Crossline Blog

Crossline Blog

Welcome to the Crossline Blog. Here you will find posts from all our main ministries with updates, latest news as well as bible studies and encouraging posts.

Do You Know How to Refresh Yourself Emotionally?

The days of family dinners are few and far between these days. Still, when we can linger over a meal I usually find our conversation as nourishing as the food. Such was the case with our Monday night dinner last week. Half-way through fried chicken and potatoes (a rare and completely unhealthy treat, which I…

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Your Brain (and Life) On Overload

I opened the door, peeked inside, and knew in an instant what I’d done wrong. My washing machine–overloaded with items I stuffed in early that morning–sat sideways, away from the wall in the middle of the room. It had spun out of control. Just like I do when I cram too much stuff into my…

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When You Want God to Use You

Raise your hand if you want God to use you to bless others. Your hand is raised, isn’t it? Even if only in your heart. There’s something in each of us that longs for God to use us for good. Why is it, then, that too many of us feel like God doesn’t use us?…

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5 Words That Can Make Your Relationships Better

Picture one of your relationships–preferably one you’d like to improve. Got the person pictured in your mind?  Good. What if just five words could increase your odds of having a healthier relationship with that person? What if those same five words could help you have healthier relationships with everyone? And, what if these five words…

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I’m Supposed to Believe God Loves Me, But I Don’t

My daughter was gathering her things to leave when a 20-something gal walked into our church office. “Can I help you?” Ashton asked. The gal had driven to church in hopes someone would be there to help relieve her anxiety and spiraling thoughts of despair. “I know I’m supposed to feel like God loves me,…

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Where is God? Calm For Your Chaos

2021 certainly hasn’t started out like we anticipated. Not for any of us. This week’s events have left most of us emotionally on edge. Personally, our family has also been… The post Where is God? Calm For Your Chaos appeared first on Donna Jones.

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A Prayer for You on Christmas

Tonight the world will pause. Picture it in your mind: Believers in Beijing, Boston, London, Lima, Laguna Hills; people of every nation, every race, every color, every language will–for a day at least–stop their worry and start their worship. All for a baby born 2000 years ago. This was no ordinary baby. This infant was…

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No Room at My House?

No room. It was a problem the day Jesus was born, and it’s a problem, still. Even in the midst of a crazy 2020–though one would think this is the year we’d make place for Jesus, if ever we did. Clearly, we need Him desperately. When we read the Christmas story, it’s easy to shake…

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Why We Need Thankfulness Now More Than Ever

Kylie sat a safe six feet apart in a circle of teenage girls. As their youth leader, she was eager to hear how each would answer the ice breaker question:  Name three things you’re thankful for. Kylie’s question was received with a wall of blank stares; a sea of deer-in-the-headlights expressions, as if she’d asked…

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A Simple Prayer in a Season of Stress

The past few weeks have been hard ones for me. In addition to the stress we all feel during this tumultuous 2020 season, my dad’s been hospitalized for over three weeks now. You have your own stress, too. We all seem to be living with our stress levels very near capacity, given everything that has…

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I’m Afraid That…(things we think but don’t always say)

The stress of 2020 has taken its toll. Fear. Anxiety. Loneliness. Hopelessness. Worry. These are real. We all battle them–sometimes on a daily basis. Breathe. You aren’t alone. Recently I’ve had several conversations with women who feel overwhelmed with fear and anxiety. I’ve heard gals say things like… I’m afraid life will never feel normal again.…

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15 Bible Verses to Pray for our Nation

She tugged on my pant leg to get my attention. I bent down to be eye-level with my small daughter. Her chubby little hands formed a cup around my ear. Clearly, she had something on her mind; a request for my ears only. “Can you help me, Mommy?” Because I love her, I did. We may…

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Which Bible is Best?

I saw her in the religion section of Barnes and Noble. Her eyes were wide, her mouth ajar; her expression an equal mixture of stunned and overwhelmed. And all she wanted to do was buy a Bible. I stopped to ask if I could help. “Why are there so many choices?” “How do I know…

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Feeling Insignificant

Every once in a while I need to heed my own words. Yesterday was one of those days. I found myself wondering (more than once, I might add), what’s wrong with me today? Can you relate? If so, you’ll want to read on. I actually googled my own blog post–one I wrote a few years…

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Meltdowns, Stress, Anxiety and God

She was in the middle of a bona-fide meltdown. Like an old rubber-band, she’d been stretched too far one time too many. Looking back, I’m not sure why I acted as I did. I suspect it was simply because I understood the stress she felt. I pulled her onto my lap and wrapped my loving…

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Wisdom for Your Decisions

“I need wisdom, but it all feels so overwhelming!” We were about a mile into our walk this morning when my neighbor expressed something most of us can relate to on some level. I know I can. Decisions are difficult. Especially decisions where there are no clear-cut right or wrong answers. When we waffle about…

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Can We Trust Anything These Days?

First, congratulations to the winners of last week’s book give away!  You were notified by email, so check those inboxes! And now for a little encouragement…   “Believe nothing of what you hear and only half of what you see.” Edgar Allan Poe penned this is statement in November, 1845. In case you’re counting, that’s 175…

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Trusting God in the Re-Route (& Book Give-Away Day!)

2020 seems like one giant re-route doesn’t it? We started the year–and a new decade–full of hopes, dreams and goals for what lay ahead. None of us anticipated the path 2020 would actually take. This week’s post is written by my friend and podcaster, Julie Pearson, who shares an excerpt from her new devotional book, Better…

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When You Need a Little More Joy and a Lot Less Drama

The word “joy” hardly describes our common experience the last few months. Frankly, it’s time we put a little joy back into life. Why? Because, as Nehemiah put it, “The joy of the Lord is your strength”. (Nehemiah 8:10) But how? Recently I read words written by my friend, Jean E. Jones, that woke something…

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How to Live Well in the Midst of Stress

All the cute Instagram pictures and Facebook posts are a lie. Even for those of us who are homebodies, forced shelter in place for weeks on end is not a picnic in the park (Oh, the days when that was a possibility!). It doesn’t matter how many closets you’ve cleaned, puzzles you’ve completed, family dinners…

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Why Jesus can Relate to You

It’s odd–surreal really–to think that one person’s sickness, on the other side of the globe, has affected every person on our planet. Life as we once knew it has changed. As a result, we’re fearful, we’re lonely, and we’re isolated. We worry and we wonder, how did this all happen? Why did it happen? When…

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Why Self-Care Isn’t Optional

“Take care of yourself!” How many times have you heard that phrase? How many times have you said it yourself? Probably more than you can count. But now, more than ever, self-care must be a priority. I know what you’re thinking: I’m busy taking care of everyone else. I’m  busy working from home. I’m so…

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