2023-11-18 14:14
(c) Deborah EvansTrust in God.In John 14:1, Jesus said "Trust in God, trust also in me." This has also been translated as "Keep trusting in God, keep trusting in me." Jesus, knowing what was… Read More
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Paravanes:meditations Blog
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authentic Christian devotionals on Biblical faith and real life
2023-11-12 00:47
(c) Deborah EvansOn this Veteran's Day weekend in the U.S., many of us are remembering those who "fought for freedom." Most of us would say veterans fought for those at home and elsewhere to… Read More
2023-11-05 20:56
(c) Deborah EvansWhen you think of church, or the church, do you think of a building? A multi-location campus with many buildings seating hundreds of people? A Gothic type historical s… Read More
2023-10-28 15:04
(c) Deborah EvansI've spent some holidays alone. I don't always spend holidays alone, but I've spent a few alone and I will share what helped me enjoy and remember those holidays as positive… Read More
2023-10-21 12:52
Photo (c) Deborah Evans How open are you to change? How open are you to new ways of seeing the world? How open are you to leaving something (or someone) behind and taking on something (… Read More
2023-10-13 19:23
Image: Window in the kitchen of the Daggett Farm House at Greenfield Village in Dearborn, MichiganPhoto by Deborah EvansIf you are seeking to hear from God, you must rest. What do… Read More
2023-10-07 16:04
c) Deborah Evans"Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth."--Proverbs 27:1.Seek God's will, but insist upon nothing. Leave the details to God. Tr… Read More
2023-09-29 12:41
(c) Deborah EvansNehemiah 8:10: "Do not grieve...the joy of the Lord is your strength."What does this mean?Read the book of Nehemiah, not a long book, if you want to understand the historica… Read More
2023-09-23 13:58
(c) Deborah EvansIf you are unfamiliar with the term "Black femicide", read the article referenced below to understand what it is and why it is a public health crisis:Black Femicide: A Silen… Read More
2023-09-16 16:09
(c) Deborah EvansThis quote, "what punishments of God are not gifts?" from author J.R.R. Tolkien, gives us insight into how to understand God's connection with us.The nature of God's relatio… Read More
2023-09-09 13:54
(c) Deborah EvansSometimes, the past must be put aside before you can look upward and look forward. The past cannot be erased. The past is part of your history and your identity. Just as the… Read More
2023-09-02 15:33
Image from wikipedia.com article on "Tableland"This is the final Summer Break Encore post of 2023. The lyrics to the hymn "Higher Ground" were composed by Johnson Oatman, Jr. You can r… Read More
2023-08-25 14:53
(c) Deborah EvansWhile I continue to take a summer break, I hope you will find something helpful in this encore post. Written and originally published in 2013, this was also re-published in… Read More
2023-08-19 14:27
(c) Deborah EvansWhile I take a short summer break from the blog, I'm re-posting some of the most popular (based on views) posts. I hope you'll enjoy this one. I'll be back in early Septembe… Read More
2023-08-12 15:34
(c) Deborah EvansIf you feel your prayers for someone are not effective because you're not seeing the results you want, consider this: the deepest purpose of prayer is to align your will to… Read More
2023-08-05 14:18
(c) Deborah EvansAccording to a 2022 CBS News report, the average person tells four lies each day.This survey report suggests lying has become a natural and habitual way of life for ma… Read More
2023-07-29 14:34
(c) Deborah EvansIf you haven't reviewed it, read the July 22 post for the first part of this story.There are two summary lessons from Hagar's story. Let's take a look at them. As you read… Read More
2023-07-22 17:12
(c) Deborah EvansHagar's story (beginning in Genesis 16 and ending in Genesis 21) is a story about injustice to and enslavement of women in the ancient world. Hagar's story also tells us how… Read More
2023-07-16 20:27
The Great Divorce, by C.S. Lewis. Harper One, 2000. 146 pages. (Originally published in 1946.)From the preface: "Evil can be undone, but it cannot "develop" into good. Time does not heal it… Read More
2023-07-08 14:01
Image from livescience.comIf you are not familiar with Daniel, read the first three chapters of the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament.In the first three books of Daniel, we learn (fro… Read More
2023-07-01 14:42
If you want to understand how the power of scripture and belief in the God of scripture can transform, empower, and elevate the believer, you must read Transforming Scriptures: African Ameri… Read More
2023-06-17 13:50
(c) Deborah EvansIs listening to God as difficult or mysterious as some have suggested? Why is there so much mystery around listening to God? Books have been written about this. Seminars and… Read More
2023-06-10 12:26
(c) Deborah EvansMany Christians speak of and pray for "the power of God" to be sent to them, and often a prayer is sent for the "power of God" to move in and through someone. What does this… Read More
2023-06-03 15:30
(c) Deborah EvansIn Matthew 5:44-48, Jesus tells his followers to "Pray for those who despitefully use you." Why would anyone does this? What possible benefit could come to the person who pr… Read More
2023-05-26 19:05
(c) Deborah EvansIt is during the summer, during times of family gatherings or special events, and during holidays that many of us who live or have lived with parental alienation becom… Read More
2023-05-20 16:48
(c) Deborah EvansDo you honor your spirit, your will, your imagination, your mind, your dreams?Honor the body in which all of these reside.The Bible doesn't teach of a resurrection experienc… Read More
2023-05-13 14:17
(c) Deborah EvansIf you trust popular media reports, Mother's Day is a time of celebration, gatherings, flowers, gifts, dinners, and remembrance of happy times that have perhaps passed. If y… Read More
2023-05-06 15:07
This is the question a good friend asked me years ago. We were discussing the state of humanity, the state of the world. Then, the question popped up.I was surprised by this. As I thought ab… Read More
2023-04-29 12:53
(c) Deborah EvansA meditation for the next week on what Jesus Christ will do for you:When you see the One who is Truth and follow Him, the false and fearful beliefs begin to fa… Read More
2023-04-22 15:10
(c) Deborah EvansThe resurrected Jesus did at least four specific things for his followers. I will summarize them for you. Look for these actions in your life and think of ways to ex… Read More
2023-04-15 14:44
(c) Deborah EvansWhen Jesus says you cannot follow him unless you "deny yourself" (Matthew 16:24+25), he doesn't mean for you to neglect your well-being, your fitness and health, or… Read More
2023-04-09 00:20
(c) Deborah EvansIf you allow yourself to step away from the busy-ness of preparations for Easter celebrations, you may experience a powerful truth.Jesus did not step away from exper… Read More
2023-04-02 16:59
(c) Deborah Evans"Say to the Daughter of Zion, 'See, your king comes to you gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.' " --Matthew 21:4.This verse in Matthew is… Read More
2023-03-25 13:53
(c) Deborah EvansThese words from the prayer known as The Lord's Prayer and also referred to as "the prayer Jesus taught", sum up the essence of true Christian discipleship.The o… Read More
2023-03-18 23:13
(c) Deborah EvansThe best advice I ever received about prayer came from my father. This is what he said: "Pray as if everything depends upon God and work as if everything depends upon… Read More
2023-03-11 15:14
Photo (c) Deborah EvansCancel. Correct. Cure.Think of these three words -- or this short phrase -- as a way to measure your spiritual progress.Your spiritual progress is defined as how… Read More
2023-03-04 16:31
Photo (c) Deborah EvansAnother Black History Month has come and gone. A most important message is: know and understand Black history is more than trauma.The inescapable inequitie… Read More
2023-02-25 15:32
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your… Read More
2023-02-18 15:54
Photo: (c) Deborah Evans As we say goodbye to Valentine's Day week, here are a few thoughts to help you evaluate your relationships. These thoughts are not just "red flags" (warni… Read More
2023-02-11 15:18
In his classic book, Further Along the Road Less Traveled, M. Scott Peck defines love as an action and describes it as extending yourself for the benefit or improvement of another pers… Read More
2023-02-04 16:02
Blessed Assurance (lyrics by Fanny J. Crosby)Blessed assurance: Jesus is mine.O, what a foretaste of glory divine.Heir of salvation, purchase of God.Born of his spirit, washed in his b… Read More
2023-01-28 19:26
No, I'm not watching the Tyre Nichols video.For those not living in the States: Tyre Nichols was a young African American man who died from injuries he suffered after being beaten, pep… Read More
2023-01-21 14:47
Habits determine character, and character determines destiny. This truth applies to our time here and in the life that follows and continues forever.If you are struggling with any … Read More
2023-01-16 13:28
Who would you be and how could you live if you were free from the desire for revenge?What would happen if you decided not to hold the energy of hatred and focus that energy on another… Read More
2023-01-06 22:47
Photo: (©️ 2022) Deborah EvansIn the last post, I described how Jesus inhabits and transforms our lives as we practice obedience.I ended the post with the question of… Read More
2023-01-01 14:44
Last time, I wrote about how Jesus reaches out to and changes individuals. He makes these changes in us because he wants to correct us and complete us. He wants us to be completely cap… Read More
2022-12-27 00:18
The famous Christmas hymn, "O Holy Night", features these words: "and in his name all oppression shall cease " When we use the modern term "will cease", the message remains unchanged.B… Read More
2022-12-17 16:50
The true message of Advent and Christmas: God is with us. What does this really mean in our daily experience?It means God chose us and left nothing undone to restore us to connection a… Read More
2022-12-10 16:37
For those wanting to know, there are two important lessons to be learned from what's publicly known about the Shanquella Robinson story.If you're not familiar with her story, google he… Read More
2022-12-03 16:06
As "God with us", Jesus teaches us self care. One of those lessons is: you and I are not too busy to pray.As you read the gospels, you will become aware of how busy Jesus was. Crowds c… Read More
2022-11-28 01:44
Choosing to become one of us, like us even for a trickle of time (33 years) was the deepest expression of loving care and solidarity. When we cry, he knows the stinging sensation in our… Read More
2022-11-26 16:17
Thank you, Lord God, for... ...courage to leave toxic (not just difficult) people and situations, humility to see myself honestly, willingness to forgive others as you have forgiven me… Read More
2022-11-19 15:34
Jesus Christ, Christ the King, requires the ultimate loyalty of our lives: beyond the loyalty we offer to family, children, friends, institutions, employers, political figures, ideas, philos… Read More
2022-11-13 14:46
Any meaningful conversation we have with God about our life's direction and purpose is based on the truth of: 1. God knowing more than we know and 2. God loving us more than we love ourselve… Read More
2021-12-05 00:39
Indulging in regret may seem to give insight. Actually, regret damages your future and harms your emotions. Listen here to learn more about moving beyond regret.paravanes:meditations (c… Read More
2021-11-29 02:26
Do you know the "Final Beatitudes" found in the Book of Revelation?The first of the final two beatitudes (found in Revelation 14:13) gives guidance for peace and comfort when facing death, e… Read More
2020-10-23 13:58
"Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand." -- Romans 14:4."Therefore let us stop pa… Read More
2020-10-14 00:07
This is an encore post, originally published in September of 2018. I believe these ideas are still relevant and important because, at this time, many people are praying more than they have e… Read More
2020-10-02 16:26
This isn't one of the Ten Commandments. You won't find a distinct directive to "honor the body" anywhere in the Old or New Testament, except for Paul's directive to avoid sexual relati… Read More
2020-09-25 16:00
Beware of those who only reach out or contact you when they think -- or they have heard -- something is wrong.It may seem obvious, but if they're really concerned about you, they will… Read More
2020-09-13 19:11
Note: this is an encore of a post from 2012. Based on Psalm 23, the main idea of the post is to explain why faith often waits, listens, and is demonstrated by patience and by asking "what's… Read More
2020-09-07 16:33
Note: This is an encore of a post written in 2008, while I was growing my second set of locs. My first set was freeform and the second set was started with two strand twists and cultivated… Read More
2020-08-30 23:13
This is another encore post. This post was originally published in 2013, but continues to be one of the most popular posts on this site. In this post, I am writing from my personal experienc… Read More
2020-08-24 16:32
For the next few weeks, I will re-post my most popular blog posts. The one below, on the concept of being "blessed and highly favored" first appeared several years ago and still gets many hi… Read More
2020-07-26 19:52
Note: Please read the earlier posts on the Lord's Prayer if this is your first visit.Phrase by phrase, we have reviewed the Lord's Prayer this summer. What are some general guidelines about… Read More
2020-07-13 18:04
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our d… Read More
2020-07-06 20:06
Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,your kingdom come,your will be doneon earth as it is in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.Forgive us our debtsas we have forgiven our debtors.An… Read More
2020-06-29 19:03
Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,your kingdom come,your will be doneon earth as it is in heaven.Forgive us our debtsas we forgive our debtors.Lead us not into temptation,but delive… Read More
2020-06-19 14:20
Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,your kingdom come,your will be doneon earth as it is in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.Forgive us our debts,as we have also forgiven our debt… Read More
2020-06-07 22:30
Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,your kingdom come,your will be doneon earth as it is in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.Forgive us our debts,as we have also forgiven our debt… Read More
2020-05-28 16:01
Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,your kingdom come,your will be doneon earth as it is in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.Forgive us our debts,as we have forgiven our debtors.A… Read More
2020-05-18 15:27
I hope all of you are enjoying and learning something you can apply from my series on the Lord's Prayer. I have enjoyed sharing ideas about the prayer Jesus taught us.This week, I'm taking a… Read More
2020-05-11 20:01
Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,your kingdom come,your will be doneon earth as it is in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.Forgive us our debts,as we have also forgiven our debt… Read More
2020-05-04 20:02
Our Father in heavenhallowed be your name,your kingdom come,your will be doneon earth as it is in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.Forgive us our debtsas we have forgiven our debtors.And… Read More
2020-04-27 20:14
Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,your kingdom comeyour will be doneon earth as it is in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.Forgive us our debts,as we have forgiven our debtors.An… Read More
2020-04-20 16:54
Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,your kingdom come,your will be doneon earth as it is in heaven.Give us today our daily bread.Forgive us our debts,as we have also forgiven our debt… Read More
2020-04-14 17:05
Our Father in heaven,hallowed be your name,your kingdom come,your will be done,on earth as it is in heaven.Give us this day our daily bread.Forgive us our debts,as we have also forgiven our… Read More
2020-04-07 16:39
The writer of these words, from a classic spiritual, sings the phrase "Ride on, King Jesus", followed by "no man can hinder me." There many interpretations, but what can these words mea… Read More
2020-03-30 01:00
If you aren't using Zoom, Facebook, or other technology, try these low tech methods of staying in touch.1. Create a conference call, scheduled at a regular time, when you and your small grou… Read More
2020-03-26 19:00
If you're going to pray about the coronavirus, or COVID19, situation, go big.Pray big. Pray without limits.Pray for the virus to be turned away from the earth.Don't pray only for your family… Read More
2020-03-19 18:42
I shared with a friend my new twice daily prayer practice: one prayer in the morning, and one prayer in the evening.This practice began when I started to feel overwhelmed by the constant new… Read More
2020-03-17 01:03
A point of view...(fictional, interpretive, instructional)Yes, I know God told us not to look back.Actually, it was the angels who led us away who told us not to look back. I didn't really l… Read More
2020-01-19 14:53
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255In this third and final part of the series, I will discuss the life of the Old Testament Israelite judge Samson. I will provide a link to t… Read More
2020-01-14 02:29
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255In the previous post, I explained I have no interest in or need to judge your perspective. I am writing this series to offer a few thoughts… Read More
2020-01-11 23:29
National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255You may feel you are ready to eliminate all and any options for your life. I have no interest in or need to judge your perspective. I am wr… Read More
2019-12-28 01:19
If you believe in generational curses, or have observed how negative habits and outcomes are passed from generation to generation, the solution begins with prayer.If there is such a thing as… Read More
2019-12-04 23:56
How does God, as expressed in the life and work of Jesus Christ, save us by grace?Among other things, God never looks away from us. God never turns from us.God gazes upon us, but not with an… Read More
2019-10-28 18:01
**This is the text from a sermon I preached yesterday (October 27, 2019) at Fort Street Presbyterian Church in Detroit, Michigan.The text includes the prayers at the beginning and end of the… Read More
2019-10-12 12:10
Are you anxiously and happily looking forward to God punishing someone?Do you enjoy telling someone about the imminent judgment of God?Slow down and stop holding your breath. Stop looking fo… Read More
2019-09-28 00:44
"Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the heart and soul to God through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Holy Spirit, for such things as God has promised o… Read More
2019-09-27 01:03
Jesus said "you must be born again." -- Gospel of John, chapter 3 verse 7 . Read the entire chapter to understand what this means.How do you know you are actually born again?Only you and God… Read More
2019-09-26 00:49
Five minutes.Take, not find, five minutes. Sit in a quiet or solitary space.If there isn't a quiet or solitary space in your home, find a place to park your car and sit alone.If you have no… Read More
2019-09-25 03:04
What is the "joy of the Lord"?Experiencing God's joy may feel differently for each of us, but that joy always has one element in common: we look forward to what God does for us in this life… Read More
2019-09-24 00:46
Giving and sharing come from an appreciation of God's gifts to us.Giving and sharing are the opposites of greed and fear.Are you giving to a church of other religious organization because yo… Read More
2019-09-22 02:44
Whom do you see, speak with, and listen to every day, every week, or several times each month?That's your inner circle. You are influenced by this group of people more than any others.Do you… Read More
2019-09-21 01:05
Does it seem ridiculous to write "Do not judge God"? Perhaps this statement seems ridiculous and even blasphemous, but do not doubt that many people judge God.How would we recognize som… Read More
2019-09-20 00:52
This self examination requires thinking, writing, and imaging.One of the greatest teachings of Christianity is that we are to fear no one.Practice this exercise:Write the names of three peop… Read More
2019-09-19 02:05
If you live in North America or other industrial economies, you probably have access to a phone, radio, tv, or other device allowing you to listen to or watch a variety of Bible teachers, pr… Read More
2019-09-18 01:08
Do you think of your body as sinful, unattractive, problematic?Many people who claim to be or actually are Christians try to separate spiritual growth from the well being, energy, and vitali… Read More
2019-09-17 01:15
Pray as if you are completely and comfortably in conversation with your best friend.The prayerful conversation is one in which you listen at least as much as you speak. This is not a public… Read More
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