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Devotions Archive
Tired of Playing Games
Spiritual Warfare, weariness, Encouragement Dana Rongione Spiritual Warfare, weariness, Encouragement Dana Rongione

Tired of Playing Games

A little over a week ago, I was reading through the Lewis Carroll classic Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. It had been so long since I had read the tale that I wanted to refresh my memory. At one point, I laughed aloud while wiping tears from my cheeks. It wasn’t that the scene was that comical but rather that I could relate so very well at that moment.

While playing croquet with the Queen of Hearts, Alice soon discovers that the game is anything but ordinary. The mallets were live flamingoes, and live hedgehogs served as the croquet balls. The card soldiers bent backward to form the arches through which the balls could roll. The problems with this setup were many.

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An Earnest Prayer
Encouragement, Songs, Prayer Dana Rongione Encouragement, Songs, Prayer Dana Rongione

An Earnest Prayer

I love music. I listen to it all the time. That being the case, I’m very familiar with many songs, especially the good old hymns I’ve sung all my life. When we started traveling the country to raise our mission support, I realized I didn’t know quite as many hymns as I thought. With so many churches having different hymnals, I discovered many “new” songs.

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The Tess Tea Party
Dog Devotions, God's love, Comfort, Encouragement Dana Rongione Dog Devotions, God's love, Comfort, Encouragement Dana Rongione

The Tess Tea Party

Tess, our precious terrier, loves people and does not appreciate being left alone. We’ve had a few occasions where she’s gotten into things around the house while we were away at the chapel, but most of the time, she’s an angel. Last Sunday, however, was not one of those times.

As we entered the house Sunday afternoon after our morning church service, we immediately spotted the debris covering the foyer carpet. Destroyed plastic containers dotted the area. Tea bags—some intact, many not—littered the floor. Loose-leaf tea covered the room like fallen leaves on an autumn day. Yes, for some strange reason, our pooch decided to ransack my tea collection. Bad dog! Nobody messes with Mama’s tea!!!

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I’ll Go But Only If You Go With Me
Comfort, Encouragement, Dog Devotions Dana Rongione Comfort, Encouragement, Dog Devotions Dana Rongione

I’ll Go But Only If You Go With Me

Even though Tess was five years old when we got her, she wasn’t house-trained. She had spent much of her life in a kennel, so it took some training to help her realize the house was not a toilet.

All in all, she’s done well, and to make things easier, we installed a doggie door, so she could let herself out when she needed to go. We were hopeful there would be no more incidents in the house, but one thing we failed to consider is how much our pup hates inclement weather.

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Jesus Will Meet You Where You Are
Hope, Encouragement, Comfort Dana Rongione Hope, Encouragement, Comfort Dana Rongione

Jesus Will Meet You Where You Are

We’re all probably familiar with the sisters of Bethany: Mary and Martha. Like many sisters throughout the ages, the two ladies were very different. From the picture the Scriptures give us, I see Martha as a doer. She hosted dinner parties, cooked a mean meal, and could organize with the best of them. I imagine she was the type of woman who made lists and stuck to a rigorous schedule though I could be wrong. She just strikes me that way. A real go-getter. Not afraid to speak her mind or put her foot down. Yes, that’s how I envision Martha.

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