challenges.  My hip never fully developed.  My right limb was deformed with two missing bones and a disfigured foot that was quickly amputated.   I would walk, but…

I am honored to be sharing “WonderFully Made” over at Missional Women today.   To read the rest of this very personal story, head on over here.

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Tend Your Flock (Thought-ProvokingThursday)

Every year when I read the Christmas story, I try to picture what it would have been like to have experienced it first hand.  What if I were Mary?  Would I have responded with such faith-filled obedience to God’s call?  I can’t imagine how emotionally spent Joseph must have felt by the time they arrived in Bethlehem.   This couple persevered and sacrificed because they believed God could do the miraculous.

The main characters in this supernatural story are simple people.  It’s hard to believe that God chose to announce the arrival of the Messiah to lonely shepherds on a dark night out in the middle of nowhere.  You would think that the angels would appear in the town square or at the temple.

God never writes the story the way I would write it.  He likes to create heroes out of the unlikeliest people.

Last night, as I read Luke 2, I tried to stand in the field with the shepherds.  I envisioned the glory.  I reveled in their joy.  I imagined how they ran to Bethlehem in a frenzy.

I kneeled in their midst and worshiped  the Babe.

And then, just like that, it was over.   I mean, they didn’t kneel there forever.  They had work to do.  So, they returned to their flocks.

Yes, the shepherds shared the news with everyone on the way — they could not keep silent.  But, they got back to business.  They had sheep to tend.

During Advent, I’ve celebrated the Savior and rejoiced in Him.   But, in a few days, the nativity set is going back in a box, and the twinkling lights will go dark.

Do you hear God’s message as clearly as I do?

Tend your flock, Shepherd Sister.

Will I remember to praise God for all I have seen and heard as I go about my daily grind?  Will I tend my flock with joy?  Will I share His story with others out in the dark fields of life?

Lord, help me tend my flock with passion for You.

Something to think about….

Looking for more thought-provoking posts? Check out the ones written by my blogging friends in today’s link up.

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 Tend Your Flock (Thought-ProvokingThursday) appeared first on 3-D Lessons for Life.

The Way

Through the heartfelt mercies of our God,

God’s Sunrise will break in upon us,

Shining on those in the darkness,

those sitting in the shadow of death,

Then showing us the way, one foot at a time,

down the path of peace.

Luke 1:78-79, MSG

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Joining like-minded sisters at

Photo Credit

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Home (Thought-Provoking Thursday)

Photo Credit:  J.Holland

 

We purchased a home a few weeks ago.   We’d lived in the house for a few years as renters, but now it’s ours.

This year, we put a Christmas wreath on the door, and I found a blow up Nativity for our lawn.  Now that this is our house, I am “nesting.”  I purchased a few fancy frames to decorate each room.

So, this weekend, my husband spent a couple of hours drilling holes and centering pictures on the walls to make things look more homey for me.

I am slowly putting our imprint on all the walls of this home.

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This morning, God reminded me that Christ came to make me His home.  Once I invited Him in, my Savior invaded every space and claimed it as His own.

Christ is a nester.   He wants to adorn my life with good things, holy ornaments.

Emmanuel is slowly putting His imprint on me.

…

…

Something to think about….

Looking for more thought-provoking posts? Check out the ones written by my blogging friends in today’s link up.

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 the #ThoughtProvokingThursday hashtag 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 Home (Thought-Provoking Thursday) appeared first on 3-D Lessons for Life.