Mercy Seat – Episode 256

We know that God is merciful, and his mercy endures forever, but what is God’s mercy seat and what can we learn to apply to our lives?

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I love the idea of a mercy seat; what do you picture in your mind? In scripture, we read that the mercy seat was the cover or a lid of the ark of the covenant. This is discussed in Exodus. I’m sure you know the story, but Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers, as they were jealous of him. This led to a tremendous journey for the people of Israel. Joseph was favored by the Pharaoh in Egypt, but after generations they both died. The next pharaoh wasn’t as kind, especially as the Lord blessed the people. Pharaoh put the people into slavery, and they cried out to the Lord in prayer. Many, many years later, they were delivered by Moses.

The Lord gave Moses direction for the people, but they were entrenched in sin. After all the years of living in Egypt even though they were slaves, they dressed, ate, and acted like the Egyptians, even worshipping false gods. Moses was directed to bring the people to the promised land, “flowing with milk and honey.” However, the people were stubborn, and even while Moses was up on the mountain speaking to the Lord the people were making a grave image to worship.

These people were in need of direction and mercy! Therefore it was the Lord himself, through Moses that directed them. He couldn’t leave it to anyone else, he made a covenant with Abraham, this was a promise to his family and his descendants, and this promise is unbreakable. The words received by Moses from the Lord were inscribed on stone tablets that were then put into a chest. This was, in essence, a portable sanctuary used by the Israelites because they were heading toward the promised land, but in essence, wandering in the wilderness.

The Lord gave specific instructions on how to fabricate the ark of the covenant in Exodus 25, then we read in the following verses Exodus 25:17-22 (Read on air.)

What does it mean when the Lord says, “There I will meet with you and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim that are on the ark of the covenant, I will deliver to you all my commands for the Israelites.” – so, how did the Lord do this? He did it in a visible way. There was a cloud, a symbol of God’s Divine presence which the people saw. It was a cloud during the day and a column of fire at night.

It was a place of worship and the ark contained many precious things. In Hebrews 9:3-5 we read. (Read on air.)

In the ark of the covenant – the chest or container were the two stone tablets inscribed with the Word of God – we know them as the 10 commandments. There was also the law, the way the people were to govern, worship, and other useful information. When we read the passages in scripture they are detailed and ways the people could stay healthy and avoid disease. There were other objects as well, the golden pot of manna – this was the food provided to the Israelites in the desert. There was also Aaron’s rod we can read about that in Numbers 17:1-13. These objects were sacred. Later it would be placed in the temple in Jerusalem, where it was placed in an inner room called the Holy of Holies. And, the ark was made and inlaid with gold. Gold was precious then as it is now. Gold is considered the most precious of currency and has value. In this way so is God. God is not a commodity but he is above all else, above all of the other false gods invented by people and God was and is to be revered above all else.

So what was the mercy seat? Just as the gold cover or lid of the Ark of the Covenant covered the treasures within, the mercy seat covered or protected the people of Israel from the judgment of the Law. It brought to the forefront that God was a God of mercy, slow to anger, and yet righteous.

It is difficult to think about the hardships the people went through in the desert, and some were condemned to die for disobedience. It is difficult with our Western sensibilities to hear about this death and destruction when we read the Bible. Yet, the people who were freed from slavery, who saw a miracle of the parting of the Red Sea, who saw manna come down from the sky to feed them, and doves at night — these people were rebellious. These people continued to complain. These people were made to wander in a desert when there was a direct route into the promised land because of their disobedience and rebellion. In fact, we learn that they will not enter the promised land, however, their descendants will. Even Moses who has been steadfast sins and is kept from this land.

It’s as if God has a Plan A – to bless us and we opt for Plan B or C because of our free will decisions and lack of faith. Just like the people in the desert, God wants us, his people to flourish and God wants to bless his people. But just like the people of Israel, often we have so much we need to unlearn. The people lived in Egypt and took on their ways, we live in basically Sodom and Gomora, our world is turned upside down and we have to focus on what is important, true, and right.

From their time in Egypt, the Israelites learned about all types of sacrifice. This was a people that had participated in pagan worship which included child and human sacrifice. God was teaching them that sin could not go uncorrected and that there had to be atonement for sins if there was a violation of God’s laws as written in the 10 Commandments. They had a day of Atonement where their sins would be presented before the Lord and an animal sacrificed along with very specific things they did as a result. Instead of humans, God taught them animal sacrifices for the atonement of sins. These sacrifices were a way for sin to be removed. This was a foreshadowing of Christ, his atonement as the perfect sacrifice for our sins, the removal of sin, and therefore mercy. Christ shed His blood for us.

Today in Judaism the Day of Atonement known as Yom Kippur is the holiest day. It is a time of repentance, and there is a day-long fast and intensive prayers.

In Christianity, we look at Christ as love and mercy. This ties the Old and New Covenant together in an amazing way. The covering of sin was a visible sign to the Israelites, and for us this sign is Christ. This is the mercy seat of God! In Romans, Paul was telling the people in Romans 3:24-25 (Read on air.)

Just like the mercy seat was the cover of the Ark of the Covenant, Jesus is the covering for sin. It is our faith and our belief that we are set free. God is mercy but He is always just. There cannot be mercy without justice and there cannot be justice without mercy.

John 8:31-32 (Read on air.)

Shouldn’t we want to leave sin behind? I’ve been praying a prayer each evening and these are the words I pray that resonate with me, “You are the strength and the light of my soul in you, I live and move and am. I desire never to grieve you by unfaithfulness to grace and I pray with all my heart to be kept from the smallest sin against you.”

How I desire this to keep myself from sin, to keep myself pure and holy, but I can do none of this without the Lord, frequent attendance of Mass and communion, and frequent prayer and time to listen to the Lord.  The prayer continues with a plea to the Lord to help me to follow His gracious inspirations and to keep me free from sin. 1 John 4:10 states  (Read on air.)

If we follow the Lord we will receive mercy, but this comes with justice. The sacrifice of Christ was merciful for humankind. Without His ultimate sacrifice, we would be in eternal sin and damnation. This week pray that the Lord keeps you from sin, pray for that connection to God in such a real and tangible way as to help us avoid those things that are harmful to our immortal souls. Amen, and may the Lord continue to bless you, pray for me as I pray for you.

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Prayer Text – Episode 255

When was the last time someone asked you to pray? Have you considered sending them a prayer text? In this podcast, we discuss the importance of prayer and how to use technology to pray now.

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When was the last time someone asked you to pray? Or when was the last time you asked someone to pray for you? If someone asks us to pray, we say, “Of course, I’ll pray for you,” or “Yes, count on my prayers.” Or, we say something similar. I would then often forget to pray for the person and feel guilty. Then when I prayed, I reminded the Lord (as if he needed reminding!) that there is no time with God – God is timeless, so even if my prayers were late God still heard them!

That is when I decided I would pray right then. I would pray when talking to someone in person if they asked for prayer, I would place my hand on their arm and pray. If I received a phone call for a prayer request, I’d ask the person if I could pray for them right then.

Then with technology, I found that people were sending texts and asking for prayers. I finally had my solution. I would pray now via a prayer text. After all, if someone is sending me a text and asking for prayer, it is important to do it right away! It helped me to remember to pray for this person throughout the day and their special need, as well as to let them know that I was serious about praying and that we do it right then.

We don’t always have the words we need when it’s time to pray, so sometimes it takes pausing and asking the Lord for his help and asking, “Lord, how should I pray? You know the situation, my God, so please provide.”

Sometimes the request is an easy one, such as praying for me. I feel like I’m getting sick! That is a prayer request I receive from one of my children who teaches and is surrounded by children.  So we can easily text something like, “Dear Lord Jesus, I praise You, and I thank You. I ask you to bless my daughter and fill her with your peace, love, and joy. I ask a blessing upon her, and I ask for good health and a swift recovery, keep her from getting sick, and I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

Scripture reminds us of the necessity of prayer in Mathew 7:6-8 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Jesus is the healer; He is the one who gives if we ask, not as we want it but as He wills it. And that is why it is important to remember to pray for God’s will. This can be difficult for us because, as we’ve discussed many times on this podcast, we often pray, Lord, I need this and that, or please do this and then. That is praying “my will” instead of “Lord, please grant this if it is your will or Lord, grant this if it is for the good of my eternal soul.

I love to see others pray via text in special situations. For example, when my son was in a particularly tough training in the military, I set up a Michaels’s Prayer Warriors text message group. Each day I would send out a text prayer, a reminder so that we could all keep him in our prayers, and I did this for each day he was gone for a total of 62 days of training. They kept us focused and united as a family, And I believe it brought us closer. My son claims that it was through our prayers that he was able to pass this rigorous course the first time instead of having to recycle or be dropped from the course like some of his friends and acquaintances. He also prayed, knowing he had our support at home.

We are a family of God with God at our helm. We must be that example to others to pray unceasingly. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 states, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

This is a perfect way to pray! Another way to use a prayer text is to do this online. If you are on social media such as Facebook, people often post prayer requests, and usually, other people will like the post or give them a heart or do some other kind of little graphic to let them know that they care and are praying. But how much more powerful if we each take the time and type out a specific prayer for them? It helps us read prayers that others post and unite us all in prayer.

Obviously, it takes practice if you’re not used to praying extemporaneously, but it is similar to just speaking to the Lord. I always like to start with praising and thanking God because he is worthy of our praise. Psalm 145: 1-2 I will exalt you, my God, the King, and I will bless your name forever and ever. Every day I will bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever.

If you take a few minutes to ask the Lord how He wants you to pray, just start by quietly (or aloud) praising Him and lifting up the situation or need to him. You can ask the Lord specifically for help, such as “Dear Lord, I don’t have the words for the situation, so please give me the words you would like me to use,” or “Lord, please come into this prayer and help me to pray your perfect will.”

Then I listen, and whatever the Lord has put on my heart to pray for, I pray. Typically God gives us a thought of something we should pray for specifically.  Sometimes you will be inspired to pray a specific way. I remember one time praying for my son for a severe headache; I felt like he was suffering. I had no way of knowing if he had a headache or not. We just pray in faith it doesn’t matter if we find the results; what matters is that we are faithful to pray.

We are called to pray — in prayer and supplication. Phillippians 4:6-7 we read, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

I love that! The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.

What better way to use technology for the good than to use the tools we have at our fingertips? Most people today have smartphones with text capability. How wonderful to receive a text from my friend saying they are praying for me, especially when I need those prayers. And if you think of someone and they keep coming to mind, maybe they need your prayers. This has happened to me in the past, so now I try to reach out when I think of a person who needs or may need prayer. By sending them a prayer via text, they know I care. Who doesn’t like to get a prayer or be prayed for?

Your challenge this week is to use technology for the good – whether on a text message, social media, or even a phone call and pray for someone in need.

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Keeping God’s Word ~ Episode 254

How can we keep God’s word close to us? In this podcast, we explore ancient traditions still practiced by those of the Orthodox Jewish faith today and how we can learn from these practices.

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When reading the Bible, we often hear of the Lord saying over and over again, especially to the Israelites, to keep his WORD next to their hearts and never to forget what the Lord has done for us. The Israelites were taken out of bondage as slaves, yet they had much to learn as they wandered in the desert. And, if you read Exodus and Numbers, you will find they were an ungrateful nation!

We would like to think we would be different, but as we both know, that is impossible without God’s grace. As we live our lives, we do not want to be forgotten. We want to leave a legacy for our family. When people talk about us, we want it to be with fondness and consideration. You can think about this for a moment. What is an accomplishment you do not want to forget or want others to forget?

Throughout salvation history, God has and continues to save His people. It was clear when he took the Israelites to the promised land. The Jewish culture still remembers this and keeps a sign of God’s word on their doorposts, sometimes even in their homes. I was fascinated when reading about the Mezuzah, [MA-ZOO-ZA ], and I looked it up. The word itself means doorposts. It is a small scroll with a piece of parchment paper handwritten by an expert scribe. Some are very basic, and others are quite elaborate. On the outside are Hebrew letters. The Mezuzah is believed to be an extra spiritual protection to the family that places one at the door. When the Jewish person enters or exits their home, they kiss their fingers and then place them on the mezuzah and recite – May God keep my going out and my coming in from now on and ever more – which is from Psalm 12:18

The foundational text of the Holy Scriptures – Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21 begins with Hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, and the Lord is One. This is the command that God gave the Israelites. “And you shall write these words upon the doorposts of your house and upon your city gates.”

It is a beautiful verse; let me read it in its entirety. (read on air) Deuteronomy 6:4-9
“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. Bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.

Why don’t we, as Christians, have these on our doorposts? Why are we not continuing this tradition? Well, one of the reasons is Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecy of the Old Testament, yet, the Old Testament has many things we ascribe to – for example, teaching our Children diligently, putting the words of God in our hearts, and more. We have Bibles in our homes, often multiple Bibles. I have two different apps on my phone where I can read scripture. In reading the Bible, we consider and ponder the words and place them in our hearts, both the Old and New Testaments.

Think about your home, car, apparel, and maybe even a religious symbol like a cross. These are outward reminders of our faith. The Bible verse plaques in my home or on the doors to our bedroom. Where do you see signs of God’s word in your home?

I love the idea of a mezuzah, and I believe we must never forget; we take so much for granted as Christians. Consider how you can improve on your faith journey and keep God’s Word in your heart. What can you do?

We read in  Psalms 119:105-106

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. I have taken an oath and confirmed it, that I will follow your righteous laws.

By our Baptism, we have been made sons and daughters of God; He is the way, the truth, and the life. John 14:4-6 we read (read on air). Thomas said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?” ⁶ Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

At times in our lives, when we are lost, and we, like Thomas, do not know where we are going, we can remember this passage. Through Jesus is everlasting life. While God took the Israelites out of bondage and slavery physically and spiritually, the same applies to us today. With our faith in Christ, he takes us out of slavery from sin and into the life everlasting. We must follow that path less traveled, but it is lit with the true light of righteousness.

We may believe that the Old Testament is obsolete and it does not apply to us today. We think it is written for a people long ago. It does apply to us today because, just like any history lesson, if we do not learn from past sins, the sins of our forefathers, we will continue to make the same mistakes. The sins of Adam and Eve, of Moses being a humble servant but in his anger hitting the rock twice and not setting foot in the promised land, in countless events during the time in the desert. Making an idol to worship while Moses was speaking with God for direction for the people. Why go back into sin and slavery when you left it behind?

Because we are stubborn people, we want what we want. We think what we do is not “that bad,” especially if we compare ourselves to others. Friends, I am sure there is some truth to that, but shouldn’t we strive to do the best we can each day? To keep God’s word in our hearts and yearn for time with Him. Our relationships hinge on our relationship with God first. Everything else will fall into place!

This week, consider all the ways you can keep God’s word in your hearts and mind.

I pray that you are reminded of all God has done for you and that you continue to put God’s Word in your heart and never forget! May God be praised, now and forever!

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Faith Minutes ~ Episode 253

Healthy prayer habits can be faith minutes; in other words, making the most of our time. We see the effects of spending time with God, but we typically put off prayer until we have more time. Let’s put some wasted time to good use with tips to get you started.

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Today I heard a sermon, and in it, the deacon said, “God has extravagant love for us.” I love that imagery—almost more love than we can handle. In this love, we should feel secure and safe; it is the place we go when we sin and ask for forgiveness and when we want to thank the Lord. It also reminds us to use the time we have to give God praise and worship.

In past podcasts, I’ve discussed many ways we can do this, for example, in reading a scripture verse or memorizing scripture. We can have faith minutes while listening to music or praying for a friend. It is, in essence, the time we spend that brings to mind God, but in a deeper or more focused way.

Using my time wisely gives me a sense of accomplishment and contentment. I feel I’ve succeeded in my day when I can look back and see the things that are completed. And the first thing is prayer. What makes you feel contentment or success in your prayer life? I know prayer is more than a checkoff point on a list, but shouldn’t it be just as important? For example, we make time at some point to figure out how we will spend the day. When will you shop, cook, do laundry, or clean? When will you eat dinner, or when will you spend time with family or friends? Shouldn’t you make the same use of our time for God?

You can often judge whether you need more time with God by how you feel. Do you feel empty or unfulfilled? We fill up our days with so many activities it is difficult to figure this out at times, but one way is to think about how you pray. Are you always asking?

Asking God in Prayer:

1. God, I need this…
2. God, can you please…
3. God, can you help me…
4. God, can you let this…(or don’t let this) happen?
5. God, do you hear me?!

I felt a sense I was doing that in my prayer time, and I changed my prayers to this…

Asking God’s Will in Prayer

1. God, I need this…if it is Your will.
2. God, can you please…if it is Your will.
3. God, can you help me…if it is Your will.
4. God, can you let this…(or don’t let this) happen if it is Your will?
5. God, let your will be done.

Our faith minutes can be what we make them; at the red light, we can praise the Lord. “Thank you, Jesus, you are good and worthy of all praise.” We can praise God at the grocery store, standing in line, or at the post office. What are those minutes when we wait that we can put under the Lordship of God?

This Sunday, our Pastor talked about waking up at night and praying the following, “Jesus, I trust in You. Jesus, I trust in You. Jesus, I Trust in  You.” And I thought, wow, this is a prayer minute!

A few minutes with God can look different for each of us, but the essence of prayer is conversation and relationship. Conversation with God and a relationship with the Almighty that begins with respect at its foundation. Sometimes we read Scripture verses and have no idea what they mean, especially in the Old Testament. But here is a wonderful scripture that sums up this podcast, Psalms 20:1-5 (Read on air.) This is called the Psalm of David.

David had many failings in his life, and we have a first-hand seat when we read about it in the Old Testament, but one thing that recurs with David is asking for forgiveness with the thought of moving forward and away from sin. If prayer can help us do this in our lives, I consider it a win!

We are told if we believe, we will be saved, but we can pray in our unbelief at times of weakness!  Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, for whoever would approach him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”

We were created to serve the Almighty, and as the deacon said, “God has extravagant love for us.” Try to outgive God, praise, and worship Him without thinking of anything in return. That is how the Lord loves us without requiring or expecting anything in return, but how can we not give praise to the One who loves us without reserve?

This week our challenge is to find those faith minutes in our life where we take the time to pray and open our hearts to blessings or where our faith is renewed, and we fill overflowing with God’s love for us! I pray this for you this week; may you be blessed!

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Penny From Heaven ~ Episode 252

When you find a penny, what do you do? I call it a gift, a penny from heaven. It is something little, often ignored and stepped over but valued nonetheless. In this episode, Felice shares her finds and treasures that are inspirations from the Lord.

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What do you do when you see a penny lying on the ground? Most of us walk over it and ignore the coin. We do this for many reasons, and all of them are valid. It is an insignificant amount; it is dirty, we don’t want to bend down to pick it up, and so on.

I was right there with you for quite some time. But then something changed. I decided that each penny signified a gift from God. While it may hold little value in the monetary sense, it is, after all, the smallest coin we have; it represents the gifts that God has in store for me. Each penny is a blessing; each penny is a reminder that God knows me and sees me. He sees all of me, and I am important in His eyes.

Do you see a penny from heaven as a blessing?

This is one of those podcasts where I wish we were together because I imagine some of you are like me; you stop and pick up that penny or that coin. You recognize it for what it is – not for the monetary value, but for the gift. It is a blessing, you happened upon it, and it has value in your eyes.

It reminds me of the widow’s mite, and we read about it in Luke 21:1-4 [Read on air.]

Just as the widow gave her savings, what was described in her poverty, to the Lord, I, too, set aside this money for the Lord.  I have areas throughout my home set up like little prayer corners and plaques proclaiming scripture verses, and basically, some have called my home a mini-shrine. It’s not, but it is all a matter of perspective.  Walking by a sign or a prayer corner reminds me to pray or consider what the Lord has done for me.  One particular shelf above my computer has a small depiction of Jesus and Joseph. Jesus is seated on a bench, animated with his hand outstretched, and Joseph listens to him in rapt attention. The workbench and work are briefly forgotten as Joseph is focused on the Lord. I set up a small container where I place any pennies I find.  I feel that these gifts are given to me, but then I can turn around and donate it back. After some time, these coins add up, and I donate them to charity.

This is a visual sign of an invisible truth. Faith is invisible but has such an impact on our lives. I know some people think that having a statue, a cross, or even a picture depicting a religious scene is idolatry which the old testament warns us about. And, if I had a statue of Baal or Budda, I would agree with you, but I don’t.

I believe in the God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob, the lineage of David and Jesus, the true Lord and Messiah. My God is a God of infinite love and mercy. I want reminders of Bible verses and religious scenes.

Maybe picking up pennies seems silly to you. But it is a small gesture and reminds me about so things that are spiritually important. My shortlist would include the following:

1. A reminder not to take anything in life for granted.
2. Acknowledgment that even a penny can symbolize something greater
3. The understanding that value is in the eyes of the beholder
4. Remembering that the value placed by material things in our world is nothing compared to that of heaven
5. A reminder not to ignore the simple things in my life

Maybe your list looks different, and I have a much longer list, but the purpose here is to give you the overall idea–which is looking at your day, each day, and seeing the gift that God has for you. No matter what happens, we can turn to the Lord and thank Him. What is that penny you have stepped over and ignored in your life? What is it that seems insignificant but holds bigger value?

I feel blessed in many ways, not because I live in a castle, am royalty, or am a multi-billionaire. I am blessed because my eyes have been opened like Saul on the road to Damascus, and the Lord has called me by name.

In Acts 9:1-20 We read the entire account of Saul – but here is the first part (Read on air).

We later read in the following verses that Ananais also receives a vision from the Lord, and he says, “Here I am, Lord.” The Lord tells him specifically where to go and that he will find Saul of Tarsus. Ananias knows how he is – Saul has been harming the Christians in Jerusalem, and he reminds the Lord of this. Let me stop here – doesn’t that strike you as ironic? Here is a man with a vision from God; he is conversing with the Lord, yet he is reminding him of something that the Lord already knows!
God is so patient with us, isn’t he?

The Lord says to him, in verses 15-16  (Read on air.)

I am sure Ananias was fearful, but he went, laid hands on him, saying verses 17-20 (Read On Air.)

Saul thought he was doing the right thing, he thought he was doing the will of God, but God showed him that he wasn’t and purged him into the three days of darkness. It was a false belief – which makes me think, what false beliefs do I harbor that I need to dispel? Is it simple, like the value of finding a coin on the ground, or is it deeper in understanding that the God we serve is loving and kind but also righteous?

God restores our belief daily if we let him. Your challenge this week is to look at those little things as gifts from heaven, whether it is a penny found or something more!

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Harden Not Your Heart

Have the verses,”harden not your heart,” given you pause? Have you felt that the Lord is leading you in some way, but you just don’t feel like following? In this podcast, Felice leads you through some thoughts and prayers for getting back on track.

Recently a situation came up in my life that made me realize I was not following the Lord’s leading as I should. It has happened to me throughout the years and so it was easy to recognize when it began to happen again. Have you ever felt like that? You know, or you feel like you know what the Lord wants you to do, but then you decide to do something else, or maybe not act on what the leading is.

First let’s look at several Scriptures that discuss this. Hebrews 3:14-16 (Read on Air)

And, Hebrews 4:6-8

Have You Heard the Words, Harden Not Your Heart in Prayer?

This hardening of heart for me was in regard to a thought one time and another time an action. I felt the Lord was leading me in a specific direction, and there was uncertainty on my part to say yes. Here is one example I can give you, as a young mom, I was involved in many volunteer organizations, at church, and at a women’s group. I was selected to be on a group that would tackle educational issues. Since I homeschooled my children, I was the perfect candidate first because I had an education degree, and secondly, because I didn’t have any ties to the local education system. However, I had this feeling that it would not be well received at home, and I was right; my husband was not a fan of this new “honor.” In my mind, rationalizing it, I felt the Lord had prepared me and put me in an ideal position to make real change. But after talking to my husband, I felt unsettled. My heart was unsettled. I lacked peace. It took some deep soul-searching and some extensive conversations with my husband before I let it go. Then the peace came.

I’ve had other situations where I did not feel peace after making a big decision, yet I knew that if it was God’s will, it would happen regardless. One bad decision, in retrospect, was after seeing what I felt was a God thing and then ignoring it. My heart was hardened because I knew what I wanted to do – and did it.

If the previous two verses are not enough to make you prayerfully think – let me read this next one.

Jeremiah 16:12 says, (Read on Air.)

That is a wake-up call for all of us – so how do we check, and how do we know if we have a hardened heart? We can learn so much from the Scriptures. And God gives us multiple chances to return to him and to change our ways, as we can read in the passages of Hebrews and Jeremiah, and we have the option to turn back.

But you may be asking, how do we know? How do we know if we are hardening our hearts?

Here are some ways you can check your motivation and heart.

1. Are you walking with the Lord? Do you have time for prayer, reflection, and reading Scripture or some other spiritual book?
2. Do you have a gut feeling that something is not right? A feeling of hopelessness?
3. Do you have a restlessness you can’t put your finger on?
4. Do you avoid thinking about the issue at hand and bury it under the guise of being busy or not dealing with the problem?
5. Do you suffer from stubbornness? Ask someone close to you; it is hard to figure this out for yourself.

Any of these things can lead to a hardness of heart. Avoiding an issue, not making time for prayer, ignoring your sense that something is not right, restlessness, or avoiding thinking through the issues can then be compounded by helplessness. Some problems are serious and out of our hands, but yet it is important to prioritize time to pray. If nothing else, for yourself so you can get tuned in to God.

In the New Testament, we also read about hardened hearts – but even in the midst of Christ! You would think that having Jesus in your company and being with him day after day would be an eye-opener. Sitting there first hand, watching the miracles and the teachings, but in  Mark 8:16-18 (Read on air). The apostles had Jesus in their midst, and still, they didn’t realize that all they had to do was ask, and he would provide for them. This verse gives me hope. It tells me that it was not uncommon to have hearts that were hardened, and there is hope for us because, unlike the disciples, when we do not have bread, we can pray for that bread, that crumb of knowledge, that assurance that God is with us and in our midst.

We read in Isaiah 6:10 (Read on air)  We want what we want. I know I pray, but often it truly is, “Lord, please do my will.” With my son in the military, still in training but nonetheless straining when I can’t talk to him for a long stretch of time, I am constantly on my knees – our family has a prayer chain where I post prayer requests each day and a Scripture verse, but it is truly asking the Lord to bless, provide, and allow my son success in this training – Often I remind myself to go to the beginning of the prayer and type in words, Praise You and Thank-you Jesus for all you have provided.

So how should we pray? In Ezekiel, we see a perfect example, Ezekiel 36:26-27 (Read on Air).

We need that reminder. Are we walking in our own flesh? Are we doing what pleases us above others? I am sure the answer is no for many of you, but even as I read this, I think there are ways I can improve. Please, Lord, give me a new heart and a new spirit! Amen!

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Power of Words ~ Episode 243

The power of words comes to life in the Gospels, in the healings of Christ, and in the vanquishing of evil. Do we know how to use the words to benefit ourselves and others? In this episode, Felice shares what it means to be used by the Lord in a powerful way.

This episode is sponsored by Media Angels, Inc. – One More Child book — A Few Minutes With God

Have you heard that words have power? Even outside Christian circles, we hear of the power of words in positive thinking and self-help books. Words can be used to build up our own self-esteem, and positive words we are told are good for our health! Words are used to tell stories; in books and conversations, words bring us knowledge.

Even though words are powerful and can bring us knowledge, that does not necessarily mean they bring wisdom. Wisdom is a gift of God, and it is in that gift that the power of words comes. The fountain of wisdom is reading, studying, understanding, and taking the Scriptures (the Word of God) to heart. It allows our faith to be strengthened.

The Bible is called the Word of God, and the Bible has power. Hebrews 4:12 (Read on air.)

God spoke the world into being in the Book of Genesis; with God’s word, the seas parted as Moses, and the Israelites were taken out of Egypt; with the words of Christ, demons were cast out, and people were healed of not only their sins but their illnesses.

But words can be used for evil. We see the effects of evil words in our world today, with the difference between what is true and what is false. Often the words we hear are confusing, and the truth is blurred beyond recognition. Yet, if we are filled with the light of Christ, if we have faith and allow the Lord to work through us, we will have discernment. And, if we know His Word by studying Scripture, we can arm ourselves with the knowledge that truth only comes from God. In fact, the evil that used to be hidden beyond the shadows is now front and center out in the open, and while Christians protest, the evil continues to happen.

We can fool ourselves, but we can not fool God, He knows the intentions of our hearts, and often these intentions spill over into what we say. Changes can happen with the power of words, which can be positive or negative, with overwhelming consequences. If we are not informed, if we do not study the Word of God – if we do not realize that our words have power and can be used in a mighty way for the glory of God, then we are falling short of our mission as Christians.

Words are in prayers; words are in praise a

We must begin by acknowledging that words have power and that a spoken word can heal! I’ve seen it! I’ve seen prayers answered. Words are a gift from God. We can read the Word of God in the Scriptures and learn; we can use this Word to tell others the good news. You and I have a responsibility – we must understand that our words can cause serious damage or good. We can be a positive influence on our own family, our friends, or our place of work. Words can build people up, tear people down or sow discord and confusion. In fact, words have such power that they can be outright dangerous!

In fact, good and true words are often “shut down,” or the new buzzword; now, people are canceled. How can truth be wrong? It can’t. So what do we do? We arm ourselves with that two-edged sword. We arm ourselves with wisdom. If God is the giver of truth, the giver of wisdom which is freely given, we should begin by asking for this grace, similar to what King Solomon did; this is an amazing book of the Bible and shows us through example what can happen by asking in prayer.

We read about King Solomon and how he asked God for wisdom. 1 Kings 5:12 – (Read on air) Then we read about the two women who went before the King, each claiming to have given birth to a child. They asked the King to decide which of them was the true mother. King Solomon recommended cutting the baby in half and giving one half to each, but we read that the true mother gave her child up to the other. The King knew by the true mother’s selfless act that the child was hers.

Following this discourse, we read: 1 Kings 4:30: (read on air_

Why was this? Because God is the giver of wisdom. King Solomon asked, and God delivered.

We read about the wisdom of God in the words of men throughout the Scriptures, and when it is stated, it is followed by the actions being just and righteous, and men were filled with awe.

James 1:5 If someone among you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

Throughout the scriptures, we read about wisdom in the book of Judith especially – Judith 11:23 states: (read on air)

Wisdom is given by God in word and in deed. All through Job, we hear about wisdom; there is even the Book of Wisdom in Scripture.

Probably one of the most quoted verses in the book of Job is Job 28:28 (Read on air.)

Psalm 27:30 – The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is right.

How will we use this in our own lives? First, pray to the Lord, “Dear Lord, give me the gift of wisdom and the discernment on how to use it.” This prayer is the beginning. By asking the Lord we are opening our hearts to His will and His providence for us, our lives, and the lives of those we touch. Then as we are filled up, we pour out into others. We ask the Lord to help us with our family, to help us with our neighbors, and those we come into contact with each day.

A friend of ours, a doctor, would pray with his patients. But, first, he asked the Lord if he should pray. He would feel a gentle nudge in his spirit to pray or not to pray. Some people would not be open to prayer, and most came to a doctor for medical treatment, not spiritual treatment. Yet, in his years of practice, God was still using him in a powerful way.

How will you use the words that you have? Only you can decide. The power of words begins with God’s Word, and it ends with us being open to doing God’s will – I challenge you this week to pray for wisdom and the power to use words for the glory of God!

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Prayer and Fasting ~ Episode 242

Do you like the idea of prayer and fasting? Is it helpful in your Christian walk? In this podcast, Felice Gerwitz shares how scriptures encourage us and ways to grow in our faith through this simple and ancient practice. Perfect as we enter our Lenten Season before Easter.

Visit MediaAngels.com and the personal testimony, One More Child, and the novel, A Few Minutes With God.

I grew up in a household that fasted on specific days a week. For example, on Friday, we didn’t eat meat. This included chicken or pork. This was a remembrance of Good Friday, even though it was not Lent, the 40 days before Easter. Every Friday, we remember that Christ died for our sins and that through his redemptive sacrifice, we have everlasting life if we accept this as truth. This reminder as a child put faith in a real perspective. Especially as a child who did not like fish. Most of the time, I ate some type of egg or pasta.

What is sacrifice? Think about this.

I looked up the word sacrifice in an online dictionary and was astounded to read the first definition was “an act of offering to a deity something precious.” The other definitions had to do with destruction, surrender, or loss. Would you agree that sacrifice means giving up for the sake of something better? When we sacrifice or deny ourselves, we are reminded in a tangible way that there is more than this life. This life is temporary. 

Matthew 16:24-26 seems like a harsh teaching.  But picking up our cross may mean self-denial. What does this look like? We give up a specific food or a sinful activity in prayer and fasting. Giving up food may be difficult; for example, giving up chocolate is sacrificial. We may crave chocolate, and telling ourselves no when we want a piece is not fun, but this reminds us to thank God and praise Him for what He has done for us. Being in a relationship and remaining pure is difficult and means picking up your cross. A cross is different for each person.

This brings us to prayer and fasting. The significance of fasting has Biblical significance from ancient times. Putting on sackcloth and fasting saved everyone, Ester 4:3 (Read On Air.) Even Jesus fasted in the desert before his public ministry,  Matthew 4:2 “(Read on air.) That is where the 40 days of Lent before Easter comes from, it is a reminder of the time that Jesus spent in prayer in the desert. Symbolically fasting from something you do daily, whether it is a food or a sinful activity, or even a bad habit (too much social media) is helpful in picking up your cross and following alongside Christ.

Matthew 9: 24-29 (On Air)  Some translations leave out the fasting part and include only prayer, but the combination of prayer and fasting is so powerful! It will change your life. So, consider this when you are praying for something of importance or for an unanswered prayer. Give yourself a time period, maybe a week or two, a month or more, whatever that time is. Fasting does not need to be bread and water, although at a certain period of my life, I did this two times a week, once on Wednesday and then on Friday. It was a time of prayer that my husband and I both did for a time. It was truly a blessed time, and we were blessed through the experience. It is not for everyone and should be done only for a specific need. Bring it to prayer before you begin.

Remember, sacrifice is giving up something you don’t want to give up. My husband fasts by giving up soda, which he drinks daily. For me, chocolate is my go-to fast. For you, it may be different. Just remember that prayer and fasting are for a purpose, and fasting to lose weight is different. This type of fasting is for the end goal of your health, perhaps dropping a few pounds, but it is not for the sake of prayer or sacrifice.

God doesn’t need us to fast for Him. He doesn’t only answer prayer that we join to fasting. God is not at our whim waiting for us to command Him to answer our wants, needs, or desires. When people say, “God doesn’t answer my prayers,” that typically translates to, “God isn’t doing what I want Him to do.” It is disappointing not to have your prayers answered and devastating, to say the least. St. Monica prayed for Augustine for over twenty years at least, I’ve heard thirty years, but Augustine was 33 when his mother died. St. Augustine, as he is known now, wrote in his book, “Confessions,” that his mother’s prayers changed him, not his prayers because he was not praying. Augustine did convert to Christianity, became a bishop, a Father of the Church, and later a saint. I can imagine that his mother prayed and fasted for her son. This is a beautiful and true story, and it should give you hope. Monica did not turn her back on God because her prayers were not answered on her timeline.

Will you add prayer and fasting to your walk with the Lord? I challenge you this week to consider it and note in your journal changes, if any, in your spiritual walk! May God be blessed today and always.

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Love As Christ Loves ~ Episode 241

How can we love as Christ loves? Is it impossible, or is it? In this episode, we explore what true Christian love means to us.

Visit the website at MediaAngels.com for books and products written by Felice Gerwitz, specifically her ministry books, A Few Minutes with God and One More Child. Please share this episode with a friend, and share God’s love with all.

If I asked you, “What is the first thing that pops into your mind when I say, ‘Christ loves?” As always, our answers would be varied.

John 13:34-35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

In a nutshell, to love as Christ means to love one another and to become Christ’s disciples, not only to learn, by reading the Scriptures, attending a Bible study, or doing a scripture study on your own. It means to look at our lives as a challenge to get better one day at a time. I read a book by a well-known evangelist who claimed that during some seasons of his faith journey, sometimes he just didn’t want to show up for prayer with the Lord. We all go through life struggles that can bring us closer to God or cause us to be stray. Showing up is half the battle.

In past episodes here and here I spoke about forgiveness. The graphic I selected for this podcast is one of Jesus writing in the sand. John 8 is at the Mount of Olives where Jesus went to preach, we read in verse 2-11 (Read on Air)

Another verse that comes to mind shows us how we should love each other. Ephesians 5:25, the entire verse is beautiful, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her…” this is an appropriate Scripture as I record this podcast in the month of February. How can this be? We are, after all, sinful creatures, and we fail each other often. In fact, we hurt those we love the most.

To love, you have to care, and to be hurt by love means you care so much that it crushes you when you consider the hurt. But love is more than what happens to us.  One definition of love is sacrificial, love gives, and love receives. Some of us love to receive gifts, and others like to give gifts; each of us is a unique gift. Scripture tells us we are created in the likeness and image of God. We are created with a body, soul, and spirit; we crave love, which comes to us unfailingly from Christ.

One of the most recited scripture is John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” This beautiful scripture speaks about the love of Christ for us – that sacrificial love. Can you imagine if Christians worldwide would think about loving as Christ loves us? Can you imagine the change in our world?

We can take it further, within our own families first and then our larger social circle, those at school, at work, and the people we meet in the grocery store. We can go against the flow and pray to the Lord for grace for this! We are so blessed, and we do not see it, but if we did we would give to others. It does not have to cost money.  A smile can brighten someone’s day, and a hug goes a long way toward healing hurts. We are so wounded that we forget that others are hurting as well. Christ’s love for us continues to pour out upon all of us – it wasn’t a one-time thing, sure His sacrifice was one time, but the effects of his sacrifice are everlasting.

1 John 4:16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.

Can we abide in God’s love? It is never too late. No matter what sin or anger we have in our hearts, there is forgiveness. It can start right now. Today, with a decision to turn away from what the Bible calls sin. Our world says nothing is sinful if you want to do it – just go for it. But in this mindset, we see that some are givers and others are takers, which frustrates all. The givers are upset. They give with nothing in return, and the takers never think it is enough.

Corinthians 3:14 – And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.

Love binds everything together. That is why romance books and Hallmark movies permeate the stores and airwaves. Everyone wants to love and be loved. Everyone wants that unconditional love that the Scriptures talk about, but no one wants to love unconditionally! While we can love and have sacrificial love, it is difficult to love when we get nothing back. However, we can not outgive our God. He is mighty and immense, and His love knows no bounds. Try it; try to give God your love, your trust, your time, and your gifts. Ask God what you can do to serve Him. Watch what happens.

It may not be today, but it will be at some point in time when you least expect it. Have you looked back on the previous year to see the hand of God in your life? As the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20 – we may not see the miracles in our life right now, but we will see them in the future.

My son is in the Army Rangers program; this week has been the longest week of my life. He had to pass this week’s challenges to be an RS – a Ranger Student. In the private group, the administrators shared what they were going through. As I was praying for him, I thought, as Christ gave us His sacrifice for our sins, so too did the military, the police, and sheriffs, the firefighters, the first responders put their lives on the line for others. This is their job, yes. But it is Christ-like; it is loving as Christ loves. These little aha moments are so amazing when we pray and ask God for His grace. (As an aside, please pray for my son that he successfully makes it through all three stages of this journey.)

So, friends, our choice is to love as Christ loves or to follow our own way. My choice is to follow Christ’s example. This week I urge you to think about Christ’s love and look at the Scripture verses, not only those I shared but those that you find on your own in the Bible. Journal about it and think about what you have learned, what God is teaching you!

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Healing Power of God – Episode 239

The healing power of God is not only for past believers, as written in the Bible, but it is for us today. Miracles do happen! In this podcast, Felice shares a personal experience after a phone call a friend shared, telling her of the healing power of God’s love and how it changed her life.

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This past month if you’ve listened to the podcasts in order, the theme was about Christian resolutions and how to avoid anger, overcome guilt, and overcome laziness. We know in our heads that these are all good things to work on but do we realize that the good news, the power of God, is that He is a healing God? But, when we think about healing, we think about spiritual healing, which is important, but sometimes God does the miraculous in healing our body.

As I share this story, I have received permission from my friend. It is a shorter version of our conversation, yet no less powerful.

I received a call from a very good friend who informed me she was diagnosed with cancer; I was shocked and listened as she recounted all the ways the Lord had blessed her and turned her life around. She went on to explain how right before Christmas, she had a pain in her ribs checked out. A blessing is that her husband is an orthopedic surgeon, and she was able to go to his office for the x-ray. Since he was busy, and she was a last-minute addition to the schedule, she prayed and left the office without seeing her husband. She kept checking her phone when she arrived home, expecting a call with the all-clear, but that didn’t happen.

Later that day, as her husband was traveling home, she asked for the results. He didn’t want to tell her on the phone, but she insisted. He said he sent the x-rays to his brother, a Radiologist in another state, and said that it was taken in his office that day, and the person was a patient. He did not tell his brother the patient was his wife (the radiologist’s sister-in-law!). They both came to the same conclusion; the patient had cancer. My friend was floored. Not only that, but cancer had spread, and there was a huge cyst putting pressure on one of the ribs.

My friend explained that she felt a bulge and wondered what it was and meant to mention it to her husband, but in the business of the holiday, she didn’t bring it up. She said she began praying, and when her husband arrived home, they both were upset but continued to pray. What touched me was that she said the Lord gave her a sense of peace and well-being. She shared that she struggled, as we all do from time to time, and the Lord lifted those burdens from her shoulders. She asked for healing but said to the Lord that if she returned to her old way of feeling, she didn’t want to be healed. She also explained that she was happy to spend time preparing for death! She felt that suffering was a gift.

2 Timothy 4:7 says – I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

She was keeping the faith and fighting the good fight. She was keeping her eyes on heaven and not on the things of this world. She said interiorly she was healed of things she had struggled with before and felt it was such a gift!

I was listening in shock. Happy about death? Happy about preparing for death. She was given the gift that surpasses all understanding … peace! I couldn’t believe it and was shocked as I listened to say much. So many thoughts raced through my head. Especially when she said that we never know how we will react at the time of death, but she felt that she would have time to prepare and be at peace. She spent some time calling and talking to her adult children and letting them know the results. Needless to say, they were all very upset.

Wow – Philippians 4:7 says that “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” And in Romans 8:28 we read: And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who^[a] have been called according to his purpose.

She was called to be a witness, and she was not bitter or condemning God or her situation, but saying that at that moment, she felt the Lord’s presence and healing in her spiritual life.  It wasn’t that she didn’t pray for healing but she was at peace either way.

The story continues with an appointment for a CAT scan the next day, and her husband cleared his schedule to attend with her. He told the receptionist that he wanted to talk to the doctor after the scan was completed, and he did. My friend waited in the waiting room at the request of her husband. She said normally, she would have insisted on hearing what the other doctor had to say, but she has such peace over the situation she decided to let her husband handle it. Later her husband said he wanted to talk doctor to doctor and he didn’t want her scared or for him to watch the questions he asked not to worry her.

The results were astounding. The CAT scan showed all was clear, and there was absolutely no sign of cancer. As she told me this, I had trouble grasping what she was saying so I asked, “You don’t have cancer?” she said no and then explained the results showed her ribs and no cyst at all. A CAT scan is much more detailed than an x-ray, which is why her husband requested it, but he had sent the lab the x-ray and had compared the two side-by-side with the other doctor. I asked again for clarification, “So you don’t have cancer?” I was in further shock if that was possible!

The CAT scan showed all was clear, and they went home and shared the good news with their children. The struggle, she said, was that one of her sons wanted more tests to be completed. She and her husband both felt the CAT scan showed reliable results.

I was so surprised she was healed physically. At first, I thought the healing she was talking about was spiritual healing. God can heal us in different ways, and the spiritual element is typically what

She continued to have the pain, but at the time of our conversation, about two weeks later, she said that her pain had minimized but was not totally gone. She asked the Lord why and said she felt Him saying, “So you do not forget what I have done for you.”

Again, wow.

When I shared the story with my children, they said they would want an additional test run if I were in that situation.

2 Chronicles 9:6 – But I did not believe what they said until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half the greatness of your wisdom was told me; you have far exceeded the report I heard.

Can we not take a miracle at face value? Of course, we can. Should she have another test? Maybe. But for those who don’t believe it doesn’t matter how many tests are run, they will still ask for another. She has proof of the first x-ray and the second scan. She has proof of a brother in law in a different state who is a radiologist that came to the same conclusion as her husband, also a doctor. She has the proof of a CAT scan that showed all clear – praise God!

In the book of Acts, we read about the disciples after Jesus rose from the dead and how they reacted to the gifts of the Holy Spirit, the living God. Jesus promised He would not leave us but send us His spirit, and he did.

Acts 10:38 – how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

As Christians, we read about the healing of Jesus throughout the Scriptures, such as Matthew 9:35-38

³⁵ Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Are we willing to be sent out as workers into his harvest? Miracles happen; when they do, we need to share them with others. This miracle was close to home in the case of a dear friend. We don’t understand why some people are healed and others are not. God does greater work in our life when we are open to Him. The other day we were in a small gathering, and I asked my friend to share her miracle with another friend. She hesitated and became teary-eyed before she gave a very short version, but the essence was the same, her healing was spiritual and physical healing. She said it took her several weeks to process what happened, and she is still processing the information. The same with me; it took me days to process what happened.

We expect miracles, but even greater than that, the biggest miracle is accepting God’s will in our life. I feel my friend did this in a way that I still can’t comprehend and only could be by the power of the Holy Spirit. Only God has the power to heal, but we can ask.

She called to let me know because she had been asked to give her testimony to a local prayer group and didn’t want me to attend without knowing beforehand what had happened. The prayer group was in for a big surprise when they heard her testimony of healing. Many in the audience had cancer or pre-cancer, and she prayed with them.

I praise God and thank Him for the happy ending that my friend had, but he wants us all to see the miracles every day.  This week’s challenge is to see the miracles in our life, to thank God, and to praise Him. Don’t look to the left or the right but keep your eyes on the Lord – Amen!

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Resolution: Overcoming Laziness – Episode 238

Overcoming laziness is not for those who do not want change. Laziness can seep into your spiritual life as well. This show covers the causes of laziness and ways to overcome it and lead to a more productive life!

Our sponsor is Media Angels. Two featured books are One More Child and A Few Minutes with God and the family favorite Character Planners for Families. 

I love to read, and for many years when I was busy raising my kids and family, I found no time for this pleasurable pastime. Sure I read, but books for my children or books on learning something for my business. The pleasure of escaping into historical fiction, romance, or mystery was something I wanted to do but didn’t. The reason? I had little control once I became immersed in a story, and I knew my weakness, and I knew that I would be prone to laziness if I allowed myself the time to escape.

What causes laziness? It can be procrastination, exhaustion, or just a lack of wanting to try. Did you know that laziness is a sin? Tell that to all of us who love the occasion of being couch potatoes. Or what about vegging out and thinking of nothing in particular?

However, laziness can lead to moral sin and too much time on your hands to get yourself in trouble. Think about the Internet and the access to graphics and video that can lead a person to grave sin. Proverbs 6 is about denying ourselves, working hard, and looking at a mere creature, an ant of all things, as an example of how we should diligently work. Proverb 6 is called “Warnings Against Folly.”

Proverbs 6:6-8 (Read on air)

The Bible tells us how important action is, and laziness is the opposite of doing. We read the following verses:

1. Proverbs 12:24
2. Ecclesiastes 10:18
3. Proverbs 19:15
4. Proverbs 10:4  ~ “Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth.”

Successful people, as Proverbs 10:4 states, know how to get things done in a timely fashion.

Laziness brings its own host of problems and leads us to guilt. It also leads us to attitudes that can block our spiritual life with God. It can lead to indifference, suffering, and ignoring those under our care or needing help. It does not allow us to connect with others. It can also lead us to self-centered behavior, the world continues to tell us what we need and how we should be fulfilled, and my pet peeve is “living your best life,” because what? Would we want to live our worse life? (I get it; I still don’t like that saying!) Laziness can also lead to pessimism. It can foster a critical spirit within us and allow us to fall into arguments which will take us further away from peace and a life filled with goodness.

How do we change? We repent, and we ask the Lord for His help. In Hebrews 6:12 we read: (on air)

Do we want to inherit the kingdom? Is it good enough to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and then live any life you want? Some of you may say no. Others may say yes that salvation is not dependent on what we do. This is both true and false.

If we stop with “accepting the Lord” and do nothing else, we are shortchanging our life and becoming spiritually lazy. That is taking the easy way out. Philippians 2:12 states (read on air)

That does not sound like laziness to me. I believe we must make the fundamental option (as my pastor calls it) and choose Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Still, we must go on and lead a life free from sin (as much as humanly possible and repent when we fall) and then make an effort to spend time in prayer and in the works of service. God – family – self is a recipe for success.

Just like the book said to avoid dish pileup, just do it. What is Nike’s saying – that’s right, “Just Do It.” We, too, must make ourselves people of action. In podcasts past, I’ve invited you to read Scripture and spend time with God and His precious word in the Bible. When was the last time you did these things? We often see things as insurmountable, but in these shows, I work hard on small pieces that are attainable by you and me. I join you each week when I give you a challenge, so I know it can be done.

I’m not giving you ten things. You have to accomplish just one. Look at your life. Are you happy with your productivity? Great, then you are done. But if you are like me, you see your life constantly needs improvement. Sure, we can be happy where we are, but we should move forward in our walk with the Lord. I love the Christian bumper sticker, “Christian under Construction.”

Our work is done at the end of our life, and how wonderful that if I am still recording and you are still here listening, we have time. We have time to overcome laziness, we have time to rededicate our lives to the Lord, and we have time to be the amazing, blessed person that was always meant to be!

This week our challenge is to overcome laziness. Look at those areas of your life and make changes. Small to begin with and larger as you go on and share the good news with others. Our God is miraculous. I can’t wait until next week to share a miracle that happened in my friend’s life. May God be blessed!

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Resolution ~ Overcoming Guilt ~  Episode 237

Guilt can be terrible, and we are all plagued by it; however, overcoming guilt is possible, and with it comes the assurance that we are not alone. This podcast explores the meaning of guilt and how we can avoid the near occasion of sin.

Our sponsor is the company Media Angels, featuring the books One More Child and A Few Minutes with God and the Character Planners for Families.

When Adam and Eve sinned against God, what stuck in my mind was that they were embarrassed not because of what they had done but because of what they were not wearing. When I was praying about the topic of this podcast, I did a quick word search on a Bible app, looking for the word guilt. It does not show up until the book of Leviticus, Leviticus 7:1 (Read on air.)

If you remember the books of the Bible, they go like this, Genesis, Exodus, and then Leviticus. It wasn’t until Leviticus that we see the word guilt?

Guilt is what we feel when we have done something wrong. The feeling is powerful because it typically contains some self-recrimination. We are disappointed in ourselves, maybe our lack of charity toward another, our inability to have self-control or the many other reasons we feel guilty. Unfortunately, guilt can drive our lives in a way that is not healthy.

We feel guilty over things we *think* we should do. What would be on your list if I asked you to make one? When I made my list, I found that these items were not sinful. I can share with you that I feel guilty that I no longer send birthday cards to family members. Even when I buy a gift, I do not include a card. I find it difficult to buy a card since it is hard to find one that conveys my feelings. But is that sinful? Is that something I should waste time feeling guilty about? No, not really. It is wonderful to receive a card and feel like someone in the family thinks about you, but it is not a sin that we should feel guilty about.

And that is what I wanted to share with you that we waste so much time feeling guilty over the things that do not matter. Thankfully the Lord Jesus came to pay the price of our sins with His death and His Resurrection that broke the bonds of death for all of us. We no longer need to pay guilt offerings. So why do we feel guilt? Because the Lord has created us so that we realize that when we sin, we should feel remorse. People hide it in all types of ways that are unhealthy such as drinking, drugs, or denial. The issue is discerning what is true guilt and what is false.

When we sin against God or others in a way that breaks one of the commandments, we truly sin and should feel true guilt. When we don’t do something we should not do, like spoiling a child, we might feel a false sense of guilt. Perhaps we are enforcing some type of discipline, taking away a phone, or denying a child time to visit friends. How many parents feel worse when they punish a child than the child actually feels? If you are not a parent yet, believe me–it’s a thing!

Another way we feel guilt is in the example I shared about sending cards. I think I should do it, so it is on me to have a mindset change (and be okay that I don’t) or to resolve to send out cards to express my sincere thoughts to family members. However, that is something only I can decide. It should not take up head space. We should not worry about it and should put this idea in perspective.

Being guilty can be helpful as a way to identify sin. We can then confess it and move on.

But how do you overcome chronic guilt or guilt that is false?

1. Decide what guilt you are trying to overcome.
2. If it is true guilt, what can you do to change your ways? Can you confess and “sin no more”?
3. How can we move on if it is false or chronic guilt for something we believe we should do, but it is NOT sinful?

When we look at the term “guilt” in the New Testament, it is all related to sin. Guilt over sin and judgment for sin. When is guilt warranted? When we are in sin when there is evil that tempts us into sin. We should feel that guilt due to sin. That, my friend, is good. Guilt from sin brings us to repentance! We can ask for forgiveness from a just but loving God and move on.

Identifying the type of guilt is the first step in freeing our minds. Do you realize how much headspace that guilt takes? It can cause people to fall into a deeper sin of a chronic condition like alcoholism or drug addiction. Guilt can eat away at us, and we need to forgive ourselves. This is easier said than done. Many people live lives of self-hatred and guilt, which turns into those chronic conditions and often true physical illnesses. Again, it is a way the enemy gets in, and we need spiritual warfare (Ephesians – read that book!) to overcome this.

Remember, the enemy looks for ways to tell us we are less than! If we believe this lie, it allows the evil one a foothold to torment us and for us to feel bad about ourselves. Our hope is in God, who is the maker of all things. 1 Timothy 4:10 – (Read on air.)

Our self-worth is not dependent on whether or not we mail out birthday cards or whatever is on your list of guilt-ridden issues. Our hope is in the living God. The Savior of all people–and what is the next line? The Savior of all people, and especially those who believe.

Can you join me this week in looking at how you can overcome the guilt that is not from true sin? How can you overcome the guilt that is false and lies from the enemy? Pray about this during the week, and join me in praising God today and always!

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Resolution – Overcoming Anger 236

In the grand scheme of the Christian life, overcoming anger may seem like one of those unavoidable sins. In this podcast, Felice breaks down simple ways to overcome and sustain the joy of the long in the midst of strife!

Visit Media Angels, our sponsor, and look for the books One More Child and A Few Minutes with God and the Character Planners for Families.

This was not the podcast I wanted to record. I had another one planned, and it had to be shelved for later on; why? I lost my temper with my oldest son, who is an adult. We all get upset from time to time, but have you ever spent the time to narrow down the reason why?

When we get angry, even as Christians we are not called to be doormats or to allow someone to take advantage of our kindness. And that is the crux of my anger. I was being taken advantage of, and when I asked for an apology, I was met with the response, “What did I do?”

In relationships, there is always a give and take, but in families, we sometimes allow our children to take advantage of us, our kindness our willingness to help and then we get upset. Especially when the person has no clue why we are upset. Is there a lack of communication? Absolutely. But how does this translate into our Christian walk with the Lord?

As Christians, we are duty-bound to own up to our mistakes and take charge in regard to asking the Lord for forgiveness. As Christians, we want to be a good example, walk with the Lord, and not allow things to bother us. When I lose my temper, I feel that I am failing God. I am frustrated and want retribution, even if it is in an adult-controlled manner. Where is that joy that surpasses all understanding? That peace? That feeling that God is in control of my life?

How often do I let the Lord down? Often. And how often do I need to forgive? 70 x 7

Read all of Matthew 18:15-30, but in an excerpt where Peter asks Jesus how many times he needs to forgive, we read: Matthew 18:21-22 (read on air).

So, if we are to forgive 490 times, how often do I need to ask the Lord for forgiveness? How often do you need to ask the Lord for forgiveness?

Here is the simplified version of the rambling of my thoughts. Use this exercise to see how you have sinned against the Lord. Think about these questions (they are in the show notes).

1. Do I take advantage of the Lord’s love?
2. Do I take advantage of the Lord’s kindness?
3. Do I take advantage of the Lord’s forgiveness?
4. Do I allow myself to reflect on how I have sinned against Him?
5. When was the last time I asked the Lord for forgiveness?

Let’s break this down.

Being taken advantage of hurts us because we feel betrayed and vulnerable. What about our Lord and Savior, who gave so much to us? He gave His life to break the bonds of death so that we could have everlasting life. This is such a hard concept to grasp, but it is the foundation of our Christian faith.

The next time we are angry, we must remember that we have fallen short and sinned. Do we correct the person who is the cause of our anger? Yes. But we do it in a controlled manner, not one where we lose control. I felt like I did this and followed through, but I still felt guilty, which is the topic of next week’s podcast!

Being able to control our anger isn’t always necessary, especially if it is warranted. I’m not talking about screaming, ranting and raving, and having a temper tantrum. I am, however, saying that when needed, we need to express that the issue must be fixed.

We can be angry, but we must be in control. If you feel out of control, and yes, it has happened to me, walk away. Tell the person I am too upset to talk to you right now, and I need a minute (or an hour) to regroup before I can discuss this rationally. And, while we are in our own time-out, we need to pray and ask the Lord for a solution. In my younger parenting days, I asked the Lord what to do with a particular child, and it was amazing when thoughts came to mind that never occurred to me. I believe these are from the Lord and His way of letting us know he is there for us.

I know that anger takes on its own form and can be violent, and this is never acceptable and should never be tolerated.

Anger stems from a sense of being right, and while the Lord loves righteousness — if you search for the word in a Bible app, you will be amazed at how many references there are to the word, especially in the Psalms and the Proverbs. But the Lord also does not like anger. Do a search of that, and the findings are eye-opening, especially this verse, which we should all memorize in Ephesians 4:25-27 – (Read on air).

In your anger, do not sin – and do not let the sun go down angry… which means there should be some form of forgiveness, asking for forgiveness but also an apology. The enemy knows when we are weak, and if you have trouble with “anger,” take it before the Lord because He can help you with this! The Lord cares about each of us, and he knows our struggles! I praise God that I have faith. God cares about the little things.

Yesterday I received an email from a printer I work with who could not deliver a document I needed to have printed on time because her machines were broken, and she was waiting for the repair person. I emailed her, told her I would pray and asked her to keep me informed. Today she said the repairman came, and the document would be ready on Friday. Praise be the Lord! It is always a blessing the Lord provides for us in other ways when we feel down. Praise be to God! It was a small victory and a reminder that God cares.

This week work on your anger if that is an issue, and look at ways we work against the Lord and the ways we offend him! I pray a blessing on you and your family today and always! Amen.

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Christian Resolution ~ 235

We hear about New Year’s Resolutions, but what about a Christian Resolution…of faith? In this episode, Felice explores the possibility that the gifts God has for us are more than we can imagine if we put on the right mindset.

Thanks to our sponsor, Media Angels, and the entire Ultimate Christian Podcast Network network, where we bring you great Christian content at no cost. Check out the books, One More Child and A Few Minutes with God – these books help defray the costs of bringing you the network for free.

As a Christian, the New Year seems like the perfect time for a Christian Resolution instead of a New Year’s Resolution. Instead of setting yourself up for failure, let’s look at ways to thrive in the new year! So, it is time for a Christian resolution. What is on your list? It may be simple things such as spending time with God in prayer or going to church on a regular basis; maybe you’ve added works of service, visiting the elderly, or volunteering at the soup kitchen. These are all great and helpful in our walk with the Lord.

For most of us, this is all we can do at this time in our life, and it serves us well. When I listen to podcasts or YouTube videos that list ten things to do, I am often overwhelmed and shut down. My focus in these podcasts is to provide you with some tools and let you decide what works for you. In saying that, as a Christian, what is your focus? Is it in improving your relationship with God? One of the beautiful benefits of strengthening our relationship with God is that it flows into our relationships with others. It has the added benefit of giving us a sense of joy and peace.

The obstacles to our relationship with God are usually centered on what we perceive the Lord wants for us or expects us to do. As Christians, we should want to be free from sin; after all, isn’t that what He expects? So, what keeps us from this?

The expectations for being a Christian may seem restrictive to some or insurmountable to others. But truthfully, being a Christian is as the scriptures state – the truth will set you free.

Today we don’t know what is true. We don’t know who to trust. We’ve been deceived, and it is a horrible feeling to be lied to. Who can we trust? Only the Lord. John 8:31-32 (Read on air.)

Jesus answered in the following verses and explained (read the entirety of John 8), but the summation of his teaching was this, if you are in sin or commit a sin, you are then the slave to that sin. The draw to sin increases each time. But by turning away from sin we also turn away from slavery or the enticement of sinning. Therefore, there is freedom. Then we read in Chapter 8, verses 42-43

When we make up our list of things we want to accomplish in the new year or each week or whenever we take the time to improve our Spiritual life, we find that there are obstacles in our way, and that obstacle tends to be sin. God is waiting with open arms.

In verses 42-43, the Lord continues to explain…(Read on air).

If we can not believe the Word of God, we need to spend some time analyzing why. To love, we must spend time with the person and get to know them; this is true with our relationship with God. God is love, and as such, He is there waiting with open arms for us to go to Him, but sin keeps us from a true relationship. This wall we put up is self-preservation. We don’t want to be hurt; we don’t want to be lied to – we are protecting ourselves.

We are protective of our feelings, but with God, we can let those protections go, and the first thing we need to do is remove whatever is keeping us from Him.

Jesus goes on in verses 44-47 (Read on air).

The father of lies continues to wreak havoc on the world in which we live, and because of so many things, mainly the way Christians have retreated, we have a world that is heading toward devastation if not already there. Christians must stand up for truth. Christians who are from God hear the words of God. Are we from God? That, my friends, is my Christian Resolution to be with God in word and deed, to ask God before stepping out on my own, and to pray to God for His love, providence, and protection.

Take the time to text a family member or friend in need who asks for prayer or to stop immediately to pray. Ask the Lord to call to mind a friend or family member who needs prayers, and you will find that this is one way that the Lord can use you in a powerful way.

This year I want to challenge you to find a Christian Resolution you can stick to, and I pray you write it down and grow closer to God each day.

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Christians After Christmas ~ Episode 234

What should we feel as Christians after Christmas? Should we rejoice and be glad? Similar to our secular counterparts, we often feel like something is missing. In this episode, Felice delves into the gift of Christmas and how we can celebrate all year long.

I’d like to thank our sponsor, the movie 5000 Blankets; this movie was inspired by a true story; 5000 BLANKETS will encourage you to give to others. Find hope this holiday season when you see 5000 BLANKETS which you will now find on streaming channels such as Pureflix – Check out the website at 5000BlanketsMovie.com or on social media 5000blanketsmovie

Do you feel it? That after-Christmas letdown? Many of us have been busy during the weeks leading up to the big day. After all that preparation, the letdown is sometimes overwhelming. In this episode, we’ll discuss keeping the Christmas “feeling” with us all year.

Well, friends, if you are like me, you have prepared for weeks before the holidays, and now there is nothing to do other than maybe return gifts. Our celebration has just begun if our focus has been on the Almighty, the Word becoming flesh. As Christians, we continue to praise God for one of the greatest miracles of all times, the Birth of Christ…God becoming man. We can focus on the theme of Advent, which is waiting with expectant faith, and now that He has “come” and we’ve remembered the Savior’s birth, the celebration begins.

It is similar to your choice to follow Christ. No one can make you decide this is important; it is a free-will decision. Yet, for some, it is one and done. There is a profession of faith, a proclamation of renouncing sin and following Christ, yet it ends there. Maybe some read the Bible from time to time, or perhaps there is a prayer from time to time. There can even be church attendance, yet that is just the beginning for me.

Each day we should renew our love for God. We should say, Here I am, Lord. I’ve come to do your will. We read in Psalm 40:6-8 …

When we love someone, we are happy to please them and to do things for them without expecting anything in return. As we renew our decision to follow Him, we should seek ways to serve God – in our thoughts and in our actions. How do we seek the Lord? How do we plan our lives? Does it include a prayer to the Lord for direction? Do we seek His will and his direction? Some of you may say you do but don’t hear anything back.

The Lord gives me direction in how things seem to unfold. I don’t sit on my hands and do nothing; I put something out there and pray…then I wait. Sometimes I’ll get an idea or feel like there is a direction I should take, but I do not stress about it; I go on with my life. Then I am attentive and, as we are told during Advent – to stay awake and be aware. How often do you look back in your life and see the hand of God? How often do we realize that God has been there the entire time?

We are meant to serve, not to be perfect. All the other things will follow by allowing our thoughts to focus on the essential parts of our life, faith, family, work, and responsibility. If you are stressed or unsuccessful in putting things into perspective, it might be time to look at what is causing the discomfort in your life.

I’ve shared with you before the importance of putting on the Armor of Christ. Recently I have struggled with many issues that were work-related – I think I’ve talked about this previously! I couldn’t be in business for over twenty-eight years without being able to handle the problems that crop up. Yet, this was doing me in, and I kept thinking … I need to pray a spiritual warfare prayer. But I put it off until I decided to prioritize it. So I knelt down beside my bed and prayed a Spiritual Warfare prayer. I took authority over the things in my life that were an issue, asked the Lord for providence to show me ways I had sinned against Him and rebuked this sin, and then asked the Lord for the grace of the opposite of the struggle. For example, I said, “I take authority in the Name of Jesus Christ over frustration and rebuke it and ask my God for the spirit of peace that surpasses all understanding.” Then I went down the list as I thought of things I should rebuke. I also prayed for an increase in time and had one of the most productive days ever.

We can do this, friends, we have that authority under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and we do nothing without His help and providence. We should not miss the ability or the opportunity to place the things troubling us at the foot of the cross. As I record this, we are heading into a new year and closing out the old. So much emphasis has been put on the nostalgia of thinking about the new year ending sadly (or happily, depending on your situation) and looking forward to a new year of big changes.

As followers of Christ, we have an opportunity to be better, to have a fresh start which I will discuss in my new year’s podcast, and the ability to be the best Christian we can be, which is easy with the love of the Lord has for us.

Instead of the after-Christmas letdown, let’s rejoice that the best is yet to come. We have each other, even from afar or through the audio waves of whatever method you are listening to. We have like-minded friends and a community. You can find that at the Ultimate Christian Podcast Network. If we focus on the love that Christ has for you and how you want to grow this coming year, rejoice because the Savior of the World is with you today and always!

Your challenge this week is to look, to be aware and to rejoice and be glad, to turn that frown upside down and smile, and to say, the Savior loves me, and I love Him. Rejoice and be glad! May God’s blessings be upon you today and always.

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True Faith ~ Episode 233

What is true faith? In light of so much counterfeit around us, it is difficult for many people to understand truth vs. fiction. Even during Biblical times, those who witnessed the miracles of Jesus still struggled to believe. Well, take heart! In this episode, we will delve into the truth that will set your free.

The Ultimate Christian Podcast Network is made up of uplifting shows. Be sure to tune in weekly and visit the show page for new shows that are added. UCPN.com, and be sure to check out the sponsor for today’s episode, the movie 5000 Blankets – This holiday season, be reminded that one of the best ways to make the most out of your hard season is to help someone else in theirs! #5000blanketsmovie.com and if you missed the quick release in theatres, it should come out soon on Pureflix.

The church’s teaching authority gave us the Bible that we have today. This way, we can look to the Word of God to confirm our beliefs. Many of those in authority at the time were eyewitnesses of Jesus Christ and recorded His words for all of us today. We believe the Bible is the inerrant word of guide inspired by the Holy Spirit. We also have recordings of teachings that did not make it into the Bible or books believed not to be inspired.

Many of you know of St. Thomas Aquinas, a theologian known for his clarity in the discussion of faith and morals. He says that true faith does not only agree with what is known because he said that even demons do this – they acknowledge the truth but do not have faith. He says that faith requires an act of our will. Remember, we have free choice, a gift from Almighty God. We have the ability to act with free will, not just with our intelligence or intellect. God is God, and His love for us, as incomprehensible as it might be, does not hinge on whether we choose Him or not. We are the ones that have conditional love – it is easier to love those who love us. With God, He is pure love. He loves because that is His nature.

There is a definitive difference between faith that is true and belief. We submit ourselves to God’s will for our lives, a free choice. It is not one that is forced. We agree because, for some of us, not doing so would be inconceivable. If we have true faith, we believe what is taught; for me, that is contained in full in the Nicene Creed or the shorter Apostles Creed. We recite one of these each time I attend Mass. I agree through my free will.

Just as we submit to the authority of the governing body of our town, state or government, so do we submit to the teaching authority of our church. If we disagree, this is not true faith.

I know it sounds like we are getting deep today – but the point is that understanding helps, but true faith is a free-will action. By growing in faith, we can live a life that is not only fulfilling but one of true peace. The peace that surpasses all understanding.  Let me read the following passage from Philippians 4: 4-10

Read this passage on your own and think about the words that leap out at you. Several of these for me are ones I talk about often; one is to praise God in all things. Verse 4 states to rejoice in the Lord always. The second is to Let your gentleness be known to everyone. As Christians, we are encouraged to love everyone, not only those who love us. In this way, we show the love of Christ to others. Easy right? Probably a struggle for many of us if we are truthful. Only God can give us the grace we need to carry on as we should. This passage also reminds us that the Lord is near. We always have the Holy Spirit with us, and what a powerful reminder to us all that the Lord is always here. Our faith is inspired by those who went before us but to think that the Creator of the universe cares for each one of us is so amazing. But one of the things we all crave is peace. The scripture reminds us that … the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Why does it say it surpasses all understanding? I believe this touches on what we discussed earlier. Understanding or intellect is a part of faith but deciding to live our faith by a free-will offering is what is difficult for many to comprehend, especially today.

Pray about this and allow the Lord to come into your life in a powerful way because while there is head understanding, the heart must be genuinely engaged for true peace. The peace of Christ is something you may feel from time to time. When I’ve had the opportunity and privilege to be in deep prayer, I don’t want to return to this world. I feel such a deep sense of peace, reverence, and awe. It is like the most perfect dream and only to wake up to the reality of life. Our lives are a blessing but let’s face it; the challenges sometimes are overpowering.

The challenge is real, especially for our faith. We struggle with our faith when we think we know better. As people with free will, we know what we want and want now. If you had your choice of an easy life or a life filled with hardship, which would you choose? An easy life, right?

But what is in the fine print of an easy life? An easy life to some may be doing whatever you want, whenever you want, and with whomever you want. As we know, some of us sadly, from experience, this can lead to heartbreak and dysfunction.

True faith is steeped in love, a conscious and free-will decision, and it encompasses and allows the love of God to permeate our lives.

1. Putting on the armor of God to defeat the wicked one – Ephesians 6:9-11 and verse 10-11 which states: “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power. Put on the whole armor of God so that you may be able to stand against the devil’s wiles.”
2. Putting God’s will above our own. He knows best. Believe it as a truth. Meditate on the idea of God’s will.
3. Be open to spending time with God. For true and good faith, we need to spend time and allow the Lord to touch our hearts.
4. Remove ourselves from sin and temptation. I think we all know what that means in our own lives.
5. Attend church regularly, not when we feel like it!

As we strive to balance out the head knowledge with our hearts, I pray that each of your challenges this week focus on what is true and good in your life and see where the stumbling blocks of faith exist and work on those slowly each day.

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Faith Comes In Small Packages ~ Episode 232

Many precious gifts are small similar to our faith. Faith comes in small packages. What a blessing and something we often overlook. Instead, we often look for those “Faith-Grand-Gestures.” What are those small things that make faith so precious in our life? Consider this in light of the often over-the-top celebrations happening all around us. Truly the biggest blessing are gifts we can’t buy and that is the key to faith!

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What are those things that come in small packages that you cherish? Take a minute to think about this. I have a list of about five things I can think of that are small and important to me. When we look at faith in this way we can see that those small things add up to something priceless. The way we practice our faith should not be a burden or a list of things we have to do, it should be a lifestyle that is effortless. As I’ve shared in previous episodes Christians feel that we don’t give up anything for our faith but that our faith gives us so much more than we can ever repay or give back.

The happiest people I know are the ones that do things for others. My brother, through an unfortunate surgery, lost sight in one of his eyes. He went from a high-powered job to staying at home and living with a disability. Yet, I’ve watched him through the years and his recovery process and he is happier than now and has become involved in various charities. One is where he goes to the schools and reads to kids, another is the Beds for Kids program where the charitable organization works with foster parents to obtain new beds for the kids they foster. He is so happy and animated when he talks about these things, even if he can no longer drive because of his eyesight. While it is difficult for his family, they have all learned to cope and appreciate the gift of life.

In giving to others, we are blessed. That is also an underlying theme of the Christian faith which underscores love for others above self. I think we all know people that put themselves first and they are not happy. Or, if they appear happy to others those who know them well can see the underlying hurt.

It is easy to rejoice in all things when everything is going well, but what about when we have those hardships in our lives? The way we react shows us how we truly are in our walk with the Lord. At one time when finances were tight, I remember rejoicing in all of the things I was surrounded with that were free. One thing was the beautiful sky or the wonderful weather. The other was the love of family and friends. Another is the joy of being able to come to you weekly and proclaim the joys of the Christian faith. These are truly simple pleasures but can be part of the overall joy of celebrating God’s love.

It is good to remember that we should be awake and notice the things happening around us and in this way be awakened to the truth of salvation. Romans 13:11-14 states

The weeks leading up to the Christmas season remind us that Christ is the light and as we know the light dispels darkness. When we are in sin we often don’t recognize it, but later when we see it, we realize that we were in a sense in the dark. That is why I make an effort to see the good in things big and small.

The joy of having family near or spending time with my kids when they are visiting home. The time I spend with a dear friend or even an acquaintance at church. I remember hearing that when we smile at a stranger it might be the only smile they get that day. Can you imagine? We get caught up in our own world and our own problems that we often forget the hardships of others.

When we think about faith coming in small packages we can point to the scene in the manager at the birth of Christ. The fear that Mary and Joseph had to overcome to bring the Savior into the world. The confusion when they were visited by the wise men or the Magi, then by the coming of the shepherds who heard the herald or calling of the angels and followed the star. What a miracle and so many things to think about and ponder in their heart. We hear that about Mary in the scriptures that she pondered things in her heart. I may have shared with you that I love the movie The Nativity because it depicts Mary and Joseph in a way that brings home their humble roots and their hardships and makes the birth of Christ so real and heartfelt. One of my favorite scenes is when a poor shepherd allows them to share his fire as they rest for a short time on their journey he says that he is no one, and Mary says that the child is for everyone.

That tiny bundle, that small package was touching the hearts of men and women before he was hours old. If we open our hearts to those small things in our spiritual lives, we will find our faith grow.

The tiny package in our lives can consist of love, joy, and peace. Those three small words pack a punch and can increase our love and our faith. Your challenge this week is to look for those small and often forgotten joys that we often overlook and thank and praise God for this and for all things!

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Christmas Countdown To Faith ~ Episode 231

As the Christmas countdown begins the challenge is to keep your faith focused as you navigate the commercialism of the season. In this podcast Felice suggests you count down to a renewal of faith as you approach the commemoration of the birth of our Lord.| As the Christmas countdown begins the challenge is to keep your faith focused as you navigate the commercialism of the season. In this podcast Felice suggests you count down to a renewal of faith as you approach the commemoration of the birth of our Lord.

Thanks to our sponsor the movie – 5000 Blankets, this is a quick theatre release in December It’s incredible what can happen when you transform your heart to serve the people around you. Catch 5000 BLANKETS exclusively in theaters for two days only! December 12 & 13. Tickets are at here and for more information go to https://www.5000blanketsmovie.com/

Well, it is almost Christmas (and the Christmas countdown has begun!) and once again many homes are buzzing but for all the wrong reasons. Raise your hand if you have the decorations up or are getting ready to decorate. I listened to a video presentation on Advent, and it reminded me that decorations for most Christians didn’t start until December 24^th the true beginning of the Christmas season. Is it wrong to have the decorations up? No of course not! I had a full house Thanksgiving weekend and I put all my kids to work, they have it down to a science now and each of them has a favorite thing they like to do. One son buys me poinsettia plants early before they run out on sale, and another son plants them for me. My daughter is the expert on decorating the stairs, and another son works on the arrangements above the cabinets in the kitchen. In years past I haven’t even decorated much of the tree, but this year that was my job after they put on all the lights.

Our preparations look different depending on our family and yet I hope that all of you have “preparation,” in mind as we look forward to Christmas Day. We are in a time of expectation, hoping, and wanting. Our family tradition is to light candles on the Advent wreath. We didn’t do this when I was a child, but my own children have grown up with this tradition. We light candles one for each week leading up to Christmas and read a passage of Scripture and pray. It is a wonderful tradition that brings the coming of our Lord closer to our hearts and our mind.

My son shared that his pastor preached about getting closer to God during the Advent season. While Lent is a time of penance and giving up our sins and vices, Advent is a time of preparation as well. I listened to one of my favorite YouTube priests, Fr. Alar and he talked about the messages that are varied from other pastors about what this season means.

For many of us, it is a time of parties and eating those goodies we only see this time of the year. I believe that God knows we live in “this world,” and we must balance our lives with the obligations of family and even friends. That doesn’t mean we can’t keep our faith in the forefront of our minds during this special season, leading up to one of the greatest miracles God coming to us as a child!

There are only two times of the year when there is a countdown if you will remember an event important in the lives of Christians. One is Advent the birth of Christ and the other is Lent a remembrance of the life, death, and resurrection of our Savior. Both times we prepare, and both times we celebrate the day in commemoration of Christ.

I like to prepare for Advent with the small book, “The Season of Light” by Jay Cormier. It contains daily prayers for the lighting of the Advent Wreath as well as time for contemplation and personal prayer. A key element is praising God in all things. I also like to spend time each day being thankful and that helps to put things in perspective.

Lately, I’ve had a rash of techie issues, and usually, I don’t get upset, but this time I was beyond annoyed. So, as I begin complaining I think instead, praise God, praise God, praise God! Otherwise, I’ll spend my time in frustration. These are little things we can do that make life so much better and put the focus off ourselves and onto God giving Him praise.

I love John 1:1:5 and John 1:14

The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

This was one of the Scripture verses that hit me hard at one low point in my life. The Word was with God and the Word was God – the Word of God is Christ, and He was there at the beginning of the Creation.

As Christians one thing, we can do is mediate on God’s word, and you will find as I often do that passages you’ve read before take on an entirely different meaning. Sometimes it is because of what is happening in our lives and other times it is as if the Lord gives us a new awareness of the words. My heart just soars with thanksgiving and it is so wonderful to think that God cared for us so much as to send His only Son.

How exciting that we can pray as we await the celebration on Christmas Day and rejoice! Your challenge this week is to place God as the focus of your thoughts and prayers and celebrate Advent the weeks before Christmas in a way that gives all the glory to God.

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Greatness of God ~ Episode 230

The greatness of God is all around us and we see it in the miracles of life.

God’s greatness is nothing we would dispute and a loving God grants favor to us. But what happens when we are overwhelmed or inundated with the holiday sales (yes, Cyber Monday and every day until Christmas is upon us!) How can we be disciples of the One True God and remain faithful in the glitz of the season? By pondering the Greatness of God and His love for us as we approach Christmas. I pray that the Lord is with you and you are filled with the love and peace of Christ.

Little children get it right when it comes to simple faith more times than not. Do you remember that early song you learned or maybe taught your children, “My God is so great, so big and so mighty there is nothing my God can not do?” If you have never heard this song I put a link in the show notes for this episode. (Here)  This last stanza of the song goes like this, “My God is so great, so strong and so mighty, there’s nothing my God cannot do, for you!”

This hits home for many young children and along with the catchy tune it sticks in their heads and hearts. It is at times like the holidays that we see the true meaning and share it without family and friends. It is a time to share what we have whether it is little or big (and my favorite gifts are the ones that money can not buy).

We see the greatness of God in big things – the awesomeness of nature or perhaps in works of charity but these tend to be things that we enjoy or we do for ourselves. The greatness of God is in giving of self. That is what God did for us – not only the world He created for us to enjoy but also in giving us our lives. Think about this for a minute. What was in it for Him?

We learn that God created because of love and love by its very nature creates. A simple sentence that packs a punch. Let me say it again. (repeated on air)

For me, love is the essence of the greatness of God. Make a list of what you believe is the essence and greatness of God. I so wish you could share your list then Isaiah 40.

Titus 2: 11 – 15 states – (read on air).

Isaiah 40:12-31 Read on your own, read on air: Isaiah 40:21-23 and Isaiah

Do we, even today with the Bible in virtually every translation a finger click away understand the ramifications and essence of the greatness of God? He is greater than anything we can even imagine. We’ve been told to imagine heaven, and whatever you come up with it is so much better than we can comprehend. I shared in past podcasts something my pastor says, “God I love you as you know yourself to be.” Unpack that! In other words, we can not comprehend the greatness of God which does not mean we should not try to understand so that we can better worship.

Isaiah goes on in verses 25-26 (Read on air.)

We are reminded that God has called us by name. Not only did he create the heavens and the earth the Almighty cared enough to create you and me. You are not an accident. Your life is not for nothing. Your hurts and your worries are not trivial. The Almighty Lord has heard your prayers and your cries. Because … “he is great in strength and mighty in power.”

Then Isaiah does on in verses 29-31 -(Read on air.)

The Lord will never weary even though we do, the Lord does not need to replenish because from Him all things originate. The greatness of God can be comprehended in this way, he is always there for us. He cares, He loves and He is the Almighty. We may think God is not approachable, my husband use to say that praying is bothering God. This is not true. We look up to the heavens but He is here, beside us always. Even when we don’t feel him, even when we feel let down, even when we feel we can not go on. God created and God cares for you and for me.

During this season in your life look at the greatness of God with joy and while trying to comprehend His vastness is not a prerequisite for salvation it does help us put our problems and our life in perspective. We are important yet many of the things we want and crave our not important in the grand scheme of things. Does this mean we don’t live our lives? No, of course, we do – but we live our lives with an eye to heaven and joy in our hearts.

The challenge this week is to look at the greatness of God and place your wants and needs before the Lord and discern what is important in your life. May God be blessed and rejoice today and always!

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Miraculous Prayers ~ Episode 229

Miraculous prayers are all around us, yet no one but the Lord knows what will be answered and what will not. In this podcast, Felice discusses the prayer that the Lord gave us as well as prayers that are always answered.

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There are some prayers that are always answered. Do we believe this? In a past episode 227- Miracles of Faith I shared how God uses miracles to increase our faith. However, it seems that at times our prayers go unanswered.

However, I believe the prayers that are always answered are the ones we ask for a deepening of faith. Don’t you think this prayer will be answered? “Lord I pray that my faith is increased and there is a deepening of love for you!”

Ephesians 2: 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and this is not of yourselves, it is the gift of God…

And what a gift! What better gift is there than salvation? To spend this life happily as a Christian knowing that the Lord has redeemed us and living our lives in a way that is pleasing to God—with the benefit of happiness.

A prayer that I pray to the Lord and He often grants is for more time. This prayer has been such a blessing especially when I am stressed or have too much on my to-do list. Recently I needed to attack very unsavory plans that I had put off for months. One was updating a will and our final cemetery preparations. Yes, eww! No one wants to think about death but as Christians, we should consider the end and our eternal rest with God.

What miracles have happened in your life? We all have them. I’d ask you to stop this recording and make a list of miracles if you can. If not, do this later. Here is a short list of some of the miracles in my life.

1. I’ve witnessed the healing of illness.
2. I’ve witnessed the healing of chronic issues.
3. I’ve avoided car accidents (multiple times).
4. The Lord saved me from a bad relationship in my younger years.
5. The miracle of healthy births to five children and eight miraculous grandchildren.

And I could go on and on and on. As you listened to this list did you recall miracles in your life? When we pray we give glory to God, but God also blesses us in remarkable ways. In the Lord’s Prayer, given to us by Jesus we read in Matthew 6 so many gems that are hidden in God’s Word. If you have ever wanted a short, quick list of what we are to do according to God’s will and God’s word, read all of Matthew 6 – the synopsis for this would be

1. Give to the needy
2. Prayer
3. Fasting
4. Treasures in Heaven
5. Not to worry

I believe prayer is essential for our souls, to keep us on the right path and to be united to the will of God – as I shared in the podcast on the other podcast on miracles, the act of prayer, especially for something we really want is a lesson in patience and fortitude. Patience in that God may or may not answer our prayer – or not yet – and in fortitude to keep praying without ceasing and maybe in the process our hearts will change and be united with God’s.

Jesus himself taught us how to pray in what we call the Lord’s prayer – in Matthew 6:9-14 [Read on Air.]

Before I read this to you I’d like to challenge you to pray it yourself – most of you have a version you pray, meditate on the words, and take them to heart. The Lord said…

1. We learn the awesomeness of the name of God – Hallowed be your name!
2. We learn the miracle of true piety
3. We learn to unite our will to God’s will
4. We learn to unite our will to God’s will
5. God knows our prayers before we ask
6. The Lord will provide for our needs
7. We are to forgive others
8. We are to pray to be delivered from temptation
9. We are to pray to be delivered from the evil one
10. If we do not forgive the sins done against us – we are praying that our heavenly Father will not forgive yours!

This is SO important and one that is often forgotten in prayer – we must forgive it is imperative and I’ve created several podcasts on the topic.

The Lord’s prayer is truly a miraculous prayer and one we always pray in Church, but I pray this prayer daily. It reminds me that my first obligation is to God and not self.

Another important point concerning prayer is in Matthew 6:5-7 but before the Lord gave us His prayer…[Read on Air.]

Interesting – we are to pray but not so we can boast about how great we are… I believe that works go hand in hand with faith. But works by themselves are hollow. I think that at many services instead of prayer it becomes a social hour. I am all for socializing but before the service – outside and after the service – outside! Last week my husband and I were early because he had foot surgery and he needed to get into the church before it got crowded so he didn’t have to hurry. The people behind us were so loud and talking about making spaghetti and meatballs, and all kinds of things. I had a hard time focusing and praying to the Lord! I love time to pray before the Mass begins. We need to be careful of those around us.

Many times, our prayers take fasting. This is for us, not for the Lord…but it takes our eyes off of our temporal needs and places them squarely on the prayers and on our Lord. Matthew 6 addresses this as well.

Concerning Fasting – And with fasting, we are to… (Matthew 6:16-18) Read on air.

Fasting is important but I will admit this is very hard to do – when I was younger I tried to pray with bread and water one day a week, then I increased it to two days! It was very difficult. I still try to do this on occasion, and I try to abstain from meat on Friday – especially during the Lenten season. It is a way to keep our focus on God.

The miraculous prayer that will be answered today is for the Lord to give you more faith and to give you a greater love for Him! That is your challenge this week, to say the Lord’s prayer daily and to pray for additional faith!

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Worship and Thanksgiving ~ Episode 228

What do worship and thanksgiving mean to you? Your definition may be similar to many Christians, yet where is the challenge? The challenge is living lives that show that we worship the One True God and, in that way, our faith is permeated in all that we do. Listen to the challenge this week, by your host, Felice Gerwitz.

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As we discuss worship and thanksgiving today remember that the key to everything we do is to make it workable for us. What works for me may not work for you and that is important. I’ve read blogs over the years that list things that are so not doable in my life. This is why I try to simplify things for myself and for you! Which reminds me.

Have you heard the saying, “Do as I say, not as I do?” At times when I record podcasts, I feel a nudge from the Lord with the thought, “Are you living your life in the way you are challenging your listeners to live theirs’s?” Unfortunately, the answer is not always, “Yes!” Yet, podcasting on topics that point to the Lord also challenges me as well.

As we head into the months of Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations the theme of thanksgiving resounds in my mind. I ask myself the following questions:

1. How am I worshipping God daily?
2. How am I giving Him all the praise and thanks He deserves?
3. How am I living my Christian life to the fullest?
4. Am I allowing myself to be used by the Lord (those gentle nudges).
5. Am I giving myself time to pray?

Giving ourselves time is the biggest obstacle in our life, so in this busy season, we need to cut ourselves some slack while placing a focus on the most important things. What have you learned from past mistakes and how are you leading a life that does not parallel the old? Think about this and consider ways you over-commit.

Years ago I found that if I quit one ministry or volunteer position to make more time for my family, I soon found I was volunteering for another position somewhere else that might not take as much time, or perhaps was for a better cause. This is great to give in some type of ministry but look at your life, your family, and your time commitment. Be sure you are not sacrificing your family.

Worship is an important facet of giving praise to the Lord. If you have a smartphone it is worthwhile to set up a praise and worship album. At one time I had about five songs and my kids would tease me because I had so few, yet these songs spoke to me. They filled my heart with love for the Lord. Today I have a mix of faster-paced songs with some contemplative tunes. I have new favorites depending on what is going on in my life. I shared with you the song “The Motions,” by Matthew West in a previous podcast and for the longest time that was my song, it was an important one to me because I felt like I was becoming complacent, and I wanted to change. Then my song was, “Joy,” by For King and Country. I wanted to be sure I was choosing Joy, and that was my focus. My next favorite was “He Reigns,” by Newsboys. Of course, I love many other gospel hymns and I go to a traditional church where we often sing songs like “Amazing Grace.”  I believe you can tell your spiritual mood by looking at the songs you like to play frequently.

Take time to do this, and create a song playlist. What songs speak to you and what songs lead you into worship? Currently, my new favorite is “Blessed Be Your Name.” It makes me consider God’s precious Name and how we should worship Him not only in song but in our lives.

Music is a huge part of helping to set the mood which is why many churches begin with praise and worship. This opens our hearts to the Word of God spoken to teach us and challenge us. If you do not have a playlist make one, either on your phone or on a computer. It is not that difficult to do, and if you do not know how, ask someone to help.

I’m not sure who began the saying when we sing we pray twice. But I believe there is truth to those words. Singing allows us to rejoice and music lowers our inhibitions in a good way and the roadblocks we often put up keeping the Lord out. We can use music in a way that enhances our prayer time and allows the deeper meaning of the words to speak to us in a way that just saying or even reading the words can accomplish. God knew what he was doing when he created music!

I believe that worship music allows us to live our lives more fully. The scriptures are filled with references to music, we read in 1 Chronicles 6:31 “there are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the Lord after the ark came to rest there.” And we know the Psalm is a sacred song or poem used in worship such as the book of Psalms.

In what ways do you like to worship? Think about this and then when you do, make a point to make this part of your life. Worship can be serious and there is a time for this, but it can also be lighthearted. I think laughter is great and I believe with all of my heart that the Lord has a sense of humor. If He is truly Lord of Lords and created all things he created humor (the good kind) as well. Remember anything good can be perverted by the evil one.

I think one of the reasons I like music that I play in the car is because it fits my lifestyle when I am on the go. It puts me in a good frame of mind when I get to my destination. We use the tools at our disposal to make things work for us! In this way, we can more easily add worship and thanksgiving into our lives, daily.

The challenge for you is to look for a way to implement worship and thanksgiving not only during the holiday season but daily in your own life.

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Miracles of Faith ~ Episode 227

What miracles of faith have you considered at length? Do you recall various scripture verses that discuss God’s healing power? Or the ability of Jesus not only to heal the physical body but more importantly the spiritual, the soul. In this podcast, join Felice Gerwitz and the challenge of the week to delve into the mystery and miracles that will change your life.

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Gosh, where do I begin? There have been so many miracles in my own life that I could take hours recounting story after story of healing, answered prayers, and events that would strengthen your faith and have definitely strengthened mine. In a few minutes, I will share a few with you. But first, let’s address what miracles of faith mean to you.

Meaning – Miracles of Faith

When we discuss miracles of faith it can mean many different things. The miracle of having faith to the more extreme. What do miracles of faith” mean to you, what comes to mind? Is it something spiritual; such as a deepening of faith or even a willingness to be open to faith such as a faith proclamation, (“Accepting Jesus as your personal Savior), or miraculous in the sense of healing?

I actually consider it to be both. Miracles of our faith happen when we least expect them and when we are open to seeing them in our daily life. Having a prayer journal that I’ve talked about before and a praise journal (even better) helps us to see with not only our eyes but with our hearts and give credit where it is due.

When I consider the miracle of my faith, it happened as a child, seeds planted by my parents, it floundered and then grew deeper when tested by fire. It could have withered and died but instead, it became stronger because I prayed the prayer of Peter, “Lord to who can we go?” But before I read Peter 6:60-69 it comes on the heels of the discourse Jesus gave when he told the twelve they must eat his flesh and blood – John 6:57-58- (Read on air.)

Can we truly say to the Lord, “Lord to who can we go? You have the words of eternal life – we have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” If that is true and you can say those words you will definitely see miracles in your life and attribute them to faith in God.

We should no doubt in our minds that God is who he says He is – but what about when prayer does not appear to be answered? We are told we should be confident in our faith and pray, but when it seems to have no effect then what? Read all of Luke 18 but in the parable of the Just Judge Jesus took us to task (and I say us because the Scriptures are for each one of us, not just the people at the time!) Here is Luke 18:1-8 (Read on air)

Wow, if the judge would grant mercy how much more will God? God cares about our suffering but God wants us to persist in prayer. Does this mean He wants us to work for it? Not at all – it means the more we pray the more our hearts will change and our desires will become more closely aligned with his over time. He may lead us to pray in a different way or to see that His ways are the best. I did a podcast sometime back about prayer and one of the ways the Lord answers is Yes, No, or not right now. Sometimes the healing we crave is deeper down in layers that need to be healed before what we ask for can be achieved. It’s the big picture we don’t see.

A better way to understand is to think of this as a parent to a child. We know how kids can ask for things or demand things that are not good for them, the most obvious is being with friends who will steer them in the wrong direction, such as toward drugs. Our child may consider us cruel, and unjust or a “punishment” for keeping them apart. Yet, after time maybe many years later they may see the benefit of the punishment and thank you. The same for our Lord. What looks like the most wonderful thing may be wrong for our eternal soul.

We know we can ask anything of the Father yet the Lord teaches in John 5:19-24. (Read on air.)

I think this Scripture is one to ponder and it makes me consider how amazing and awe-inspiring is our God!  God can do anything. The prayer, “Please Lord make me a billionaire.” can be answered immediately but what would that do to our eternal soul?

Miracles happen I believe to increase our faith. I prayed once as I heard a tornado very close to my home (those thankfully are rare in my area), and as I did I received a sense of peace and it passed my home without any damage. Recently I shared about how our area was impacted by Hurricane Ian, and every time we prayed through that seemingly never-ending storm, individually and as a group I felt a sense of peace (and we did share in the destruction to our home and surrounding property) but we were all safe.

If I had to select one miracle in my life that really astounded me to the healing of God it would be a young man we prayed for that was struggling in his life. He had left a life of sin and was making an effort to include young adults to minister to the homeless by buying food and distributing it while sharing the gospel message. He was a friend of my daughter’s and she was always so encouraged when a group of her friends did this. And as a  parent, I was rejoicing that my prayer, “Please Lord, let her find good Christian friends,” in college was answered. Yet, he was in pain, and one time while at my home on a Friday or Saturday evening, he really looked uncomfortable and asked for some over-the-counter pain medication. I supplied some, but on a whim, I asked if my husband and I could pray for him. He agreed. About a week later he called and asked if he could come to our home. He shared a miracle that happened. Apparently, he had some torn ligaments in his shoulder and was waiting to have surgery at some point. He was given shots for the pain and it had worn off, which was evidenced by the pain he exhibited when he was at my home. Well, he said later after he left our home the pain was excruciating so much so that he asked a friend to drive him to the hospital. Of course, we were in shock! Our prayers caused pain – oh, no!! But he quickly explained that while in the hospital they gave him a warm blanket but basically said they could not do anything for him because they did not have his records on his last cortisone shot and they didn’t know if they could safely give him another and he had to go to his primary care physician. So he did it first thing Monday and they were puzzled at his pain level and took exrays – it showed that the ligament in his shoulder was regrowing and that was why he was in such pain! His shoulder had miraculously healed. We began praising and thanking God! Nothing like that has ever happened in my life since then! But wow – what a miracle and how much so that this young man went to his young adults’ group and witnessed to what God had done in His life.

Friends I was hesitant to ask him if I could pray for him – and afraid that he might reject my offer. Have you done that, asked people if they want you to pray and they say no? I am so happy that I listened to that prompting of the Holy Spirit!

This week the challenge is to see the ways you can be used by God to pray for others and to document the miracles of faith you see in your own life and in others!

Add your own miracles of faith here for us to read and rejoice in God with you!

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God First – Episode 226

When was the last time you put God first? Is God in your first thought of the day? No? How about the last thought? The struggle is real especially when life is overwhelming and seems to get in the way. Join Felice Gerwitz as she shares how she puts God first and the way she accomplishes this daily.

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An elderly friend once shared that as she grew older, her understanding and awareness of her sinfulness increased. This self-awareness should not be limited to age, but due to the nature of most of our lifestyles, this unfortunately is the norm.

If we take time to reflect we will all realize we fall short. Yes, it is difficult to admit but true. We all have shortcomings but the way we handle them is the difference between living a life for God or against Him because somewhere in the middle does not count. The Scriptures remind us that G0d will spew us out of his mouth! In fact Revelations, 3 verses 15-22 will give you so much to unpack. There are five main themes that we hear in entire sermons based on this scripture. First let me share it with you. (Read on air.)

Unpacking Revelations 3 -A Few Points

1. Lukewarm faith
2. Don’t need God – own ability
3. Refined by fire
4. Repent
5. God knocking at the door
6. Ability to hear God’s Word

Let me read the verses in  Revelations 3:15-22 (Read on air.)

Lukewarm faith – going through the motions. There is a song that really resonated with me for some time, the song’s title is The Motions by Matthew West. This was a song that hit hard because one of the lines says: (read onair.)

Matthew West was quoted as saying  “The song is about complacency and a desire to “break free from the average, ordinary, lukewarm Christian life”  – and that is what we need to do, break free of complacency. The thought is there is always tomorrow to pray, to read the Bible to attend church. But the saying goes that today is the “first day” of the rest of your life. We should look at each day as an opportunity not only to grow closer to God but to ask the Lord how to best serve Him.

Is this true of you? Don’t need God – own ability. There is a popular saying, “we make our own luck,” and I think I have always hated that phrase because to me it means I don’t need God. Yes, we should work hard, strive to do the best we can, get up and get going and not wait for handouts. However, we need God in the same way that we need air to breathe. That too is a Christian song, you may know it by its title “Breathe” (The Air I Breathe), and the original author Marie Barnett didn’t even mean to sing the lyrics (as a song leader) but was led to sing it spontaneously in church one Sunday. *You can read here story here.  It made it to a Vinyard’s album and later was recorded by many artists such as Michael W. Smith. The words go like this (read on air). (Lyrics here.) Without God we would not even have air to breathe, so all the glory and honor go to Him! (Read Onair.)

Refined by fire – Interesting the Scripture states – counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich – we are refined by fire but usually, that is a painful process and if we do not learn anything from the pain we will suffer again and again. In order to be rich we must learn from this refinement and praise God in all things, even those hardships.

Repent – The obvious here is to ask the Lord for forgiveness, but I want to take it one step further… we stay away from deepening our relationship with the Lord and putting God first when we are in sin. Like Adam and Eve were afraid to show their faces to the Lord, because of their sinfulness and their lack of repentance at that point, so too we are afraid of the justification for our sins. For every sin, there must be a payment. And sin, unfortunately, affects us all not only the person in sin.

God knocking at the door – We have discussed this in many other podcasts and it calls to mind a photo I have of the Lord knocking at the door, but the handle is on my side. God is the Almighty and can do anything, but God wants our hearts only when we give it to Him willingly. Unbelievers will say that religion is forced and there are all these rules and hoops to jump through — however, God has given us free will for a reason and a choice to follow Him, to let Him, to put God first or not.

Ability to hear God’s Word – recently in a prayer ministry meeting a friend recounted a story and said over and over again, “But I told this person specifically…” and she said this more than one time. It is interesting that we can talk to people and they do not hear or comprehend what we say even when we think it is crystal clear. The same with God’s word. It is crystal clear if we have our minds and hearts open to putting Him first.

There is so much more to unpack in those few lines of Scripture and I urge you and challenge you this week to meditate upon the words and make a plan, today to put God first in your life and to get yourself out of complacency and fire for the Lord, the Creator of Heaven and Earth! May God bless us today and always.

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Evil Tactic  – Combatting Evil ~ Episode 225

What is an evil tactic? It is something employed by the evil one to take souls to hell. Harsh? Maybe. But, this is something that few of us want to talk about or consider. In this podcast, Felice will explore the tactics used and how to prevent being led to the dark side.

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Few people realize the greatest tool of evil is to convince people that evil does not exist. Everything is fine, it’s good, there is nothing to worry about. Everyone gets a free pass to go to heaven. Don’t worry, proclaim God once, claim Him and go on and live your life in whatever way you see fit. I realize we all come from different faith walks. Some are non-denominational and others adhere to a specific denomination. Some teach it is faith alone and others that it is faith and works.

In the previous podcast, I cited James 2:14-26, Faith without works is dead. With this thought, we must look at the ways that evil sets to destroy not only others but specifically our lives.

I see evil glorified everywhere I look during the month of October, whether I am in the grocery store or at a restaurant. Some people celebrate fall with leaves and such, but many, enjoy what they believe is making light of darkness with evil-looking and scary decorations. While spoofs are fine, being surrounded by evil-looking decorations is not something I enjoy. Walking into a hair salon while hearing an evil cackling voice is not my idea of fun, and believe me, I soon went to another hair salon.

Here is a short list of things that are considered evil tactics:

1. Not believing evil or satan exists. John 8:44 (read)
2. Fearfulness (in a minute I’ll read from Matthew 10 which helps us to combat fear)
3. Deception and lies, Confusion, Twisting of words – reproductive freedom, no big deal, not for us to judge
4. Division – because when we are divided we are weak. John 17:20-24 (read)
5. Diversion – an overload of information, social media, anxiety, and distractions of everyday life Matt 10:26-32 (read)
6. Discouragement and depression – personal setbacks, always wanting more, if “this” happens, I’ll be happy. (humility)

There is so much packed into these verses, first, we have nothing to fear, the next is that we should not fear the body because what is most important is our soul, and the only person to fear is what can destroy us -that is giving into evil tactics and ultimately hell. Then there is the wonderful verse about the Father’s intimate knowledge about each one of us because he even knows the number of hair on our heads. We have value to God, my friends more than we know! We must also acknowledge God, we must not be afraid of our Christian faith or deny him unless we want to be denied before the Father in heaven. Powerful words!

5. Humility – the key to discouragement and depression is humility. Realizing we can do nothing without God. This is not a way to push off blame or alleviate our guilt, it is a way however to realize that when we do things under our own steam we are setting up ourselves for failure. Have you ever wondered when your life falls apart, and you can’t seem to handle anymore that you are “doing” it yourself and without God? Sure, we are all gifted in some way, but those gifts should be attributed to the Almighty.

In our humility we ask the Lord for help, to come into our lives in a deeper way (I know – I must sound like I repeat myself over and over) but it is a truth that when we grow closer to God we find things that are so important in our life or that we think are important fall way. All the people who suffer loss realize in the end that these are things they can not take with them when they die. That is why we are taught to look to the end, to look at our lives and when we do, when we grow closer to God we can see the areas where we have sinned.

Evil tactics are lost on those who are grounded, who surround themselves with like-minded Christians, and who immerse themselves in all that is good and holy, beginning with your relationship with Christ and the Scriptures. This week make a list of the evil tactics aimed at you and work at ways (with God, Scripture, and prayer) that you can combat the evils.

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Christian Harvest and Faith – Episode 223

What is a Christian Harvest? It is a time for a harvest of souls for Christ. We can only plant seeds, and the Lord reaps the harvest. So what is our duty as Christians and are we even obligated? That will be our focus in today’s episode.

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I love fall and where I live there is green-green-green all around me. Yet, I can still celebrate the fall season with decorations around my home. Fall is a time for harvesting after the hard work of planting seeds, nurturing, and caring for them. We celebrate harvest time in many ways, maybe you decorate as I do, or you can look out your window and see the glory of the changing leaves and the beautiful scenery that God has given you. Another way we celebrate is with food, especially pumpkin. Is it just me, or is there “pumpkin” everything now?

How do we look at harvest in the spiritual world? When we think of harvest, we think of it in terms of the harvesting of souls. Souls for Christ. As a young Christian, I focused on sharing the good news, but I also want to see the results or the “fruits” of conversion. You can imagine how that worked out. It was not my job to plant and reap, only the Lord can reap the harvest. But it is our job to share the wonderful works of the Lord and in our hurting world, the people are hungry for good news.

I recall a sermon that taught “faith is not faith until it is tested,” and so too our faith is tested daily. We are given a chance in our lives to plant the seeds of faith so that others too may be saved.

As a follower of Christ, you are a disciple and you are tasked to share the good news. So what do disciples do? We receive instructions from Scripture. In Luke 10:1-5 we read (on air).

Is it possible in this current time to leave everything, go two by two and visit homes to share the good news? No. But, there are other ways that we can serve the Lord as laborers. One is to pray! I know there are many of you listening that would love to be used by the Lord to spread the good news. As I’ve shared in the past, if we ask the Lord to use us there will be opportunities that come to us. I’ve had repair people that have shared their struggle with faith and how they either left a church or left their belief altogether. I could listen and instead of sharing a bunch of what I thought were good solutions, I asked if I could pray with them. In my prayer, I asked the Lord to intercede, to heal the hurt of their heart, to open their eyes to sin in their life in need of repentance and I asked them if they wanted to rededicate their life to God. Some said yes and others, not right now. All I can do is plant the seeds.

One thing I could share with people I’ve met who are hurting because of wrong against them is to share that the greatest evil was the unjust crucifixion of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and out of that horrible, evil tragedy and sacrifice was the greatest gift given to mankind, our salvation. Some people accept that as truth and others do not.

Some time ago I read a book written by an atheist turned Christian and she gave the clearest reason she remained an atheist for many years. She was forced at around the age of 10 to become a Christian and accept Jesus as her Savior. She had no idea what this meant. All she could see were angry, judgemental people who were upset she would not accept Christ. She was scared and had questions but she was afraid to ask. The lady asked said, “If you do not accept Jesus you will not be like us – you will go to hell and you will not be a Christian.” All this young girl could think was… “okay I won’t be like you who I find scary and hateful and I will be like my parents who are not believers? I chose them over you.”

It took her many years to understand they were well-meaning but their approach was all wrong. They used threats, fear and intimidation instead of openness, love, and invitation.

We are all refined in this life – in Malachi 3:1-3 we read (on air).

As the Lord uses us to help as laborers for the Kingdom of God we are open to learning, and understand that we should not be afraid, that God will provide for us, and that God will give us the tools we need when we need them. Our journey is one we do not take alone but with the Almighty beside us.

When we personally encounter Jesus, we can’t help but want to live our lives in a way that is pleasing. We are filled with the Holy Spirit and that overflowing of God’s love is too hard to contain! We are called to love and to have compassion, we are called to be there for others. If you can just listen. Being a good listener is a gift. We don’t need to come up with solutions we need to be open to hearing and discerning. Maybe something that is said will spark an idea that might be helpful. We are called to be faithful and to be bold! We are witnesses to the faith.

In Scripture, we find the times of harvest were usually when things were going badly for the people and they turned their “hardened hearts” back to God.  Now is a time for people to turn back to God. People are sad, they are afraid, they are confused.

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Christian Retreat ~ At Home – Episode 213

It is time to fill up your spiritual tank with a Christian retreat. No matter what time of the year a refilling is good and that begins with a good Bible Study, or you, the Holy Spirit, and a pad and paper. Have you ever tried to listen to God and then had a sense of something you wanted to write down? In this way, we can communicate (in our own fallen way) with the Almighty. While it is not the same as face-to-face, we’ll have to wait for that time at the end of our lives, it is still a way to have a Christian retreat in our own homes.

– and if you missed my podcast on Renewing Your Faith you can catch it here.

Not all of us can leave to go on a weekend retreat, but if you have ever had the opportunity to go on a really good one, you know the blessings are unsurpassed. In the past, we’ve talked about spending time with God, the entire purpose or theme of this podcast, but this takes it one step further. Prayer is a communication of some sort, many times we feel it is one-sided. We talk, we listen and we hear silence. Or we look for a particular feeling, one of joy, thanksgiving, or peace. When we try to find these things and don’t we feel that we’ve failed in some way, or perhaps given up.

If you could go on a retreat what are your goals? What is it that you would want to get out of it? Is it getting closer to God? Growing in your relationship? Is it learning, listening, or perhaps making a point to rely upon the Lord? Or, is it to rest in the Lord, to become infilled and empowered by the Holy Spirit?

Recently I read something that really caused me to analyze my own relationship with the Lord. It said that if we are short-tempered, finding ourselves quickly annoyed, or unable to deal with the detours of life, we need to look at our relationship with the Lord. The people who are on track, who have a good relationship with God, and who feel that they spend time in meaningful prayer, learning, sharing their faith, and giving of themselves in service to others are the ones that can handle most things calmly.

Wow, that was eye-opening. In fact, I had just shared with my husband shortly before that the opposite. I asked him why I was unable to deal with all of the minor issues, many of them computer related that normally didn’t cause me to become upset. In the space of two weeks, my husband’s website was hacked, junk emails were created and sent from his account, and we had to move our server to a more secure one including this podcast network and the other one I owned, and website. Not only that, but the accounting software my husband’s business uses was giving me issues! And, I had no patience at all.

Sure, we all have things that happen in our lives and sometimes we handle them better than others, but this type of thing never bothered me. I was attributing my irritations to getting older! But, the Lord set me straight. If I truly believe, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my savior, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Psalm 18:2 then I have to live my life in this way. And, the best way to begin is by filling back up and renewing my relationship with God.

And, today we will discuss a customized retreat just for you!

First, if you have been on a retreat, think about some of the things you enjoyed. I’m going to share my list with you, be sure to add to this or subtract things that don’t interest you. You may need to tweak or adjust it to fit your schedule.

My favorite aspects of the retreat are the following?

1. Quiet.
2. Time for prayer.
3. Praise and Worship.
4. Solitude.
5. Time for confession.

Retreats usually contain some type of guest speaker who gets us started on the journey of turning our hearts toward God. This may be several talks or one key talk. I spent the weekend at a retreat that started with a keynote on a Friday evening, then the silent part of the retreat. We were asked to go back to our rooms, and if we had a roommate to still remain silent. We could break our silence the next day at breakfast. The focus was on giving our thoughts to God and reading, praying or spending time in that quiet thinking about what the speaker said that was impactful but more importantly to train our busy minds to slow down. When you take communication out of the equation and are forced into quiet it is amazing. It allows you a chance to breathe and relax.

When you are in the car, can you just drive in silence? If the answer is always no, maybe it is time to begin your car trip with prayer. I plan to do another podcast on this very topic at some point soon. I use my car trips always the very beginning of one to pray. Once I am finished with my prayers, then I can flip on the radio or podcasts. But first I must have time with God.

The point of a retreat is relationship and communication only with the Lord. It can be a time of prayer and petition for yourself, wait another time to pray for others, unless you are really led to do it during this time.

So, your dream retreat what would it look like? Here is a thumbnail outline to start you off.

1.  First, ask the Lord to fill you to overflowing with His love joy, and peace or whatever the goals are for your retreat.
2. Find a quiet place. Somewhere you will not be interrupted.
3. Have a journal, a pen, your Bible, and something to drink.
4.  Praise God – either in word or song. If you can sing, do it! Have a favorite playlist? Play it.
5. Wait until you feel the joy or the sense of peace and allow that to fill you in the quiet. Remain in this way as long as you’d like or time permits.
6. Write down any thoughts or words. Don’t be in a hurry with this. Close your eyes and just wait upon the Lord.
7. Read scripture if you are led to a particular scripture. Again, write down the words that touch you, and in the quiet and listen. Mediate on what they mean in your life.
8. Ask the Lord, in prayer to strengthen your faith (or whatever it is you want to ask the Lord).
9. Write down any thoughts or goals you want for this day or the future. Make these goals reachable!
10. Praise God and thank Him for this time with Him.

Create your own retreat and you will be blessed.

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Christian Journey ~ Life’s Journey With Christ – Episode 212

Have you heard the saying if life hands you lemons make lemonade? Sometimes that is what our Christian journey feels like, a constant struggle to make that lemonade when all we want is to sit with a sour face. In this podcast, I talk about how we can make our journey better, one step at a time.

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When was the last time you picked up your cross and followed Christ? For some of us, it is every day. Or, just when you think you have a break in your life it begins all over again! Our Christian journey is one that is filled with love, and laughter but also with the cross. Yet, our cross is not so heavy if we allow the Lord to help us carry it. More on the podcast.

With a plan such as reading the Bible, taking time to pray, journaling, and spending some time in quiet with God, we will be prepared for those arrows from the wicked one. God is a God of blessings!

Ephesians 1:3-6 (Read on air)

Wow – to the praise and the glory of His grace! If that doesn’t make you smile nothing will. Our faith journey is littered with hardships, yes but it is filled with praise, we are the adopted sons and daughters through Jesus Christ what else could we possibly desire? Jesus himself showed us how to be a true servant, the master served the disciples. He taught them and he lifted them up. He shared the food He had and He spoke to them of a time when there would no longer be tears. The disciples truly walked with the Lord and yet after he died, they did not recognize Him. The walk to Emmaus is an example of this. Our walk to Emmaus is our daily journey of faith. You can read about this in Luke 24:35-48 but here is an excerpt – Luke 24:44-48 (read on air)

Because of what Jesus said, the repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed and in His Name, all the nations would witness this, because of what Jesus did for us there is this Divine power, this is the power of God that turns horrible things into something wonderful. The tears of sorrow become the tears of joy. Without hardships, we can not appreciate the wonderful things that happen.

We need to remember this on our walk that as Jesus kept coming back to his apostles to teach them, He comes to us through His Holy Spirit, holy men and women that God puts in our path and in our churches, and the Holy Word of God. In this way, the Lord keeps coming to us on our faith journey and we should thank the Lord for opening our eyes and sharing in that journey in the breaking of the bread. Each meal should begin with a prayer of thanksgiving. Each day should begin in the same way. This relationship of ours with Jesus Christ, true God, and true man is such a gift and one we should cherish.

Fill in the blank of the following sentence: “As we travel on the road of faith, I will continually seek:__________

What would be on your list? Think about this, and create a list of five to ten things (or more). This will help you to see where you are and it will help you to make a plan. Light, true light dispels the darkness of the soul but in order for this light to penetrate, we must be willing to open our hearts to God. Lying is one of the ways that keeps the light out and sometimes people fall into the trap of lies because they want to say what is pleasing to others without thinking about the truth.

The light of Christ breaks down the barriers of selfishness and pride, it breaks down greed and sin, it opens us up to what needs cleaning and it gives us a chance to do it before it is too late. Today at Mass the pastor urged us to think about our final day on earth as one of the things we do each day. If it was our final day how would we live? This puts our life into perspective and hopefully leads to our transformation.

Our faith journey should include a conversion and a transformation but also growth and conformity into the life that God has for us, a life that is far more splendid than anything we can imagine. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. That is what we pray in the Lord’s prayer and that is the challenge for you this week. As you travel the road of faith, pick up a friend or two and proceed toward Him, who is there with open arms. May God be blessed, now and forever.

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Renew Your Faith ~ Episode 211

It is time to renew your faith in God. Today. There are so many things we renew but often our faith is not one of those things that we think about in that way. In this podcast, we will discuss ways to recharge your faith and how to do this in a way that makes sense for your life.

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When we renew things such as our auto, health or life insurance, it causes us to pause in our lives to do something that is sometimes painful. Shopping for insurance is no fun. What about our faith? Does your faith need renewal or a recharge? When we stop and look at our faith we may see places that need shoring up or other places where we spend much time but maybe do not see as much fruit in the way of change.

Many times we have not matured into our faith. Our years move on but our faith remains stagnant. I can see the evidence of this when I go into a church and see few people in attendance. Sure, you can watch many different services online, but it is different than participating in purpose, especially if there is no physical reason that you can’t. And, on the other hand just because you go to church doesn’t mean you believe. It can be an obligation you fulfill or you go to make someone else happy.

We go and we worship because it is one of the commandments of  God, “Keep Holy the Sabbath,” and the wisdom of God trumps anything else, or it should.

In Christian homes, a child may believe because of their parents, and their faith is their parent’s faith. Faith is a personal decision, it is a fundamental option to choose God, follow God, and live a life that is holy. What does this mean to you?

Take a look at your daily walk with the Lord and ask yourself the following:

1. Do you wake up praising God or in some way thinking about the Lord?
2. Do you pray?
3. Do you spend time in God’s Word, at church or with the Bible, or another app?
4. Do you spend time in quiet with God?
5. Do you journal or are you in a Bible study?

If you find yourself falling a bit short, don’t worry. We can look back to see where we want to improve, but then move forward in how we want our lives to look. All of us want joy, peace, and love in our lives, and these come directly from the source of all love, and that is God. Renewing our faith means renewing our dedication to doing God’s will.

Renewing Your Faith ~ A New Beginning

Where do we begin? With a profession of faith. We can start with a prayer such as the Nicene Creed or the Apostles Creed, but I would invite you to take it a step further. Write the Lord your own love letter, a pledge to love, honor, and follow Him. It can look something like this:

“I praise you and I thank you my Lord for all you have done in my life. I want to dedicate my life to you in a new way, in a deeper way, and in a way that is pleasing to You, my Lord. Come into my heart Lord and fill it to overflowing with your love. Jesus, I trust in You. Help me to place You before all else. Help to keep me on the straight path, do not allow me to stray, and keep me from sin, my God. I dedicate all that I do and say to You and ask that You help make it pleasing. And I pray this in Jesus’ Name, Amen.”

You can add or take away anything you want, but make it a heartfelt prayer that tells the Lord you trust in Him and His divine will. When we fill ourselves with thoughts about God the darkness is dispelled. We can not live in fear and faith at the same time. God has already overcome the enemy and we need to place our lives under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

We can easily look at examples in the Bible of people who turned their back on God, the Israelites come to mind. God’s people suffered in exile and yet they continued to be unfaithful. If we trust in God we can not serve two masters.

Examine your life and look at the way that you spend your time. Is there anything you can do to place God first? Is there something you can avoid, or move in your schedule to make more time to learn more about your faith? What can you do to surrender your time to God?

I learned that to be more productive during the week I needed time to recharge. Renewing your faith is like a “recharge” of your faith battery. Keeping holy the sabbath is a way to enjoy the world that God has given to you, to enjoy your life in some small way. Enjoying a beautiful day or finding beauty in a storm with the lightning flashing in the distance. Basically praising God in all things.

While we live in a time of darkness this weariness with the world can get us down to a point that we can not see the light that is God through the sin in the world. We can’t help anyone else if we do not help ourselves first. 2 Corinthians 5:17 “If then any be in Christ a new creature, the old things are passed away, behold all things are made new.”

God can make us new, each and every day. You can renew your faith daily with a quick prayer and ask the Lord to give you the power of the Holy Spirit to overcome the trials that come with each day. Faith or religion without a relationship is hollow. Jesus wants a relationship with us, we know this, but we don’t seem to have the time. We make time for all things except this most important element in our lives.

God loves us with a love that is nothing something we can understand or grasp. Our human love by way of comparison is so inadequate. It falls short of the glory and wonder of God. We look to others for this love and find ourselves disappointed. People will disappoint us, this is one of those things we can count on. Each of our lives has some type of sorrow, tragedy, or hardship. Some of us have harder lives than others. Yet our Father who is in heaven looks to us with open arms.

Read 2 Thessalonians 12 – the entire chapter. It is a teaching to those who suffered, but this verse stands out for me, verse 13: “We also unceasingly give thanks to God because, when we handed on the word of God to you, you accepted it not as a human word but as what it truly is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.”

Accepting faith, accepting the Word of God as truth, and accepting the truth that belief in God will help us in our lives is just the start of our faith journey, not the end. You see our struggles become insurmountable when we put our trust in others or in ourselves over God. We can do nothing without God. Philippians 4:13 I can do all things in him who strengthens me.”

The best news is that each day is a new day and we can look to the Father for a faith recharge anytime we want or need it. We grow in our faith in the same way as we mature in body. Our faith grows deeper if and when we invite the Lord in, and pray more of you Lord, and less of me.

Read the scriptures and see which verses jump out at you and write them down. Think about them and see what it is that you can learn or what you feel the Lord is telling you.

The challenge this week is to take the time to renew your faith in a meaningful way. Whether it is to purpose to read the Bible each day or spend time with the Lord. What is a way that you can be open to the blessings that can come into your life? This week the focus is on you, not someone else (yes, I know that is hard). Recharge you first and watch the worries and cares fall away! May God be blessed, Amen and Alleluiah!

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Memorize Scripture

When was the last time you attempted to memorize scripture? This is worthwhile and beneficial to our spiritual growth. By memorizing the verses we can ingrain them into our hearts and call them to mind in times when we struggle. Here are some tips for memorizing with ease.

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When the children were younger I would assign them scriptures to memorize. Most of the time they were a verse or two, often nothing longer. I had friends whose children could quote sections of the Bible and I was amazed! And while memorization is great for children, it is important that we as adults also spend time on memorization. In fact, it can really help us as we get older.

I have a list that I call life verses, such as Joshua 24:15 – but the entire verse is not what I quote. Here is the entire verse:

Another version says, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my savior.

and another the King James – My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

I love all of those versions, but my favorite is My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…

You can look up various scripture verses on a website such as BibleGateway.com or your own Bible translation.

I’m making a point to memorize some new verses, do you want to join me in the challenge? Let’s get started with some simple techniques for memorization.

Memorize Scripture The Easy Way

1. Scriptures that are important to you.  The first step is to look at the Bible and find the verses that are important to you. You can begin by listing some of your favorites, even if you have already memorized these verses. I shared some with you.
2. Write them down. Reinforces the words. Using seeing, hearing, and writing helps us in remembering. While typing is tactile it really is beneficial to write the scriptures out and say them out loud. Seeing them in print helps as well.
3. Read them often. Put the scriptures you are using in one spot. Several of my children used flashcards to help them when studying for a test. You can do this with the scripture verses. Put the words on the lined side of the card, and the verse number on the back. By looking at the verse such as John 1:1 – you should be able to recite,  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
4. Create a sign or banner. This is one of my favorite things and I love receiving gifts that are plaques with Scripture verses on them, in fact, I have many throughout my home. I also hang them from the bedroom doors, I use those sticky plastic hook things. Okay, so sometimes it does bang on the door when you open or close it, but it is so worth it to see those verses and it reminds me to live them!
5. Test yourself. How are you doing? You can set simple goals like one new verse a week. Just think in a year you can memorize 52 new verses! Wouldn’t that be great?

Will you join me? That is this week’s challenge, one verse! Be blessed and in the Name of Jesus I ask for an infilling of the Holy Spirit to be upon your family today and always. Amen.

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Godly Dependence and Choice ~ Episode 207

We pride ourselves with be independent and able to handle life on our own. But for Christians, we realize that Godly dependence is the most important thing in our lives. How can we depend on God and allow ourselves to grow in faith? Listen in to find out.

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We are independent self-sufficient people. We enjoy the ability to pick and choose where we live, shop, and what we do with our time and resources. Being independent sometimes holds us back when it comes to faith. In fact, we look for God only when we need Him, placing him on the proverbial shelf when we don’t. If you told someone you were dependent on God you might receive a strange look, or criticism that God made you, so stand up for yourself. Dependence is not a cross, it is a necessity.

We should be dependent on God, we should make choices that focus on not only what is best for us physically but what is best for us spiritually. Making good choices starts with a good foundation, and it does not happen overnight. Once God was removed from the public schools and education took a turn for the worse, it also robbed our children of the foundation that is so important to the well-being of a civilization. When man looks upon itself for salvation, then the civilization devolves, dissolved, and becomes no more.

We can look to the scriptures as an example of the power and might of God. Just like the burning bush that burned in an extraordinary way, it was not consumed, yet the flames were real. We read this account in Exodus 3:18

Even Moses Had Godly Dependence

The bush was sustained by the power of God and in this passage, God revealed His name. I AM. I am who exists in everything, God was showing His power and might with the promise of saving the people who were crying out to Him. God heard their prayers. Moses had Godly dependence. Moses was fearful of God but in this fear, there was something greater. There was reverence. There was obedience. There was a Godly dependence and a choice to believe and follow the one true God. This power and might overwhelmed Moses and humbled him.

When was the last time that the power, the might, and the overwhelming significance of what Almighty God has done for us has put us in a place where we fear but we revere God? I think fear comes from a place of guilt when we think we should do something for God. Have you felt that way? Look, God, I’m going to church. Look, God, I’m praying to You. What we do when we go to church or pray is not for God, it is for us. Think about this.

Fear in the case of Moses meant awe and reverence. Fear is of the Lord and is a gift of the Holy Spirit, which translates into awe. Moses becomes the face of God to the Israelites and was able to lead them, they respected him because they saw his face and it was radiant. Later they would learn to depend on God for their food and as we know they grumbled and complained and still worshipped false idols even after being given the 10-Commandments. We can learn from the scriptures to hold ourselves to a higher standard and to learn from the mistakes of others.

Do you fear the Lord? What does it mean to us? We are in danger when we do not hold God in awe and when we lose that fear of God, the fear of retribution. God is not vindictive but He is just. He will not be mocked. The danger we have as sinners is when we repeat the sin and lose that fear of God and in doing so we put our souls in danger. Sinning is a choice, it is a willful act.

We are dependent on God for the air that we breathe, for holding our earth at the perfect distance from the sun, not too close and not too far, and for keeping us alive each and every day. We are dependent on God for our daily bread, for the roof over our head, for the transportation we take, and for the blessings, He has given us small and large. We are dependent and if we try to go through life independent from God we will find ourselves in dire straits fighting depression and worse.

Ask God every day to give us the fear that leads to awe and to reverence for Him. The great I Am. Are we standing on Holy Ground? Do we treat our church as a sanctuary, a place of prayer, or are we looking around to see how people are dressed and if we know anyone nearby and visit, instead of focussing on Him. Jesus asked the apostles in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Could you not stay with me an hour?” Many church services are just an hour, can we not give Him that time?

I believe as a Catholic that while I am in church God is present (yes, God is everywhere and present always), but in a sense when I am in church and I have time in the quiet, I can sense the Almighty in a deeper way. We must pray for more of God and less of us, we need more reverence which is lacking in us as a Christian people. Friends that is the challenge for the week. Can you seek God in the quiet of your heart? Can you ask the Lord to give you more of Him? Can you ask the Lord for an increase of reverence and respect for the three persons of the Trinity, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit? We can’t change the entire world, but we can change ourselves and it is a choice. It starts with one person, will you join me on this journey?

I pray a blessing on you and your family today and always.

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Spiritual Realm ~ Anchor Yourself to God ~ Episode 206

We don’t know much about the spiritual realm in the sense of Christianity, other than what we’ve read in the Bible, learned in Church, or studied on our own. Yet there is so much more to learn!

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When you search for the spiritual realm (don’t!) you will find lots of new-age half-truths out there and some outright lies. Even evil gets it right some of the time, and when it comes to spirituality everyone wants in, they want to have the answers.

1 John 4:1 -Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

Well, true spirituality comes from God. We are given a body and a soul. The Holy Spirit is what was sent at the time of Pentecost after Christ rose up into heaven. This is a way for us to experience the true God.

The true sense of God is in what you experience and what is demonstrated in your lives. How many times do we miss seeing God in our everyday lives? It calls to mind the rejection of Christ as recounted in the Gospel of Mark when the people in His hometown rejected him. They saw Him perform miracles and yet they doubted it was truly the Almighty because they were not expecting a simple (in their minds) man. Jesus came to preach the good news to the poor and today many of us are poor in spirit.

People are thirsty for God yet do not know it, and they look in all of the wrong places. That satisfaction is fleeting and causes guilt, depression, and more. Jesus came to set us free from sin and God knows that we are a people who are enslaved. What is the one thing you have trouble avoiding? Is it eating a particular snack or treat? Is it staying away from the daily consumption of social media, or television? Is it playing games on your cell phones? What is it that pulls your attention daily that keeps you from living the life that God wants you to live?

The spiritual realm is filled with the hosts of the heavenly as well as those who wish us harm.

Ephesians 6:12  states, “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.”

If each person would anchor themselves in God we would be unified and allow Him to enrich our body, mind, and spirit. Every person’s body plays an amazing role in our lives. In the next podcast, I’m going to discuss Godly Dependence and Choice. We have the choice to look at ourselves and ask ourselves, “What am I enslaved to?” and the answer is one only you can give.

The truth is that the only one who can set us free is Christ. Jesus has to do that for you, but the only way is to be repentant and ask for forgiveness. A simple prayer, “Lord, I want to be free and serve you, only you!”

God sent the prophets to tell the people what was to come and to warn them. In the early church, Christianity was strong, yet over time Christianity became and is today very weak. People say they are Christians yet live a life that is far different than any true Christian should. As a society, we have become so evil but it does not have to be that way.

Hebrews 9:28-so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

God is waiting. Are we anchored to Him? Are we seeking the Lord each day? Do we place ourselves under the Lordship of Jesus Christ before all others? Another simple prayer is, “Dear Lord, come into my heart in a deeper way. I give you my YES, please lead me toward the work you want me to do. I praise you and thank you and I pray this in the Name of Jesus, the Christ. Amen!”

Dear friends, it is a journey, isn’t it? Understanding that we are not alone and God has called each one of us by name. We do not have to live life on an island, yet you may feel that way. Even those who are surrounded by friends and are still lonely. But we as Christians should be too busy for self-dwelling. We have a vocation, a mission from God! It is our duty to discern our vocation and many won’t take the time to do it. We feel unworthy or that others are so much more skilled than we are. That last statement applies to me. Who am I to take on this podcast? Who am I to start a Christian podcast network? Who would come and listen?

Well, guess what? I decided if God was in it the work would continue and if not, it would fail. And, we are still here after five years. Podcasters come and go, some are here just for a season. Yet, God does not ask us to succeed He asks us to try.

I challenge you to seek God and anchor yourself to Him. Search for Him each and every day, it is a choice and it is a decision. May God continue to bless you and your family.

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Army of God ~ Episode 205

The army of God is here and ready! Are you prepared to do battle the spiritual way? In this episode, I share how we are not alone! We have an entire army ready to battle for us, and here is how to do it!

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A Christian friend shared her hope that one day the Lord would use her to do spiritual battle. I was appalled! Why would anyone want to seek trouble? Isn’t there enough to pray for in each person’s life? Well, I’ve learned so much since that conversation now about twenty years ago. The first is that God uses those who seek Him. My friend was willing to do the Lord’s work at this time in her life and she was way more spiritually mature than I was. She knew that if the Lord required this from her He would provide. The second thing I learned is that we have an Army of God to do battle for us. The battle has been won and we as adopted sons and daughters of the Almighty need not worry.

Have you ever felt that no one understands what you are going through or that the cross is too difficult to bear? Each person’s cross and difficulties are different and life spares no one, especially the longer you live. But God has not only equipped us He has supplied a heavenly host. When we think about the Lord and the angelic force behind him, we should have no fear. Does that mean we are fearless and do stupid things? No.

It also means we are not to be vengeful. There are so many people that do hurtful things in the name of Christianity that are just wrong. Remember we can not serve two gods, there is only One True God. He is the Alpha and the Omega. The beginning and the end and only in the one true God will we be freed.

In Revelations 19:19 we read Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army.

The battle in our lives is mostly a spiritual battle. It is the times when things are really hard to handle and overwhelm us. It is at these times that we cry out to God.  So what do at this time? Start by reading Ephesians 6:10-18

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² 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. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Amen and Amen!

What is your state of mind when you hear that? It should be one of rejoicing. Pray the armor of God prayer daily if need be and realize God is in your midst. He is the one who will do battle for us. In Chronicles 20:15 we read… This is what the Lord says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.

If that is not enough remember in Exodus, those disobedient Israelites? God didn’t leave them forsaken.

Exodus 14: 19 Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them,

and in Deuteronomy 20:1 –  When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them, because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you.

So let me leave you with this thought. If as we read in the Bible God could deliver entire nations what could He do not only for our own Nation that is just as fallen and evil as any past generations but for us. Friends He cares about you He loves you and He sees all of your hardship and tears. Your challenge this week is to look for the things that God does for you without you even asking. And call these praise reports. I’d like to share that I didn’t even ask the Lord for time with my son who just graduated from college and enlisted as a 2nd Lutientant in the Army. I thought would be leaving immediately after graduation for a work assignment. But instead, he will be home for two months before he leaves for training. What a blessing is that? God knows my heart and I didn’t even ask.

Friends, can you recognize these times and praise God? There is an entire army of the spiritual realm and we need to pray for protection for ourselves and our families and put our trust in God. Amen!

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Pentecost Beginning For Christians ~ Special Replay

The truth can set you free, and on Pentecost, the Apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and became embolden speaking in tongues, in languages they did not know. How can we be filled with this spiritual influence and use it in our everyday lives to go out and proclaim the good news?

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I have several other podcasts on the topic of the Holy Spirit – Gifts of the Holy Spirit and Family  of the Holy Spirit  

As I shared in a previous podcast I had a revelation that without the Holy Spirit it is difficult for us to understand faith, and to understand Biblical principles. What is so clear to me seems fuzzy to some, and what is so clear to my pastors or teachers sometimes seems difficult for me to understand. We have different levels of understanding in academics, right? For some calculus or maybe writing a 20-page essay may come easy, but others may look at these two topics and say, no way! I can’t do either! For academics, we need to study, but sometimes studying doesn’t mean we can understand the material – we need to study about faith as well and expose ourselves to readings and a good book.

With faith, we understand what we are capable of understanding at that time and place. But one thing I’ve always been in awe of is the faith of a child. My grandchild sometimes says things to me that leaves me breathless in their faith and thoughts about God.

Faith is a gift and it is given freely. The answer to this call is totally up to us. If we look at the Holy Word of God the Bible we will see that throughout salvation history, God the Father revealed Himself to us. How did He do this? We see it in the garden when he walked with our first parents. Can you imagine walking with God the Father? We see it when they sinned against God and he prophetically shared in Genesis 3:15 – This was the foreshadowing of the coming of Christ who would defeat evil. In the Old Testament, we continue to read about a God who lead an imperfect people. But we also read that when we see Jesus, we see the Father. And, after Jesus rose from the dead He sent the Spirit. Pentecost Sunday is celebrated seven weeks after Easter. It is a reminder to us about the ability to be ready at all times, and the infilling of the Holy Spirit will open your mind and heart to all that is good and Holy.

Where is the Holy Spirit in your life? On Pentecost, we Christians celebrate this awakening of awareness and understanding of God – we see that in our imperfection we are made whole and we are loved by the Father, the Son, and the Spirit. When we pray, we are opening ourselves up to gifts that are greater than anything we can even imagine on earth, and if you are like me—your imagination can be grand! How can we stay in our complacency when our eyes have been opened to the glory that is available, freely from our God? He is ready with all the gifts of the Holy Spirit and waiting for us to open our hands in the ready for what He has to offer to us! Not the neighbor down the street, not to other people who you think are more worthy, but to us! If we continue to live our lives on our own terms there can be no change in us for the better. I hear all of these talks about being the “best person you can be,” but at what cost? So many people walk around miserable and unhappy. Happiness, true happiness is based upon faith! It is a deep-down realization that we are not alone and we are in the care of a Heavenly Father.

Do we live life on our terms? Are we really open to the glorious blessings that the Almighty has in store for us? The gifts of the Holy Spirit — God is greater than all the kings and kingdoms of this world, all the great men and women that we see or know about because they are famous, and God does not puff Himself up sharing His importance with us—no, He comes to us in humility. Do you want to get to know God? Humility is your key.

Years ago I met a man whose father held very important positions and was a remarkable man in intellect. He was knighted by the Queen of England and was now know with the title of “Sir” … so teasingly I asked this man, who was sitting at the table in our home, if we had royalty in our midst. He humbly smiled and said something like, only in Christ are we truly heirs to the Kingdom. That resonated with me… only in Christ are we heirs.

Christ did not shy away from humility in the life he lived with Joseph and Mary. The life of a poor carpenter. God could have claimed all the riches of the earth, yet he lived among the people who were detached from worldly goods. He also didn’t leave us alone. He promised and advocate – the Holy Spirit.

In Acts 2 – you should read the entire chapter, but it talks about the effects of the Holy Spirit among the 12 that were hidden in the upper room, where it was believed that Mary was with them. She had been left under the care of John, the Apostle by Jesus at the foot of the cross. If he was hiding out in the upper room, I’m sure he would not have abandoned the mother of our Savior! You can read about the apostles speaking in tongues because that is what we typically read and hear – but I want to point out Acts 2: 17-20 It was a reminder of the prophet Joel from the Old Testament – the New Testament we are reminded over and over again is a fulfillment of the Old.

Some think the Holy Spirit was only for then—not now, but that is not true. First let’s look at the gifts of the Holy Spirit: wisdom, understanding, counsel, knowledge, fortitude, piety, and fear of the Lord. But let’s look at what comes after these gifts! After these gifts come to the fruits – especially for those who are open to God in their life Scripture always tells us we can judge others, their motivations, and intentions by their fruits. If you say you are a Christian how are you showing it? Just in words or in deeds?

… In Galatians 5: 22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Friends we can’t do it alone. I pray this for you, today is a new beginning and all things for us are impossible but with God all things are possible

Let’s Pray – Dear God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit we ask for an infilling of all of the gifts of your Holy Spirit not so that we can boast but so that you can be glorified. Help us to grow deeper in the love of You – help us to be detached from the things of this world and know that you hold the meaning of joy and a fulfilled life… I ask for the gifts and the fruits of the Spirit so I can better serve you each day. I ask for the following prayer requests and intentions… Dear Lord if it is your will I ask that these requests and intentions be heard. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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Kingdom of God ~ Episode 204

The Kingdom of God is at hand… what does this mean? I struggled with this concept for years, yet I found that the more complicated I made it the more elusive it became. In this podcast, I share what I found in my search for the Kingdom of God.

The bible is filled with so many mysteries but the saying, the kingdom of God is at hand is one of those for me. In this podcast, we will look not only at the scripture verses but also at what this means for us.

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I was driving to church one morning and was stuck on the thought of the kingdom of God. What did this mean? Did it pertain to the time that Christ walked the earth? Was it pertaining to now, that Jesus after raising from the dead, walking among his disciples, and then leaving us to ascend to heaven left us with His Holy Spirit?  So is the Kingdom of God now? Is it in heaven? And how does it impact me?

So many questions! As I arrived at church and the service began, the Gospel reading was on that very topic and the sermon that day was on the Kingdom of God! Isn’t God amazing?

In Matthew 3: 1-3 we read (listen to the audio)

The kingdom of God

Are we ready for it or are we like the people of Israel that needed to prepare the way of the Lord? The people were expecting a prophet – a King to rid them of the tyranny of the rule of Rome and Caesar, but instead, God sent something greater to rid them/ and us of the tyranny of sin. Because the people lacked understanding they rejected the cornerstone – Psalm 118:22.

Are we too rejecting the King similar to the Israelites? It wasn’t until Jesus died and rose from the dead and appeared to various people before He rose up to heaven that people realized the huge mistake that had been made.

The arrival of the King of King and Lord of Lords was missed. And unfortunately many are still missing it today.

In Mark 1:14-15 we read: [On Audio]

Here we learn the way to the kingdom is to repent and to have faith. Is that something we can do? How is your faith holding up under the barrage of the world’s events? Each time we think we can take a breath something new happens. How do we continue on under the weight? We give it to the Lord.

The people then and now need to hear that to enter the Kingdom of God – heaven, we must repent and change … we can not continue to be the same after understanding and hearing the Word of God. People don’t change when they decided that following their own way is better.

The proclamation of the kingdom of God is the news that Jesus Christ, true man, and true God came as an infant, grew up among the people, preached, healed body and mind, and died for our sins. Read Matthew 12 and 13 – the entire chapter and you will learn more about this and how the old testament ties into the new, as Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy.

In Revelation 19-20 we learn that Jesus will return to the earth as King to judge the living and the dead – no one will escape from judgment. The kingdom of God will continue for eternity.

To enter the Kingdom we must believe in the saving grace of Jesus – the saving work of Christ on the cross for our sins. It isn’t anything we can do, but we can join our hands with Christ and offer up all of our pain, sorrow, and misgivings, the crosses we carry each and every day – think about the burden you carry…is this something of your own making or is it something that has been asked of you? This takes time and consideration because I’ve found that many times I carry a cross of my own making. I worry about things that may not even happen!

Read Colossians 1:13 and Colossians 3:1-4.

It is time friends to make a decision if you have not already or have made a decision a long time ago to follow Christ and it is time to renew this decision. We need all of the graces that the Lord can give us through these trying times. We are to do as Christ commands to “feed my lambs” and we are to lead others to the Lord.

How do you do this? Ask the Lord and you will not be surprised when He presents an opportunity for you to do this.

We should be jumping out of bed each and every morning once we realize the truth that the Kingdom of God IS waiting for us – Our Savior Jesus Christ is waiting for us with open arms. It is not us HIM that is keeping us away it is all on us.

How will you serve God this week? Will you lead others to the Lord? I pray you do and I pray you are blessed!

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Presence of God – Special Replay

For a Christian, the presence of God is an amazing feeling and even without that feeling, we have faith that God is with us always. How do we understand God’s presence? We will look at the Scriptures for clarification during this episode.

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The ascension of our Lord is talked about in the Scriptures and often we don’t give it more than a passing thought. Yes, Jesus lived, died and rose from the dead, yes Jesus ascended into heaven after forty days – yet this was the first time after the birth of Jesus that the presence of our Lord was no longer physically present. His apostles felt what we feel today – we can’t just turn around and say, “Lord, what do we do?”

We have spent our entire life in this way. Each one of us has a different story about how we came to learn about God. Maybe you chanced on listening to this podcast and you don’t really know God or believe if He even exists. Maybe you learned about God from your parents and are not sure He is real enough to you – maybe you believe but still, have many questions.

Each of us didn’t know God at one time of our lives – we all began one day at a time, one Bible story or Scripture verse or someone sharing the God news about God that really loved Him and wanted to share what God had done in their life. Faith is a gift if you have faith never discount it or consider it unimportant – you have faith because God has called you by name. You grow in your faith because you take the time to pray, spend time with God in quiet, read the Bible, go to church, surround yourself with Christian readings, or podcasts. You grow your faith by believing but also by doing something about your belief.

Think about this – our lives even those who are not Christians surround two major Biblical events. Christmas (the birth of Christ) and Easter (the resurrection of Christ). Even if the world has tried to secularize these holidays (Winter Break, Spring Break, etc.) we Christians really understand the meaning and significance. Our lives have been impacted by these events and especially the ascension of Christ into heaven.

I’d love for you to Read Acts 1 yourself – especially Acts 1: 1:12

The power of the Holy Spirit was poured on the apostles in order for them to be given the strength to be witnesses at a time that being a Christian was a death sentence – but I love this part when the Angels – two men in white garments questioned the apostles and said, “Why are you looking at the sky?” – in other words, get going you have work to do!

They carried on their mission. Do we carry on our missions in the same way – do we make haste as those in the scriptures do to share the words of everlasting life? They were like us – men and women living their lives, eating, sleeping trying to make the best of things. They had the one advantage over us – they had witnessed Christ in their midst!

Yet, we are just like them in many ways. We have our doubts, our trials, our problems that bog us down daily. But we also have hope and without hope, the human condition is doomed. We have hope for a better tomorrow, hope that everything will work out fine, hope that God is with us today – He is here in this present grace-filled moment to give us encouragement and the blessings to face even our harshest challenges. We are called in our baptism to be the witnesses of Christ’s love and providence. We are in a time that shuns all that is holy – a time where evil is called good and good evil. Now, friends, it is our time to be that light for a hurting world.

Call To Action:

1. Spend time in prayer and quiet with the Lord.
2. Seek the Word of God – fill yourself up with the wonderful words of the Bible each and every day.
3. Ask the Lord how He wants to use you each day. Is there someone lonely that needs a smile or a helping hand? All little things are mighty if they are done with a spirit of love and humility for God.

Some people just look at things as in the “what is in it for me,” and never try to look at how they can bless others. Maybe your burdens are too heavy right now to care for others – but if that is the case, that my friends is how the Lord is using you – to minister to your needs or those of your family. Selfishness is never a right but it can be changed and it happens slowly and with purpose.

Sometimes we get complacent, God doesn’t need me He has so many others so much more capable (friends, this is what goes through my head when I get ready to sit down and podcast). Why am I doing this – I am no one – why me Lord, why me? And, the answer I get is that He asked and I said yes.

What are you saying yes to? Have you prayed and said, Lord how can I help, or are you standing around looking up into the sky and wondering where are you, Lord?

He is here. He is now. This my dear friends is a grace-filled moment… understand it and believe.

Dear Lord, I thank you for all that you did during your time on earth so that your actions, your words, your miracles, and even your death and resurrection could be read about so many years later. I thank you for the gift of faith, for ascending into heaven so that through not only Baptism of water but also of the Holy Spirit we can be filled with the grace to share the good news with others. Dear Lord, I ask you today how you would use me, please Lord help me to understand your will for me and the ways I can let others know more about your goodness and mercy. Dear Lord, I pray for the following intentions … please hear my prayers and help me in the answers, and I pray this in Jesus Name. Amen.

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Holy Spirit – Spiritual Journey ~ Episode 203

A spiritual journey is personal and it is different for each one of us, and it begins with faith and a large dose of the Holy Spirit. God promised He would not leave us orphans and the infilling of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost was this gift to us and it continues today.

Many Christians remember the exact date when they “came to the Lord,” had a “Come to Jesus moment,” or accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Today I will share part of my spiritual journey with you and how you can walk with the Lord daily.

I wrote a short book about my spiritual journey entitled “One More Child,” which is available on Amazon. This wasn’t an easy book to write and yet, I felt called to share my story in case it would help others.

Everyone’s journey toward God is different. Some are more exciting than others, my story is one that is mediocre in the sense that I didn’t come from a place of great sin or loss, but I believe that those of us who come to the Lord in a deeper way find that for us the transformation is no less astounding. I was born a cradle Catholic in a family that loved God. We served an Almighty God and my parents were great believers. In our home, we had a family with several Bibles a few were in Italian and some in English. Coming from an Italian family that is no surprise.

Having been brought up with faith, the real test is leaving home and carrying on with this faith in our young teen and then later adult lives. I ask my kids and young people that I have taught at church – is your faith yours or your parent’s faith? It is interesting to hear the different responses. If we do not make it our own faith it will not be sustained and some of us, even adults still struggle with our faith.

As a young child, I often spoke to God, in a conversational sense more than in a way that was holy. As an eight-year, old I asked God to move a mountain as we were driving down the road, because of the scripture about having faith more than mustard sees – Matthew 17:20 states:  [Listen to the audio.]

As you can imagine, that didn’t work. And that is when doubt seeped in. What happens when our faith is tested? For many of us it is a time of reflection and contemplation. For an eight-year-old, it leads to disappointment.

When I was a child I received Baptism and professed my faith at the time of Confirmation. Fast forward into my adulthood and I found that going it alone was not so great – I was relying on myself and when things failed there was nowhere to go and no one else to point to, but when I realized I needed to rekindle my childhood relationship with God and place it on a new and deeper level, that is when faith began to blossom, and just in time.

I truly accepted the Lord during a time in college when a friend reached out to me about salvation. I believed I was saved since I had always followed the Lord, but I felt that accepting the Lord in front of someone else was a testimony to this faith. The scriptures tell us whoever is in Christ is a new creation – 2 Corinthians 5:17 So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!  Jesus wants to make us a new creation through the power of the Holy Spirit. That is His power over us to bless our lives. We become spirit-filled and then the fruits of the spirit among them love, peace and joy come into our lives.

Yet, religion without a relationship is hollow, it is to have knowledge with no heart. A relationship with the maker of heaven and earth is the key. The relationship is meant to bring us closer to God. Faith should be demonstrated, taught, and it is truly our inheritance, yet it must become our own, and our relationship with the Lord is at the front and center. Getting there is a journey.

When I finally re-gave my life back to God and prayed for God’s will in my life that is when things began to turn around. When I began to think seriously about marriage I prayed to the Lord to provide and in this prayer, I shared with the Lord that if I was to remain single that was fine as well –and I meant it. It gave me a sense of peace and freedom.

I learned that wanting control in life was a lost cause, our lives are not always controllable, our actions and choices yes, and we must make wise decisions, but sometimes things just happen and bad things happen to good people. There are questions in this life we can not answer. My spiritual journey has hit some roadblocks where I felt stagnant but then continued to persevere.

Do I wish I could spend more time with God? Yes. Do I always do that? No. The choice and decision to spend time with God in contemplation is one way I have learned to get closer to the Almighty.

My spiritual journey has had many ups and downs. There were times I struggled or I was upset with the Lord, as I believed He had given me more than I could handle. During these times, I wallowed in self-pity until I was able to realize the greater truth and the lesson in my struggles. The truth was I could not do life alone without God and I did not want to. I wanted to travel the road well worn, but that path did not take me toward God but away from Him and instead of happiness all I felt was dissatisfaction.  The Narrow Gate Matthew 7:14-14.

The narrow gate leads to the way, the truth, and the life which is found in the love of God. Jesus picked up His cross not for His sins but for ours. When we follow the Lord we expect everything to go well, after all, we are Christians, and as the song says, “They will know we are Christians by our love.” But, what happens when things are not wonderful and glorious?

Walking with the Lord is wonderful but it is a journey. As I work on my journey, I pray you will work on your own journey and I invite you to join me! The challenge this week is to spend time with God and grow closer and write down your story about your personal spiritual journey. I pray you are blessed.

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Love Of God The Father ~ Episode 202

Do you understand the love of God the Father? If so, I applaud you! The love of God is one of those mind-blowing ideas that will take the rest of our lives to fully grasp, and even then, we fall short. I feel the Creator God is so amazing and I’m in awe of Him (as I should be!) In this podcast, we will discuss God the Father and how we worship Him, even when we don’t necessarily think of Him.

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Gosh, God the Father! I remember one year our church had a challenge, the first year was God the Father, the next God the Son, and the next year God the Holy Spirit. This challenge made me realize that my main focus is on Jesus, and the Holy Spirit, but not so much on God the Father. Intellectually, I understand there are three separate persons and one God, but do I truly understand that? When my children we little we often listened to and read Christian books for kids, and I have to say, it helped me as much or more than them! The concept of God was explained as the properties of water. Water is an element but it’s form changes, it is ice- a solid, vapor – which is steam, and liquid – water. It is all water but in different forms and the same idea is God. When I pray I usually begin with a prayer that encompasses all – the sign of the cross, “In the Name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.”

Still, a difficult concept to grasp, but it does help us to wrap our minds around the persons of God. And, when we look at it this way we are always worshipping all three, not just one. But, for the sake of argument, this podcast focuses on the Father.

We think about God the Father when we pray the Lord’s prayer, the prayer that Jesus taught us, Matthew 6:9-13 “Pray then like this: Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; …

The Nicene and Apostles Creeds both taught to early Christians as a profession of faith, teach the truths of the faith and focus on the first, “I believe in God, the Father Almighty…”

But, while the concept of God is not foreign I think it is crucial to concentrate on the Father’s love for us. His love created the universe for us, He created us and wants us to live with Him in eternity. He sent His son to die for our sins, and ultimately break the curse of sin and death with His resurrection, and new life in heaven. This is what we celebrate at Easter.

How do we celebrate this love for us? Do we live it out each day? Do we deny ourselves from sinfulness – or sinful acts? For most of us our sins are not grave, but all sin leads to more sin. The entire Old Testament speaks to God the Father and His love for us and over and over, some are righteous, those who try to follow the Lord, and others are not. Those who fail lose heart and courage to continue to follow God’s law and commandment. The laws and the judgments seem harsh but the result of sin is being lost forever in the fires of hell. With that looming ahead can you see why the harshness was there? For the sake of mankind not for God.

Truthfully, God does not need us. Anything we do is for ourselves and our eternal well-being, and while it pleases God and it is His will for us, it does not change the Almighty. Think about the Ark of the Covenant and when that was lost, the people cried. Did they cry because they lost the Word of God in the 10-Commandments that was in the Ark? Or did they cry because they had lost their protection from God. Either way, God was still with them, and yet they wanted that outward sign. They also lost the Ark of the Covenant because of disobedience to God’s commands. You can read all about it in 1 Samuel 4:7 – but in 1 Samuel 4:10 it says,

So the Philistines fought, and Israel was defeated, and they fled, every man to his home; and there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand foot soldiers. ¹¹ And the ark of God was captured; and the two sons of Eli, HoFiny and Phin′ehas, were slain.

Death came to those who disobeyed – and Isreal lost the Ark of God – the Ark of the Covenant.

God loves us – ultimately and without reservation. But God is also a God who is just and loves us even while this justice may hurt. When we reprimand someone we love in correction, we do this from a love for their well-being, and so it is with God – and yes, it hurts! How can we love God? By following Him, and sometimes we can do this by denying ourselves. As I record this episode we are past Easter, and now in the celebration phase of our Christian journey the time after Easter, with Pentecost soon to come. Yet, we should always consider, yes the joyous Resurrection but also the love of Christ’s sacrifice for us – I talked about this in the last podcast. (here)

Sometimes God’s love is demonstrated in the oddest of places, and in chance meetings. I met a young man who is a street evangelist, and he was explaining that he would go to the beach to share about the Lord, in a laid-back way. Not aggressively, but with love. I was so impressed by his calmness and his calling. He invited me and my sister-in-law to join him on the beach during the weekend to share in this ministry. My first inclination was no. But truthfully, I need to pray about this. Will I go? Maybe, someday. But the thought of this is hard for me. And, I have plenty of excuses and they are all valid. Sunday is our family day and we get together with extended family. It is a great excuse, but I can rearrange my day, or go early. So, I will pray.

God’s love calls us to be love to others, our family, our friends, and those we meet on the street as that young man is a witness to faith. He has a calling, yes, but God calls each one of us in many different ways. How is God calling you? A great book I recommend is Experiencing God, Knowing and Doing The Will of God, by Henry and Richard Blackaby and Claude King. I haven’t finished the book yet, as it is a Bible study, but it is very good, especially for those searching to unite your will to the Lord’s, and it is a very basic study.

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Total Surrender – Special Replay

Total surrender is easy, right? Well, as a Christian, it should be easier, in theory at least. In this podcast, we will discuss a way that is helpful to let go and let God.

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How can we give God a total surrender of our concerns, worries, and problems if we do not trust? This is a question I’ve had time to reflect upon lately and I am not happy to say that after thinking about it, I’ve come been helped by certain realizations I’ll share with you. One is that we sometimes use God only in the sense of need – when we need him we pull him off that figurative shelf.

While this sounds sacrilegious we have all done it from time to time. Think about it – when all is going well do we cry out to God. No, because there is no need, but when we need him, we “cry out,” and wonder why He does not appear to answer. So we resort to that very human element in our lives worry.

Surrender it is not weakness it is a necessity. It is the only way we can survive in a world that wants to bring us down. Sometimes we just can not change our life circumstances – they are what they are. We have to pray – Lord, you take care of it for me, because I can not. I recently prayed, “Lord I pray a blessing on this person because you love them and I can not love them right now.”

Believe me, it helps!

I asked myself these questions and invite you to do so as well:

1. Is there something that will change if you worry?
2. Is there something you can do about the situation you worry about?
3. By insisting in prayer to God that he changes the outcome to the one you want, are you convinced He will hear and answer your prayer the way you want Him to?

Truthfully that last one is what hit me. I wanted to know why God was not answering my prayer and it was for someone else. I found out that I could not control the situation (I’m sure you’ve already figured that one out) and while I could pray — and I am positive the prayer was heard, the outcome was not what I hoped for. The good news, it was not a life and death situation.

Sometimes what we love the most is what is taken away from us in order that we turn to Him. I’m talking about a career, an achievement, or something that is more on the superficial human level here. My husband always said, “God gets my attention when I don’t have much work.” He is self-employed and our work is steady only by the grace of God – to Him we give all the glory.

Is God getting your attention, and instead of total trust we worry?

Giving Up Worry – Total Trust

I decided this year for Lent (the season of 40 days before Easter) to fast from worry. For the most part, it has worked. Whenever I began to feel worried I gave it to the Lord, I realized very quickly that I could have a life that was calmer and focused on what matters and that is God’s will over mine. I’m sure you’ve all memorized Proverbs 3:5-6 and if not you should commit it to memory:

Proverbs 3:5-6

Total surrender takes:

1. A decision – I will totally surrender to you, Lord.
2. A recommitment daily if not minute-by-minute to total surrender.
3. A realization and acceptance of a different outcome than what we hope for.
4. A peace – knowledge that God IS always there for us.
5. The belief that God will give us the grace we need to do this!

Let’s pray with expectant hearts!

Dear Lord, total surrender to you is an absolutely freeing idea and I pray that you give me the grace to surrender all of my problems, my concerns for those in my family, for myself, for those who are struggling. I place all of the issues I have into your very capable hands. You Lord know all things and I know you have my best interests at heart. You care is for my salvation Lord, and I pray a total trust in you. Jesus, I trust in You! Dear Lord, help me especially to surrender the following prayer intentions: (family, friends, work, home, etc.) Lord, I know that you hear me and I especially pray for the grace that comes from the Holy Spirit to shower upon me and bring me that peace that surpasses all understanding. And, I pray this in the Name of Jesus, Amen.

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Christ – The Ultimate Sacrifice ~ Episode 201

The work of Jesus Christ – the Ultimate Sacrifice, His saving death on the cross for our sins is learned by Christians very early on, but what have we done with this information? How has this transformed our lives? How can we look at this sacrifice as a gift and with joy for what He has done for us? In this podcast, the challenge will be to live out the good news.

Check it out! MediaAngels.com has books based on Christian topics for the entire family. And you may want to listen to this podcast on the Ultimate Love – here.

The ultimate sacrifice is one that we tend to avoid thinking about because it makes us sad. It is not a popular topic. To think that original sin first, and the addition of a sinful culture was the root cause of the death of Christ, seems too much to handle. When we experience the love of God, we must realize it came with a cost. Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

He is the reparation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

1 John 22 – “The cost was reparation for our sins.”

It is the entire concept of cause and effect. When something happens there is an outcome, sometimes good and sometimes bad. The cause of a broken window is that the window must be repaired, which requires a cost. The retribution or payback is the “cost” and the “fix.” What is the cost of sin? Think about this for a minute.

The death of animals in the old testament to atone for sins was an unwilling sacrifice on the part of the animal, for sure. The sacrifice that was Christ replaced this type of sacrifice with a willing sacrifice of His life for ours. This giving of His life is so hard to understand. To give your life for another. Why? Because of sin.

The cost of sin is sadness, anger, brokenness, depression, retaliation, and of course death. Maybe not the death of our body but the death of our soul! It is the reason that we look for other ways to forget and many of those are not good. The ways to everlasting life are spelled out in the scriptures and the teachings of the church, oh so clearly.

Yet, while we have verses memorized such as – John 3:16 – “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” Do we believe them and realize that this means us.

When you think about Christ’s life, death and resurrection do you think you had a hand in His death? Surprisingly there are many who do not, because Christ died long before we were born. This is where we must remember that with God there is no time, no beginning, middle and end, no past or future, only now. The effects of Christ’s ultimate sacrifice is for now, for us. For those who lived before us, for those who died before Christ, and for those who will be born long after we are gone.

Mind-blowing, I know!

Here is what I’d love fo you to join me in contemplating:

1. What does the ultimate sacrifice of Christ’s death on the cross mean to you?
2. How do you live your life with this knowledge?
3. If this fact (Christ’s sacrifice) has changed your life, in what way?
4. If this fact (Christ’s sacrifice) has not changed your life, why is that?
5. How do you live your life according to God’s plan?

I do not profess to have any or all of the answers about this topic, but I do know that I have considered this sacrifice in a personal way. When I pray I say, Christ died for my sins, not… Christ died for the sins of the world, or Christ died for sinners. While all of those statements are true, it is important to personalize, to own, to realize the great magnitude of this fact. Jesus died for me, a sinner. A repentant sinner (often daily) but a sinner nonetheless.

The older I get the more I realize my sinfulness. I try to look at myself as the Lord must see me, and I shake my head. I’ve often wondered how the Lord puts up with me! Thankfully, He does as I am still here and speaking out for the glory of the Kingdom of God as He allows.

God’s will whether we are united to it or not will come to fruition, if you pray the Lord’s prayer, “Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” My friends, we have a choice to make. Are we for Him or against Him? The world as we know it today is in shambles. I believe much of it is because good people stay silent and wait for others to speak out. We must ask the Lord to use us within our capacity, and always in love.

Jesus said in John 15:13 “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends…” Read John 15 and you will see the scriptures relating to the Vine and the Branches. It is an example of the good fruit that comes from following God, and His will for your life. So many times I wonder, “Am I doing the will of God?” and I know when I am not. It is easy to be complacent but we must be a people of action. How will you work for the Lord in His vineyard? What has He called you to do. It does not have to be extreme but we should be doing something.

When we fast, as we do in the 40 days leading up to Easter known as Lent, we deny ourselves. This reminds us that when we sin we give in to whatever “it” is in the lives that bring us down. Fasting brings us closer to God.

Your challenge this week:

1. How will you appreciate the sacrifice, the ultimate sacrifice of Christ each day?
2. How will you be ready for the challenge of the call to make a change (big or small) in your life each day?
3. How will you share the good news of what Christ has done?

It is a blessing to share the love of Christ with all of you, weekly. I pray you are blessed in abundance today and always.

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Faith and Hope

Where do we find faith and hope in our lives? We tackle our mountainous to-do lists daily and find ourselves overwhelmed and floundering. And then we wonder where does our hope comes from, surely not the things we turn to daily for escape. Tune in for the answers.

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I wish I had all the answers for every struggle you are going through right now. But, while I don’t have all the answers I know someone who does. And, that is the focus today, where do we find our faith and where do we place our hope? Is it in the escape of a movie or a book? Is it in micromanaging the lives of others, or reading social media posts in order to find humor or join in a discussion that will surely bring anxiety before it brings peace?

Where does your faith and hope come from? It comes undeniably from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But, that does not mean we do not have to pray for it daily. Here are some helpful ways to pray with the scriptures:

Daily pray: Lord helps me in my unbelief. Give me faith and hope!

1. Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2. 2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
3. Leviticus 26:12 And I will walk among you and will be your God, and you shall be my people
4. Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee though no one pursues, the righteous are as bold as a lion.
5. Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

When we pray with those scriptures as well as others we will find that faith and hope is renewed. Recently I was messaging a friend on Facebook, they sell my books when they travel to speak. And he left me with this – God is good all the time. So I responded in a message back, “And all the time God is good.” – that is so uplifting. It is like a secret handshake when we can acknowledge with another believer that we realize that only in God’s goodness are we redeemed and are we happy. Because even with faith we find ourselves at a loss from time to time. Floundering.

When we find ourselves stressed and out of sorts it is due to relying on ourselves instead of asking our gracious Lord for help. I learned that when I am overwhelmed it is time to Stop. Drop. And Pray. It is the SOS to the Lord that I need help and I need it now. Even in times where there is nothing pressing or weighing on us we use it as a pick-me-up.

In the Scriptures, we feel a sense of urgency often when Jesus is surrounded by crowds. They are urgent to rush him and ask him for a healing or a prayer or some type of favor. Why is there this rush? Because the people who did not fully understand – or had less of an understanding then we do today could sense the holiness surrounding him and they thirsted for this. Just as we thirst for more of Him and less of us in our lives. We pray Lord I do believe, help me in my unbelief. We pray in a way that is foundational for all of the times we have lacked the faith to see our ways through a tough situation. God will not leave us orphans. He is our Father and at the time of challenge, He may be stretching us to grow us in our faith.

God challenges us to grow in our prayer lives as well. Our eternal happiness is in heaven and it awaits us. We must die to self to fully appreciate and understand that this world lacks, by a pale comparison to the bliss of heavenly life. Friends we have absolutely no conception of this life and that is why we cling to our lives here. We have the free will to choose daily. And what do we choose? Matthew 16:26 says “What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul?”

I choose the life that the Lord has for me. I choose God. I choose everlasting life.

Let’s pray:

Dear Lord, I ask you to continue to increase my faith and my hope in You. You are the answer for all joy, peace, and love in the world that has turned upside down. I thank you, Lord, for giving me clarity eyes that see and ears that hear. I pray that you continue to give me a sense of discernment and sound judgment. Dear Lord, please continue to bless me, my family, and my friends’ and I pray specifically for the following needs: And I pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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Faith Challenge ~ Episode 200

It’s time for a challenge, a faith challenge! When was the last time you asked God for more of Him and less of you? When we look at our faith is it something we take for granted, or is it something we need to cherish? Felice shares three faith challenges in this 200^th episode of A Few Minutes with God!

Visit my website for great faith challenging books, such as One More Child and A Few Minutes with God.

What is a faith challenge? It is a way to increase our faith in good times and in bad. It is a time to grow, to become stronger, and to be light to others. It is also helpful to be prepared and get your faith-kit together. Something you can pull out in times of need that will help you to overcome with God. God is here for us all of the time, yet in times of crisis, we freeze up and forget we have many tools in our arsenal!

Perhaps your faith has been challenged when something terrible happens in your life or the life of someone you love. What do you do during these times? Usually, we drop to our knees and pray, but sometimes we feel like God doesn’t hear us. Has this happened to you? For many Christians when our faith is challenged we get more of God, not less. We may not feel Him, but we know without Him we would fall.

First Faith Challenge Prep:

1. Be prepared. Do you have a prayer you can pray to calm yourself down? If not find one or write one.
2. What are your favorite go-to scriptures when you are in need? Write them down with the subheading for each topic. Have your Bible handy with marked passages to read.
3. Be ready to use your praise journal (and prayer journal) and have it handy.

Faith Challenge 1 ~ Hard Times:

1. Pray for strength and wisdom.
2. Pray with someone else and if necessary, pick up the phone and text or call someone who will pray for you.
3. Put your need on a prayer chain. If you do not have one, ask around. There are many eMail prayer chains available as well as on social media. The Facebook page here is just for that need.

All of us have been challenged by recent worldwide events. I don’t need to list them, I am sure you have a mental list of your own. It was and has been a horrible time with fear the number one ingredient that everyone in the media keeps pushing. Are you fearful? What do you do when you experience fear?

Faith Challenge 2 – When Things Are Out of Our Control:

1. Know that God is in control, remind yourself of this.
2. Remind yourself that God always wins.
3. The enemy is a liar and fear is one way to manipulate us, pray this verse: 1 John 4:4 “…for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.“

Another challenge in our lives is when someone lets us down. This is more difficult when it is someone we know or love. We feel abandoned and alone. We feel misunderstood. We feel at a loss. During these times where can you turn?

Faith Challenge 3 ~ When People Let Us Down.

1. Remember that God will never let you down. God is always there, even in the midst of difficulty and trial.
2. Focus on today, don’t let past hurt or future what-ifs bog you down.
3. Pray Jeremiah 29:11 –For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

The biggest challenge we have as Christians is to get out of our own way and allow the Lord to work in our lives.  We often give the enemy the credit, but truly it is our own obstacles that are the most deferential to our spiritual growth. If things are not going as we planned we are quick to blame (or I am quick to blame, and maybe you are a bit like me?) but I’ve realized the older I get that the only person responsible for my spiritual growth or lack, of growth, is me.

Ask yourself these quick questions:

1. Am I taking time to pray and read the Bible?
2. Am I spending quiet time with God?
3. Do I praise God in all things?
4. Am I allowing the Lord to work in me?
5. Do I surround myself with like-minded Christians?
6. Am I spending time ministering to others (even if it is your family – that counts).
7. Do I share what God has done for me with others?
8. Do I see the miracles of God’s grace in my life?
9. Am I appreciative of all that I have?
10. Am I loving and kind to my own family or Christian support group?

These are just a few of the ways we can check our own hearts and motivation. If we are striving to become more faithful in thought, word and deed we are working toward a goal and not becoming stagnant. The challenge for you this week and in the next is to grow in faith and challenge yourself in this way! May God be blessed.

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Spiritual Motivation ~ Episode 199

What is your spiritual motivation to live a life as a Christian? Have you given this question any thought? Is it important to you to live a life that is pleasing? Pleasing to whom? In this episode, we will look at what motivates us as Christians and how to be sure the motivation is for the right reasons.

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We are motivated by different things. In the Christian spiritual realm, we are motivated by the goal or the reward at the end of the journey.  What is the end? For a Christian, we believe it is heaven. Motivation takes on different forms and levels of effort as well. Are we motivated to read the Bible? Are we motivated to pray? Are we motivated to do works of mercy, feed, and help those less fortunate? Motivation is the force or the action behind the scenes.

When I think back on this podcast and this podcast network (The Ultimate Christian Podcast Network) I think of my motivation for starting this work. The motivation had to do with using my knowledge and expertise to help others to succeed in reaching the Christian community, collectively, with shows that were uplifting, Godly, and informative. They were to be food for the soul and based upon sacred Scripture as a foundation. The motivation has kept me going through now, the 199th episode.

Some people are motivated by money and that is what keeps them working hard or up late at night. Some people are motivated by fame or power. People are motivated into action, the doing of activity by something bigger than themselves. But no matter what your job or position, no matter what your focus in life, the ultimate motivation is spiritual motivation.

Jesus left us and rose to heaven after his resurrection but He promised to send us His spirit. God loves us 100% no matter what we do or no matter what – John 15:9-10 ⁹ As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. ¹⁰ If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.

Jesus also promised not to leave us orphans but to send us the Holy Spirit. John 14:15-17

¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be^[a] in you. 

This is the motivation that Jesus gives, another advocate and one that is in us, how? By keeping God’s commandments and being open to the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is a great motivator! When we keep our eyes on Him when we keep our eyes on the prize (everlasting life) that is when we will find success.

Things that squash our motivation is second-guessing, getting caught up in the things of this world that we can not prevent, and thinking that we know better than God. When we are confused the first thing to do is to get on our knees.

I’ve learned the hard way that when I start a project without prayer or direction it falls flat. We are motivated by working within our strengths, the gifts that God has given us. I could never be a public speaker without the grace and mercy of God. I am a shy person and no one who meets me believes it! Why is that? Because God also gave me another gift and that is passion. If I am passionate about a topic then I will work hard to bring it forward with God’s help. Without Him, I would flounder and be at a loss.

What is spiritual motivation to you? What is that that God is leading you to do? Is it to speak to a friend or co-worker about the Lord? Is it to take more time in your daily prayer time? Is it to read the Bible each day? What is it? What is it that will get you out of bed with a joy that surpasses all understanding? Finding that motivation is important but not necessary.

Let me explain. Motivation comes from within and it is also a choice. We may not feel that motivation all the time but if we are determined to change for the better and improve then it takes work. The enemy works overtime trying to destroy us but we can focus on the Lord and ignore the rest.

Spiritual Motivation:

1.  Praying and asking God for an infilling or re-infilling of the Holy Spirt. My simple prayer is more of you God and less of me.
2. Reading Bible quotes and making a list of your favorites.
3. Visiting motivation websites and writing a collection of quotes that touch you. Positive Christian quotes here.
4. Reading the life of the saints, such as Mother Theresa – we read in her life story that there was a time when she didn’t hear God but she still persevered and kept to the mission He had given her at the beginning of taking care of the poor in Calcutta, India.
5. Being open to the Holy Spirit and praying for direction.

Do you surround yourself with Christian friends and other people who are like-minded? This is helpful when we are trying to grow in our faith because spiritual motivation is just that – growth.  If you do not have like-minded friends ask the Lord to bring you some! (Share my prayer and fulfillment.) As I have shared whether or not we feel like it is true the Lord does hear our prayers and He does answer our prayers especially those to grow closer to Him and to grow in our faith.

Praying for others can also bring us spiritual motivation. We want the grace and blessings upon those we pray for and if we pray daily the Lord will call to mind people we can pray for their needs.

Psalm 107: 1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; or his steadfast love endures for ever!

Let us give thanks each day and ask the Lord for the guidance we need to live lives that are an example to others but also realize that He is there for us. We are not alone we are in good company.  There is always going to be an internal struggle for our time and focus. The presence of God in our lives gives us the added will to do His will, to allow us to forgive ourselves and others. To pray the Lord’s prayer daily, and to persevere! Nothing worthwhile is easy and it does take effort. That is why it is important to pray for help. Daily we renew our covenant with Christ, and we renew our faith by praying. We can pray, “Here I am Lord.”

May the joy of the Lord be in your heart each and every day – that is what I pray for you! Your challenge this week is to look at the Christian spiritual motivation in your life and the ways that you are answering the call of God.

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Speaking with Love ~ Christian Love. Episode 198

Speaking with love, Christian love is difficult at the best of times and during the best of conditions. How can you speak to others with the love, easy if you do not have the love of Christ in your heart?

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Speaking with love is a gift. It isn’t always easy to speak kindly especially when we are annoyed. I fight with myself over what I want to say and what I actually say. Why? Because our human nature, if it is not grounded in Christ is one that is concerned with self. We want to be right, we want things to be fair (especially as they apply to ourselves) and we believe that we have a right to speak our mind.

Why do we speak out in a way that is not pleasing to the Lord? Mainly because we are upset or feel justified. Usually, anger gets in the way of clear thought or speaking kindly. Another reason can be fear. Fear is a gripping sensation that may make you feel out of control and when this happens our speech may reflect this fear and insecurity by taking it out on others. This is never acceptable or okay but we can change, and it first takes wanting to change to make it happen.

Recently I read a post on social media that a friend of mine who has written quite a few books commented on another book that was recently released and had a movie as well. She talked about the hateful comments, from fellow Christians, that she received when she gave the book and movie a review. I know nothing about the book or the movie but what I do know is that people are entitled to their opinions and as Christians we are held to a high bar. There is never a reason to be personal in our speech in a hateful way. There is just no excuse.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 talks about love. This is the love that speaks of God’s grace, God’s promise, God’s example.

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”

That my friends is what Christian love talks about and how we are to speak.

1. Speak with patience.
2. Speak with kindness.
3. Speak without envy.
4. Speak without boasting.
5. Speak without being proud.
6. Speak while not dishonoring others.
7. Speak in a way that is not self-seeking.
8. Speak in a way that is not angry.
9. Speak in a way that doesn’t point fingers or accuse.

But there is more. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices in truth. The truth, we are told will set you free. John 8:31-32

³¹ To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. ³² Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Our words should be ones that protect others, trust in truth and encourage with hope and continue on through the tough times. When we speak with love and kindness we are following the example of Christ. In the Bible, we read that Jesus often said, “Go and sin no more,” but He was not disparaging of the sinner, he didn’t call them out or use crude terminology. He didn’t point fingers and tear the people down. No, he lifted, encouraged, and taught using parables and stories so that the people could relate and understand.

Ephesians 4:25-32 – gives us an example of righteous anger but it also gives us a reason to be careful with how we speak. We are to put off falsehood and speak truthfully but we are admonished in anger not to sin. (Read).

²⁵ Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. ²⁶ “In your anger do not sin”^[d]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, ²⁷ and do not give the devil a foothold. ²⁸ Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.

²⁹ Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. ³⁰ And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. ³¹ Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. ³² Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Is there a time when you were angry and then regretted what you said? We’ve all done this but in the verses, I just read it tells us to get rid of bitterness, rage, and anger and to have compassion. When we are in prayer we can sense the goodness of the Lord and feel his love, forgiveness, and compassion. Yet when we are in trying or difficult situations we may find we are at a loss and may fail to speak with love. Speaking with love takes practice and it takes faith. But there is hope because the power of God, the power of Jesus in our lives is real. How is this real? By the gift of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit gives us wisdom and many of the fruits of the spirit. Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. (Podcast here on Fruits of the Spirit.)

How do we get more of that spirit of God? By prayer and by asking for it. We can ask the Lord to help us to see the ways that our words hurt others, and repent. Repenting from sin should be something we do at the end of each and every day (or more often if you can). Jesus said we should forgive others seventy times seven. He did not say we should hold a grudge for the rest of our lives. God gave us the gift of life and the miracle of our lives is the ability to touch others in a way that is uplifting and helpful.

This week look at the words you use, with your family first and then with your friends. Are you speaking in a way that builds people up or does it tear people down? Can you speak kindly? Can you speak the truth but in a way that people will actually listen? When those who profess to be Christian can’t even speak with Christian love then what hope do we have for humanity? Christians have a common and unifying Father. We believe in God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. We are not orphans but we are children of the Almighty and we should reflect the love of God in our lives and the way we live our lives. John 14:15-20

¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be^[a] in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. ¹⁹ Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. ²⁰ On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. ²¹ Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

Our actions and our words should both reflect this love. We love in a way that reflects the joy in our hearts and if we are lacking this joy, we need to get it back. How can we do this? We need to focus on reading the Bible, taking time each day to pray, and focusing our thoughts, especially (if we can) first thing in the morning and last thing at night in giving God the praise He is due. Without praise and gratefulness, there is no joy. Without joy there is no hope. Without hope there is despondency and that is when the enemy creeps in and takes hold.

Love by its very nature is sacrificial and speaking in love means speaking with sacrifice to self. Our speech is a reflection of what is in our heart, and if our heart is lacking it will be obvious to those who listen to us speak. If you have difficulty in this area pray to the Lord and ask for help, ask Him to give you the words you should use. I often do this when I pray for other people. I have no idea what they really need in prayer, but God does! God can give us those gifts of the spirit and guide our speech so that we are a reflection of God’s love and an example of Christian charity!

This week your challenge is speaking in love to others and using your words or uplift and encourage. May God be blessed!

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God Loves You ~ Special Replay

I probably don’t need to tell you that God loves you – however if you suffer from stress or find yourself overwhelmed you need to hear it again and again. In this episode, we will discuss God’s love and how closely tied it is to who we are and our relationships.

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When I think about God’s love the refrain from a popular Bible song resonates although the words are slightly different than, “God loves you,” the words go — “Jesus loves you this I know because the Bible tells me so…” Yet do we really believe this and if we do why do we live a life that isn’t trusting that God’s got this – whatever “this” is in your life.

We take God’s love for granted. How do we know that He loves us?

1. You exist – so the very fact that you are here is because of the fact that you were created. Your parents had to meet!
2. You are who you are because of the love of God – our relationships hinge on who we believe God is – think about it.
3. God has a purpose for you – yes, you. He created you for a reason and some understand it better than others but our entire life is striving to grow closer to him.

I purposely left out the fact that God sent His only son – to become man, in order to be born, suffer and die for our sins, and ultimately resurrected into to heaven. That is the number one reason I know that God loves me – but for me to know this I must be a professed Christian. John 3:16 is a favorite Bible passage of so many. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

We know God loves us because He loves us unconditionally. We do not need to perform good works or deeds in order to have God love us. He just does. Of course, we should do good things, please don’t misunderstand that it isn’t needed – the point here is that it isn’t needed for God’s love. We try to understand God with a human mindset. We love those who love us – we love those who are kind who gift us things who are welcoming and generous. But we can’t understand the mind of God – because for us it makes no sense.

Can we love unconditionally? No – it is very difficult to do – but for God all things are possible.

In the Bible, we read again and again about the mercy of God through the actions of his son Jesus. We read about mercy. We read about the Pharisees who often criticized him. Yet in Matthew 9:12 it says, “It is not those who are well who have need of a physician but those who are sick.” We are sick as sinners – we have a sickness in our souls and it is that sickness that causes us to doubt, to stress to be overwhelmed by this thing we call life. We need mercy and we need a Savior and it is in this Savior that loves us just because.

Think about that. Someone who loves you just because you are. Just because you exist. Who knew you before you were born, who knows the number of hairs on your head, who held you in the palm of His hand. Wow. Psalm 84:8 reads – “Show us, O Lord, your mercy; and grant us your salvation.” This is repeated again and again in our Bible readings during the time of Advent the days leading up to Christmas. We are reminded of this time and time again.

To receive the mercy and compassion of God we must show others mercy and compassion. This is not to be confused with God’s love. God’s love is unconditional. But there is, for a Christian a recourse if you will for sin. God teaches us in the parable of the Good Samaritan that because of sin (a man who was a Jew was robbed and left for dead. We learn that two people walk on without helping him, one man – the Samaritan stopped and helped the Jew – and he did this without a repayment. The Bible uses this as a lesson because the Jews and the Samaritans were adversaries – you can read more in Luke 10:25-37

The point here goes further that God knows our hearts. He knows what drives us – we can lie to the world but God knows our motivations. It is important for us to have compassion for others and if we have the love of God in our hearts this should come naturally.

Friends, for those of us who are believers we should go around looking joyful and hopeful with a smile on our face. Who would want to be a Christian if they think that Christians are a bunch of judgmental and depressed people! We need to open our hearts to God’s love – He is waiting with outstretched arms and all we have to do is say yes, Lord. More of you Lord and less of me.

Let’s pray.

Dear Lord, first I thank you for your unconditional love – I thank you for allowing me to be created and for giving me the opportunities to share the love you have given me with others. Pour into me oh, my God – your love and your mercy. Help me to be compassionate to others to be in the right place at the right time to be used by you! Help me to show this love to others. Take away my stress, my anger my feelings of being overwhelmed and replace them with the peace that surpasses all understanding knowing that you are right beside me. I pray particularly for the following intentions:  Thank you ahead of time Lord for all the blessings and provisions you send and I pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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