Come to the Altar

There's a group of ladies I have the pleasure to meet with every Sunday morning.  Some of them are older than me, and some of them are younger than me. Some with children, and some without. Some married, some single. But we gather together each week for the same purpose.....to study God's word and to share with one another our joys and sorrows.

These women are simply amazing.  They laugh and cry and pray.  And they have burdened hearts.

They have their own burdens, yet they freely help carry the burdens of others.

And it isn't just my Sunday school class. It's my church has a whole.

We can count on one another to hold our hands, whisper prayers, and offer encouragement.  All in the name of love.....agape love.

And this morning, as we sang our hymn of invitation, I felt led to kneel at the altar and thank God for his gift of salvation because I am so undeserving. I lose my temper. I overeat, I don't spend enough time in God's word. I do things that I know are not pleasing to God, and I just wanted to thank him for loving me that much.....to sacrifice his son for me, for my husband and for my sons.  And as I thanked him for that love, that amazing love, I cried out to him to watch over my children, to lead them and guide them. I cried for my youngest sons to one day, the day that the Lord has planned, to open their hearts to him, to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.  I prayed for all of my boys to live godly lives, lives that bring honor and glory to God.  I prayed for my husband to have strength and wisdom as he serves God and our church, and I prayed that I would be the woman that God has planned for me.

And during this prayer, this crying out to my Father, I felt hands on my shoulder, the hands of a husband loving me and the hands of a sister in Christ praying for me. And at that time, I thanked God for the body of Christ, those brothers and sisters who love us and pray for us, that kneel at the altar and hold us.

The altar......

So many people fear the altar.  Well, maybe they fear what the alter signifies.....I need you God.

And we presume that people will start to question and judge us, wondering what we did wrong to have to go to the altar to pray.

But my question is this....Why does something have to be wrong to go to the altar to pray?

Can I not go to the altar and offer a prayer of praise?

Can I not go to the altar and lift up a prayer for someone in need?

Of course I can, and you can too.

We have to humble ourselves to do so.  Satan will feed us those lies when God calls us to the altar.  Satan will tell us that people will watch us and question us. Satan will tell us that we will be judged by the rest of the congregation.  He whispers it to those of us in the front pew as well as to those in the balcony.

But we mustn't listen.  We should answer God's call.

Humbling ourselves is never easy, but when we do, there are no regrets.

I'm thankful for those that kneel at the altar to pray.....whatever their prayer may be.  I'm thankful for those who come forward to kneel beside them, hand in hand, offering up a prayer for them. I'm thankful that God meets us there at the altar, that he stirs our souls, that he hears our prayers, and that he has answers that are better than we could ever imagine.

I encourage you.....come to the altar......lift up a prayer of thanksgiving and praise....lift up a prayer of adoration......lift up a prayer of needs and wants......lift up a prayer for one another.  Come to the altar and see what God can do when you humble yourself before him.

What are your fears of going to the altar to pray?  Do you feel like your church takes advantage of the altar?  What can you do to encourage others to pray during the invitation?

Back to School Gift

It is that time of year.

Store aisles are filled with folders, paper, crayons, and pencils.  Our mail contains the best sales for school supplies.  Although they've done hours of Pinterest PD, texting, and emailing, teachers are officially meeting to prepare for classrooms full of kids.

Yes, it is back to school time!

As parents, we usually get our child's teachers a gift for Christmas, Valentine's Day, and Teacher Appreciation Day.  But what about a Back to School Gift?

As a teacher, the best (and I think only) back to school gift I have gotten was a note from a parent. It let me know that she had been praying for me and our school year. I taped it to the pullout on my desk and read it several times throughout the year.

I cherished that note.

Teachers have a wonderfully stressful job.

We love our students. We call them "our kids" - forever. We see these students in ways their parents will never see them.  We laugh with them. We cry with them.  We hug them when they celebrate and when their worlds are falling apart.

Teachers do more than teach. And to know that a parent was praying for me, praying for our school year.....that meant so much to me.

Parents, we do need your prayers.  Your children need your prayers. It is a crazy awful world we live in.  So many uncertainties. So much evil.  For some of these children the school is their safe place. The school is their guaranteed meal. The school is where they are loved and cherished.

I've come to realize in my many years of teaching that some of these students that I call "my kids" need me to teach them reading and writing.  Others need me to teach them love, compassion, and responsibility. And others, those children need to be loved and cherished and told they are indeed someone special, someone who is fearfully and wonderfully made.

So, parents, pray for us.  Pray for us to be what these precious children need us to be.  Pray for us to see them as more than a test score. Pray for us to show patience, love, and understanding while we stretch their minds and push them to succeed. Pray for us to protect them from bullies and self harm. Pray for us to see them as God our Father sees us.   Please, pray for us.

And then, I ask you this....Would you please show us grace and mercy?  We teachers are human. We mess up. We jump to conclusions. We get tired and frustrated. Life happens to us as it does to everyone. So, please, show us grace.

And then if you want to....send coffee.

It is all Important

Do you ever struggle through certain parts of the Bible?

I'll admit, that the genealogy listings can really cause me to zone out.  I find myself skimming and looking to see were the "begot" list ends.

I've come to realize, though, that every part of the Bible is important.  There are things I've read multiple times and never thought much about until one day.....BAM!  It hit me. It made sense. It connected to something else.

If we look at certain things in the Bible as nonsense or unimportant, we can miss out.  One of my favorite parts of scripture is found in a list of genealogy.

Read it with me.

"and Koz begot Anub, Zobebah, and he families of Aharhel the son of Haram. Now Jabez was more honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name Jabez, saying, "because I bore him in pain." And Jabez called to the God of Israel saying, Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not cause pain!" So God granted him what he requested. Cheleub the brother of Shuhah begot Mehir, who was the father of Eston. And Eshton begot Beth-Rapha, Paseah, and Tehinnah the father of Ir-Nahash. These were the men of Rechah."

Did you see that?  Right there in the middle of 1Chronicles 4, there was something big in the midst of the who begot who list.

There was Jabez and his prayer..

Jabez was more honorable than his brothers.

In the entire genealogy for the family of Judah, Jabez was the only one described.  And he was described as more honorable than his brothers.

Jabez prayed.

He asked God to bless him.  No, I don't believe this is selfish.  Don't we all want God's blessings?  Yes, so we need to ask for them. Our Father wants us to ask.

God answered his prayer.

Jabez asked, and he received.  What an amazing lesson for us.  Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9, and James 1:5 are other examples of when we are told to ask for things in God's name.

There is a book called The Prayer of Jabez by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson.  In this book, readers are challenge to pray The Prayer of Jabez wholeheartedly and await the results.

If we ask God to bless us, He will.

If we ask Him for opportunity to serve, He will provide.

If we ask of Him, in His Name, we will receive.


You see, God's Word is important. All of it.  I pray that as you read your Bible, that you'll hang in there through the parts that don't seem to matter.  It all matters.  And if you look and ask God to speak to you through His Word.....He'll do it.  Just listen.

How's your Bible reading/studying going on this 18th day of 2016?  Have you set any goals?  Do you have a specific Bible you are reading from?

I am currently reading through my One Year Chronologic Bible.  I started this last year, so I'm not on "today's" daily reading.

I am also beginning my ESV Journaling Bible. With a whole lot of reluctance,  I've made my first entry.

I am not artistic by any means, but I think I will enjoy growing in God's Word with it.  My initial fear was that I would mess it up.  I just have to understand that it won't be Pinterest Perfect, but it will show how God is speaking through me.  

Book Review: Upside-Down Prayers for Parents

Parents want their children to live godly lives. They want their children to be happy and to make a difference in the world.   They can't do it alone.  As parents, we need to pray for our children. 

In her book, Upside-Down Prayers for Parents, Lisa T. Bergren offers 31 devotions that parents can use to lift up their children to God.

Each day is consistent in its format with the previous day.  It begins with an "I pray...." statement and related scripture.   The next part of each day is a short personal story that relates to the topic and then a specific prayer.  The daily devotions end with a section called Making it Personal where parents can gain or reflect on their personal experience and then a Making it Relevant section which helps children relate to an experience as well.  There are questions for both older children and younger children.

I like the fact that the devotions are short and consistent.  I also like that there is both a place where the parent and children can become active in the devotion and reflect.  The blank writing space is also convenient.  I think this would be an excellent devotion for parents who have a desire to pray for their children and help them to strengthen their children's relationship with God and to help the parent be more intentional on praying for their children.

I received a free copy of this book from WaterBrook Press for the purpose of an honest review as part of their blogger book review program. 

Praying for our Husbands

Recently, Hilarie and I decided to read The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian.

Upon finishing the book, there are some things that I have discovered.

I don't pray for my husband nearly enough.  I do pray for him. In fact, I pray for him daily.  However, the quality of my prayers is weak I have found. I usually pray for current needs of my husband. I need to pray for his future as well.

There are so many specific aspects of Jeff's life that I need to pray about.  My prayers are usually broad and general. That is so sad.  I love him more than that.

I realize that as I pray for Jeff, God will work in me as well.  He will make me the wife I am supposed to be while I am praying for Him to make Jeff the man he is supposed to be. 

As I strengthen my own walk with the Lord, I will work on my prayer life. I will pray for the specific needs (immediate and future) of my husband.  I will hand Jeff over to God, to mold him and shape him in His image.

I recieved a copy of this book from Jeff after he attended CAST last year in Baltimore.

Time to Pray to the One

The intense prayer of the righteous is very powerful. James 5:16 Holman CSB

I think prayer is one of the greatest gifts that God has given us.  It is the chance to talk to him directly and bring our needs before him.  I like that directly part. 

I don't know a whole lot about other religions, but several years ago, I was working with a student who was writing about her Sunday School teacher.  She told me that she had taught her to pray and I had her explain that to me.  This little girl said that they are Catholic and they pray to the saints. The saints carry your requests on a golden platter to the Lord.  Like I said, I don't know a lot about other religions, so if that is wrong, sorry. That's just what the nine year old told me.

I like the golden platter part. You know, to think that my thoughts and requests are worthy of a golden platter. Oooh!  But I really wasn't crazy about the praying to the saints and having to depend on them to deliver my requests.  What if they got busy or worst yet, what if they dropped the platter and my request rolled under the throne and was never heard and seen again?

I love the fact that in Baptist belief, we pray to the One who will be doing the work. We pray to God.  And you know what? He tells us to.

Jeremiah 33:3 says, "Call to Me and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things which you do not know."

Psalm 50:15 declares, "Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me."

Hebrews 4:16 commands, "Let us therefore come boldy to the throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."

I am thankful for the fact that God wants me to come to Him. He wants me to lay it all out before his throne, not holding anything back (He knows it all anyway).  I am thankful that nothing is too big or too small for Him.  He wants me to pray about everything, all the time.

That last part is where I have a problem....all the time.

I told God last night, "Father, I am sorry that I haven't been spending as much time with You as I need to. I have no excuses. Please forgive me."

I could tell God that I am busy with a newborn. I am busy with a four year old and a seven year old. I am busy trying to manage a home, 3 kids, a husband, and 2 pets. I'm trying to get to baseball practice, wash and make more bottles, do laundry, load and unload the dishwasher, shower and brush my teeth.  But He knows that. It is not an excuse.  It is a reason for me to get my priorities in line.  Is it easy? NO!  It is difficult. BUT since I have been praying about it, God is helping me.  I am finding more time throughtout the day to spend with him.  He is allowing my 1 month old to be a pretty good sleeper so I can get in some good praying time in the mornings. He is allowing my energy to strengthen so I don't conk out at bedtime.  He is doing His part in helping me get my priorities straight. I just have to recongnize that and go with it.

I find that if I spend less time in prayer, my world seems a little more chaotic.  I am frantic and easily angered. I make poor decisions and am less pleasant.  I don't have a peace about me.  My prayers are rushed and less specific.  However, when I do spend quality time in prayer (using the time God has granted me to pray specifically), I am renewed. Peace reenters my life.  I am able to deal with this chaos around me better. 


"The more complicated life becomes, the more we need to quiet our souls before God." Elisabeth Elliot

A Good Life

Yesterday, Carter was one month old. I can't believe it! He is growing so big and is totally loved by his big brothers. The new of him has not worn off! Over the weekend, he had his first visit to Chaney's Dairy Barn. As I watched Colin and Carson eat their Blue Moon Ice Cream, I knew it wouldn't be long until Carter would be joining them.

I am thankful each day for my sons. They are all so very different and I cherish those differences. Last night as Colin and I prayed together, he asked God to help him and his brothers "live a good life." Needless to say, I had to catch my breath. To add to his prayer, I ask that they are "doers of the word and not hearers only." (James 1:22 Holman CSB). If they are, they will most certainly live a good life.

Have you praised Him lately?

Today, I am praising my Heavenly Father.

I am so very thankful that Carter's two week appointment went well. Apparently, there are no longer any signs of jaundice. When he was retested at 4 days old, his bilirubin levels were a bit more elevated than the initial test in the hospital. Today, he shows no signsof jaundice. Thank you, Lord! Carter is growing quite well. He weighed 8lbs 13 oz (1 pound and 1 ounce more than his birth weight). What a blessing it is to know that he is healthy and strong!

I am so very thankful for the love Colin and Carson have for their baby brother. Already, they are inseparable. When its time for school, bed, or whatever, they do not want to leave Carter's side. Carson has not slept in his own bed but once or twice since Carter has been home. This morning, both big brothers were on the couch with me and Carter. They are all about their little brother. I pray that their devotion to one another continues, that no matter how old they get and what troubles they encounter, that these boys remember they are family and that is what is important.

I am so very thankful for the wonderful man I am married to. He takes such good care of me and our boys. I am amazed at how God has worked in his life since surrendering his life to Jesus 6 years ago. Yesterday at church, he talked to the congregation about prayer. You see, when Carson was born four years ago, we saw him for only a short moment due to his lungs. He was quickly taken to NICU. Jeffrey made his way to the chapel at the Medical Center and prayed for his newborn son. His (our) prayers were answered. Carson was healed. We have learned that he remains delicate in times of illness. With a snotty nose or first sign of cough or cold, we have to take precautions to keep him in good health whether it is keeping him in from the weather or out of smokey environments. He can't tolerate allergens and illness like many kids. When Carter was born two weeks ago, Jeffrey made his way to the chapel at the hospital once again. This time, it was to give thanks and praise for a healthy newborn son. Isn't that the only proper thing to do (which was precisely his point to the church)? We are quick to pray in times of want, whether through the death of a loved one, illness, job loss, marital stress, parenting issues, or financial trouble. We should also be quick to pray in times of plenty, whether it is a job promotion, good health, or anything worth celebrating. God is with us in those times, just like he is with us in times of want. Some people only call out to our Lord when they are hurting. Sure He wants us to do that, but our Father also wants us to call out to Him in times of celebration, to give Him praise for what He has done.

Have you praised Him lately? If not, why not start now? Why not leave a comment here to let us know what God has blessed you with?

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thesselonians 5:16-18

In Their Shoes

We've all been there....

Someone we know and love is going through something, and we tell them what they should do.
Doing this though causes conflict. We become frustrated and that person becomes frustrated. Why doesn't he/she just do what we say?

Well, because we aren't in their shoes.

It is so easy to stand there and tell people what they should do, think, or how they should act. What isn't easy is to just stop and listen. A lot of times that is all we need to do (openly) to help someone. When I say openly, that's what they should see us do. We should be caring and compassionate with whatever they are going through. The best way to do that is to listen.

What then? How is listening and not telling them what to do going to help?

We should pray. We should pray for God's guidance for both us and that person. We should pray for His will to be done in that situation. We should pray for that person's salvation. Then hand it all over to God and let him work.

It breaks my heart to see my loved ones hurting. However, I don't want to make them hurt worse by my words or actions. All I can do is show my loved ones I love them. I may not agree with what they say and do, but I love them.

After all, I am not in their shoes.

One of the most difficult things that I have had to do in my prayer life is to ask God for His will to be done even if it is to take that person from me.

I remember when my grandfather was sick with cancer again. Selfishly, I wanted Pa here. I wanted to be able to see him. I wanted that Popeye kiss and those whiskers rubbed against my hand. Even more though, I didn't want him to suffer. He was so weak and feeble, nothing but skin and bones. He was my Pa Tootsie and I was his baby girl. Oh, how it broke my heart to see him in pain. When he died, I was mourned, but yet found comfort in the fact that he knew Jesus. That gave me peace. I still miss him. I still go to the cemetery. But I know that I will see him once again.

My only two living grandparents are my grandmothers. They are both not well. Granny Uhls has always been independent (as long as I can remember). She worked hard. She cared for her gardens and family. After Pa Uhls died, she moved to Florida. I was happy for her because this was one of her most favorite places. Yes, I missed her, but the weather and climate were good for her health. Since moving back, she has had nothing but health problems. When she has her "spells," I know it kills her daughters to sit by and watch. She won't let them call for help. She will just sit there until the pain is gone. To me, I ask, "What kind of life is that, waiting for the "big one" to just take you?" But then again, I am not in her shoes. I don't know what it is like to be older and not capable of doing all the things I've always done. I don't know what it is like to live without the love of my life.

My other grandmother has always seemed weak. Well, in my eyes anyway. I barely remember her being able to do things well on her own. I remember her falling, breaking her hip and since then always having trouble getting around. For years, her and Pa Tootsie sat there in that smoky living room together, her saying, "Well, Tootsie," and him fussing back, "Damn it Reece." They were always together. She took care of him and he took care of her. Then in 2006, God called for him. Granny has been alone in that house ever since. Now, to us, it seems as she has given up. She stays sick, she won't eat. Last week, she was put in a nursing home. How it breaks my heart that she is ready for God to call for her. But then again, I am not in her shoes. I don't know what it is like to have my children all grown up and with lives of their own. I don't know what it is like to have spent so many years of my life alone with my true love and then have him go Home to then be left alone.

I don't know what it is like......
I'm not in their shoes.

Selfishly, I do want my grandmothers here when Carter arrives in March. Selfishly, I want them to see my boys grow up and become strong Christian men.

Selfishly....I think I have distanced myself from my grandmothers since they have been sick. Do I risk taking my boys to see their great grandmother, risking the chance of her falling out in the floor with a heart attack? Do I risk taking them to visit with their other great grandmother to then have to give breathing treatments and Benadryl to stop the allergies and coughing brought on by the cigarette smoke and their weak respiratory systems?

Selfishly, we do things.
Selfishly, we say things.
Selfishly, we hurt others.

Selfishly, we pretend to put ourselves in their shoes to try to make them do what we want....for us. But what is best for them? God only knows. That is why we have to pray for His will to be done, not ours, but His. That is why we have to pray for discernment in these situations. We have to pray for the ability to bite our tongues and just love those people regardless of what our will is.

After all,
We are not in their shoes.

How is Your Prayer Life

A few days ago, I had the chance to sit down with my cousin and talk. Something we never get to do. I was humbled that she felt she could talk to me about a burden she was carrying. She was struggling with her prayer life and just felt like maybe she was going about it all wrong.

I think to a point, we all struggle with our prayer life. One of my struggles? I feel at times I don't pray enough. The Bible says to pray without ceasing. We can all find excuses on why we don't pray as often as we should. We are busy with jobs, housework, children, church, and other extra activities. But honestly, while we are busy with all of these things, we can still pray.

Pray
before getting out of bed
in the shower
while brushing your teeth
driving to work
on your break
at lunch
while waiting on your doctor
when working out
driving home
while watching your kids at practice
while preparing dinner
when going to bed

Imagine if
we all put our cell phones away while driving
we spent less time online
we spent less time watching TV
turned the radio off while doing chores
and spent that time in prayer. I think the outcome would be amazing!

Prayers don't have to be extravagant. My cousin and I talked about humbling ourselves in prayer and what that really means. Do we have to always kneel? Do we always have to hold our hands a certain way? Do we have to use big words? I don't think so.

I think that to humble ourselves in prayer means
to acknowledge who God is
to thank Him for who He is and what He has done
to ask for his guidance by admitting we can't face life alone
to admit our sin and shortcomings
to ask that His will be done, not ours
to be honest with Him

My prayers are not always the same. Some are more formal than others. It depends on the main purpose of the prayer. My prayer for someone who is going through a difficult time is going to be different than the blessing for my meal. The prayer of thanksgiving for a good doctor's appointment is different than the prayer after I'm not proud of myself for my behavior or when I'm at my wits end and don't have the words to express what I'm feeling. Sometimes I talk to God has my father. Sometimes I talk to Him as my friend.

I think sometimes people do get frustrated with praying because they feel like their prayers are not being answered. This is when we have to step back and think (honestly) about what we are praying for. We are to pray for what is in God's will, not ours. If we continuously ask Him for things that are not part of His plan, we will be disappointed. God has 3 answers to our prayers: Yes, No, and Later. If we stop and think about the things we have prayed for and not gotten, we may see that those prayers were answered differently for our benefit.

In his book, Hope for Each Day, Billy Graham writes "Prayer isn't just asking God for something we want. Prayer should also include confession of sin and praise to God for who He is and what He has done for us. But prayer should also have an additional element, and that is thanksgiving. It is easy to be thankful when God blesses us with something good. But the Bible says that we should "give thanks in all circumstances for this is God's will for us in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessolonians 5:18). Thankfulness drives away a sour or prideful spirit."

It would be good for us all to remember this and to reflect upon the purpose of our prayers.


Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. Colossians 4:2

How Great is Our God

My family appreciates the prayers you've sent up to our Heavenly Father for my cousin Jason. HE IS HOME! Although he has experienced some complications due to all he has been through, Jason is doing quite well. God still performs miracles, and He is the Great Physician!

You may remember when I had asked you to pray for my cousin Patrick, his wife Melissa, and their unborn baby girl. Melissa recently gave birth to a beautiful daughter, Isabella Faith, and they are both doing well.


It is amazing that with the advances in technology and medicine, that some doctor's give up hope on the sick. Yet, our Lord works miracles and heals. What He has done in the lives of my cousins is proof.


A little while ago, I went into the bedroom to find some clothes hangers. I always have to have the TV on something good while I'm digging throught the closet so I started flipping through the channels. I saw Chris Tomlin's name appear on the screen so I stopped. He started singing How Great is Our God (song 29 on the playlist below). As I sang along with him and the thousands of other people at the Harvest Crusade in California, I began to think how great God really is.


I look back at my life and the miracles God has performed in my life, the ways He has watched over me, protected me, guided me, and loved me. He has blessed me in so many ways. I can see where He has had His hand on my life. I see how He placed people in my life for a reason: those that prayed for me and those that challenged me, those that tore me down and those that picked me up.


When I first become a Christian, I would compare myself to others. I wanted to be that type of mom or that type of woman. I would feel inadequate, but I soon came to realize that the best I could be was me. I wasn't these other Christian women that I was coming to know. I wasn't supposed to be like them. I was supposed to love like Jesus loved. That's what God wanted for me. He placed those women in my life to teach me, to fellowship with me, to encourage me and for me to do those things for them and others as well.


You know, I am not perfect (shocker, uh), but the One who is perfect is in control of my life. Why should I allow fear and worry to rule my heart? Whatever He puts before me, I know He will be with me. I can count on God. He has never let me down and I know He never will.


The best decision I ever made was to open my heart to Jesus Christ. I'll never forget that day. I know God had His hand on my actions that day, but I also know that ultimately, it was my decision. God calls us, but we don't always respond.


How Great is Our God that He did not give up on me when I didn't answer His call in a revival.


How Great is Our God that He gave me another chance; He sent Dr. Copass to Calvary Baptist Church to walk me through the sinners prayer.


How Great is Our God that He sent His son Jesus Christ to come to earth, humble himself, die for my sins, and rise 3 days later defeating death.


How Great is Our God that He has prepared a place in heaven for me.


How Great is Our God that I can always depend on His love, comfort, and peace regardless of what is placed before me.


How Great is Our God!

Can you say that?

If not, I pray that you would come to know Him, that you would search out His will for your life.


I pray that you would be able to sing with me, HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD!

Jason

Thank you for your continued prayers for my cousin Jason. Doctor's put him in a coma in hopes of helping his immune system fight this illness. Please continue to pray for his healing.



Please pray for my mom and grandma as they have flown to Florida to be with my aunt and Jason's wife.





Bless the LORD, O my soul;

And all that is within me, bless His holy name!



Bless the LORD, O my soul,

And forget not all His benefits:



Who forgives all your iniquities,

Who heals all your diseases,



Who redeems your life from destruction,

Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,



Who satisfies your mouth with good things,

So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

Psalm 103:1-5

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST

PLEASE BE IN PRAYER FOR MY COUSIN JASON. HE HAS BEEN HOSPITALIZED WITH DOUBLE PNEUMONIA AND BASICALLY IT HAS TAKEN OVER. THE DOCTOR'S FEEL THEY HAVE DONE ALL THEY CAN DO. IT IS NOW IN THE HANDS OF THE GREAT PHYSICIAN.



JASON IS MARRIED AND HAS A BABY THAT HAS ALSO BEEN ILL. THE FAMILY LIVES IN FLORIDA.

Prayer Request

Please be in prayer for Joe Mark, a relative of ours. At the ballpark this evening, he had to be taken to the hospital. Not sure exactly what all happened right now. Too early to tell. They are running tests currently to see if he needs to be taken to Nashville.

Prayer Request

Please pray for Hilarie and her husband Ashley and their family. Ashley's dad passed away last night.

Hilarie and Ashley have been such good friends to us over the past few years and we love them and their precious children very much. They are a blessing to our family.


Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
Matthew 5:4

URGENT PRAYER REQUEST

PLEASE PRAY FOR TAMI.
She is one of my students, soccer kids, sweethearts. Tami has been placed back in the hospital at Kosair's Children's Hospital due to illness. Something is fishy about her lymph nodes. It could just be an infection or her cancer could be back. Tami is a 1 year cancer survivor. She was interviewed by WBKO recently when our guidance counselor dyed her hair pink during one of our Relay for Life fundraisers. I will keep you updated as I find out more info.

The LORD will strengthen him on his bed of illness;
You will sustain him on his sickbed.
Psalm 41:3

Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak:
O Lord, heal me.
Psalm 6:2

*****
Thank you for continuing to pray for Melissa, Patrick, and Baby. Melissa is doing well and still on bed rest.

Special Prayer Request

I am asking you to pray for Melissa, Patrick, and their unborn baby. Melissa is 4 months pregnant and having complications. Her doctor has put her on bed rest. It is truly a miracle that she has carried this baby this long because she was told that she would probably miscarry before now due to some issues. Melissa and Patrick love this baby so much and are wanting so badly for everything to be OK. Please, go to Our Father in prayer asking him to be with this precious family. Ask Him, the Great Physician, for healing if it be His will and for comfort and guidance for Melissa and Patrick, for them to receive this cup that He his placing before them. Ask the Lord, our God, to give my Aunt Rita strength so she can be there for her son, daughter-in-law, and unborn grandchild.

Then Jesus answered and said to her, “O woman, great is your faith! Let it be to you as you desire.” Matthew 15:28