NLD Blog – Page 3 – Insightful Living

Your Love Never Fails

by Rebecca Davenport in Grace Insights

Here are a few words from a song we sang at church last weekend, “Your Love Never Fails” by Chris McClarney: I know I still make mistakes But you have new mercies for me everyday Your love never fails ———————————- And when the oceans rage I don’t have to be afraid Because I know that You love me Your love never fails As we were singing this song, I began to think about the contrast of how I fail quite often, yet God never fails, and His love never fails. Normally I am very fearful of failure and try my best to avoid it. This usually results in being indecisive because I’m so afraid of making the wrong decision. It’s been my experience that people reject you when you fail, and I dont’ want to be rejected. The good news is that God is not like people. He does not

Your Rod and Staff, They Comfort Me Pt. 2

by Dana Dodd in Prayer & Praise

In part 2 of “Your Rod and Staff, They Comfort Me” we are talking about the staff – what is it and what does it represent in our relationship with the Good Shepherd. More than any other piece of equipment, the Staff identifies the Shepherd as a Shepherd. No one in any other profession carries a staff. It is used uniquely in the care and management of sheep and will not do for the care of horses, cattle, dogs, or any other animal. It is designed, shaped and adapted especially to the needs of sheep and is used only for their benefit. *The staff is essentially a symbol of the concern and compassion that a shepherd has for his charges. No other single word can better describe its function on behalf of the flock than that it is for their comfort. Whereas the rod conveys the concept of authority, of

Your Rod and Staff, They Comfort Me Pt. 1

by Dana Dodd in God Concept

I am continuing on to the next phrase in our 23rd Psalm series. We find ourselves looking at the phrase “Your Rod and Staff, they comfort me”. I am going to break it down in two parts so we can see what the Rod is and represents and then look at the Staff and what it is and represents. Before we dive in I appreciate many of you praying for Tony and I as we traveled the first of this week to North Carolina for his best friends funeral. It has been a difficult but emotional week for us we see God’s great demonstration of grace all over this. While we do not always fully understand things of this nature, we can find much comfort in the love of our Abba Father. He knows what He is doing and will never allow us to hurt needlessly. This world is not

Even Though I Walk Through The Valley…Pt. 2

by Dana Dodd in God Concept

Hello Friends of NLD, I am back working on the 23rd Psalm series here on the blog. Interestingly as I type this Tony and I are on I-85 as we are on our way to Charlotte, North Caroline for the day to visit his best friend since Middle School who is dying with Cancer. He was diagnosed a year ago with a malignant brain tumor. He is now down to 4 or 5 weeks left to live and will leave a precious wife and three young children (ages 7, 5, & 3) behind. We don’t always understand the valley’s we travel. My Father died at the age of 50 with a malignant brain tumor as well. Death is overwhelming but praise our kind, good Shepherd who took the curse of sin that was credited to us through the law upon Himself and shed His own blood and presented it in

Looking for Book Recommendations?

by Dana Dodd in Prayer & Praise

Hey Friends of NLD, I am planing on getting back to the 23rd Psalm series this week….I promise! But I have just a quick moment to share with you some things that I am reading and have just finished reading and I would highly recommend these books! The first is Captivating by John & Stasi Eldredge. It was fantastic and very much what I needed. A little excerpt off the back cover says this, “Your heart matters more than anything else in all creation. The desires you had as a little girl and the longings you still feel as a woman-they are telling you of the life God created you to live. He offers to come now as the Hero of your story, to rescue your heart and release you to live as a fully alive and feminine woman. A woman who is truly captivating.” The second is So Long

Good Friday

by Dana Dodd in Grace Insights

Hello NLD Friends, Easter is finally here! It is one of my favorite weekends of the whole year and I think my favorite holiday. Many who are not Christ followers just do not get this weekend. We know that we have life eternal and life abundant because of what this weekend means. Hebrews 9:22 states it clearly as it explains that without the shedding of blood there could be no remission of sin! Christ stepped up and offered Himself as the spotless Lamb of God shedding His own blood on our behalf so that we might experience His forgiveness and grace. We now have life full and free because of what He did. I don’t know what you do on Easter weekend or what your traditions are. Tony is planting several box gardens this year and today he is at home doing his planting! Apparently, you must have your seeds in

Why We Worry

by Rebecca Davenport in God Concept

Recently, I have been reading Max Lucado’s book, Fearless. This part really caught my attention, so I wanted to share it with y’all. It’s really good insight on why we worry and a great example of the conflict & frustration created when we depend on ourselves. Seek first the kingdom of wealth, and you’ll worry over every dollar. Seek first the kingdom of health, and you’ll sweat every blemish and bump. Seek first the kingdom of popularity, and you’ll relive every conflict. Seek first the kingdom of safety, and you’ll jump at every crack of the twig. But seek first his kingdom, and you will find it. On that, we can depend and never worry. Rebecca:-) Matthew 6:25-34

“Even Though I Walk Through the Valley…”

by Dana Dodd in Grace Insights

Wow….it has been awhile since I have been in blogger-ville. No worries…I haven’t dropped off the face of the earth. Still here! It has been a crazy month or so with work, normal-everyday life and some trips out-of-town for us. I am picking back up with the phrases from the 23rd Psalm. We are looking at “Even Though I Walk Through the Valley…” You may be wondering what a phrase like this has to do with sheep but there is a very interesting connection. As we have said that the whole Psalm tracks the entire year-long season of care between sheep and shepherd. When we come to this phrase we are looking at the halfway point in the year. One could imagine that the previous phrases were made by the sheep to other less fortunate sheep in the pen next door but with this phrase we make a dramatic turn. Spring

Cease Striving

by Rebecca Davenport in God Concept

Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Psalm 46:10 (NASB) Last weekend, while at a Casting Crowns concert, God spoke to my heart in a special way. Near the end of the concert, the question was asked, “Is there anything God wants you to lay down?” He said to lay down my pursuit. I thought of the verse above. God wants me to quit trying so hard to get what I think I need and let Him give me what I need– recognizing that He is God, and I am not. It wasn’t long before I had an opportunity to practice giving up my pursuit of significance and my pursuit of doing things just right. A few days later, when I took a lunch break, I found myself very stressed—about feelings of insignificance & unfairness, finding a location

Forever Connected

by Rebecca Davenport in Identity

But the one who joins himself to the Lord is one spirit with Him. ~1 Corinthians 6:17 As we get to know who God is and who we are in Him, we move through three levels of knowledge: 1. Factual Knowledge–knowing what is true; often referred to as head knowledge 2. Revelational Knowledge–when the Holy Spirit reveals the meaning of something to us; like an ah-ha moment or a light bulb coming on 3. Experiential Knowledge–learning something through experience; practical application of the truth; this is when it really sinks in and changes us Over the past several months, God has spoken to my heart in all 3 ways about being connected. This is one of those deep internal needs that I find myself struggling with quite often. I long to feel a close connection with others. When that is missing in my relationships with friends or family, I feel a painful emptiness and

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