Weekly Spiritual Meditations - July 15

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Trust God!
Happy moments, praise GOD!
Difficult moments, seek GOD!
Quiet moments, worship GOD!
Painful moments, trust GOD!
EVERY MOMENT, THANK GOD!
"In every thing give thanks: for this is the Will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

God guides us, despite our uncertainties and our vagueness, even through our failing and mistakes . He leads us step by step, from event to event. Only afterwards, as we look back over the way we have come and reconsider certain moments in our lives in the light of all that has followed them do we experience the feeling of having been led without knowing it, the feeling that God has mysteriously guided us. --Paul Tournier

God values our service — even when what we do seems insignificant. Each of us has a role to play in God’s kingdom.

Sometimes, all God asks for is our willingness to help.

God never stops seeking us.

God opens the way for us to pass through our “Red Sea.” God wants us to be free of whatever is holding us down, not to lose hope, and to be secure in knowing God is always with us.

Focusing on Jesus gives us courage to persevere.

Singing praises to our God draws us into intimate worship. The psalms teach us that at all times we have reason to praise our Lord in prayer. We can find strength and joy in life when we continually remember God’s faithfulness and active presence in our lives.

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The Whisper by Lynne Phipps
1 Kings 19:11b-12 – Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper. (NIV)
I was so pleased with my flower baskets and how they were coming along. The vibrant colours brightened up the front and side of the house so nicely. Although I had somewhat begrudged the money that they had cost me, I was delighted with the end result. So you can imagine my shock and dismay when I went out to hop into my van the other day and discovered that I had not a flower left!
Every one of my baskets of glorious blooms had been chomped down to within an inch of its life. I felt the beginnings of smoke smouldering in both of my ears as I concluded what had happened. Those ungrateful, mischievous goats just couldn't be satisfied with grazing on the abundance of wildflowers, green leaves, and other munchies on the property. No, they had to partake of my specially purchased and lovingly tended flower baskets.
My day, which had begun so well, now felt ruined by the goats' munching and crunching antics. I felt so angry, so very, very angry — so angry, in fact, that I began contemplating throwing a neighbourhood barbecue, and I'm sure that you can guess what the main course would include.
And then, God's whisper within my mind reminded me that they were only flowers, and that the goats had only done what goats had been created to do, so why was I so angry? And furthermore, if I cared to look around, I would see literally thousands of flowers on my property: pink wild roses, deep purple lupine, glowing sunny Arnica, tiny delicate bluebells, and a dainty, white-and-lavender species that I have yet to name, all of which not only didn't need any care from me, but also had not cost me even one single, hard-earned penny.
His gentle, quiet voice within my thoughts, and my choice to embrace His truth with praise and thanksgiving for His bounty, which lay right there at my doorstep, diffused my anger, causing my ruined day to once again become the great day that He had created.
Today, perhaps you, too, might end up with a disappointment or an event which threatens to turn God's good day into a bad one. If so, take a moment and listen for the whisper: His still, small, quiet voice within you, which has the ability to reveal a different view of the situation, a view which has the power to turn the negative into a positive.
Prayer: Father God, thank You that Your insight into the events of our lives, be they large or small, is always a positive viewpoint, for it is always truth. Open the ears of our hearts to be attentive to Your whisper — Your still, small, quiet voice — which has the power to turn the ruined into the glorious. In the wonderful name of Jesus, we pray. Amen.

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The Battle with Stress Starts in the Mind by Rick Warren
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)
The battle with stress in your life is going on between your ears. The battle is in your mind! It’s in your thought life. What you fill your mind with determines the level of stress in your life.
If you want peace of mind, you’re going to have to start controlling what you allow in it. Whatever you put in your mind is going to come out in your life.
The Bible says to “think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected” (Philippians 4:8 NCV).
If you want to lower your stress, you have to change what you think about and control what you allow in your mind. In this verse, the Bible gives us eight tests for whether we should allow something in our mind or not. Ask yourself, “Is it good? Is it worthy of praise? Is it true? Is it honorable? Is it right? Is it pure? Is it beautiful? Is it respected?
When you think about things that are good, worthy of praise, true, honorable, right, pure, beautiful, and respected, you’re really picturing God. Paul is saying in Philippians 4:8 to think about God.
Isaiah 26:3 says, “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!” (NLT)
What you think about determines how stressed and worried you are. If you fix your thoughts on God, he will keep you in perfect peace.

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What’s in Your Head? Freeing Up Mental Space by Kimberly Waldie
I keep having the same conversations lately—and most of them seem to be in my head.
My husband and I recently embarked on a summer sabbatical and it messed up my well-loved Type-A routine. I know some of you are thinking: “Why are you complaining?” Hear me out. I’m very grateful for this time of rest. It’s taken me two weeks to untangle myself from the day-to-day ministry duties, but even more challenging (and surprisingly so!) is untangling my mind from the onslaught of anxiety over how to make the best of this time off.
Why is it that we agonize over the things we want—even after we get them? I think it happens for two simple reasons.
First, the enemy is a master of stealing our peace. If he can’t keep you from the thing God desires you to have, be, or do, he will certainly make sure you don’t enjoy it. Think about it. You are called to do unique things for the kingdom of God.
Things only you can do.
Yet, so many times, those very things we feel called to do become a burden to bear instead because we are victimized relentlessly by negative voices in our head.
Someone else would be better at this job.
I’m disappointing __________. (fill-in-the-blank: God, kids, church, parents, etc.)
Why isn’t everyone as excited as I am about this idea? Maybe they think it’s stupid!
I’m so tired of trying to please everyone. It isn’t worth it anymore.
Second, while we do have an enemy who resists us, too often we jump in and offer him a hand by the negative thoughts we nurture and allow to live freely in our heads.
When we read the Word, God tells us to fix our minds on things that are “true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and admirable” (Philippians 4:8). None of the above comes close to meeting this standard. Likewise, we’ve been reminded that when we set our thoughts steadfastly on God and place trust in His faithfulness, we will discover “perfect peace” (Isaiah 26:3).
I find it hard some days in the midst of the storm brewing and blowing in my head to envision a mind filled with peace—let alone, perfect peace.
So what do we do to free up space and make a place for peace?
Realize we have a choice. This was the hardest for me. Too often I thought I was a helpless bystander to what was happening in my head, but the reality is I have a choice. You have a choice, too. You don’t have to let worry run loose in your head. You can choose to stop the train wreck of guilt that leaves you always losing. Resentment has no right to fester unless you allow it. A good question that I use when I’m struggling is this: What fruit is coming from these thoughts? If I feel defeated, depressed, or constantly discouraged, I’m pretty sure I’m giving place to something unhealthy.
Think on what is true. Most of our agony of the mind comes from negative interpretations of situations or people. To know the truth, we need to discover it with a healthy daily dose of Scripture. The enemy often exaggerates those negative thought patterns to knock us off course. Think often about God’s grace and faithfulness and the opportunity you have to partner with Him to do something to make a difference. React to what you do know to be true, rather than negative interpretations of what your mind or the enemy wants you to imagine.
Unplug. I’m learning the art of balance. Too much of a good thing makes it a bad thing. My first success in the past two weeks of sabbatical is learning the power of “logging out” to rediscover the beauty of silence and make a place for His voice to speak. Constant negativity, whether through news, social media, or other voices, will distract us and make it harder to battle the insidious roommates that try to occupy our mind.
Speak life. The tongue is a rudder. It drives the thought patterns, attitudes, and habits that we develop. What we speak to our self long enough, we will eventually believe. That’s why it’s equally important to guard not just our thoughts, but also our mouth. Jesus said out of the abundance of the heart, our mouth will speak. In other words, what we speak reflects the fruit of what is in our heart. To change one, we must be willing to change the other. What we speak can help or hinder the battle raging in our head.
Let’s live on a mission to freely enjoy the life God has given us without helping the enemy make it a burden to bear. We don’t have to live imprisoned to worry, fear, guilt, resentment, anger, or any of the other ugly things that try to steal the precious space in our heads. Be vigilant and choose well what is allowed to stay. When we choose the right things, our minds make a place for peace–even perfect peace–to live and grow.

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Shake It Off! by Joyce Meyer
…And you will be given a new name by the Lord’s own mouth. Never again will you be called “The Forsaken City” or “The Desolate Land.” Your new name will be “The City of God’s Delight” and “The Bride of God,” for the Lord delights in you and will claim you as his bride.
(Isaiah 62:2, 4 NLT)
Have you ever noticed all the people throughout the Bible that God gave a fresh start? Moses was an old man before he had an encounter with a burning bush and was called by God to lead a nation. Then David, a humble shepherd boy, was anointed to be the king of Israel. Peter, the apostle who denied Christ, was forgiven and called to spend the rest of his life preaching and glorifying God. And Paul, who once persecuted God’s people, was transformed on the road to Damascus and ended up writing much of the New Testament.
When you think about all the people throughout the Scriptures whom God forgave, redeemed and used in mighty ways, can you doubt that He is able to do the same for you? Our God is the God of “do overs,” second chances, fresh starts and new beginnings. And He doesn’t have any limit on how many you can have. But sometimes, we lose sight of what God can do because of something in the past that has us stuck, unable to move forward with the wonderful plans He so desperately wants to reveal to us.
Frozen in a Moment: Maybe you’re stuck, frozen in a moment. You think, it’s over. It’s too late for me.
But it isn’t too late. It’s never too late to have a fresh start when you have life in Christ. Your past is not your destiny. If you refuse to give up hope, and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you out of your “stuck” place, not only will God restore what you had, He will make your life even better:
And I will restore or replace for you the years that the locust has eaten—the hopping locust, the stripping locust, and the crawling locust, My great army which I sent among you. And you shall eat in plenty and be satisfied and praise the name of the Lord, your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you. And My people shall never be put to shame. (Joel 2:25-26 AMP)
You Gotta’ Get Out of the Boat: You have a bright future waiting for you. God’s Word promises, For I know the plans I have for you…plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11 NLT).
But you have to learn to take a step of faith. Just like Peter, you can’t walk on water if you won’t get out of the boat (see Matthew 14:28-29). It may be harder than you thought—and it may cost you something. But if you follow the Holy Spirit’s leading, it will produce good fruit in your life.
Romans 6:13 (NLT) says, …Give yourselves completely to God, for you were dead, but now you have new life. So use your whole body as an instrument to do what is right for the glory of God.
So often God leads but we don’t want to go where He’s leading. We must learn how to yield instead of being resistant—learn to surrender instead of being stubborn. When you do, you will enjoy your life, even when things don’t turn out exactly the way you wanted them to. And if God asks you to give something up, understand that He’s not trying to take away something you like or want just to be mean. God always has your best interest at heart. Trust where He’s taking you.
Baby Steps of Faith: Second Corinthians 5:17 says if anyone is in Christ they are a new creation. When you were born again, He gave you a new heart and a new way of living. But in the beginning, we are all like babies learning to walk. When babies take their first steps, they fall down many times. But they always get back up and try again. God is asking you to do the same thing.
When you fall down in life, you have to get back up, regroup and take another step. But no matter how many times you fall down, eventually you will get to where you need to be—if you will simply choose not to give up. Your new beginning is closer than you think. Just keep walking!
And He Who is seated on the throne said, See! I make all things new…(Revelation 21:5 AMP)
When facing any challenge—no matter how big it may seem—God will give you all the strength you need.
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Philippians 4:13
And Jesus looking upon them saith, With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible. Mark 10:27

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YOUR WILL Author Unknown
During the late 50's and early 60's, a man by the name of Bobby Richardson played second base for the NY Yankees. Bobby Richardson was nominated as MVP of the American League nine times. He played in seven All-Star Games. He won five Gold Glove Awards. And he was the only man in baseball history to ever win the World Series MVP Award while playing for the losing team.
In the later years of Bobby Richardson's career, he coached the baseball team at Liberty University. The reason such a great player was willing to coach at a Christian university was because Bobby Richardson was himself a committed follower of Jesus Christ.
During a speech at a meeting of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Bobby Richardson was called upon to pray and here is his prayer: "Dear God, Your will. Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen."
May that be your prayer today. "Dear God, Your will. Nothing more, nothing less, nothing else. Amen."

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Time Flies by Rosemary Hagedorn
It has been quite some time since I sat down and started writing again. I was leafing through my journal and noticed similarities in my thought pattern and entries:
March 4, 2015 – It has been a long time since I made myself to take time and write. There are always other things that rob me of my time for me to just sit down, spend time in prayer, and reflect. Spending quality time with my Creator through reading my Bible and then listening for God's voice is so important, but other stuff kept me from doing this. I was wondering why my inspiration to write wasn't there. I was searching and not finding anything to write about and I gave up. I prayed asking God why I wasn't "seeing" or "hearing". But there was nothing but silence. Nudges of quality time in reading and reflecting on God's Word kept haunting me, but my time was filled with other things, and so time flew by.
April 25, 2015 – It has been a very long time since I spent time writing, praying and just being silent and trying to hear God's still small voice.
There has been a lot going on in my life since those entries. I was busy looking after an ailing mother, and a husband who had had a stroke almost six years ago and has just recently been diagnosed with the onset of Alzheimers. I found myself too busy to relax and have some "me and God" time.
Is there something in your life right now that is preventing you from spending time with your Creator? Do you find it hard to cope right now? God is faithful and waits patiently for His children to return to Him and ask for help once again.
God invites us to come to Him with our troubles, our questions, our fears, our doubts, and our guilt. He will forgive our tardiness and will receive us again with open arms.
Psalm 68:19 – Praise be to the Lord, to God our Saviour, who daily bears our burdens. (NIV)
Prayer: Lord, we come to You and ask for Your forgiveness again. Help us to lean on You and share our burdens with the One Who offers to carry them. Fill us again with hope and love. Give us the assurance that You are in control and that everything will work out as it should. Amen.

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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
Establish yourself in a position of eternal perspective. Your values and activities should reflect your spiritual commitment. Never lose sight of who you really are. Your relationship with Me is the solid foundation on which you build your life and future, and it is the only place of safety in the storms of life, says the Lord. Matthew 7:24-27 "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall."

I see your heart, and I know that you are feeling a little disoriented and lost. World conditions and the tragedy of man's inhumanity to man is disconcerting to say the least, but you must find your place of peace and safety in Me, says the Lord. Your strength comes from your relationship with Me as you walk in spiritual reality. Make a difference where you can by extending kindness to others. Ephesians 4:32 And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ forgave you.

I make all things possible to those who really believe. I speak of those whose faith has been activated and there is no doubt, unbelief or fear. When you are afraid and live in worry, your faith in Me is thwarted, says the Lord. Remind yourself of My goodness. Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."

Be aware of an attack from the enemy to try to establish discouragement that would undermine your effectiveness. The main goal will be to cause you to become disheartened and to give up. But, I tell you truly that you are closer to breakthrough than you know. Refuse this attempt to weaken you, and stand strong in your faith and resolve to overcome, says the Lord. Victory is assured. James 4:7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.

Examine yourself to see where your faith is. I tell you truthfully that many who think they are in faith are actually in presumption. Your faith must be solid and real so that you are not merely hoping, but knowing. There is no doubt or fear in faith. There is no speculation in faith, says the Lord. Psalms 19:13 Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and I shall be innocent of great transgression.

For those who have been dedicated and obedient to what I have asked, you are very close to moving into new spiritual territory. It will be a level of understanding the mysteries of My kingdom and the wisdom to proceed with greater power and anointing, says the Lord. In the meanwhile, stay quiet and be alert. Psalms 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
Many of you, My people, do not have the understanding of the times and seasons in which you live. Therefore, you must reach out and come to Me. You must ask for and acquire the wisdom that is available to you at this time, so that you can get on board with what I am doing. You can be recipients of the good works that I am doing and receive the blessings that I desire to bring to you. Walk in a position of revelation and knowledge, peace, joy and safety, says the Lord.

Allow Me to restore and strengthen you. Allow Me to bring you fully into the blessings of My kingdom. All the things that I have given to you are yours by right, by inheritance, and as you release your faith you shall receive. Come with renewed hope and expectation. Shake off the doubts and fears that have plagued you, and dare to believe absolutely. Do not allow yourself to forget that this is a time of favor. Come and receive, says the Lord.

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This too shall pass...... by R.M.Goodwin
I am sure this to shall pass,
But waiting for it too,
Seems like it's going to last.
I have said my prayers,
Given it to God,
Even shared with a few who passed.
I am just wishing,
For something,
I am surely not getting.
The reason for this,
Is what I ask,
I know for sure,
This to shall pass.
But I see why,
It still holds on fast,
I haven't really given up,
I'm holding on to it,
Instead of letting up.
Okay time to try again,
I will have to remember,
One thing first,
That is to let go,
And let God,
Instead for holding on,
I have to remember,
God will take care of me.
And remember the mean for,
This to shall pass,
Let Go,
Let God,
And pray for things to come,
Not hide with in the past.
And for sure if I do these things...
This To Shall Pass.

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Let Go & Let God Author Unknown
As children bring their broken toys,
with tears for us to mend,
I brought my broken dreams to God,
because He is my friend.
But then instead of leaving Him
in peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help,
with ways that were my own.
At last, I snatched them back again
and cried, "How can you be so slow?"
"My child" He said, "What could I do?
You never did let go."

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I may not be where I want to be,
but I'm not where I used to be,
I'm heading where I'm meant to be
and God is watching over me.
Terri

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Psalm 18:30 – As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him.

Romans 12:11 (NLT) – “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 7:6 – For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.

Jeremiah 32:17 – Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

You are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. - 1 Corinthians 12:27

Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. - James 1:22

[Let us fix] our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, . . . so that [we] will not grow weary and lose heart. - Hebrews 12:2-3

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Our Strength Comes From God by Iris Ford
Looking back over the years, I note the number of times when I have felt ill, weak, and off balance. As I write, my health speaks to me of pain and frustration. I feel as if I just can't do it. I don't trust my own ability to get the job done. Have you ever been in that quandary? Be of good cheer! God's strength is with us constantly; we just need to trust Him. I recall one of my favourite verses:
Philippians 4:13 – I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (NKJV)
Paul wrote this when he was in prison in Philippi around 60 AD. He is an inspiration to all of us. I am not in prison — but wait: maybe the problem is that I am in the prison of my own mind, feeling sorry for myself. Self-pity can turn us away from God and make us feel useless. We also need to read this passage:
Isaiah 40:28b,29,31a – The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, neither faints nor is weary. He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength. Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. (NKJV)
That hits home as I read and re-read the verses and realize that I need to turn all my worries over to God. He never grows faint or weary like we do. As we surrender to Him, His peace fills our souls with courage and strength. Another verse also speaks to me:
Psalm 27:1 – The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? (NKJV)
Fear of failure because we do not have the strength is one of the worst feelings that we have to contend with. I read somewhere that there are 25 verses in Scripture about strength that comes from God. I need to surrender to the Lord of my life and not be afraid of anything. It is all in the hands of our God.
It is a very human reaction when we stand all alone worrying. We need to realize fully that our strength comes from God, not from our bodies. Be of good cheer! The Lord loves you and me, and He cares deeply for us. Remember that you and I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens us today and always. Take a deep sigh and relax. Be at peace.
Prayer: Dear Lord, we open our souls to You, recognizing our need for Your strength and peace. As we bow before You, we thank You for Your great gift of love. Thank You for Your promises fulfilled in Jesus that You will be with us, strengthening us so that we can do all things set before us. Through Christ, we pray. Amen.

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Enlighten My Understanding
My Lord,
I offer you my thoughts: to be fixed on you;
My words: to have you for their theme;
My actions: to reflect my love for you;
My sufferings: o be endured for your greater glory.
I want to do what you ask of me: In the way you ask, For as long as you ask, Because you ask it.
Lord, enlighten my understanding, Strengthen my will, Purify my heart, and make me holy.
Help me to repent of my past sins And to resist temptation in the future.
Help me to rise above my human weaknesses And to grow stronger as a Christian. Amen.

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Read Through The Bible
Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

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Dear God, Help us to be willing to volunteer to help — even if we don’t feel qualified for the task. Help us to live our lives so that we always honor you. Help us to live by your word and to grow in your grace. Thank you, Jesus, for your encouragement and for giving us strength to run the race set before us. Amen.

Wherever you are in life, whatever you've done, you can begin again. If you do not have Jesus in your life and wish to ask Jesus into your life please go to this link now to do so: http://www.bluidkiti.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130 .
Jesus is calling you to live a life that matters.