Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | July 8, 2025

Another Lesson From Our Rescue Dog – Don’t Fear

“So we can confidently say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:6

I’ve written a couple times about lessons from my rescue dog (see here and here). Caroline still follows me around the house—for the most part. But if she isn’t under my feet at my work desk, or lying by the couch when I’m there, she’s in our room snuggled under our bed. (We call it “Caroline’s Clubhouse.”)

In addition to her thankfulness and joy in the rescue (lesson 1) and her desire to be close to her rescuer (lesson 2), there’s another spiritual-life reflection that struck me recently. See, when a storm is brewing and thunder rolls, my little dog starts shaking like a leaf. Nothing can calm her. Then as the rain dumps and the thunder and lightning are in full swing, she is an inconsolable mess. I may be humanizing her too much here, but my rationale is that her life on the street so traumatized her that when storms came, she had nowhere and no one to run. She had to rely on herself to find a place to hide and wait out the storm in fear.

I try to console her, hold her, even crawl under the bed to calm her…but she just doesn’t understand that she is safe with us, protected from what is scaring her. Her life is not what it used to be. She has been rescued and is no longer fending for herself in a dangerous world. She has a safe haven with us. Not that she won’t ever get hurt, of course. Accidents happen, like getting injured by her larger dog-sister while playing. Or Caroline still makes self-harming choices, like diving out an open window through the screen to go bark at the neighbor’s dog. Old “ghetto” habits from her past life still pop up, but she’s getting better through the years. (For instance, on our walks she no longer jumps up on our neighbor’s trash cans to knock them over in search of food.)

But when it comes to her fear and trepidation when storms come, her fears are completely unwarranted. She has been rescued, no longer needing to seek out self-protection—just like she doesn’t have to worry about how and where to find her next meal. We are for her, we will protect her, and we want only her best—even when she doesn’t understand what’s going on. (Because, well, she’s a dog.)

Hopefully, spiritual lightbulbs are going off for you like they did for me. As believers in Christ Jesus, we have no need to fear! We have been rescued! The Lord is Sovereign and Good—our best is always and only His will. Storms will come in our lives—Jesus promised it (John 16:33). But we never have to fear them. He also assured us that He’ll always be with us (Matthew 28:20), never leaving or forsaking us (Deuteronomy 31:6). The Lord is our Anchor (Hebrews 6:17-20) and our Strong Tower (Psalm 61:1-3), whether our storms are a result of this fallen world, other people, our soul’s enemy (Satan), our own sinfulness…or even previous ghetto—or pigsty—behavior.

Beloved, we do not have to live like we used to, believing we need to figure it all out on our own. Whether your go-to response to fear is taking tighter control, drowning or numbing it, or lashing out to hurt-before-being-hurt, you can give your fear to the Lord. He’s got you. And me. So, when we hear the proverbial thunder roll, let’s stand in faithful confidence that there is no fear in the perfect love of Christ in us (1 John 4:13-18).

“Lord, when I am afraid, I will trust in You, knowing You have not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and self-control. I can fear not, because You are always with me.”

 

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | July 7, 2025

Observer of Life

“In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” Psalm 5:3

For years I have been a weather watcher….now don’t think for a moment that I understand the scientific things concerning rain, storms, clouds, etc. I simply check the weather every night before I get my clothes ready for work. I browse weather.com if I’m traveling. And if I’m going to the beach, you will definitely find me checking that forecast the week before, days before and the morning of. Praying and hope the sun will shine. While the weatherman isn’t 100% on target – he typically doesn’t miss the mark often. So I lean towards trusting his forecast.

Why this crazy obsession? I want to know. I want to know how to dress. I want to know what to expect so I won’t be disappointed. I want to not get caught in a downpour with no umbrella. I want….and the list is endless.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if our lives could be so easily previewed and programmable? There are definitely  moments I truly wish I could envision what lies ahead. There are many times when my mind wanders and lingers over what I perceive could be a possibility. And yet there are equally moments when I feel the future is better left in the future. Unknowns before their time can pivot us into fear, apprehension and paralysis.

My resolve gives in as I realize it’s best that I don’t know. Why? Because it is the unknown events of our lives that draw us to the feet of Jesus faster than anything else. It’s in those moments that God produces growth, character and endurance within us. It’s what compels our hearts to move from knowledge of God to fully trusting the character of the One who is sustaining us. It’s exactly what births the surrender of our will to His perfect plan.

When Jesus instructed the twelve to pray for “daily bread,” he was inviting us to do the same – to zero in on today and leave the future in His capable hands. To transition our focus to being a life watcher – an observer who pays attention to what God is teaching us daily. Good, hard, easy, challenging, joyful and sad – pivotal moments to lean in close and listen for His voice.

Love this encouragement from My Jesus Calling calendar “You cannot dread a day that is vibrant with My Presence.”

There are lots of unknowns we won’t understand,  yet the presence of God surrounds us every day and that’s something we can count on. The sheer beauty of Him moving in and through our moments ushers in a beauty we never dreamed possible. So if we zero in on tomorrow then we miss the essence of His presence today. The choice is up to you and me – soak up His presence, observe what God is showing us today and leave the future in His capable hands.

“Father help us to resist the urge to overlook today because our gaze is focused on tomorrow. Settle our heart, mind and spirit so we can enjoy Your presence moment by moment – filled with Your peace.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

 

 

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Posted in Faith, Hope, Spiritual Living, Uncategorized

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | July 4, 2025

Life, Liberty & The Pursuit of Joy

“I (Jesus) came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10b

On July 4, 1776, the new Congress of what would ultimately become the United States of America, put forth a Declaration of Independence. This document clearly enumerated Great Britain’s tyrannical actions and the young nation’s absolution from allegiance to the British crown. One of the most quoted sentiments of this separation agreement sets its foundation:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

The Founding Fathers of our great nation set forth the truth (which at one point was self-evident) that human beings are created equal by God and have been given the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of (note, it’s not the attainment of!) happiness—and that no one can dispossess us of these things. The Declaration of Independence, as well as the Constitution drafted 11 years later, established the ideal for the new (and never-been-done-before) Republic. It’s a truly beautiful thing (despite how you hear today’s angry mobs shout otherwise), and as citizens of the U.S., we are privileged to live this way.

Interestingly, Thomas Jefferson wasn’t the first one to pen these concepts. We can look through the pages of the Bible and find the original promises made to the followers of Jesus Christ. As citizens of heaven (1 Peter 2:9-10; Philippians 3:20) , we are privileged to have received life, liberty, and the pursuit of joy (which is way better than happiness).

Life: We were dead in our sins, but have been made alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:1-10). Through Jesus we possess secure eternal life (John 3:16; John 10:27-29; Romans 8:38-39). And Jesus came to make us completely new (Galatians 2:20; 2 Corinthians 5:17), transform us into His likeness (2 Corinthians 3:18; Philippians 1:6), and allow us to walk in abundant life here on earth as we make our way Home to heaven (John 10:10).

Liberty: We were slaves to sin, but Jesus bought our freedom through His death and resurrection—His victory is ours. True liberty is found only in Him (John 8:31-36; Galatians 5:1). Upon salvation, we are given the Holy Spirit to live in us—and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Corinthians 3:17). And as Christ-followers, we don’t use this freedom to indulge ourselves, but to serve others (Galatians 5:13; 1 Peter 2:16).

Joy: In response to our God-given, Christ-bought life and liberty, believers are to choose joy (1 Peter 1:3-9; Philippians 4:4). Jesus lived this way during His ministry, even as He was being crucified (Hebrews 12:1-3). Obedience to the Father and abiding in Christ bring us true joy (John 15:8-11). And like our Savior, as well as through the example (and exhortation) of the Apostles, we are to endure the hard things of this life for the joy set before us. But beyond “endurance”, we are to actually “count it all joy” because these trials are part of our growth (James 1:2-4). See, happiness is based on our happenings…joy, however, can (and should) be a constant no matter what we walk through.

As citizens of the United States, let’s appreciate the rights our nation endows us with. But as citizens of heaven, let’s celebrate the life, liberty, and joy given to us by God through Christ Jesus.

“Lord, thank You for my new life and freedom in Christ. In response, may I choose joy as I walk in obedience and glorify You.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Freedom, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | July 3, 2025

The Near Miss

aug 29“No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” I Corinthians 10:13 (ESV)

Ever had a close call – a near miss – the accident that didn’t’ happen?  We sigh a deep breath and count our blessings.  With shaky knees, we do the “happy dance” because we’ve been spared from the unwanted. Overjoyed, we move on and resume forgetting the unthinkable almost interrupted our day.

Wouldn’t it be great if we could always make the narrow escape?  If we could experience the thrill and adventure of the close call and still miss danger.    Our near miss would probably tempt us to lower our guard and take more risks.  We’d maybe discard the warnings and claim our resilience.  Or perhaps we’d ignore the cautions and keep moving because we’ve always been able to hit the escape button before it was too late.

Ever thought of temptation as a close call – a near miss – the sin that doesn’t have to happen? The close call greeted Jesus after he spent 40 days in the wilderness fasting.  His physical needs made Him a desirable target for Satan.  Despite what He may have desired in the moment, Jesus resisted and Satan fled.  Throughout the gospels, Jesus paints a realistic picture – in this world we will face temptation.  The close call – a near miss – can be our story too if we like Jesus determine to not cross that line.

No one is immune to temptation and if we think we are too strong – then we could be on the edge about to fall.  Satan’s plan is to give us a false sense of resilience that says you can lower your guard, you can take that risk and you don’t need to heed the warning.

We’ve all been there when we thought we could keep the boundary in place and then watched as we slipped over the edge.  The words we didn’t want to say.  The attitude that crushed others.  The actions that destroyed lives.  The selfishness that reigned over all our decisions.  And in each of these God provided a means of escape. The ultimate near miss beckoning us to step back, pray hard, cling to His words and hit escape.

“Father, You have lovingly provided a way for us to turn away from sin. Help us to honor the boundaries that seek to protect us.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Hope, Spiritual Growth, Success, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | July 2, 2025

We Cannot Go Where God Is Not

If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.   Psalm 139:8-10

The most awesome privilege we have as daughters of the living God is to know that His Spirit is with us no matter where we go or what we do. He is there to lead, guide, protect, and provide. He is there to give wisdom in life situations.

That fact is easy for Christians to acknowledge mentally, but to understand that deeply, to be able to trust it, to rely on it in times of stress and danger—that takes the promises we find in scripture.

So here are a few to keep handy when you need the assurance that God is with you:

God goes in front of us to lead us. Isaiah 48:17  NLT

This is what the Lord says—
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the Lord your God,
who teaches you what is good for you
and leads you along the paths you should follow.

God is behind us. Isaiah 30:21  NLT

Your own ears will hear him.
Right behind you a voice will say,
“This is the way you should go,”
whether to the right or to the left.

God is on our right. Psalm 121:5 NKJV

The Lord is your keeper; The Lord is your shade at your right hand.

God is on our left. Job 23:9a  KJV

On the left hand, where he doth work…

God’s wings are above us. Psalm 36:7  KJ21

 How excellent is Thy lovingkindness, O God! Therefore, the children of men put their trust under the shadow of Thy wings.

God is below us. Deuteronomy 33:27  NLT

The eternal God is your refuge,
and his everlasting arms are under you.

God is in us. 1 Corinthians 3:16  NLT

 Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?

When I think of all these amazing promises together, I can imagine that we are each in a bubble of divine protection, surrounded on all sides—and on the inside—by the presence of God. Let’s all say, Hallelujah!

“Dear Father, what a blessing it is to know that you are behind and before us, on our right and our left, above us and below us, and dwelling in us. We need never fear being alone. Help us never to take that for granted.”

 For His Glory

Cherie Harbridge Williams
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | July 1, 2025

Warning: Be Anchored

“Then we will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about by every wind of new teaching. We will not be influenced when people try to trick us with lies so clever they sound like the truth.” Ephesians 4:14 (NLT)

Beloved, I have an urgent exhortation: Read your paper Bible—I mean the “book” version. For those of you under age 30, what I mean is that solid mass of collected papers with words printed in ink, having either a soft or hard cover. These iterations of the Bible have been continually printed for the public since about 1450 (not readily available in all countries, but for us—for now—Bibles are easily accessible at present). So, if you don’t have one (or more) in your possession, get one in a solid translation.

And know your Bible. See, since this God-inspired Word was recorded, there have been those twisting its meaning, tricking and outright lying about what God says. (This effort, by the way, stems from the very first lie of the father of lies, Satan, to the very first people in the Garden of Eden.) I could delve into all the places in the Bible—especially in the New Testament—where we’re warned against false teachers and various anti-Christs whose sole purpose is keeping people in the darkness, pulling them back into their previous darkness, or making those who are in the light ineffective for the Lord and His kingdom. Please do that research! But here, my warning is about what we—in 2025—are facing to those same malevolent ends: AI lies.

Recently, a sweet sister of mine was pining for some Billy Graham inspiration, so she searched online and started listening to Billy’s sweet voice (likely as she gardened). This mat-carrier of mine is a very mature believer and knows her Word. So, as this teaching continued, she knew something was amiss—it looked like Billy, sounded like Billy, but this was NOT a Billy Graham message. The message was twisted. It was an Artificial Intelligence (AI) creation. I know we’ve all considered the negative repercussions of AI (socially, politically, culturally, career-wise, etc.)…but to consider this tool in the hands of the lying enemy of God against God’s image-bearers, well, that’s just terrifying. In fact, I’m not going to play out that vision here at all. Instead, as you personally ruminate on the implications, my plea to you once again is to know God’s Word from the literal pages of Scripture. I get it, we’ve all become comfortable with the convenience of our phones and tablets, but even online Bibles can be edited, twisted, added to, and redacted.

When we go online, we have to be sure the sites we visit are trusted sources—not just YouTube feeds. There are plenty of false Christian teachers around (and even falsehood-filled denominations), so that battle is already constant. But now, even our favorite solid teachers (Piper and MacArthur are two of my go-to’s) can be replicated by AI—in audio and video formats—to purposefully mislead believers and keep Truth-seekers from hearing the true Truth.

Sweet friend, store up God’s Word in your heart (Psalm 119:11), it is the very breath of God for our training and righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16), every word proven true (Proverbs 30:5). The Bible is a lamp to our feet and light to our path (Psalm 119:105)—it transforms us by renewing our mind (Romans 12:2). In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1)—and as teachers and technology come and go, the Word of our God will stand forever (Isaiah 40:8). Read it, learn it, love it. God’s Word will keep you anchored in Truth, so AI lies will not trick you and toss you about.

“Lord, thank You for Your precious Word! May believers everywhere turn to the literal pages of the Bible to know You and become more like You through Holy Spirit revelation.”

For His Glory

Julianne Winkler Smith
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 30, 2025

Satisfied With God

“The Lord God is a sun and shield, the Lord will give grace and glory, no good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11

George Mueller lived in the 1800s and is widely known for his prayer life. He started an orphan ministry and cared for 10,024 orphans during his lifetime. Never once did he ask for donations or attempt to raise funds – George solely relied on God’s provision and prayed in millions of dollars.

This in and of itself is amazing but what really captures my heart was when the love of his life, Mary, was about to pass away from rheumatic fever. George saw God do miraculous things for his orphans and had so many prayers answered. His unshakeable faith and confidence in God lead him to read Psalm 84:11 to his dying wife.

“I am a poor worthless sinner saved by the blood of Christ and I do not live in sin; I walk uprightly with God”, stated George. “Therefore, if it is really good for me, my darling wife will get well. But if not, then it would not have been a good thing for me. And so my heart is at rest; I am satisfied with God.”

George’s wife died, yet he was at peace. Why? Because George had cultivated a deep, dependent prayer life with God; he knew the heart of the Decision Maker. All was well with his soul even if his heart was breaking.

There are lots of things we pray for – prodigal children and spouses, sick loved ones, financial stressors, critical decisions, daily strength – the list is endless. Often we monopolize the conversation by telling God exactly what He needs to do. We layout out our agenda and complain if He chooses another answer. Not George Mueller, he loved the Answer Giver more than the answer.

Wonder how different our view of God would be if we simply believed He is sovereign over all? Not sure what prayers you are laying down at the feet of Jesus. But this I do know, the One who loves you more than you could imagine will always act on your behalf to do what is good even if it is painful, uncomfortable and not desired. We can trust Him fully to do what is best for everyone involved.

“Father, cultivate within us a vibrant prayer life focused on a relationship with You and not a demand of our wish list.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Prayer, Spiritual Growth

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 27, 2025

Tuned In To His Voice

cb devo aug 16

“The Lord came and stood there calling as at the other times, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel said, Speak for your servant is listening.” I Samuel 3:10 (NIV)

Grocery shopping used to be uneventful, but now I know all the drama consuming the girl standing in line behind me. Too much information, but she is oblivious to the fact that everyone is hearing her conversation, including several giggling toddlers. Me, I just want to checkout and go home.

Tuning out all the excess chatter takes practice, but if we’re not careful we may tune out the wrong things. Listening is a dying art – one that we proclaim we do – but our actions reveal we don’t. Multi-tasking works great in juggling schedules, managing our homes and being productive on the job. But buried beneath tasks, lists and noise we often find ourselves missing the real silent message given by our children, our spouse, friends or co-workers.

Wonder how many times we’ve sat at the feet of Jesus and then walked away with no information? Oh, yes we came with questions. We even poured our hearts out – our live drama was for His ears alone. But when we finished, we were all done – we got up and walked away. Feeling better for our unloading of emotions, yet lacking His words because we failed to listen.

Maybe we’d already decided what direction to take. Maybe we were too distracted to give Him our full attention. You know that’s what real listening is all about – giving someone else our attention. Slowing down and being intentionally focused so we don’t miss what they are saying. Wonder what opportunities we may have missed because He called our name, but we weren’t listening?

Sweet friends it takes great intentionality in our world to slow the pace, silence the constant chatter and zero in on the voice of God. His wisdom, guidance and encouragement are ours for the taking; we just simply need to pursue an intimate conversation with the One who longs to capture our attention. He welcomes our words and desires to engage with us if we are willing to listen.  So the next time we are tempted to dominate the conversation and walk away let’s choose to sit longer, silence our voice and wait to hear what our God has to say – it will be totally worth every minute.

“Father, it is so easy to glide through my day tuning in and out to the noise – listening to bite size conversations. Help me to know, linger and hear Your voice.”

For His Glory

Janet Martin
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Attitude, Spiritual Growth, Spiritual Living, Wisdom

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 26, 2025

What Has God Ever Done For Me

“If He is the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him.”   Matthew 27:42

On a crowded pier in Florida one day, I heard part of a conversation between two men who were walking past me. One of them said, “What has God ever done for me?” As he melted into the crowd, I knew what God had done for him, but I didn’t try to chase him down and tell him.

Two thousand years earlier, three men hung on crosses. Some of the same people who had carpeted Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem with palm branches, who had shouted glad Hosannahs, now hated and scoffed at Him. Why? Because He hadn’t done for them what they wanted—relief from the Romans. They didn’t understand that His hanging there in agony was for their sake, the greatest gift anyone could have given them.

Are we guilty of the same thing? We pray for a situation to turn around in our favor, and it doesn’t. We become angry with God. We pray earnestly for someone’s healing, and they don’t recover. It must be God’s fault. We pray for funds to pay for something we know would be beneficial, but instead, an emergency arises that takes the money we had saved so far. Why isn’t God listening?

The people at the foot of the cross were asking Jesus to prove himself on their terms. “IF He is the King of Israel…” But Jesus isn’t a circus dog whose job it is to jump through hoops at someone else’s whim. Jesus is who He is. He is the Good Shepherd, the Lion of Judah, the Creator and Redeemer. You take Him or leave Him on His terms, and it’s the most important decision you’ll ever make.

Back to the fellow on the pier—I pray that the Lord has opened his heart, and that someone has had the opportunity in the years since then to tell him exactly what God has done for him. But that same attitude is repeated millions of times in people all over the planet. If only we could peel the blinders off those people. If only they could understand His unfailing love and grace!

“Father, we ask that our trust in You will deepen each day as we mature in our faith. Remind us that You are not an on-demand benefactor on our terms, but a gracious God whose ways are higher than our ways. Give us peace and an immovable trust that will weather every bump in our path. And give us a burning desire to share You with others. We thank You in the name of Jesus.”

For His Glory
 

Cherie Harbridge Williams
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Faith, Gratitude, Wisdom, Worship

Posted by: trbccoffeebreak | June 25, 2025

Releasing Today

mar 9

“For the bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” John 6:33 (NKJV)

Exhausted, I knew the night’s sleep was going to be crucial. The night passed quickly, and suddenly my eyes opened to the “next day!” I rolled out, onto my knees, wanting to commit the day to Him who sits on the throne, and whose glory is above the heavens. The only petition I could pray was “please, give me (us) this day my daily Bread.” Food sustains, comforts, strengthens, and helps our bodies function. However, I wasn’t begging for physical food for this day that would bring heartache and turmoil, rather my soul was crying out for spiritual Bread. My soul needed strength that only comes from God and the comfort of the Holy Spirit. Only by asking Him—begging Him—for His filling in my heart, would I make it. You’ve probably had days too when it is only by His grace that you made it.

Was it everything I had thought it would be? Yes, and tripled! The crisis we faced that morning within two hours had turned into three. Rolled into a ball of one it was a day that only God could have brought us through. What an unspeakable joy that—in the midst of trials—we have a God who is so caring that His love is bigger than any day’s problems. They do not go away, but He puts that yoke across our shoulders and His own shoulders taking the greater weight on Himself. Praise His Holy name!

“Holy God, we bless Your name which is above all names. We cannot make it even a second without You, but facing days with You by our side, sometimes with You even carrying us, is our only hope. Our hope is in You, Lord! Thank You for Your promise to be with us today!”

For His Glory

Sandy Day
TRBC Women’s Life

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Posted in Encouragement, Gratitude, Hope

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