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Guest Post: My Dad’s Hands
[As you know, my father-in-law, Duane Juve, passed away last week. At the funeral, Dawn's youngest sister, Delaine (Juve) Gamache, offered this beautiful tribute in memory of Duane. I asked Delaine if...
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How to Pray for a Friend
If you’re an average sort like me then you’ve had plenty of opportunities to offer a friend or family member a well-meaning, “I’ll remember you in my prayers.” Sometimes you say this via Facebook or...
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Letting A Daughter Grow and Go
Eight years ago, my then 11-year-old daughter, who was tormented with anxiety and depression, looked at me with blackness in her eyes and said, “Momma, death would be better than this.” Dawn &...
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The Trouble with Prayer
The trouble with prayer is that I don’t. Not often enough. Not long enough. Not with enough faith or focus or earnest fire. Not with enough trust in who God is, nor enough gratitude for what He has...
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Why God Answers Prayer
…or, not. Your life isn’t everything you hoped it would be, is it? Something or somebody, has let you down. Maybe a spouse. Maybe a career. Maybe your health. Maybe a friend. Maybe a child. Maybe you....
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Praying to Prepare for Worship
Christians have been taught through the ages to prepare for public worship with private prayer. This is a practice I try to follow (though I have my own trouble with prayer) and have taught my family...
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How Self-Righteous Can You Be?
It’s been almost 25 years, but I can still see that hateful scowl like it was yesterday. That Amish woman, in her crisp navy-blue dress and head covering, glared at Dawn with such a look of sneering...
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Why Life Will Fight You for Prayer and Why You Should Fight Back
Christians pray. I’m a Christian. If you’re reading this, you probably are, too. Do I pray? Do you? We Christians believe God promises to hear us when we pray in Christ’s name. We also believe God...
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How to Talk to God: 5 Things Jesus Taught Us to Pray
Quite often I feel at a loss to know how to talk to God. How do I approach Him? What do I say to Him? What needs to be said? I wasn’t born knowing how to pray. I wasn’t even born again knowing how to...
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David’s Hope for Salvation in Psalm 3
Hey there! How’s your hope in God holding up? If it’s starting to fade, I hope you’ll consider King David’s hopeful prayer in Psalm 3. David penned Psalm 3 on the occasion of Prince Absalom’s treachery...
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The Prayer of the Snowbound
[Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection] The Prayer of the Snowbound Adapted (for fun) from Psalm 69:1-2 (I hope this doesn’t do too much violence to Scripture.) 1Save me, O...
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Why Jesus Is Our Hope of Glory
[Jesus enthroned in glory. Nikon D40. Notre Dame, Paris. May, 2013] “Blessed be his glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with his glory! Amen and Amen!”— a prayer of King Solomon...
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How to Pray When Tragedy Kills
188 dead. 114 missing. 174 rescued. As I write on Sunday afternoon, these are the latest numbers from the SEWOL Ferry tragedy in South Korea. It’s utterly, unfathomably, heartbreaking. Since the ferry...
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Dreams, Disappointment, Hope, and Why This Blog Is Called “Average Us”
Well over a decade ago, a good friend challenged me with this question: What do you dream about? I remember feeling creases deepen on my brow as I answered emphatically, and somewhat bitterly, I don’t...
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6 Ways to Love Someone With Anxiety or Depression
The following is a guest post I wrote for Anne Marie Miller’s website on June 16, 2014. It was republished by ChurchLeaders.com. I wanted to share it with you today, here on Average Us.—Lon You’re...
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Do You Want My Good Thoughts, Positive Energy, or Prayers?
Thanks to the social web I get to hear about the needs and concerns of the people I friend and follow: Someone’s mother is in the hospital. A cousin was in a car accident. A friend is getting a...
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Can’t Anyone Teach Me How to Pray?
“Can’t anyone teach me how to pray?” Flannery O’Conner once wrote in her journal. You’ve asked it. I’ve asked. We all have. We still do. How do we address an infinite, all-knowing, almighty being who...
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Making Spiritual Life Adjustments
Any Christian who is familiar with the Bible knows that the most significant aspect of the Christian life is God’s grace: salvation is His gift. It is by grace alone that we are saved, through faith in...
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Our Need His Help
Heavenly Father, Make us always aware of our great need; And always aware of Your constant grace. Lord Jesus, Make us always aware of our great need; And always aware of Your perfect redemption. Spirit...
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What Faith Looks Like When You’re Afraid
The thing I dread most has come upon me and, I’m afraid. Since mid-February of this year, I’ve been dealing unsuccessfully with lower back pain. I ignored it for a little while and continued to run and...
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