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Devotions Archive
Tightrope Trusting
Life's Journey, Weary, Comfort, Encouragement Dana Rongione Life's Journey, Weary, Comfort, Encouragement Dana Rongione

Tightrope Trusting

As I was doing my Optimize Your Day routine this morning, I looked out my office window and saw a large bird land on the overhead power line. This power line isn't very taught, and the wind was blowing pretty hard. The bird tried to steady itself, but it was a comical sight. Its tail feathers were pointing and flexing, and its wings would occasionally shoot out to steady itself. It was like watching a tightrope walker trying to keep their balance or a child trying to swing for the first time.

This lasted several seconds until the bird finally gave up and flew off. As I watched this, I couldn't help but think about how often I feel like that bird.

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Journey Through the Middle
Life's Journey, Comfort, Encouragement Dana Rongione Life's Journey, Comfort, Encouragement Dana Rongione

Journey Through the Middle

Have you ever felt stuck in a rut? Like a hamster on the wheel, you’re going through the motions but not really making any progress. I’ve been there. In fact, I’m there right now, and it can be discouraging, to say the least. But here's the thing: Sometimes, being stuck in a rut is a necessary step toward where God wants us to be. Just look at the story of Joseph.

Joseph was thrown into a pit by his brothers and sold into slavery. He ended up in Potipher's house, where he was eventually falsely accused and thrown into prison. But even in prison, Joseph rose to the top. He became the keeper of the prison, overseeing all the other prisoners.

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From Gravel to Grace
Life's Journey, Comfort, Encouragement Dana Rongione Life's Journey, Comfort, Encouragement Dana Rongione

From Gravel to Grace

Road construction can be a real pain! Over the past week, there's been a whole crew working on the street right in front of my house. It started off with them just patching up some of the rougher spots and potholes. Jackhammers going off at the crack of dawn, dump trucks rumbling by every five minutes. It was chaos!

The next thing I knew, they were reworking the entire road surface, leaving a bed of loose gravel in their wake. Suddenly, our once-decent road became this rocky, uneven mess. Driving on it is like navigating an off-road course, and our poor car is taking a beating.

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The Greatest Castle Never Built
Spiritual Growth, Life's Journey, God's goodness Dana Rongione Spiritual Growth, Life's Journey, God's goodness Dana Rongione

The Greatest Castle Never Built

Last week, Jason and I took some much-needed time off to rest and refresh ourselves. We spent a few days in northern Wales, taking in many sights, including three castles. They were all impressive, but my favourite was Beaumaris Castle. Now, there's a sight to behold! It's a massive fortress on the coast of Wales, with walls that stretch on for what seems like miles. But here's the thing: it was never finished. King Edward I had big plans for this castle but ran out of money before he could see it through to completion, leaving Beaumaris with the title “The Greatest Castle Never Built.” Bummer, right?

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Footsteps of Faith:  Navigating the Muddy Paths of Life
Life's Journey Dana Rongione Life's Journey Dana Rongione

Footsteps of Faith: Navigating the Muddy Paths of Life

Following an exceptionally rainy winter in Wales, the hiking paths have become treacherous mud pits. While hiking yesterday, Jason lost his footing in the mire and clutched onto a wooden fence post to steady himself. Little did he know, the post was rotted at the base. It nearly buckled beneath his weight. Thankfully, Jason regained his balance and the fence post before getting covered in mud.

As Jason managed to steady both himself and the decayed fence post, it struck me how frequently we seek solace in things other than the Lord in times of need, whether in people, material belongings, or our perceived capabilities. We place our faith in them, only to find that they are not as reliable as we initially assumed, much like the seemingly sturdy yet rotted post that Jason had clung to.

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