​By Debra Torres

The lake was calm and inviting. 

And as we started out with our assorted floaties, I mistakenly concluded that the other side wasn’t all that far.

It would be an adventure, I thought, to take the kids over. We could say we swam the small, residential lake and had fun doing it.

And so, we set off.

At first our moods were light and cheerful. I had some of my kids with me and another little friend, and everyone kicked and splashed with their tubes and floats. What a perfect day.

But around the time we got to the middle of the lake, I began to sense we were in a bit of trouble. Trying to the get to the other side wasn’t so much fun anymore. We were all getting tired, and it seemed like no matter how hard we kicked, we still seemed to stay in the same spot.

And the other side of the lake wasn’t getting any closer.

By Debra Torres
I was watching the instructional webinar on my computer when I heard the speaker mention church.

Hmmm, I thought and considered what this meant. 

This man was a leading spokesperson in his area of expertise, and I considered contacting him and having a little chat. 

I love connecting with Christian professionals. 
They show their true colors now and then in my field, and sometimes I can spot them by what they choose to say or write about. 

I remember discovering that a fellow copywriter was a Christian by seeing an image of a Bible in her “best reads” list on her blog. And recently, I connected with a prominent Canadian Christian after reading one of his emails where he included a small financial appeal for a mission trip.

I dream of one day writing for a large online Christian ministry, and you never know who has connections where. So I emailed the man from the webinar and introduced myself, telling him about my faith and asking him about his own.

When I read his reply message however, it was like I had been punched in the gut. 

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Who is God? We serve an all or nothing God. One that likes his children “stinging hot” in their loyalty to Him. The world wants us to think that there is more than one way to heaven, more than one way to living the righteous life. But God says he is jealous for us.
 

We walked into the hotel’s pool area and smelled the chlorine lingering in the air. 

It wasn’t a typical pool day, though. 

There were chairs lined up near the water, and our preacher was already hard at it explaining the purpose and benefits of baptism.

Several folks got up when he was nearly done and began to make their way over to the pool. These had all expressed a desire to be baptized, and I’m sure had been through a session with the pastor on the significance of their decision.

People of all ages were waiting by the edge of the pool when the crowd made its way over. Grandparents, young adults and even one little blonde-headed girl all wanted to be “dunked.”

I love watching people get baptized. It’s like witnessing a holy, heavenly event right in the confines of our earthly setting.  

“Woot woots!” came from the crowd as each church member went under and came back up to step into new life. Straining to hear what my pastor said to each one as they were immersed into the water, I finally made out these words ...

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Who is God? God loves us so much that He wants us washed of all the old "yuck" as we enter into new life with Him. Baptism is a wonderful, symbolic event. Have you been baptized yet?

By Debra Torres
It was a chilly day to grocery shop, but empty cupboards sent us out to brave the weather and fill our carts.

When we done, the real challenge came when we had to transfer all the groceries to our van in the cold.

But just when I thought we were finally finished, and I was looking forward to warming up in our vehicle, I uncovered something at the bottom of our cart that had been unnoticed at checkout.

A lone pork roast.

Ugh, the weather was so bad and for just a moment, I thought about ignoring the mistake and packing the roast into the van with the rest of the groceries. But ...

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Who is God? When we stand firm in obeying God, we please Him. And even though we may miss a temporary "prize," the blessings of God far outweigh anything the world can give us.

By Debra Torres
The snow was crisp beneath my boots, and the squeaky sound that came from each footstep told me that it was cold. 

Really cold.

I didn’t need the snow to tell me it was cold, though. My body was way ahead of it. 

That week, my fingers froze in my mittens, my feet felt the chill right through my boots and even my woolen hat was no match for the bite of the wind.

Brrr…

Sometimes, when the weather gets me down in Western Pa., I begin to think about Virginia Beach and the many years I spent living there. I had enjoyed the South with its two-month winters, its daffodils in February and its endless blue skies.

When God moved our family North over ten years ago, however, I was ready for an adventure. But I didn’t think ...

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Who is God? God knows exactly what we need, and we have to learn to be content with what He gives us. When we can do that – we can have peace.

By Debra Torres
The profanity came out of Claire’s mouth hard and fast that day in our high school locker room. 

I was a new Christian then, a wannabe athlete and mediocre at best on our high school swim team. 

I was a bit awkward and self-conscience, but I had a light growing inside me that was beginning to show through the cracks in my reserved personality.

Claire was a good swimmer, tall, blue-eyed and confident with the boys. But she had a mouth that could beat any sailor, and she especially favored bashing God’s name.

And that day in the locker room, I had had enough. 

“Stop saying that,” I said, challenging her while she and her friend Beth laughed and carried on about something. When Claire asked why, I told her that God didn’t like it. ...

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Who is God? God loves us all so much and he desires that not one would be lost. He has chosen you and me to go and tell others about him. It's a tough road lined with persecution, and he knows it. I think that's why there's such a great reward waiting for those who choose to obey. 

By Debra Torres
There’s a little status indicator light on my dishwasher that lets me know when I need some more rinse aid. In bright yellow green, it tells when things are getting a bit “lo.”

The sign bugs me. I don’t usually have any rinse aid, so it often catches my eye when I enter the kitchen. 

It’s a constant reminder that I’m lacking in some way. And who needs that?

The man I bought the dishwasher from told me that the light would go out after a few runs of the washer. But it’s been over a year now, and the glowing message still let’s me know that I’m a bit “lo.”

Sometime back though, I rethought my dilemma and gave my problem a spiritual upgrade. You see ...

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Who is God? The good and the bad, God wants us to share our lives with Him. He is a loving God who waits to be invited into our day. So many times we go along with life, forgetting. Take a moment now and invite the God of the universe into your present situation. You'll be so glad you did.

By Debra Torres
The smell of bacon makes me think of my grandmother. And I told my daughter this while making lunch the other day. 

I explained that Grandma would often have it frying on the mornings we visited when I was a girl. 

Bacon and eggs, hot buttered toast, juice and sweet red grapes was her signature breakfast for our family.

 “I think they ought to put those kinds of smells in scented candles,” my daughter said. “They always have sweet smells like cinnamon bun or hot apple pie. How about a bacon candle or a friend chicken one to remind people of their grandmother’s kitchens?”

Her idea made me smile. She just may be onto something, I thought.

I’ve been thinking a lot about how we make others feel lately.  Just like the way the smell of bacon frying connects me with ...

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Who is God? God is so powerful that when we spend time with Him and in His Word, others notice. We change in many ways, and we even have a different "fragrance" about us. The Bible says that we are the "sweet fragrance of Christ." Isn't that beautiful? 

By Debra Torres
My friend Kim couldn’t sleep. Her husband was in a hospital a few blocks away and times were, well a bit tough.

She was staying in a veteran’s home for patient’s families, so she took herself down to the kitchen to see if she could find a bite to eat.

There, she found an older woman sitting at the table quietly sipping a cup of tea. They shared stories, and Kim discovered that the woman was staying at the home while visiting a sick brother. 

A Christian, the woman spoke about illnesses and healing and the power of God’s Word.  

She specifically told Kim about how God had told her to walk around her house with her Bible and speak healing scriptures out loud. 

And later, she had turned the idea into a ...

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