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By Susan Stedman
Secretly, Laura had never wanted to leave Mema’s house. She got all the love and security in her life from those two. She lifted her head when she felt the car stop, surprised that they were parked in Mema’s driveway already. They were the first to arrive. There was Mema, opening the side door, saying, “Git in this house before you freeze!” Laura smiled, a bittersweet tear on her cheek. Granddaddy had been gone for twelve years now, with the last five years of his life spent with his tall frame hunched and shrunken in a wheelchair. She remembered how she had ridden on his shoulders while watching the Christmas parade in person, a whole foot higher than everyone around them. As his disease progressed, she had watched his beautiful ice-blue eyes fade and go cloudy; she had held his hand and sang to him the day he died in hospice. Holidays had never been the same for her. Mema had even closed the fireplace and used it only for decoration now. An obscure Bible verse flashed into her mind. She had never understood exactly what it meant, but today, it was amply clear. “Do not say ‘Why were the old days better than this?’ For it is not wise to ask such questions.” (Ecclesiastes 7:10). Entering the house, she paused to kiss Mema’s cheek. Despite the extra heat in the house, her skin felt very cold today. Her cheek seemed almost translucent, thin as rice paper, with many more wrinkles than the last time she’d seen her. In less than a month, Mema would be 93 years old. Laura’s mind reeled briefly. How had that happened? Mema still smiled. She still greeted each descendent with a hug as they came in the door. Within the half-hour, her mother, sister, two nephews, and niece had arrived. Mema tottered around her immaculately clean kitchen while Laura and her sister laid out the spread. Mema had to ask Joe to open jars for her and Laura saw how gnarled her once-artistically beautiful hands had twisted with arthritis. Yet despite all this, she had spent days putting up elaborate decorations for the children. Throughout the day, Laura only found herself annoyed when someone got exasperated with Mema’s behaviors. Laura didn’t get upset when Mema repeated the same stories she’d heard dozens of times. She didn’t mind talking much louder so Mema could hear without misperceptions. She didn’t mind cleaning the kitchen and putting away all the holiday trimmings. Laura spent the whole day watching Mema. She was devastated when, several times, she saw Mema stop and look around in confusion as if she had forgotten something important. What had happened in such a short time? Another scripture popped into Laura’s mind. God was attentive to her today, He knew what she was feeling. “Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” (John 21:18) Laura got out of her comfy chair, crossed the crowded room, and sat down on the floor at Mema’s feet, laying her head on her grandmother’s lap. It surprised Mema but delighted her, too. Once again, God sent her another word, two from Job. “Is not wisdom found among the aged? Does not long life bring understanding?” Much later, as everyone packed their vehicles and were getting ready to leave, Laura hugged Mema very tight and kept hugging for so long that even Mema was surprised. “What was that for?” she asked. “I just realized I was missing you a lot,” Laura confessed. She handed Mema her Bible and opened to Isaiah 46:4. In halting words, Mema squinted and read out loud. “Even to your old age and gray hairs, I am He, I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” Mema understood. She hugged Laura once more and kissed her cheek. Laura was unusually quiet all the way home, not afraid now to leave Mema alone because she was in much better hands than her own. She would miss her like crazy when her time came, but she knew that her grandmother would just be relocating and someday, Laura would see her again.
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By Susan Stedman
Wasn’t Thanksgiving supposed to be a happy time? Peace on earth, goodwill towards men, and all that stuff? That was the farthest thing from Laura’s mind when the alarm went off at 7am. On a holiday, nonetheless! Wasn’t that illegal somewhere? “It should be,” she grumbled, morning breath making her wrinkle up her nose. You worked five days a week and you were supposed to at least get to sleep late on a holiday! She could even hear her whine inside her own head. Taking every precaution not to make a sound, she made it down to the kitchen without waking the kids. She had to make a squash casserole, two dozen deviled eggs, and a sweet potato souffle, all before she could get a shower and get dressed. During an unexpected moment of quiet, once they were in the loaded car, Laura leaned her head against the cool side window and watched the winter world zoom past. They drove along the same roads that her mom and dad had driven to get to Mema’s when she was a little girl. In fact, except for her husband’s dozen years in the army when they lived on other continents, she had spent every single Christmas at her Mema and Granddaddy’s house. Only now that she was getting older did she long for having a quiet Christmas day without all the rushing to cook, dress, drive, and then sit in an uneasy truce with close and distant family members. But when she was little! Oh, that was a different story! Mema was still young enough to insist on doing everything herself. With her mother being an only child, the only kids there were Laura and her sister. They got all the attention from their doting grandparents. She smiled and chuckled slightly, her breath fogging the window momentarily. Laura closed her eyes and let her mind slide gently backward. They would arrive in whatever rickety car of the month her Daddy had traded for. More than once, she and her sister had huddled, freezing under a blanket for the hour-long car trip because there was no heat but they were going to see Mema, so they were happy no matter how cold they were. As soon as the car stopped, they leaped out and ran to the side door under the carport that Granddaddy had built with his own hands. He would be standing there straight and tall, telling them to “Git on in this house before you freeze to death!” He would pick them both up together, one sitting on each strong arm, lifted up to his full six-foot, one-inch-tall height. After a quick messy kiss on the cheek, he put them down and they both ran to see Mema. There was always a roaring fire in the big stone fireplace – a novelty because they only had three small gas space heaters in their house. The air was so warm that it felt thick but comforting. Wonderful aromas wafted through – ham, sweet potatoes roasting, something sinfully cinnamon for dessert. Then Mema would come out of the kitchen wiping her hands on her apron. She was a sophisticated woman of the 70s with high frosted hair, thick makeup, ruby red lips, huge button clip-on earrings, polyester pantsuit, and heels that clicked on the terracotta tiles. The apron was in stark contrast, but it was their great-grandmother’s old threadbare apron that she held on to like a prize. She always smelled of spearmint gum when she leaned down to kiss them. “You kids git over here and hug my neck! Clifford, get the camera!” They didn’t mind the delay. Mema knelt down and squeezed them both till they felt they would pop. Moments later they ran to see her huge, richly-decorated silver tree, tinsel flashing with each revolution of the lighted color wheel. She always put it up the day before Thanksgiving for the kids. Granddaddy would snap pictures on the old Polaroid and they took turns watching them slowly develop before their eyes. Then he would leave them to play, eventually calling that the Christmas parade was on TV. Not that they could hear the TV because he had a Johnny Mathis Christmas album on the huge console stereo hi-fi. Then came the meal! Enough food to feed the six of them three, four, five times over. Their huge dining table didn’t have a single empty spot. Once they’d eaten their fill, they would play while the adults talked. They always left all the food on the table so they could go back and have dinner before the long drive back home. By Susan Stedman
The previous blog post spoke of the process of learning my true identity in Christ. It addressed listening to the “accuser of the brethren” and how to stop believing what he said. This one will help you to use your Sword of the Word to defeat him. I have now experienced peace. Real, true, soul-deep peace. I never believed in that kind of peace in all my years. I had heard about it and I had read about it in my Bible, but I had never felt it. Sometimes I cried for it, or begged God for it, all the time not realizing that He had already given it to me, I just couldn’t believe and accept it. Last week, I accepted it. It was not easy. I have read about it all my life, but there were too many voices whispering in my ear that I listened to instead of God’s voice. They were coming from people around me. God was trying to come from inside, and I had never been able to believe there was anything good inside me. But the Bible says, 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, which you have from God, and that you are not your own?” Just typing that gave me chills because it is something I had never considered. God gave us promises all throughout His word and He tells us to try them. In Malachi 3, God says to test Him in this, one of His promises. Isaiah 55:11 ESV, “So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” To experience true, God-sent peace, you have to believe the promises He has given you. Yes, He gave them to you, just the same as He gave them to everyone else. You only have to believe and accept His words. I am listing some of my favorite ones that have helped change my life as I grasp them. You are saved. Romans 10:9 ESV, “…because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” You are forgiven. 1 John 2:12 NKJV, “I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name’s sake.” You are a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.[a] The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” You are a child of God. 1 John 3:1 ESV, “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.” You are redeemed. Ephesians 1:17 ESV, “ In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace.” You are justified. Romans 5:1 ESV, “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we[a] have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” You are safe in Christ. Colossians 3:3 ESV, “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.” You are victorious. 1 Corinthians 15:57 ESV, “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” You are not condemned. Romans 8:1 ESV, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” You are not alone. Isaiah 41:10 ESV, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” You are assured a good end. Jeremiah 29:11 ESV, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare[a] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” You are strong. Isaiah 40:31 ESV, “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” These are promises. These won’t be broken. God does not tell us lies. Hebrews 6:18 ESV, “…so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us.” Once, several years ago, while I was praying because I had again let myself give in to fear, God showed me that if the promises He made and kept to His servants throughout the years in the Bible were true, then every promise that He gave us in the Bible were also true. When you feel doubt, and you most likely will, remember the Roman soldier who asked Jesus to heal his daughter. Mark 9:23-24 ESV “And Jesus said to him, all things are possible for one who believes. Immediately the father of the child cried out and said, “I believe; help my unbelief!” By Susan Stedman
Who are you? Just think of five words or phrases that you would use to describe yourself. I don’t mean like on a job application or to someone you want to impress. I mean, think of five ways that you use to internally label yourself. I will go first. I am lazy, fat, worthless, a noose around a neck, terrified. Those are ways that my mother described me while I was growing up. They are the things that I held onto for the past fifty-eight years to describe myself. They are the ideals to which I subscribed because I thought since my mother said they were true, I had to live my life to make them true because she couldn’t possibly be wrong, or be lying. Throughout my life, I had glimpses of times when I thought maybe she was mistaken. I kept my life neat and tidy and raised a daughter, often on my own because my husband traveled for work during most of our marriage. Instead of being a noose around her neck, she called me daily sometimes to help her take care of her life, to give her money to eat on, to take her places. Evidently, I had some worth to her. Had she been wrong? There came a time when I couldn’t deal with her anymore because she had not changed. I stood up and walked away, on my own two feet, head held high. I stopped letting her pull me down so that she no longer had access to me. My eyes were opened to her words. I thought I had finally shaken off those grave clothes. I was wrong, but not so much in the way you might think. She still found fault with everything, but she couldn’t make it stick when she threw those acid balls anymore. However, there was someone else working against me in a way that I had never considered. I can see now how I would have been blinded because that is what our main enemy does. He blinds us, he uses smoke screens to make us think one thing is another so we will go after what we think is hurting us and never even see the little man behind the curtain. Recently, my counselor asked me why I still held onto ugly labels that my mother had given me as a child. I was telling her about the previous weekend I had endured that was full of terror and anguish because of my own negative thoughts. Though I believed I had conquered that, during a time of extreme stressors, I found myself lying awake at night with a voice in my head yelling at me that I couldn’t make it, that we were about to lose everything, that this chest pain was a heart attack and since I didn’t have medical insurance, I couldn’t see a doctor and would surely die. It was like a swarm of bees swirling inside my brain at all the ugly hate that was assailing me. The counselor asked me whose voice that was. At first, I assumed it was me, basing my fears on all that my mother had programmed into to believe that all that was wrong with my life was certainly my fault because I was so horrible. After I claimed it was me, then she asked where it came from. There was only one other person who had ever spoken to me that way, so I said, “My mother”. I was completely blindsided when she said, “No, who else?” After a few minutes of thought, it was as if a blazing light bulb on a neon sign flashed before me that said, “Satan?” She smiled to let me know that now I was correct. It was such a realization and it made so much sense that I was appalled at myself for having never seen this answer. God had even hinted at it because for months, I kept seeing people in the news who were acting against sanity and good sense and I could only attribute that to being blinded by our enemy. All that afternoon and night and even to the next day, I looked at this answer from every angle and saw how very true this revelation was. There is an enemy who engages in this kind of spiritual warfare, and the most horribly effective tactic he uses is to blind us to the truth. It freed up a huge part of me that still blamed and held unforgiveness against my mother. I could now put the blame on the true enemy. Ephesians 6:12 NIV, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” Satan is called “The Father of Lies”. There are many scriptures that describe how he and his demons exist to steal, kill, and destroy. 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” This is a promise, not a suggestion, not a sweet platitude. God promised us that the NEW HAS COME. It is solely up to us to accept, believe, and latch on to this like a bulldog. Satan works against this in any way that he can. In fact, if every new Christian – even every old Christian who was still mired in their past – would grasp this, Satan would be put out of business. (To be continued in part 2) by Donna Butler
Amazing grace is the sweet sound that saved me from my sins. Understanding that the blood of Christ cleanses me from within. Through many trials and challenges, I have already come. Undeniably, the only way is through the Father, Spirit, and Son. Many seasons come and go, that’s just the way life can be. Never forget that within each death is the planting of a seed. Excerpt from the book On the Wave of a New Beginning by K. C. Leigh The Leap of Faith dance troupe entered the atrium of the Seaside Community Church. The uplifting music of the worship team could be heard throughout the building. The community’s annual Friend Day extravaganza was about to begin, and the sanctuary was packed beyond capacity. Caroline ushered her dancers down the hall toward the church sanctuary. Reaching the side entrance, they stood in the empty vestibule, waiting for the pastor to announce their performance. Caroline closed her eyes, letting the soothing sounds of Amazing Grace calm her soul. As the final chords resounded, Caroline opened the sanctuary door a crack and peeked in. The pastor motioned them inside. The dancers entered wearing purple chiffon skirts over glistening white unitards. Long strands of purple and white ribbon had been woven into perfectly shaped top-knot buns. Splitting it into two groups, the girls circled the back of the sanctuary and placed themselves on the two aisles that divided the three groups of pews. Caroline took a seat on a front pew. The pastor announced the troupe, then cued the music. As the soft sounds of I Can Only Imagine began to fill the room, the performers danced down the aisles toward the stage. Their tea-length skirts flowed with every movement. They ascended the stage steps and positioned themselves in the form of a cross. One by one, they fanned out, creating a circular formation. The dancers spun, leaped, and twirled in perfect synchronization, honoring their creator with every graceful movement. As the song neared its end, the dancers made their way to the rear of the stage. They formed a semi-circle around the baptistry. Above their heads, a massive stained-glass window in the shape of a cross hung over the water. Sunbeams shone through the multi-colored window and illuminated the dancers as they fell to their knees, raising their hands toward Heaven. The music stopped and a chorus of “Amen” and “Praise the Lord” echoed throughout the sanctuary. The girls stood up, and with faces glowing, exited the stage. Caroline closed her eyes and prayed that the dancer’s performance would be a blessing in someone’s life. She opened her eyes and gazed upon the sparkling cross in front of her. As she reflected on the significance of Christ’s sacrifice, the sound of rippling water arose from the baptistry. The pastor descended into the pool and held out his hand. A young girl with honey-colored hair grasped onto his outstretched palm and inched down into the water. Caroline recognized the face. Her sweet Olivia was getting baptized! Happy tears ran down Caroline’s face as the pastor introduced Olivia and announced, “I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Olivia held onto the pastor’s strong arm as he immersed her into the water. Her head popped back up, and the room erupted into thunderous applause. The pastor led Olivia from the baptistry as the worship band played There is a Pure and Tranquil Wave. Caroline thanked God for His awesome faithfulness and prayed blessings over her friend’s new beginning. by Brenda Johnson
Over the years, I have been under physical attack in my body for several medical issues.
A "Gist" for this and a "Gist" for that. The "Gist" of things is this; our healing does not come from these "Practitioners." We may look to a "special-gist" for whatever ails us BUT there is only one healer - The Lord God Almighty! Call on Him. Tell Him all about your pain, sickness and illnesses. Psalm 6:2 says, “Have mercy on me, Lord, for I am faint. Heal me, Lord, for my bones are in agony." He may answer by guiding you to seek a practicing "special-gist" for comfort and management. However, put your faith in Him for your healing. Psalm 41:3 says, "The Lord sustains them on their sickbed and restores them from their bed of illness.” His Word promises us that we shall be sustained and restored. That means comforted throughout our illnesses and restored from our sickbeds. Though we may not know the manner or length of time of the comfort we'll enjoy, we can trust and believe that He is faithful to His Word. Our restoration from our sickbeds may not look like what we imagine. Be rest assured that it will come. We will be restored, and I truly believe it will manifest just as soon as we clearly understand the "Gist of Things." GOD is our healer, not the "special-gist"! “It wasn’t any herb or ointment that healed them but your word alone, Lord, which heals everything.” The Wisdom of Solomon 16:12 Written by Donna Butler
We all have some goals…and so does God! Throughout His world, His goals for us are to love others, forgive, prosper, seek Him with our whole hearts, and many others. He wishes to bless us and not harm us, to give us hope and a future (Jer. 29:11). There’s one that I came across in my devotion time from Hebrews 12:14 (CSB), “Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness - without it no one will see the Lord.” My first thought was, “Of course! I love peace!” But, the Holy Spirit prompted me to dig deeper. So, I backed up to the section’s subtitle which began at verse 3 and it said “Do Not Grow Weary.” I wondered, What was I going to get weary of because I could already give God a whole list of what I’m tired of! Hebrews 12:3-4 in the Passion Translation puts it this way: “So consider carefully how Jesus faced such opposition from sinners who opposed their own souls, so that you won’t become worn down and cave in under life's pressures. After all, you have not yet reached the point of sweating blood in your opposition to sin.” (Oh, wow, and ouch!) Verses 5 - 13 go on to talk about training, correction, discipline, transforming my character, and strengthening my weaknesses. Doesn’t this sound like a workout program! I realize “pursuing peace” is not like going into Ross or TJ Maxx, finding your bargain of the year (Oh look! It’s Peace! In my favorite color! Thank You, Lord!), and you’re done. “Pursuing peace with everyone” is an ongoing process that requires effort! But wait, there’s more! “AND holiness”! Peace and holiness go hand in hand like God’s grace and mercy! (MIND BLOWN) As you strive for God’s peace with everyone (the workout plan), you are also obtaining the holiness (defined muscles) that God wants you to walk out this life in Christ because “without which no one will see the Lord”. So, we can’t see God without holiness and neither will the people who are not holy…unbelievers…What? :0 Our “spiritual fat” becomes a stumbling block for others seeing the love of God! Our unforgiveness, judgmental, religious/pious attitudes slow us down from pursuing peace and holiness. We hinder others from receiving the blood that was sacrificed for ALL our sin! God, Help me to pursue peace with everyone. I want to be holy as You are holy. So please, open my eyes, show me where I have spiritual fat because I want to be a healthy and whole part of the Body of Christ. In Jesus’ Name Written by Susan Stedman
Matthew 6:8b, “…for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask.” I grew up with an earthly father who was neither here nor there. We rarely knew where he was, so he was not a very good example when I started to learn about my Heavenly Father. Donnie didn’t know very much about me either, about the things I liked, the things I didn’t like, who my friends were, or how I did in school. You get the picture. The one thing he always knew was what scared me. That was pretty much the extent of our relationship. He got a kick out of scaring me, my sister, my cousins, and any friend that might have been around at the time. About six years ago, I reconnected with an old friend on Facebook who had known me in elementary school. We were tickled to find each other and catch up, but the very first thing she said was, “I remember that slumber party where your dad told us scary stories all night! I didn’t sleep for a week!” So, yeah, fear was his game. I guess it gave him a feeling of power somehow. Then we have my heavenly Father, whom I call “Daddy” sometimes. This is why… Several years ago, my family and my sister’s family helped my grandmother move into a new house. We worked all day packing, loading, unloading, and unpacking and left for the hour-and-a-half drive home well after dark. We were all exhausted and stopped at a little restaurant for dinner. On the way out, the kids noticed a gumball machine that was filled with tiny rubber ducks and duck tattoos. We obviously weren’t thinking straight by that time because my husband started pumping quarters in trying to win all four of the over-eighteen “kids” a rubber duck. However, after nearly $10 in quarters, they all had handfuls of tattoos and no rubber ducks. I was the last one out and I had fifty cents left, so I just felt like trying my luck. I even said a prayer for some reason. “God, I really want a duck.” I put the money in, turned the handle, and a tiny, yellow-spotted duck fell into my hand. I was elated and ran outside showing off my duck. It didn’t occur to me till the next morning that I had probably been silly and irresponsible to pray to God for a rubber duck. I apologized to Him and told Him that I didn’t mean it in any bad way. I don’t know why I even did it. I was so used to praying constantly that I guess I just did it out of habit. While I was praying that morning, I understood that God was not upset with me. He asked me if I knew why He did that. I had no guess. “Because I want you to know that I am not like your earthly father. When you ask something of me, I will not let you down. I want you to know that you can trust me to give you good things.” I started to cry because I could feel those words even more than I could hear them. The situation taught me to make sure what I prayed for was worthwhile and not frivolous. I still have my “Duck of Grace”. It sits in my basket beside my bed. He will be seven years old this year. And that brings me back around to my favorite verse in the Bible. “He knows what I need before I ask Him.” He knew I needed to have a better example than Donnie because it would cement my trust like nothing else. He has not failed me yet. It did take me some time to trust His judgment over my wants, but with age comes wisdom, supposedly. I have gotten much better at saying, “I trust you to know what is best for me.” With that comes the peace that passes all understanding. Written by Donna Butler
Psalm 132:7-9 Let us go to His dwelling place; let us worship at His footstool! Arise, O Lord, and go to Your resting place, You and the ark of You might. Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness, and let Your saints shout for joy! Have you ever lost your joy? What got you threw you off? And, how do you plan to get it back? That’s a lot to think about! Psalm 132 gives us the answer that is repeated throughout God’s word. First step, we must go to His dwelling place and worship at His footstool. As simple as that sounds, it is sometimes difficult to do. When we feel lost or discouraged, worshiping is not our initial response. But, in order for God to do His part, we must do ours. Yes, God can do anything... Which includes giving us free-will! So, we must be open and truthful with Him. John 4:24 says, “God is spirit, and the people who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” You may come yelling and screaming, sobbing, whispering, or just telling God how angry, disappointed, frustrated, or hurt you truly are with Him…but that’s the truth. He hears our heart, whatever state we are in, we must let down any façade or pretense. “…A broken and contrite heart, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17). As we go into His resting place (in prayer), He promises to give us rest (Matthew 11: 28-30) Have you ever tried to dress a child that doesn’t want to be dressed? This is another reason that we must surrender. As we humble ourselves, God takes the next step. He begins the process of clothing us in His righteousness. In royalty, or “Bend the knee” if you’re a Game of Thrones fan, you are awarded privileges and special rights when you submit to the authority. When the king speaks over you, everyone knows that you have been identified in kinship with royalty by a crown, robe, or emblem. Psalm 132 declares that we are clothed with His righteousness. We no longer march in a self-declared righteousness, which is useless in spiritual battle. But, the enemy now sees the royal banner and we can shout with JOY! We have protection and the reinforcements of the royal army! God has never left you or forgotten you. He is waiting, longing for you to come to His resting place. He wants to help you take off all those heavy burdens, the should haves, would haves, and want to’s, and give you a peace that surpasses all understanding. Dear God, I need You! I have lost my joy and my peace. Help me to remember that You, O Lord, have an unlimited supply! Help me to put down my pride, anger, and unforgiveness to receive all that You have for me. I’m only as far away as a prayer. Thank You for never giving up on me! |
About Rays of Light:Whereas most blogs are from one writer, these posts are from a variety of authors and styles. These scribes all attend our Kingdom Writers group. We pray our passion to share God's love through writing will encourage you today!
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