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Devotions Archive
Putting on the Armor When You’re Tired
Spiritual Warfare, weary, armor of God, Chronic Illness, Encouragement, Spiritual Growth Dana Rongione Spiritual Warfare, weary, armor of God, Chronic Illness, Encouragement, Spiritual Growth Dana Rongione

Putting on the Armor When You’re Tired

Last week, Jason and I finally did it. We hauled out the old, falling-apart dressers and replaced them with a shiny new (well, new to us) three-door wardrobe. Jason built in some shelves, I found the perfect baskets, and over the course of a few days, we went through every piece of clothing we had stuffed in those poor drawers.

Some things were easy to let go of: old, worn-out pieces that had lived a good life. Others I just never reached for anymore. But I'll be honest, there were more items than I'd like to admit that simply didn't fit anymore. I wish I could say that some had gotten too big, but sadly, that was NOT the case. Either way, they weren't doing me any good.

As I stood there, holding up yet another item that no longer fit and muttering something unladylike under my breath, a thought hit me: Sometimes the armor of God feels exactly like this.

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Is Your World Flying Upside Down?
Burnout, Weary, Spiritual Growth, Positive Life, Deadly Darts of the Devil, Spiritual Warfare, Animals of the Bible Dana Rongione Burnout, Weary, Spiritual Growth, Positive Life, Deadly Darts of the Devil, Spiritual Warfare, Animals of the Bible Dana Rongione

Is Your World Flying Upside Down?

I learned something recently in my Animals of the Bible study that completely rearranged my brain.

It turns out, moths aren't actually attracted to light at all. I know. I know! Everything we thought we knew about moths is a lie. Well, not a lie exactly, but definitely not the whole story.

Here's what's really going on. Because moths fly in complete darkness, they face a very real problem: how do you know which way is up when you can't see anything? God, being the brilliant Designer He is, solved this problem by giving moths a built-in reflex to always keep their backs toward the brightest light. For thousands of years, that worked perfectly. The sky, lit by the sun or the moon, was always the brightest thing around. Back to the sky, fly straight. Simple. Elegant. Genius.

Then we humans had to invent electricity and artificial light.

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Is Someone in Your Spot?
Rise Up and Build, Dog Devotions, Deadly Darts of the Devil, Distraction, Spiritual Warfare Dana Rongione Rise Up and Build, Dog Devotions, Deadly Darts of the Devil, Distraction, Spiritual Warfare Dana Rongione

Is Someone in Your Spot?

I have a confession to make: I am a pushover for dogs...even when one isn't technically mine.

Last week, our friends' dog, Copper, stayed with us while his people were on vacation. Tess, my sweet, generous, ridiculously good-natured pup, handled this like a champ. Her food? "Sure, help yourself." Her blankets? "Knock yourself out." My attention? "There's plenty of me to go around." Tess is practically a saint in a fur coat.

But then there's her special bed.

This is the doggie bed situated in front of the glass doors and close to the heater in my office. Friends, let me tell you, all saintliness goes right out the window when that prime piece of real estate is up for grabs.

Here's how it went: One dog settled into the warm spot with a blissful sigh. The other dog began to hover.

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How Do I Keep Going When the Bullies Won’t Quit?
Spiritual Warfare, Rise Up and Build, Discouragement, Encouragement, Distraction, Deadly Darts of the Devil Dana Rongione Spiritual Warfare, Rise Up and Build, Discouragement, Encouragement, Distraction, Deadly Darts of the Devil Dana Rongione

How Do I Keep Going When the Bullies Won’t Quit?

Have you ever committed to serving the Lord, only to feel as though all the trouble in the world suddenly found your address? You commit to reading your Bible, and your phone is inundated with distractions. You step out to serve, and somebody criticizes. You finally feel like you're making progress, and suddenly, discouragement, drama, or "bullies" pop up out of nowhere.

Nehemiah could relate. As the walls of Jerusalem started going up, the enemies started speaking up. Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem used mockery, threats, rumors, and trickery to stop the work. They mocked the Jews as weak. They suggested the wall was so flimsy that even a fox could knock it down. They plotted sneak attacks. They tried to lure Nehemiah away for a "meeting" that was really a trap.

On top of that, the people themselves grew weary. The rubble seemed endless. Their strength was failing. The enemies looked bigger by the day.

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Choosing the Swine Over the Savior?
Life's Journey, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Warfare, spiritual housecleaning Dana Rongione Life's Journey, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Warfare, spiritual housecleaning Dana Rongione

Choosing the Swine Over the Savior?

In Mark chapter five, we find one of the most dramatic scenes in all of Scripture. Jesus and His disciples have just stepped off a boat onto the shore of the Gadarenes, and before the disciples can even shake the sea spray off their sandals, a wild man comes screaming out of the tombs. We're talking wild! No clothes. No chains strong enough to hold him. Living among the dead, and cutting himself day and night. The people of the region had given up on this man. He was a lost cause. A hopeless case. But Jesus? Jesus didn't even flinch.

In the blink of an eye, the Lord cast out a legion of demons. The man who had terrorized the countryside was suddenly sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. It was the miracle of the ages. The townspeople should have been throwing a party!

But here's where the story gets strange...well, stranger.

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