My Place of Grace

John 14:1 "Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God ; trust also in me. John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid." In any given day there are numerous things that are apt to trouble our hearts. I found it interesting that in the gospel of John where Jesus is comforting His disciples that He mentions, Let not your hearts be troubled, twice in the same chapter. It is obviously a message that Jesus wants to hit home. The disciples are given horrible news, their beloved Jesus will soon be leaving them, at this point they don't understand the magnitude of what he is saying, what to expect, or how to handle it. They are probably feeling distraught and grieved over the fact that Jesus won't be around to guide them and teach them and lead them any more. Though Jesus acknowledges their sadness He doesn't want it to consume them. He tells them to t

I'm reading a book right now called "Embracing Your Freedom" by Susie Larson(an excellent book by the way) In this particular part, it was talking about reclaiming the stolen areas of your life due to fear. Susie gave the analogy of a basketball team that had practiced for an important game, they knew their stuff and were on the court and ready. When the other team stepped onto the court the first team just looked at eachother in defeat, this other team were seemingly from the land of the giants. Fear welled up in the team who had practiced and was ready, they were ready to give up before they had even begun...until their coach yelled to them to look at him, and told them to remember they are ready, they had practiced, they knew the drills...now play. they played their hearts out keeping focus on what they knew and ran circles around the mammoth team. (so here's what came to my mind) Are there Giants in your land? Threatening to take you down? It's faith in God th

"Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus,the author and perfecter of our faith, Who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, scorning it's shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. Hebrews 12:1–3 How do I throw off that which hinders? When it clings to me like glue? When the sin that easily entangles Masquerades as what is true? How do I run with perseverance, The race marked out for me? Fixing my eyes on Jesus, Is the only solution I can see. When my eyes are focused on the Son, And my mind is set on Him. The perfect faith that Jesus authored, Lives in me and chases sin. For the joy of my salvation He endured the suffering of the cross, Scorned it's shame and took His place, At the right hand of God, The Boss. I think

Hand In Hand Wandering in desolation Hopeless with despair Couldn't see through darkness Caught in evil's snare. Entangled by the lies Coiled up in sin Engulfed by sheer deception Advancing for the win. I call out to my God Reaching toward the sky God puts His hand in mine Quieting my cry. God sees me in my weakest state Renews me with His strength Reclaims the land I've lost to sin He goes to every length. To assure my life in Him's restored That I may rest secure Under the shelter of His wings Till I'm strong enough to soar. He leads me by still waters Walking hand in hand He gently helps untangle sin Helping me to stand. I thank You God, that when I'm weak I find my strength in you. Your loving hand sustains me in all I'm going through. 2 Corinthians 12:10 - That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

Obstacles, stumbling blocks, pitfalls appear Seemingly out of nowhere, instilling great fear. Will we clear them, or fear them? Will they cause us to fall? Can we maneuver around them? Avoiding their call? Blind sided, hidden, strategically placed, These holes in the road of life must be faced. Will we keep to ourselves or take hold of God's grace? Will we stay in the pit, wrought with worry and shame. Or let God's hand lift us Back into the game? Obstacles, stumbling blocks, pitfalls and such, Can turn into stepping stones, used as a crutch. To aid in the climb from the pit we are in Helping to lead us away from our sin. God sent His Son, Jesus to give us a lift, Out of darkness to light, with His ultimate gift. Isaiah 49:11 I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up. Isaiah 57:14 [ Comfort for the Contrite ] And it will be said: "Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people." John 16:33 &quo

As the Christmas holiday approaches, our minds are set on preparation. Preparation of what is the question? Preparing for company, buying gifts, baking cookies, cleaning house, decorating, wrapping, visiting friends and family, setting up the tree, the advent wreath? All these examples are ways we prepare for the holiday season. But wait! Are forgetting the most important preparation, that is the preparation of our heart. Are we preparing the way of the Lord? I have been thinking about what this exactly means. How do we prepare the way of the Lord? Well being prepared means to make things ready. Is my heart ready? Do I have my priorities in order? Is Jesus first and foremost in my life? Christmas is a time we celebrate Jesus' birth. We can't think about Jesus' birth without also thinking about His life, his reason for coming, His death on the cross and His resurrection. He came to prepare the way for us to enter the kingdom of heaven. His life by example shows us what we ne

2 Corinthians 9:15 -"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" Thanksgiving, a time to remember the bountiful provision of our Heavenly Father. No matter where you are this Thanksgiving Day, no matter what circumstance you find yourself in, You can be sure that God is right there with you. He has made you, designed every detail, planned every step, and is calling out to you to draw close to Him. God has provided a way for every one in the whole world to know Him, by sending His only Son to become a sacrifice for each one of us. The greatest provision for our lives that has ever been given. Whatever circumstance you find yourself in this day. Be assured, that our Great God is there, waiting for you to run to Him. Go, lay down all your burdens, all your joys and all your thanks and praises before Him, The one who gives life and the one who saves life. Thank You God! For your Indescribable Gift! Life in You through Jesus Christ Your Son! Blessed be Your name Lord over Heaven

A Prayer Of Thanks With a thankful heart I lift this prayer, To my God, my All, For His loving care. For providing everything I need, And guiding that I may succeed. For sustaining me though numerous storms, And showing Himself in many forms. For placing my feet on the path He has set And shining His light, lest I never forget. For calling me out of darkness and sin, And His still small voice set deep within. For His sacrifice that saved my soul, And restoring my life, making me whole. I will sing Your praises Lord, everyday! Exalting Your name as I go on my way. For You are Lord over heaven and earth! And I am ever so grateful for my second birth! May I make You famous in all I do! Bringing honor, enjoyment, and glory to You! Amen.

Recently, I went on a 6 mile hike with a couple of friends. It reminded me a lot of life. We had never hiked in this area before and were uncertain where to start. As it turned out, we chose a way that presented quite a challenge. We stood before a mountain of rocks...our destination, the top. Confident we could scale this mountain of rocks, we set out. Step by step, rock by rock, we made our climb. We were certain that when we got to the top that we would find the marked trail we were looking for. With that in mind we took the challenge. Reaching the top, we had to rest. Sitting our weary bodies on a large boulder, we took some time to quiet ourselves and pray, thanking God for this opportunity and asking for direction and protection on our journey. Once rested, We found the start of our path clearly marked. White blazes on trees and rocks, made it possible to follow the sometimes dense and treacherous path through the forest. Along the way there were areas we had to traverse some ver

"Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19 Our past experiences have a way of shaping us into who we are. The problem is, most of the time those experiences do not measure up to who we really are in Gods eyes. When we come to Christ, we are made into a new creation. ( 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! ) We are called out of our old ways of thinking and living. The places in our lives where we've been stuck, God is bringing in the WD-40 and unsticking us. When we are lost in the desert, He takes that vast expanse before us and separates the sand, making a definite visible path right before our eyes. When we are drowning in the toxic wasteland of our past and everything around is oozing green, threatening to eat the flesh right off our bones

Little did I know, when I became a mother, that my heart would be stretched, pinched, pounded, pierced, broken, and rebuilt over and over again. There is so much joy and sorrow wrapped into the raising of each child. When your child comes into the world, you hold so many hopes, dreams and expectations for him/her. In a mother's eyes, she sees all the things her child can become, inevitably though, there comes a time when the realization hits... this child has his own mind. He makes choices that go against our hearts. We watch as they make mistakes, some little and some big. We try to guide, we want their best, we grieve when their decisions will have undesirable consequences. Much like God feels with each of us. We are His children. He loves us with the heart of a mother and a father. He grieves our poor decisions, and rejoices when we finally get it right. He loves us unconditionally, right where we are and with His whole heart. As I am challenged with the decisions of my own chil

Hanging from the tree in my front yard is a bird feeder. Bought in hopes that we could watch and enjoy the birds while they ate. But to our disappointment the birds aren't coming as we had hoped. Every now and then one appears but its so far and few between. We have the choicest seeds, said to attract all kinds of birds, the feeder is nestled into the branches of the great tree, so as to provide protection, yet visible enough so they can find it. So what's the problem? Every thing the need to be sustained and fed is there, just waiting for them. Why don't they come? This scenario reminds me what God must feel like sometimes with us. He has everything we need for life all set out for us. He offers it freely, He wants us to come, He waits as He keeps offering life sustaining food and refuge. Oh, how it must disappoint Him when we don't come and receive what He offers us. I know when I see a bird finally find our feeder, my heart jumps for joy...How much more must God rejo

1 Corinthians 13:12-13 "Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." As human beings, we want to know everything! We are rarely content to wait, or accept when things are out of order. We feel the need to figure things out, fix things, and organize our lives so everything around us runs smoothly. These are not necessarily bad things, but what happens when no matter how hard we try things just don't work out? The fact is, we try to control our own lives, forgetting our limitations, losing sight of God's sovereignty. God created us in His image. When we come to Him; we become his children. He loves us and wants us to love him in return. He becomes our Father, our loving parent, guiding, molding, teaching, and disciplining us for the rest of our earthly lives in order to shape us

There's a tree that stands in the middle of our front yard, big, and leaf filled all summer long, the birds find refuge there, and the squirrels run up and down trying to score some bird food from the feeder that hangs from a branch. The tree is full of activity and provides shade and beauty to our home. With the on set of Autumn, our lovely tree begins to change, the lush green leaves turn to a fiery red. A beautiful sight to behold yet a foreshadowing that a transformation is coming. As the winds blow and the weather turns cold, each leave tries to hold on, to maintain it's beauty. Nature takes its course eventually and the leaves are shed one by one, stripped away revealing the trees nakedness, and all that was happening within the mask of its beauty. Bird's nests and sneaky squirrel exposed, straggly weak branches intertwined with the strong. It looks dead and deserted. But Wait! Though our tree looks to be dead, if you take the time to look further, your will see littl

When all the world seems frenzied I cry out for release. Calm my frazzled heart,Lord Send to me your peace My energy's depleted, Trying to keep up; With all the things that people need... Lord, please fill me up. Free me from the bondage, Of the busyness of life. Quiet down the chaos, creating all this strife. I'm fashioned by Your hand,Lord To be a human being. I've become a human doing, Please help me in the seeing. Teach me to be still, Lord. That I may learn to rest, In the shelter of Your presence, When I am feeling stressed. Job 6:24 Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong.

The season of Thanksgiving is upon us. Gods word says we should give thanks in ALL circumstances( 1 Thessalonians 5:18 ) It says this is God's will for all those in Christ Jesus. This is not always an easy task, especially when those little annoying daily "happenings" show up! How many times in a day do our thoughts turn to grumbling and complaint? When: *You come out of work and your tire is flat *You're in a hurry and there's a slow driver in front of you in a no passing zone. *You're exhausted and come home from work to a messy house when the rest of the family was home all day? *You can't find an important paper needed for an appointment you were supposed to be at 15 minutes ago. *The last bit of ice cream was eaten before you had the chance to get any *Your husband leaves his drawers hanging out after getting dressed and his dirty clothes strewn all over the floor. *Your kids leave a trail of mud on your freshly washed floor. *You're asked to do t

Secured by His hands Eyes lit with wonder Unable to contain Her squeals of joy. Face to face they gaze Perfect trust engaged An indescribable moment Encompassed by pure love.

"Where then does wisdom come from? Where does understanding dwell? It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing, concealed even from the birds of the air. Destruction and Death say, 'Only a rumor of it has reached our ears.' God understands the way to it and he alone knows where it dwells, for he views the ends of the earth and sees everything under the heavens. When he established the force of the wind and measured out the waters, when he made a decree for the rain and a path for the thunderstorm, then he looked at wisdom and appraised it, he confirmed it and tested it. And he said to man, 'The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding.' " Job 28: 20-28 We are limited creatures. We are alway trying to figure out solutions in our lives, wanting to know the how's and why's of everything. We like to have control over our situations and get frustrated when we can't make things work. We seek wisdom in books, from people,a

"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." - John 16:33 The Junk Drawer Life can be messy, Like a packed junk drawer. Sorting it out, can be quite a chore. My brain is a place I store lot's of stuff. Thought's in abundance, more than enough. Ridding myself Of the things I don't need, Is sometimes painful indeed. One by one I pull each thing out. Keeping or throwing it, comes with doubt. It's contents Lay there for such a long time, Becoming ingrained in my mind. All kinds of things Good mixed with bad, The most perplexing job I've ever had. When it's finally done It's a pleasure to see The grand transformation in me. Romans 12:2 -Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

...And the second is Like it, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Matthew 22:39 Gods greatest command to us is to love Him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength. and then he says the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself. Have you loved your neighbor lately? My oldest son is a waiter. I love to watch him at work. It's more than just a job to him. He serves each party as if they were the most special people in the restaurant. He talks with them, makes sure they are comfortable and satisfied, jokes and listens. By the time their dining experience is over, it always seems my son and his customers have become united somehow, shaking hands, and wishing each other well. I guess what impresses me about this, is that he takes the time with each customer to treat them as special. He treats them as he would want to be treated. I also notice when my son is on the receiving end of service he does the same. He talks with the servers, puts them at ease, tries to make th

What are the things that you're telling yourself? Are your thoughts causing you distress? Do you constantly put yourself down if you fail? Are you quick to second guess? How do you measure your successes? How do you view yourself? Is it through the eyes of how God sees you? Or through the eyes of someone else? Do you want to be free of this thinking? To look at yourself differently? I will let you in on a secret... You must understand how our God sees. You are His creation Calling you by name Masterfully, He forms every detail You were made to bring Him fame. The possibilities are endless If following God is your choice You'll be set apart as Holy As you listen to His voice. Train your mind to think upon good things That which is lovely, pure, and true. Doing this will secure the promise That God's peace will come shining through. Philippians 4:7-9 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, broth

"Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Take note of the highway, the road that you take." Jeremiah 31:21 NIV How many time have we come up against a situation and blew it? Lost our tempers, practiced impatience, allowed bitter thoughts and negative emotions rule our life? Eventually we find our way out, but before we know it we find ourselves in that place again? This passage in Jeremiah gives some insight to this circular road. Life is meant to be a journey. We are on our way home to our Heavenly Father. How will we get there if we keep circling back? We Can't! Chasing our tail as a dog does will only make us dizzy and exhausted. I n order to move forward we have to stop going in circles and find a way to move ahead on the road. God gives us a clue in this passage. When we find ourselves in sticky situations, we need to take time to look at it, as we work our way out we need to mark the road we've traveled so we know not to take that road again. So if we find ourselv

A ministry of message, rescue, and care Welcome to Save the Girls, a ministry where you can help free sex slaves by doing something simple but amazing: Host a Save the Girls yard sale. You sell your unwanted stuff and buy the freedom and care of a girl, a precious girl, made in the image of a holy God, who has been treated like trash. From junk to gems, from trash to treasure, these girls need your help. The Real Facts What is sex trafficking? Also called sex slavery, it is a massive global enterprise based upon force, coercion and deception. Traffickers detain their victims for profit through acts of rape. How widespread is it? Worldwide, more than 2 million children are trapped in sex slavery. (UNICEF) In the U.S., sex slaves number more than 100,000. (FBI/ABC) How old are sex slaves? The average age is 11. Some are as young as 5 years old. (CIA) Is human trafficking big business? Yes! Human trafficking (included sex slavery and forced lab

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Some days I just don't "feel" like being happy. Some days I just want to curl up and sulk in my circumstances . The "why me?" syndrome takes over and before i know it i am in full blown throws of self centeredness . ugh! poor me, I'll never be good enough, i can't do anything right! Sound familiar? This is not your typical self centeredness , you know, the kind when you think you're all that and more. Nope not like that at all. I usually always go the other direction. which in someways is worse. not only is it all about me, but it's usually geared to the negative. I make excuses in my head like I'm not hurting anyone when i feel like this, but the reality is...Yes, it does hurt someone! It hurts God. When I act selfishly I am telling Him that he made junk. I know this sounds harsh but let's pretend you put your heart and soul into a creation, a painting , let's say and you give the painting to special friend and that friend takes

In the silence of the morning, I sit and think of You. The day ahead unfolds before my eyes. I give to You the plans I have, set firmly in my mind. To bless and help me to prioritize. Since I've come to know you Lord, I look forward to this time, Of Your instruction in the way I should proceed. When You're walking right beside me, every move I make, Gives me confidence that my plans will succeed. I will put my trust in You Lord, take me by the hand, In faith I will follow what You say. Instill in me the courage, to walk the narrow path That I won't slip into the worldly way. Not too many understand the faith I place in You Believing in someone I cannot see But in holding on to You Dear Lord, I will not be shaken. Help me live so that you shine brightly through me. 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. Psalm 16:8 -I have set the LORD always before me.

Lord, I just want to be happy. I want to learn to walk in your ways To see the world with Your eyes Change my heart from complaining to praise. Lord, I just want to be happy I want my heart to be set on You Loving others sincerely The way You want me to. Lord, I just want to be happy To embrace the pain in my life I want to know how to transform it Gleaning something joyful from my strife. Lord, I just want to be happy I am aware this life is rough Even in the midst of suffering I want You to be enough. Lord I just want to be happy I want to grab hold of Your grace Live my life contently No matter what circumstance I face. Lord I just want to be happy I want to seek You in the storm Anchor myself to You When life's problems start to swarm. Lord, I just want to be happy You have made me to this end To experience joy, love and peace When on You I will depend. Lord You have made me happy Now that I'm rooted in Your love You've given me the tools I need To take my trails and ri

"You've kept track of my every toss and turn through the sleepless nights, Each tear entered in your ledger, each ache written in your book. "- Psalm 56:8 (The Message) Tear Catcher Many kinds of tears are shed Tears of sorrow, tears of dread Tears that saturate our bed And those that stay tucked in our head. Tears that trickle, tears that gush Tears that turn our heart to mush Tears of embarrassment that make us flush Anxious tears when in a rush. All these tears have wet our face Each one has it's special place But today, these tears, filled with God's grace come flowing at a frantic pace. The realization of what He's done For you, for me, for everyone. Placing our sin on His only Son Who willingly took it, so the battle was won. Then sending His Spirit to guide our way To be with us night and day. Flowing tears of thanks convey The grateful hearts we now display. The special meaning of each tear Is something that our Lord holds dear Collecting them, He

My Prayer life has gone through many changes over the years. From bargaining with God, to requesting, to sharing, to listening. Now God has become my constant companion. Our conversations are just that. I talk with Him all day long. I enjoy sitting quietly in His presence. I love seeing just how He is going to work things out in my life and the lives of others I am praying for. I've learned through my prayer life, to be patience in the waiting, as God sometimes chooses to not to answer things immediately , but I know with out a doubt He always answers. I also don't always like His answers...but this has made my trust that He has our best interests at heart grow. Like when I prayed for God to keep my son from drugs. He didn't answer right away. My son continued on that dark path, landed in jail several times, I thought God wasn't hearing me. but a few years later God met my son in his dark place and at that point my son was ready to be led out. God answered that prayer

I had lunch today with one of my oldest and dearest friends. We don't see each other often but she's one of those friends that is etched so deeply in my heart that no amount of time apart can separate us. We met in high school and have been through marriage and children, separations and divorce, death, traumas, tears and worries, Lots of fun times and always lots of laughter! Friendships are a treasured gift given to us by God. He commands us to love Him first and then to love others. He places those others strategically throughout our lives. It got me thinking just what does it mean to love them. I've been thinking a lot lately about loving. Not romantic loving, but real heart to heart loving, the way Jesus did. I fear I fail miserably to really love my fellow man at times...like today for instance...as i was driving to meet my friend for lunch, I saw a homeless man standing in the pouring rain, holding a sign: "Will work for food." I have seen him there before a

I'm digging. I am tired of walking on the surface of life, of love, of feelings, and in relationships. I want to know and experience that deep gut level love in all areas of my life. I feel like I'm missing out on the diamonds of life when I stick to the surface, The most beautiful treasures are found by chiseling away the rock, shoveling out the dirt and shining and polishing them to sparkling clean. that's what I want from life. I want to dig out that deep love for Christ and others. I want to know their hearts, I want to find the jewels in every experience set before me, and take each one as a precious dig. No more passing them by because the effort to get to them looks too hard. The reward is in the effort. How do I do this is the question? Well using Jesus as my shovel, my chisel, and my strength I know I can get to the treasure. Digging for the heart of Jesus is my first priority, to know his heart, His ways, His wisdom, His love is what makes digging for the other th

God's given a message That He wants you to share It's a message of redemption Of love and hope and care. From the moment you accept Him You're commissioned to go forth Bearing witness for His Kingdom Reaching south, east, west, and north. Telling the story Of life giving change How when Jesus entered Your heart wasn't the same. He opened you up To a love you've not known Gave His life as a sacrifice The greatest love ever shown. God took all your sins Forgiving each one Put them all on the cross With Jesus His Son. You have every reason To go out and tell Of the wonderful mercy You now know full well. Grace has been showered Now what will you do? Keep it all to yourself? Or pass on the news? Your life has been spared From the depths of the pit Will you stand up and shout it? Or on this gift will you sit? Today is the day What will you choose? There's a dynamite message Will you dare light the fuse? Blowing the lid off This worlds point of view Gives God the Glor

Life flies by so fast....My son Steven and I were shopping in Wal-Mart tonight. He needed dress clothes for a Home Coming Dance he is going to. My mind began to wander to years past. Steven was always my shopping buddy, always willing, always easily pleased. Now Steven is 18, practically a man. He is still easily pleased, but he no longer has interest in hanging out with his mama, and shopping just doesn't hold the appeal it used too. Spending time with him these days is far and few between, and that's OK. He is growing,maturing and changing just as he should be. He has developed his own life and interests. It does my heart well to watch him progress; but it saddens me too, that those care free days of shopping, and ice cream cones, kickball games and riding big wheels are gone forever. In hind site, I wish I would have realized how quickly my time with my children would go. I wish I would have spent more time enjoying and less time being busy with things that just don't re

Slow Burn, Fast Read!, October 8, 2009 By Mary Dreisbach (Emmaus, PA USA) - See all my reviews Mary DeMuth has done it again! In this second book of the Texas Defiance Trilogy, she takes us into the lives of those involved with the disappearence and murder of 13 yr old Daisy Chance. The first book in this series focuses on that incident, and gets us to know the characters surrounding Daisy Chance. The gist of the first book "Daisy Chain" is seen through the eyes of Daisy's best friend Jed Pepper. His agony, guilt and shame about letting his friend down. In "A Slow Burn" DeMuth takes a different route. This book tells the story through the eye's of Daisy's negligent, broken by life mother, Emory Chance. Emory has a world of regret on her shoulders, she goes through the grieving process, struggling with her self worth, things from her own past and other various problems that arise as a result of Daisy's death. This book tackles, with great realism an

" Cast thy burden on the Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the righteous to be moved." Psalm 55:22 We all have burdens. Situations come into our lives that may feel heavy , annoying, hopeless, and just plain too much for us to bear. Our human tendency is to lash out or crumble under their weight. To be honest, if I did not know God and continually keep Him in the forefront of my heart, soul, and mind, I would resemble a squished bug at this point. When my oldest son was in the throws of drug addiction I and my whole family was living every day in a cyclonic funnel. Uncertainty was the norm. Nothing we did to "help" our son seemed to be helping, life was out of our control, he was completely out of control, and fear ruled in our hearts. Day by day we watched helplessly as he continually made poor choices, rebelled against our rules by staying out late, came home high, stole from us and others, and constantly lied. Adding to these obvious stres

A friend of mine had a baby a couple weeks ago, and she brought her to the women's meeting at church last night. This was the first time I had gotten to see her in person(I had seen pictures). There is just something so miraculous about the birth of a baby. I remember when my friend first announced that she was pregnant. The joy I felt inside of me was incredible. She and her husband had just gotten married a year before and this little baby was a result of their love. I can recall how happy I and my whole church family felt for them. Over the next nine months we prayed for them. Followed her progress. Marveled over the Ultra Sound pictures and rejoiced when we found out the baby was going to be a little girl. My friends husband was so hoping for a girl, probably because he came from a family of four boys and one girl. So, we were so happy for them when they got this news. We watched as Baby Olivia Joy grew in her mommy's tummy. We prayed as my friend found that she had gestati