Forgotten Blessings

This Week's Combined Readings
from "The One Year Devotional Guide":
Genesis 32:13-45:28
Matthew 11:7-14:36
Psalm 14:1-18:50
Proverbs 3:19-4:13

Next Week's Combined Readings
from "The One Year Devotional Guide":
Genesis 46-Exodus 9:35
Matthew 15:1-19:30
Psalm 19:1-24:10
Proverbs 4:14-6:5

My apologies for my absence during the past few weeks. Today is the first Saturday in weeks that I have had the energy and good health to spend any lengthy of time in front of the computer. I guess this means it will take more than 52 weeks to complete our Biblical journey! This week I do not have a focus verse for a few different reasons, the most important of which is that what I feel God is speaking to me heart to share with you is not necessarily spoken directly through this week's scriptures. I want to share with you this week some things that I have taken for granted...namely: almost everything & everyone that God has blessed me with! Sure, I thank Him for the obvious blessings every day: my loving husband, my supportive parents and grandparents and an especially amazing uncle. But every person and every thing in my life is not mine...they all belong to my heavenly Father and it is He who has graciously and lovingly surrounded me with so much that even in the valleys of life my cup and my saucer overflow! So, as I type today on His keyboard at His computer to each of you, His blessings, I am making a conscious choice to find a new gift each day to be thankful for. Whether it is just His colorful pen with which I get to write a grocery list or a strong bout of good health! Are there blessings in your life that you may be taking for granted? Are you watching His cable TV today? Or maybe wearing His comfortable fuzzy socks? Is it possible you are getting ready to drive off in His car to run errands using His gasoline and the protection of His angels to get you safely there and back? Let's strive together to make every effort to not take for granted all that is God's, which He is allowing us to enjoy for a time. Won't you please join me in prayer today?

Father God,
It has been too easy to forget that all I have is not mine but is on loan from You. I do not deserve Your grace and blessings, however I am deeply thankful for it all. Please forgive me for all that I have taken for granted and please help me to remember that everything and everyone around me is Yours. Lord, I thank You for Your leaders which You have given to us, in Your world, Your country and most especially in Your church. Please continue to bless them all and grant them Your wisdom that they may lead us, Your people, in the right direction. We thank You for Your soldiers, young and old, present and past and we pray that You please bless and protect them as well as Your families which You surround them with today and always. Father, You alone can heal us, no matter what ails us. Please grant You extraordinary healing, be it spiritual, emotional, physical or mental, to all those in need but especially to Lee, Pam, Jeff, Helen, Larry, George, Karen, Mark & Lynn, Gary, Tim, Jeff, Joy, Ward, and all those we each name to You now. God we know that Your will is perfect and therefore we ask that all these things be done according to Your wishes and not our own. We pray all this in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Have a blessed and awesome weekend and week ahead!!!
Love through Christ,
Niki

Seek HIM And HE Will Not Forsake You

This Week's Combined Readings
from "The One Year Devotional Guide":
Genesis 20:1-32:12
Matthew 7:15-11:6
Psalm 9:1-13:6
Proverbs 2:16-3:18

Next Week's Combined Readings
from "The One Year Devotional Guide":
Genesis 32:13-45:28
Matthew 11:7-14:36
Psalm 14:1-13:6
Proverbs 3:19-4:13

Focus Verse(s) for this week's thoughts: Psalm 9:11 "And let those who know Your name put their hope in You; For You, O Lord, do not forsake those who seek You." (The Orthodox Study Bible) {If reading NIV please refer to Psalm 9:10}

Lot's of people know the name "god" but how many of them truly know God on a personal level? How many truly put their hope in Him? Do I, do you? These are the kinds of questions that ran through my head as I was reading this week's verses. It is usually my cue that "this one is the focus verse" when I start being drawn to meditate on one particualr verse or another. I have learned (and relearned and relearned...) that when we do set our hope in God and fully trust Him for all our needs than He truly does not forsake us. God tells us in this week's verse's from Matthew that not even a sparrow, worth merely half a penny in chapter 10, will fall to the ground apart from His will and we are worth more than many sparrows. We are so priceless to God that He sent His one and only Son to die a painful and humble death that we might live eternally with Him in heaven. Truly He will not forsake us, He will never let us down but we must hold up our end of the deal here. We cannot truly know God without fully loving Him for all He has already done...and through fully loving God we will want to strive to seek Him in all that we do. Let us seek God in everything we do this week, in every moment of our daily lives. Please join me in praying:

Dear Lord, We are thankful to You that You do not forsake us when we seek You and set our hope in You. Please send Your Spirit to guide us to live a life that seeks You in all things. We also thank You, Father, for the many blessings you have granted to us and we praise Your holy name for Your grace is more than we deserve. Lord, we know there are so many people in need of Your healing touch; spiritually, mentally, emotionally and physically. We ask that as our great Healer You please grant Your grace, mercy and divine healing and comfort to those most in need of it and especially to Lee, Pam, Helen, Larry, George, Karen, Gary, Tim, Jeff, Mark & Lynn. We thank You that You never leave us and are always with us until the end of days, especially through our valleys. We ask Your guidance to our leaders, both political and theological. Grant them Your wisdom that they may lead us all in the right direction, towards You. Father, we especially thank You for those who serve You and us in every arm of the military. Please grant Your extraordinary favor, protection and deliverance to all the soldiers and their families. We thank You for the blessing of prayer and the connection to You that it brings. We ask that this prayer please be carried out not according to our will but to thine. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

I pray you each have a blessed and awesome week!!!
Love through Christ,
Niki

Serving God Wholeheartedly

This Week's Combined Readings
from "The One Year Devotional Guide":
Genesis 1:1-19:38
Matthew 1:1-7:14
Psalm 1:1-8:9
Proverbs 1:1-2:15
Next Week's Combined Readings
from "The One Year Devotional Guide":
Genesis 20:1-32:12
Matthew 7:15-11:6
Psalm 9:1-13:6
Proverbs 2:16-3:18

Focus Verse(s) for this week's thoughts: Matthew 6:24 "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon (riches)."

It is a very personal and spiritual decision to want to serve God through our daily lives. I know for myself it is one I must prayerfully reaffirm every morning or I fall away a little at a time. If we choose to serve God then we must decide to make this a wholehearted decision. Jesus warns in Matthew 6:24 that we cannot serve both God and money. We cannot fully love God and love earthly posessions. We must realign our perspective to focus soley on God and all else needs to fall under the category of blessings we are thankful for rather than treasures we are striving for. God has blessed us all in different ways, with different talents, families, friends and material things and when we are serving God wholly we will not be looking to our neighbor to see what they have that we do not or what we have that they do not. Rather, we will fall to our knees in humble prayer and thank God for all He has blessed us with through His grace that we do not deserve. We have to let go of the media hype for "more, better, different" things that "everyone must have" and we need to place our lives in God's hands asking Him that His great and perfect will be done in our lives and through us. The more we focus on serving God and on praising and thanking Him for what we do have, then the more we will step toward true peace and happiness. I tell you from experience that it is difficult to praise God through your tears, fears and pain but I can also tell you it is worth it because then you can truly feel His presence through all of life's storms. Please join me in prayer:
Heavenly Father,
We ask You to open our hearts to Your Spirit that You may dwell within us and we may serve You and You alone. Please help us keep You as our daily focus as we strive to serve You in all that we do. We thank You for the many blessings you have granted to us and we praise Your holy name for Your grace is more than we deserve. Lord, we know many need Your healing touch, spiritually, mentally and physically. We ask that as our great Healer You please grant Your grace, mercy and divine healing comfort to those most in need of it and especially to Lee, Pam, Helen, Larry, George, Karen, Mark & Lynn. We thank You that You never leave us and are always with us until the end of days even through our valleys. We ask Your guidance to our leaders, both political and theological. Grant them You wisdom that they may lead us all in the right direction, towards You. Father, we especially thank You for those who serve You and us in every arm of the military. Please grant Your extraordinary favor, protection and deliverance to all the soldiers and their families. We thank You for the blessing of prayer and the connection to You that it brings. We ask that this prayer please be carried out not according to our will but to thine. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

I pray you each have a blessed and awesome week!!!
Love through Christ,
Niki

Niki's Thoughts Update!

To my beloved Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I can't believe that it has been 4 months since I have typed a "Niki's Thoughts" email. A lot has happened to my family since then as I am sure has in each of your as well. I have kept you all in my thoughts and prayers and have been continuing to ask God how He will use me to serve Him and do His will. I feel His prompting to begin the weekly emails again...with a "new" format. I'm going to explore a Bible in a Year reading plan and each week's message will come from the passages explored throughout that week's planned reading. With Saturday just two short days away there is not much time to do any pre-reading however at the end of each message I plan to give the following week's reading plan in case anyone would like to read along throughout the week. If you no longer have an interest in receiving "Niki's Thoughts" please reply to this email so I may remove you from the list. Otherwise, I look forward to beginning this journey with you again.
Love through Christ,
Niki

The Son Has Set Us Free

John 8:34-36 "Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.  Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.""

 

Imagine what we do know about slaves and how they were treated and then compare that to how we feel when we are chained down by numerous sins we've not repented for...until I read this verse today (and this is not the first time I've heard or read it) I still didn't fully get it.  Now it's the most clear picture in my head, God has shown me what my sins are physically doing to me!  He is also showing me how He has set me free through repentance and the cross!  Yet God does not stop there, He has not just set us free to go out into the world free but without family and roots, He has adopted us into His family permanently!  It blows my mind wide open to think about the amazing love He has for us and how long I was not fully taking Him at His Word.  I know the lessons I've learned are valuable but I can also see that some of what I've gone through was perhaps unnecessary...however, God has taken it all and worked it for good!  Had I not lived what I've lived I would not be who I am today, I would not desire to serve Him in the ways I am now and hope to someday be...and I think I would definitely not have the same perspective that I have and let me tell you, from my experience in working positions where you have to deal with all different kinds of people on a daily basis, perspective is seriously important!  God wants to shift our perspective to focus on Him, His promises and on the freedom He has already given us.  He has set you free, what will you do with your freedom today?  Will you please join me in prayer?  (If I have removed a name from this list that you would like me to continue praying for please let me know, thanks so much!!!)

 

Dear Father, 

We have been long burdened by the shackles and chains of sin, enslaved to the evil one through our stubborn nature which kept us from repenting to You and asking for and accepting the forgiveness You have made available to us through Your precious cross.  Please help us to see that we are not only hurting ourselves but also You as You watch us ignore the help You have offered.  Please forgive our sins and cleanse our souls accepting us into You loving arms once again.  Lord, we continue to thank You for the blessing of protection You grant us through our soldiers, police, firefighters and paramedics.  Please protect and bless them and their families abundantly.   We also thank You for those who serve You and serve us through Your calling to be our clergy.  We ask that You please bless them to keep us in Your Word and Your Truth many years to come.  Please bless all of our leaders to make the right decisions.  Lord, we believe You are the one true and Triune God and we believe true healing comes only from You, spiritually, emotionally, physically or mentally it is You who heals and we ask that You please grant Your awesome healing to all those in need, but especially to Summer, Sharon, Amber & Michael, Ward, Karen, Kim, Abby, Lynn & Mark, Heidi, Pam, Suzy, Mrs. Beaver, Mary, Meg, Mike, Deanna, unborn baby Lauren and to all those who we may name to You now.  We ask that You not only heal them but also please bless them with everything You know they need most right now.  We pray that all we've asked here may be done not according to our desires but according to Your will and in Jesus' name.  Amen.

Fear Not

Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with My righteous right hand."

 

There are many verses in the Bible where God or His angel(s) tell His believers not to fear...there is a New Testament passage {the book escapes my memory this morning} that tells us we have not received the spirit of fear from God rather it is the work of the evil one.  Our purpose here is to bring glory to God and we cannot glorify Him if we let fear overtake faith.  I still have some fears I am battling, but ask me a year or two ago and I would not have been able to count them they were so numerous.  God has been teaching me to let go of that fear and let Him direct the entire path of my life.  He is in control, our purpose is to glorify Him and He will protect us unless tragedy or storms are meant to come to our lives to strengthen us or to refine us.  We need to cling tightly to our faith in God that He is Sovereign and He will not forsake us and we must allow Him to teach us to pray away any fears that do try to creep in.  God has never forsaken His people who set their hopes and faith in Him and He's not going to start breaking His promises now...but we must have faith in Him, we must battle away any fearful thought in our minds through the gift of the power of prayer.  You will be amazed, as I have been, at the slow changes that eventually have you looking back on how far you've come and how much better it feels to have built an instinct to pray at the first hint of any fearful thought.  Please join me in prayer now:

 

Dear Lord,

We come to You this morning in thankful amazement at the power of Your gift of prayer as our lifeline to You and as a weapon against fear.  Please help us to build our instincts to bring us to You in prayer if the evil one tries to invade our minds with fearful thoughts or feelings.  Help us to remain patient as we journey to this trusting place with You.  Father, we thank You again for the blessings of those who You use to protect us here in this world, soldiers, police, firefighters and paramedics.  Please bless and protect them and their families abundantly.   We also continue to be thankful for those who serve You and serve us through Your calling to be clergy.  We ask that You please bless them to keep us in Your Word and Your Truth many years.  Bless our leaders to make the right decisions.  Lord, we believe You are the one true and Triune God and we believe true healing comes only from You, be it spiritually, emotionally, physically or mentally and we ask that You please grant Your awesome healing to all those in need, especially Summer, Sharon, Melissa, Morgan, Phyllis, Carolyn, Randy, Emily, Brenda, Sheila, Mr & Mrs Jones, Darlene, Brandy's Mom, Nancy, Fran, Rob, Cathy, Alex, Melissa, Benjamin, Amber & Michael, Ward, Karen, Kim, Abby, Lynn & Mark, Heidi, Pam, Suzy, Tammy, Mary, Meg, Mike, Deanna, unborn baby Lauren and to all those who we may name to You now.  We pray that all we've asked here may be done not according to our wants but according to Your will and in Jesus' name.  Amen.

 

I pray that you may each have a safe, awesome and blessed weekend and week ahead.  I have a request for prayer updates.  I apologize I have not been better of keeping track of these myself but if I could get an update from everyone on who we should continue praying for and who we should rejoice in healing for than I will work to keep up with weekly updates before each "thoughts" email.  Thanks so much for allowing me the honor of praying with you for your loved ones and friends!!  I am truly blesses through each of you and through your continued interest in reading these emails.  Thank you again!

 

Love through Christ,

Niki

Facing The Storm

Genesis 9:16 "Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind in the earth."

The announcement of a Tornado Watch used to tie me up in knots with fear and anxiety, forget about a Tornado Warning - that would send me to the kookoo farm!  But the amazing thing about giving over control of your life to God is that those things which used to scare me the most seem insignifigant because I know if it is not your time for tragedy than God will protect you...and if you are to face the storm than He knows you are ready for it and He will not leave your side as He guides you through it.  So instead of freaking out and running in crazy circles wondering where the safest place in our house would be, I grabbed the camera and ran out on our porch...nuts, I know!  However, had I not reacted in that way, my family and I would have missed out on one of God's awesome paintings...a double full arc rainbow!  Sometimes life is like that, we have to face the storm, or the possibility of the storm in order to fully receive the blessings and good things God has planned for us.  God has made us so many wonderful promises and His Word is solid and sure...and according to His precious Word, He will never leave us, He will never give us more than we can stand up under and He will credit our faith to us as rightesousness.  Sure, when we hand over our life to God and let Him guide our steps there is not a guarantee that the path with be smooth, but "if God leads you to it, He'll lead you through it."  Whatever storm you may be facing today I pray that God grants you the strength to get through it, comfort to stay peaceful during it and the wisdom to see His blessings shining through the clouds.  Please join me in prayer:

Holy Father,
We know in life there are and will continue to be many storms.  We thank You, that by Your Word's promise, You will turn all our storms to good because we love You.  Please help us to always stay faithful enough to look for Your blessings even in the nmidst of immenent tragedy.  Lord, we are ever grateful to You for those You have chosen to serve Your churches, please grant that they may continue to spread Your love and Your Word for many blessed years.  We thank You also for all our service men and women and ask that You grant protection and favor to them all and their families.  God, we acknowledge that Your healing is the only true and needed healing for our souls, bodies, minds, and hearts.  Please grant Your supernatural healing to all of us but most especially to Summer, Sharon, Melissa, Morgan, Phyllis, Carolyn, Randy, Emily, Brenda, Sheila, Mr & Mrs Jones, Darlene, Brandy's Mom, Nancy, Fran, Rob, Cathy, Alex, Melissa, Benjamin, Amber & Michael, Ward, Karen, Kim, Abby, Lynn & Mark, Heidi, Pam, Suzy, Mike, Deanna, unborn baby Lauren and to all of those whom we may personally name to you now.  We know that Your way is perfect, and therefore we ask that all our requests may be done not according to our wants but rather according to Your will and in Jesus' precious name.  Amen.

Have a blessed and awesome week!  Christ is Risen!  Truly He is Risen!

Love through Christ,

Niki 

P.S. Here's a picture of the awesome work of God's hand!!!

 

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Doubting or Believing?

John 20:27-29 "Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."  Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!"  Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.""

 

How often when things do not go the way we planned it do we become doubting Thomas,' questioning God's plan or maybe even His existence?  As the road of life gets rocky and rough do we ask for proof before we believe there is a light at the end of the tunnel?  Or do we, as the myrrh bearing women who were greeted by the angel instead of Jesus lifeless body, believe and go to proclaim to the world that Christ is risen!  Truly He is risen!  Just as Jesus said to Thomas so also I believe He is saying to us when we waiver, "Stop doubting and believe."  God has filled our lives with countless blessings and innumerable possibilities but we must have complete faith in Him and not limit Him with our doubts.  I really know that this is way easier to say than it is to do!  However, I believe it is so rewarding to have the kind of relationship with God that puts our trust in Him completely.  I have found the more I believe without seeing, the more I see all that I am already blessed with that I used to take for granted...the less I doubt like Thomas, the less I worry about what the future holds because I know my redeemer lives and He is coming back for me someday to bring me to His paradise!  Christ is Risen!  Truly He is Risen!  Please join me in prayer:

 

Holy Lord,

We have all sinned and doubted You and Your awesome, merciful promises at some point in our lives.  Please forgive us and help us to open our hearts to Your Spirit that You may guide us to cling to You and believe even without seeing.  Lord we thank You for all Your blessings, especially the people whom You've blessed us with, our clergy, soldiers, police & fire fighters.  Please bless them all through Your divine grace, mercy and protection.  Father, we know that Your healing is the ultimate and true healing for body, mind, soul and heart.  Please grant Your supernatural healing to Summer, Sharon, Melissa, Morgan, Phyllis, Carolyn, Randy, Emily, Brenda, Sheila, Mr & Mrs Jones, Darlene, Brandy's Mom, Nancy, Fran, Rob, Cathy, Alex, Melissa, Benjamin, Amber & Michael, Ward, Karen, Kim, Abby, Lynn & Mark, Heidi, Pam, Mike, Deanna, unborn baby Lauren and to all of those whom we personally name to you now.  We recognize that Your way is perfect, and we ask that all our requests may be done not according to our wants but according to Your will and in Jesus precious name.  Amen.

 

Have a blessed and awesome week!  Christ is Risen!  Truly He is Risen!

Love through Christ,

Niki

He is risen!

Tomorrow I will resume Daily Verses, thank you all for your patience and understanding this past week... Christ is risen!!  Truly He is risen!!!

 

Luke 24:5-6 "In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, "Why do you look for the living among the dead?  He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:"

 

There is a quote, I forget who said, that says, "If God feels far away guess who moved?"  I imagine these women who came on the 3rd day to anoint Jesus body as was their custom...I imagine they must have felt like God was very far away from them if He could allow their precious Jesus to die.  However, Jesus had told them what to expect and so if they were counting then they would not have had to come to the tomb to hear, He is not here."  I think sometimes in life it would help if an angel came to us and said, "Hey!  He is not here," as we approach a path that leads us away from God.  It is an amazing faith journey to go off the path and come back onto it through seeking God though.  Other times I think that God may lead us to where 'He is not here' because God knows there is a need for Him to be there and He wants to use us to bring Him there...that's a scary and amazing thing to approach.  Can you imagine how you would feel if you led even one non-believer to Christ's promised paradise?  Can you imagine going where 'He is not here' and not saving someone?  That probably unsettles me more than trying to share Jesus' saving grace with someone who does not know.  I would be eternally disappointed in myself if I felt God telling me, 'He is not here' but I did nothing to try and bring Him 'here.'  As we have now all celebrated Easter and His holy resurrection, let's not lose that 'wow' feeling of knowing at the tomb, "He is not here" because He has gone to prepare a place for us and in the mean time He'd love it if we lived for Him and brought Him with us where we go!  Let's pray:

 

Heavenly Lord,  Thank You for Your saving grace, through Your death and resurrection.  Thank You for forgiveness through Your cross and for the promise of eternal life with You!  Please help us to hang on to the spiritual amazement we experience at Easter throughout the rest of this year.  Lord we thank You for all Your blessings, especially the people whom You've blessed us with, our clergy, soldiers, police & fire fighters.  Please bless them all through Your divine grace, mercy and protection.  Father, we know that Your healing is the ultimate and true healing for body, mind, soul and heart.  Please grant Your supernatural healing to Summer, Sharon, Melissa, Morgan, Phyllis, Carolyn, Randy, Emily, Brenda, Sheila, Mr & Mrs Jones, Darlene, Brandy's Mom, Nancy, Fran, Rob, Cathy, Alex, Melissa, Benjamin, Amber & Michael, Ward, Karen, Kim, Abby, Lynn, Mark, Heidi, Mike, Deanna, unborn baby Lauren and to all of those whom we personally name to you now.  We recognize that Your will is perfect and we ask that all this may be done not according to our wants but according to Your will and in Jesus precious name.  Amen.

 

Have a blessed week!  Christ is risen!

Love through Christ,

We Can Do Everything

I Corinthians 10:23 ""Everything is permissible"-but not everything is beneficial.  "Everything is permissible"-but not everything is constructive."

 

God gives us the choice between the right thing and "everything" and no one can make this choice for us.  God gave each of us free will from the time He created us - "Everything is permissible."  However, we can see throughout history that from the first two people on through today that not everything is beneficial or constructive...some of our choices damage our relationship with God by tearing us away from Him through sin.  Some of our choices lead us to a path that is so far from God that we cannot feel His presence and perhaps even begin to doubt He is still with us.  But God promises us that He is always with us and so if it feels like He is far away I guess we need to think about who moved...reflection, repentance and reconciliation can bring us back into His loving embrace where He never stopped reaching for us to return to.  We truly can do everything but as we grow closer to our Lord and Savior through our personal relationship with Him we will begin to yearn for only doing the right thing because not everything is good.  So when I focus on this scripture I think about what is beneficial and constructive.  I make a choice to strive for not doing everything but doing good things for the glory of God.  So, who's with me?!  Please join me in prayer:

 

Holy God,

We thank You for not placing limits on our choices, for everything being permissible.  Please help us to learn from this free will, help us to strengthen our relationship with You through the choices we make.  Help us to use even our bad choices to learn from, repent of and draw us close to You.  Lord we thank You for all Your blessings, especially the people whom You've blessed us with, our clergy, soldiers, police & fire fighters.  Please bless them all through Your divine grace, mercy and protection.  Father, weknow that Your healing is the ultimate and true healing for body, mind, soul and heart.  Please grant Your supernatural healing to Summer, Sharon, Melissa, Morgan, Phyllis, Carolyn, Randy, Emily, Brenda, Sheila, Mr & Mrs Jones, Darlene, Brandy's Mom, Nancy, Fran, Rob, Cathy, Alex, Melissa, Benjamin, Amber & Michael, Ward, Karen, Kim, Mike, Deanna, unborn baby Lauren and to all of those whom we personally name to you now.  We recognize that Your will is perfect and we ask that all this may be done not according to our wants but according to Your will and in Jesus precious name.  Amen.

 

In observance of "Greek Easter," I may need to cut down the daily verses for this week to allow time for my personal reflections and prayer through our holy week this week ahead.  I thank you all for your continued interest in receiving these weekly messages and/or daily verses.  I appreciate your understanding in my limited presence during this special week.  Christ has risen!!  He has risen indeed!  Alleluia!!! Have a blessed week!!! 

 

Love through Christ,

Niki

Being God's Children

I John 3:1 "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!  The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know Him."

 

I love when a verse, one single verse of God's precious Word, holds so many messages!  This verse begins by celebrating the awesome and nearly incomprehensible fact that we are called God's children!  The God who is larger than the heavens, who existed before time, who created time, has blessed us to be called His children!  For me it is the ultimate "warm fuzzies" feeling...you know that feeling you get when someone tells you a special story and you start to get chills up and down?  Yeah, it's like that when I really focus on what it really means to be called a child of God.  It means we are defined not by who we are but by whose we are.  We are God's, His creation, His children, His love for us is greater than any love in the history of history!  The other message that this verse holds for me is in the last sentence of it.  Have you ever felt like no one "got" you?  The people at work, school, in the grocery store, or wherever you had to go outside of church...did you ever feel almost like an outsider?  I feel that John is telling us that when we are truly living for God then the "world," or more precisely all who are of the world, does not understand us at all because they do not know God and His love and what it is to be loved by Him.  The Bible tells us not to be of the world because the world is just this temporary home for us, He's preparing His mansion for us in heaven.  While the "world" may not know us, our church family does because they "get" what it is to be called children of God.  This is why it is so important to have our fellowship with those who do know us because they will give us a good foundation in God...we'll need that when we go out in the world for God expects us to share with the world His good news so that everyone has a chance to have God's love lavished upon them and know this ultimate "warm fuzzy" of being called His children.  Let's pray together:

 

Dear Father,

It is nearly overwhelming the love which You have given to us to bless us with being called Your children.  Thank You for this blessing!  Please help us to share Your love with others of this world so that they too may know the amazing feeling of truly belonging to You.  Father we continually thank and praise You for our clergy. We ask that You may please keep them in Your blessing that they may continue to rightly teach us Your Word.  God we also ask that You please grant Your extraordinary protection and supernatural blessings to our service men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect us from those who would harm us...please grant that Your favor may go before them and completely surround them daily.  Lord, we are fully aware that Your healing is the true and only healing that we need.  We've come to realize there are many who we love and cherish that are in special need of Your miraculous healing hand for physical, emotional and spiritual healing.  We come to You today and ask that You may grant Your healing to Summer, Summer, Sharon, Melissa, Morgan, Phyllis, Carolyn, Randy, Emily, Brenda, Sheila, Mr & Mrs Jones, Darlene, Brandy's Mom, Nancy, Fran, Rob, Cathy, Alex, Melissa, Benjamin, Amber & Michael, Ward and all those who we individually name to you now...  Please wrap them each in a Spiritual hug of Your comfort and peace.  Finally, we lift up to You Mike, Deanna and Lauren and ask that You please grant Mike & Deanna peace and hope as they await Lauren's birth and also please grant Lauren a safe arrival and a healthy, long life devoted to You.  We ask all these things may be done yet not according to our wants but according to Your will.  In Jesus name.  Amen. 

Have a blessed week ahead!

Love through Christ,

Niki

His Good Works In You

Philippians 1:6 "being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

 

Ever feel like your faith journey is two steps forward and several steps back?  Like your heart and soul are in a tug-o-war and you're just not sure who will win?  I have felt that way for years but I love this passage that I heard Beth Moore quote this past week.  God's not done with me, He's not done with you and He's not going to be done for a while!  God has begun good works in all of us and He has every intention of carrying on this good work to the day of Christ Jesus...yup, that's right, not just as long as we live here on this earth, but as long as this earth is here God will continue to carry on the good works He starts in us!!  Whoa!  That floored me when I really took the time to contemplate what that really means.  It is just another way the Bible shows us how much bigger and more powerful our God is than the evil that surrounds us and tries to drag us down.  I love that saying about not telling God how big our problem is rather tell our problems how big our God is.  He's bigger than the universe and He has a plan for each of us and for the good works He is carrying on through us and through our lives here.  I know it is hard some days but I believe if we just remember that God is using us for these good works and that He is going to keep the good going on and on...well, then it may start to feel more like we are on the winning tug-o-war team every time!  Please join me in prayer:

 

Holy Lord,

We come to You today in awe of the good works You have not only begun in us but will carry on through the day of Christ Jesus.  Thank You for allowing us the privilege of being Your vessels of good works on this earth.  Please help us to remember this when we feel like we are struggling, tumbling and falling.  Father, we thank You for all Your ordained servants who guide and lead us in our faith journeys.  We ask that You bless them so that they may rightly continue teaching us Your Word for many years.  We praise and thank You for the brave men and women who serve in the military, police and fire departments.  Please bless and protect them and their families greatly for they are blessing us with their chosen sacrifices.  God, we know that You are the one and true source for all forms of healing and we are grateful for Your grace, mercy and deliverance.  This week we come to You and ask that You may grant physical, mental, and/or spiritual healing especially for Summer, Sharon, Melissa, Morgan, Phyllis, Carolyn, Randy, Emily, Brenda, Sheila, Mr & Mrs Jones, Darlene, Brandy's Mom, Nancy, Fran, Rob, Cathy, Alex, Melissa, Benjamin, Amber & Michael and all those whom we individually name to You.  Please grant them all Your comfort and peace and help them to feel enveloped in a Spiritual hug of Your presence.  Lord, please also grant special protection to Mike, Deanna and unborn baby Lauren as they await the joyous celebration of her arrival.  We acknowledge that Your Will and timing for our lives is perfect and right and therefore we ask all these things may be done according to Your Will and in the precious name of Your Son, Jesus.  Amen.

 

Have an awesome and blessed weekend and week ahead!!

Love through Christ,

Niki 

Prepare For Battle

I Thessalonians 5:8 "But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet."

 

This is just one of multiple references to putting on the armor of God.  We are in a battle and God knows it and He is on our side and has sent us the needed equipment.  God has already revealed to us through the final chapter in His Word that He will be victorious...so this is a battle worth fighting!

 

Dear Father, Thank You for the armor You have provided to protect us from the battle of living for You.  Please help me to remember to pray this armor on every morning so I am equipped for this battle which ultimately I know You will win.  Amen.

Who's Your Friend?

Psalm 139:1 "O Lord, You have searched me and You know me."

 

How many friends do you have?  How many are so close that you really and truly feel that they know you...really know you?  At best a handful, right?  We have friends we are close with, friends we trust, but what friends do we really open up to about all our hopes, dreams and secrets...for most of us not many, or sadly for some that number would be zero.  But even if you search your heart and search your friend pool and you find that there are few to none there is still great news...God knows you!  I believe it was Max Lucado who once said, "God not only knows your story, He wrote the book." {I may not be recalling this quote 100% accurately here.} To me it is awe-inspiring and unbelievable that my awesome God, who made the heavens and the earth, whom heaven cannot contain, who existed before there was time, He loves me so much that He truly knows me.  He knows who I am, who I want to be and who He wants me to be.  Our Lord and our Savior is also our Best Friend...if we let Him be.  God has searched us, He knows us, He created us and He has a perfect plan for our lives to prosper and have hope.  But will we let Him in?  Will we allow ourselves the comfort of having a friend that great to come to with all our sorrows and all our joys?  I am ever trying to get to that point where I tell it all to God the same way I call up my best friends and "spill the beans" with them.  The more we come to God with our friendship the more I think we will find that His friendship has always been there waiting for us to realize, "What a Friend We Have In Jesus."  Please join me in prayer:

 

Dear Lord,

We come to You to give thanks for Your amazing friendship.  You have shown a pure and awesome example on how to be a true friend.  Please help us to follow Your example and offer our friendship with open hearts and open arms and without expecting the love to be returned.  Please also help us to come to You to share in all our good and bad times as true friends do and help us to remember that You really do know us better than anyone else ever will.  We thank You for the earthly friends that we do have and pray for the blessings upon them to be many for they are blessings to us.  Lord, we are continually thankful for those You have blessed to lead us in our spiritual journeys, our priests and clergy.  Please persevere Your favor and guidance in their lives so that they may rightly maintain the path of leading us to You.  God, may You please also remember those who serve us in the military, police, fire rescue and armed forces.  They offer protection to us in our times of need and we pray that You daily grant them Your supernatural protection.  Father You are the ultimate healer and Your healing is the only true healing.  We know many who need Your healing, spiritually, physically and emotionally, please grant this especially to Summer, Sharon, Melissa, Morgan, Phyllis, Carolyn, Randy, Emily, Brenda, Sheila, Mr & Mrs Jones, Darlene, Brandy's Mom, Nancy, Fran, Rob, Cathy, Alex, Melissa, Benjamin, Amber and all those who we individually name to you now... Please wrap them each in a Spiritual hug of Your comfort and peace allowing them rest in Your strong and loving arms.  Finally, we lift up to You Mike, Deanna and Lauren and ask that You please grant Mike & Deanna peace and hope as they await Lauren's birth and also please grant Lauren a safe arrival and a healthy, long life devoted to You.  We ask all these things may be done yet not according to our will rather be it done according to Yours.  In Jesus name.  Amen. 

***Quick Note***

I will have no computer access this weekend and will be unable to forward Daily Verses or Weekly Thoughts.  I pray that if you are celebrating Easter this weekend than your celebration may be blessed and filled with God's holy, loving presence.  I will email some belated thoughts late Sunday or early Monday.

Love through Christ,

Niki

Called To Live A Holy Life

I Thessalonians 4:7 "For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life."

 

We've all heard it..."No one ever said life would be easy"...and giving up all impurities is hard work!  However, how rewarding would it be to watch God work in our lives more and more as we let go of the things that separate us from Him?  We'll never be perfect, only God can accomplish that...but we can sure work hard to limit the bad choices we make, right?  My impurities seem endless when I forget that God's already forgiven me of them.  The ones I know I need to work on the most are able to be overcome when I re-shift my focus and let God take control of all of my life.  Have I gotten to that point in my life where I am living a holy life?  No, I'm not there yet, yet I think the first step in changing anything in our lives is to admit we need to change, the second step is to truly desire that change and the third step is to give the controls over to God and keep them in His hands.  He is calling us to lead a holy life, to dedicate our lives to Him and to His work...that is our purpose, that is what it's all about...not the hokey-pokey, not the bigger house or better job it is about living for Him and He is calling us to do so...He's given us the instruction manual, we just need to get in there and read, absorb and take action!  Are you with me?  Let's dive in together!  Please pray with me:

 

Heavenly Father,

We come to You in humble thankfulness for all You have given us.  Your grace, mercy and blessings overflow even though we will never come close to deserving them.  We repent this day of our sins, our impurities which separate us from You.  We ask that You forgive us these sins and cleanse ours souls from all impurities.  Please take control of our lives Lord and lead us to live a holy life for You.  Father we continually thank and praise You for our clergy. We ask that You may please keep them in Your blessing that they may continue to rightly teach us Your Word.  God we also ask that You please grant Your extraordinary protection and supernatural blessings to our service men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect us from those who would harm us...please grant that Your favor may go before them and completely surround them daily.  Lord, we are fully aware that Your healing is the true and only healing that we need.  We've come to realize there are many who we love and cherish that are in special need of Your miraculous healing hand for physical, emotional and spiritual healing.  We come to You today and ask that You may grant Your healing to Summer, Sharon, Melissa, Morgan, Phyllis, Carolyn, Randy, Emily, Brenda, Mr & Mrs Jones, Darlene, Nancy, Fran, Rob, Cathy, Alex, Melissa, Benjamin, Michelle, Heidi and all those who we individually name to you now...  Please wrap them each in a Spiritual hug of Your comfort and peace.  Finally, we lift up to You Mike, Deanna and Lauren and ask that You please grant Mike & Deanna peace and hope as they await Lauren's birth and also please grant Lauren a safe arrival and a healthy, long life devoted to You.  We ask all these things may be done yet not according to our wants but according to Your will.  In Jesus name.  Amen. 

 

For those of you who are celebrating your holy week this week I wish you a week filled with the Spirit of God as you reflect on the last week of His life before the cross and a most blessed Palm Sunday.  As an Orthodox Christian my family and I will not celebrate this week as our church calendar works out a little differently for the Easter celebration.

 

Have a blessed weekend and week ahead!!

Love through Christ,

Niki

Need a Reminder? I do!

Psalm 3:3-4, 8 "But You are a shield around me, O Lord, my Glorious One, who lifts up my head.  To the Lord I cry aloud, and He answers me from His holy hill...From the Lord comes deliverance.  May Your blessing be on Your people."

 

I know sometimes I seem to be going back to the same type of message over and over...I do worry about sounding like a broken record.  However, then I think if I need to be reminded constantly that God is our deliverance, our shield and He is always with us through it all, then maybe {hopefully} you do not get tired of reading this...hopefully, you need to be reminded of this as well.  I think that is part of why it is said so many places and so many ways throughout His precious Word because He knows we are "weak" and in need of His help and His comforting presence.  I know too often a lot of us try to take on the world on our own and compared to us alone it's a big world and it can become quickly overwhelming.  But when we rely on our God, when we tell our problem, situation, etc. how big our God is and let Him take care of the rest than we can focus our energy on Him and on listening to Him for the right direction for our lives.  God will lift up our heads and bless us beyond our imaginations if we do not limit Him by having faith only in ourselves.  Please pray with me:

Dear Lord,

We know You will and do deliver us from all we encounter according to Your will.  We also know in our hearts that Your are always with us no matter where we go and no matter what we are going through.  Please continue to remind us that You will answer us, lift us up and bless us.  Father we continually thank and praise You for our clergy. We ask that You may please keep them in Your blessing that they may continue to rightly teach us Your Word.  God we also ask that You please grant Your extraordinary protection and supernatural blessings to our service men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect us from those who would harm us...please grant that Your favormay go before them and completely surround them daily.  Lord, we are fully aware that Your healing is the true and only healing that we need.  We've come to realize there are many who we love and cherish that are in special need of Your miraculous healing hand for physical, emotional and spiritual healing.  We come to You today and ask that You may grant Your healing to Summer, Sharon, Melissa, Morgan, Phyllis, Carolyn, Randy, Emily, Brenda, Sheila, Mr & Mrs Jones, Darlene, Brandy's Mom, Nancy, Fran, Rob, Cathy, Alex, Melissa, Benjamin, The Wood family and all those who we individually name to you now...  Please wrap them each in a Spiritual hug of Your comfort and peace.  Finally, we lift up to You Mike, Deanna and Lauren and ask that You please grant Mike & Deanna peace and hope as they await Lauren's birth and also please grant Lauren a safe arrival and a healthy, long life devoted to You.  We ask all these things may be done yet not according to our wants but according to Your will.  In Jesus name.  Amen. 

Have a blessed week ahead!

Love through Christ,

Niki

Priceless Sacrifice

John 3:16--17 "For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him."

 

I think the verse John 3:16 holds a special place in most of our hearts, we've probably heard it hundreds of times since our first experience with Christ.  I really like reading it together with the 17th verse though because here it really reinforces the concept that He takes us just as we are.  God does not want to condemn us and His new blood covenant with us is through the blood of His Lamb, His one and only Son, and all He asks from us is to believe.  Okay, so when we believe than we usually want to act in a more pleasing way for God, we acknowledge that we need to repent of our wicked ways so He may forgive us our sins and wash us clean by the power of that blood...but God has really done all the work, it is not work that makes us His children, it is faith.  Faith that He loved us, His adopted and chosen people, enough to send His one and only Son to suffer and die as a man so that we may all be reunited with Him in heaven when He calls us home.  Faith that He has a plan to prosper our lives and give us a hope and a future in Him.  Faith that His Son died on that cross to saves us from certain death without condemnation.  Faith that no matter how hard we fall away He will always accept our humble repentance and fold us back into His arms as He washes our sins away and wipes the slate clean so that we can start anew, blameless as His Lamb.  This amazing gift driven by a love deeper than we can fathom is the ultimate "MasterCard commercial"...Priceless!  I cannot help but get excited and humbled all over again every time I read these verses.  It reignites my faith over and over again to know that God does not condemn me, He is saddened by my mistakes but He has already taken care of them and He sees me as His new creation all over again when I repent and believe.  Please join me in prayer:

 

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your ultimate sacrifice, Your one and only, blameless Son.  Thank You for the grace of salvation through Him and forgiveness by His blood.  We truly praise Your holy name for this incomprehensible love and mercy that You have given to us.  Please help us to remember that You did this solely from that love and not to condemn us but to save us.  Please also help us to remember that if we feel like we are falling away from You and Your perfect plan for our lives that we need to come to You in complete repentance so that You can wash us clean in the blood of the Lamb.  Lord, we are continually thankful for those You have blessed to lead us in our spiritual journeys, our priests and clergy.  Please persevere Your favor and guidance in their lives so that they may rightly maintain the path of leading us to You.  God, may You please also remember those who serve us in the military, police, fire rescue and armed forces.  They offer protection to us in our times of need and we pray that You daily grant them Your supernatural protection.  Father You are the ultimate healer and Your healing is the only true healing.  We know many who need Your healing, spiritually, physically and emotionally, please grant this especially to Summer, Sharon, Melissa, Morgan, Phyllis, Carolyn, Randy, Emily, Brenda, Sheila, Mr & Mrs Jones, Darlene, Brandy's Mom, Nancy, Fran, Rob, Cathy, Alex, Melissa, Benjamin and all those who we individually name to you now... Please wrap them each in a Spiritual hug of Your comfort and peace allowing them rest in Your strong and loving arms.  Finally, we lift up to You Mike, Deanna and Lauren and ask that You please grant Mike & Deanna peace and hope as they await Lauren's birth and also please grant Lauren a safe arrival and a healthy, long life devoted to You.  We ask all these things may be done yet not according to our will rather be it done according to Yours.  In Jesus name.  Amen. 

 

Love through Christ,

Niki

Our Seriously Secure Anchor

I want to thank you each for all of your prayers and patience as I have not been able to get to all this typing lately.  I am still working with only 9 digits however I have gotten somewhat better at it.  For those who did not know what had happened, two weeks ago, I slammed my thumb in our mini vault at work and they had to take me to the ER for x-rays and stitches on my right thumb which I had sliced open pretty good...I was a mess, in shock and close to hyper ventilating but thank the good Lord it was not worse...the doctor said the skin was cut down to the tissue but it did not cut into the tissue, did not hit a nerve and missed the nail bed!   I went home that Thursday afternoon (the 7th) and took the antibiotics and pain killers and laid out on the couch with my hand elevated for two or three days straight and went back to work last Monday (the 11th).   I got the stitches out on this past Monday (18th).  The outer skin has died and so I will need to keep it very clean while new skin grows into its place and the old sloughs off.  It is still a bit sensitive and since I work with money all day I need to keep it covered well but in time it will heal.  Again, I thank you for your prayers, they mean a lot to me and to my family.

 

Hebrews 6:19 "We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.  It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain." 

 

This second half of chapter 6 is talking about God's promises.  Since I spent many of my summers growing up around boats I love the comparison to an anchor here!  I can really grasp this concept...when you wish to stop the boat and just stay put where you are, whether it be to jump off the back and swim around or maybe to "park" in the evening din for a 4th of July fireworks show, boaters will keep an anchor to secure their vessel to the bottom of the ocean or lake.  A really good anchor will hold you securely even in somewhat tumultuous waters, a lot like how God holds us securely even as the world thrashes around us.  The devil may come upon us as giant wave after giant wave but if we have our hope secured in God then our souls are anchored firm and secure.  The next time things look bleek, it seems a storm has snuck up on you and you can't make it back to shore where things are calmer then remember to set your hope anchor in God and feel Him hold you firmly and securely.  He may not always deliver us when we want deliverance however He will always cling tight to us.  Our good Lord will not forsake us, He has promised He will always be with us and we can rely on His promises even more surely than boaters can rely on their anchors.  Please join me in prayer:

 

Dearest heavenly Father,

We thank You for Your secure promises which anchor our souls in the hope and knowledge that You are always with us.  Please help us to always remember that You are our anchor and You will hold onto us even when we've let go of You.  Father we continually thank and praise You for our clergy. We ask that You may please keep them in Your blessing that they may continue to rightly teach us Your Word.  God we also ask that You please grant Your extraordinary protection and supernatural blessings to our service men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect us from those who would harm us...please grant that Your favor may go before them and completely surround them daily.  Lord, we are fully aware that Your healing is the true and only healing that we need.  We've come to realize there are many who we love and cherish that are in special need of Your miraculous healing hand.  We come to You today and ask that You may grant Your healing to Summer, Sharon, Melissa, Morgan, Phyllis, Carolyn, Randy, Emily, Brenda, Sheila, Mr & Mrs Jones, Darlene, Brandy's Mom, Nancy and to all those we individually name to You in our hearts now.   Please wrap them each in a Spiritual hug of Your comfort and peace.  Finally, we lift up to You Mike, Deanna and Lauren and ask that You please grant Mike & Deanna peace and hope as they await Lauren's birth and also please grant Lauren a safe arrival and a healthy, long life devoted to You.  We ask all these things may be done yet not according to our wants but according to Your will.  In Jesus name.  Amen. 

Perspective

 

Thank you all for your patience with me - I was sick the past several days and spent a better portion of them in bed...I appreciate you and thought often of you praying that you would not miss my messages too much.

 

Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him."

 

Sometimes all we need is a new perspective...if we are doing something "because we have to" then we may resent it and grudge our way through it.  But if we do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus than it's no longer about us and this new perspective can help us smile through work, chores, traffic or any other number of things we do every day.

 

Dear Lord,  Thank You for giving us the ultimate perspective on life and all that we do day in and day out.  Please help us to keep You in mind as we accomplish tasks and help us to remember to do all things in Your name and to Your glory.  Amen.

Choosing To Run A Good Race

Galatians 5:7-9 "You were running a good race.  Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?  That kind of persuasion does not come from the One who calls you. "A little yeast works through the whole batch of dough.""

 

As much as we would love for happiness and hope to be the most contagious attitudes, the sad truth is that in many cases negativity and defeat can be much more lethal.  It is a hard task to be the positive one who infects an atmosphere, especially if we put that load on our own shoulders.  However, if we remember that with our Lord all things are possible that burden becomes a little lighter...and then if we devote ourselves to God and keep Him at the forefront of our minds, hearts and soul through the whole day it becomes possible for us to cut in on the negativity and become the ray of Son-shine in the midst of those around us.  If we let ourselves take "it all" on ourselves then it is most likely that we will no longer be running a good race.  But when we choose to let God guide us, to let God persuade our attitudes than I think we may just find ourselves being good yeast than can and will work its way through the dough of those surrounding us.  Making choices like this are essential to growing with God and delighting in His ways.  Making choices like this will help us to serve God and follow His path for our lives.  On the contrary, if we make the wrong choice, we may not only find ourselves being cut in on and disobeying the truth but we may eventually even become part of the problem.  I have learned this lesson the hard way!  But I challenge you to join me and making a new start every day and choosing to let God persuade you to getting back on track, running a good race and being positive "yeast."  Please join me in prayer:

 

Dearest Father,

We come to You and offer our thanks for Your positive persuasion in our lives.  We praise Your holy name for all You do is amazing and Your grace and mercy are beyond our full comprehension.  We ask You today dear Lord to please guide our lives, our footsteps, our choices and our attitudes so that through Your power and love we may inspire hopeful attitudes in those around us and that Your Son may shine through us.  Father we want to continually thank and praise You for our clergy and ask that You may please keep them in Your blessing that they may continue to rightly teach us Your ways.  Lord we ask that You please grant special protection and blessings to those who put their lives on the line every day to protect us from those who would harm us...please grant that Your favor may go before and completely surround our troops and our service men and women.  God we are in constant reminder that Your healing is the true and only healing that we need, we realize there are many who we love and cherish that are in special need of Your miraculous healing hand, we come to You today and ask that You may grant this healing to Summer, Sharon, Melissa, Morgan, Phyllis, Carolyn, Randy, Emily, Brenda, Sheila, Mr & Mrs Jones, Darlene, Brandy's Mom, Nancy and to all those we individually name to You in our hearts now.   Please wrap them each in a Spiritual hug of Your comfort and peace.  Finally, we lift up to You Mike, Deanna and Lauren and ask that You please grant Mike & Deanna peace and hope as they await Lauren's birth and also please grant Lauren a safe arrival and a healthy, long life devoted to You.  We ask all these things may be done according to Your will and in Jesus name.  Amen. 

 

Have a blessed weekend and week ahead!

Love through Christ,

Niki

Prayers

 

Happy Thursday to one and all!

I want to thank you all for your continued interest in receiving the Weekly Thoughts emails, they have been so much of a huge blessing to write and you have each been blessings to me as well.  I also want to thank those of you who joined in praying for my family and I, things have not drastically changed but our outlooks have stayed positive and we can feel God's presence in our lives! 

As I am sure you noticed our prayer list has grown quite a bit and I want to thank you each for praying with me each week as I send out the Weekly Thoughts.  I would like to ask that when you think of it, may you please remember these individuals in your daily prayers?  It is my personal belief that prayer is the most powerful free gift we can give and it is in the top 2 or 3 as far as the best tool God has granted us!  If I can supply updates I will however some of these requests are coming to me from "parties" twice or three times removed from the person we are praying for and so the best I can say is that when they are no longer given to me on prayer lists then hopefully that means they are doing much, much better. 

Again, I am sincerely and deeply grateful for each and every one of you and your time each week and I thank you for joining me in prayer for these brothers and sisters in Christ who need our spiritual hugs.  Please do not hesitate to ask me to add someone to our prayer lists.  Confidentiality is key and I use only first names in my emails to protect privacy since these Thoughts emails are also posted online for anyone to read. 

You can never have too many prayers!

Love through Christ,

Niki

Led By His Spirit

 

Romans 8:14 "because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."

 

Sometimes, when I read a Bible verse, I feel like a kid in a candy store and I think, "OOOOOO!!!  I WANT that!!!"  Wouldn't it be great if we could be filled with His Spirit all the time?  If we could be led by His Spirit in all of our decisions?  If we could always feel like we truly are His children?  I really do want that!  I know it is a long road ahead and it may be filled with bumps or fumbles but isn't it worth it for that kind of relationship with God?  I think before we can be led by His Spirit we need to quiet our hearts and minds until they are totally still so that we can hear His voice.  If we are then led by His Spirit imagine how well we can begin to feel His presence.  And if we are led by His Spirit and filled with His presence then imagine how many fewer regrets we will have along our path in life...and how much more of a "given" it will be for that path to be His path for our lives.  Oh yes, I definitely want that!  Are you in?  Let's Pray:

 

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for Your Spirit and the chance to be led by You.  Thank You for guiding us to the right path via Your precious Words in the Bible.  Please help us to be still and listen for Your voice so that we may be entirely led by Your Spirit and truly be called Your sons and daughters.  Lord we ask that You please continue to grant Your holy and supernatural guidance to our clergy, leading them so they may rightly lead us.  Please keep our troops and service men & women in Your extraordinary favor and protection, delivering them from harm as they stand up to protect us.  God we also ask that You please grant Your miraculous healing to all our friends and family who may be in need, especially Summer, Sharon, Melissa, Morgan, Phyllis, Carolyn, Randy, Emily, Brenda, Sheila,Mr & Mrs Jones, Darlene and Brandy's Mom.  Grant them not only Your divine and gracious healing hand but also Your presence, wrapping them each in a Spiritual hug of comfort and peace.  Finally, we lift up to You Mike, Deanna and Lauren and ask that You please grant Mike & Deanna peace and hope as they await Lauren's birth and also please grant Lauren a safe arrival and a healthy, long life devoted to You.  We ask all these things may be done according to Your will and in Jesus name.  Amen.

 

Have a blessed week ahead!!!

Love through Christ,

Niki

Quick Apology...

I want to thank you all for your interest in reading these weekly messages.  You inspire me to spend more and more time with God each day!  I am very sorry that I got so lax in posting the messages here and will work hard to make sure that it does not happen again.

Love through Christ,

Niki

Eternal Encouragement

 

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 "May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word."

 

Have you ever felt as though you were at the bottom of your barrel and nothing could pick you up and make things right again?  Have you ever turned to a friend for encouragement but then left feeling just as discouraged as when you came?  Paul's second letter to the Thessalonians gently reminds us that God gives us good hope and encouragement and we should look to His grace to encourage our hearts and give us the strength to go on.  It is still our choice as to whether or not we allow God's grace to penetrate our hearts, minds and souls.  God gives us the free will to choose if we will allow Him to lead us to serve Him through our good deeds and words that He inspires in us.  But God has already given us through His grace "eternal encouragement and good hope," because He gave us the promise of eternal life with Him once we leave this earth through His ultimate sacrifice, the death of His one and only Son.  If Jesus can bear the pain and suffering of the entire world then how can we not allow this encouragement to bubble up from within us?  I know I personally have days where it is all I can do to hang onto this, and some days where this encouragement is fought something fierce with the struggles and stresses that face us over and over again.  However, at the end of the day I am able to face another because I do quiet the battle within and listen to God's still voice telling me that He is in control and He has an awesome plan for my life!  And do you know what else?  If you quiet your heart and mind I know He is trying to tell you the same thing, His plan for your life is awesome!  Please join me in prayer:

 

Father in heaven,

We thank you for Your eternal good hope and encouragement that You have given us through Christ Jesus Your only Son.  Please continue to lift us up, encourage us and grant us the quiet moments with You where we can hear Your voice telling us to keep our chins up because You are with us and You are planning great things for our futures.  Lord, we are so very thankful for all you have done for Summer and Sharon.  We ask that You please continue to grant them what they need most, Your healing and blessings.  We lift up to you also Mike,Deanna and Lauren.  Please grant Mike and Deanna your good hope and encouragement as they await Lauren's birth.  Please grant Lauren Your blessings, healing and extraordinary favor for a healthy and long life.  God we also remember our clergy and ask that You may continue to bless them with messages that inspire and encourage us.  We pray for daily protection and deliverance for our troops and service men and women, they sacrifice so much to protect us and we pray that they know we love and appreciate and support them wholly.  Please also bless and protect every one who reads this message, granting Your favor before them today and always.  We ask that all these things may be done according to Your will and in Jesus name.  Amen.

 

Have a blessed weekend and week ahead!!

Love through Christ,

Niki

1-12-2008: Give Careful Thought

 

Haggai 1:7 "This is what the Lord Almighty says, "Give careful thought to your ways."

 

Have you ever said or done anything that you immediately wished you hadn't?  Or maybe it took a day or two for your remorse to set in?  If you are anything like me I'm sure you can relate!  God warns us through Haggai against impulsiveness.  He wants us to give careful thought to our ways - then we would not have as many moments we wished we could live over.  We are not told to simply think it over, God wants us to give our ways, our words, our actions careful thought.  So the next time you feel tempted to blurt something out, or feel an inkling to act impulsively please listen to your heart because it is probably telling you to think it over.  I know mine is!  Please pray with me:

Dear God,

Thank You for Your precious Word and all it's wisdom which it imposes to us.  Please help us to remember that the instruction manual for life has been given to us and all we need to do is read it and believe it.  Father, we continue to be in awe of Your merciful healing hand in those who are ill, injured or hurting in other ways.  We especially thank You for the healing that You have already worked in Summer, Sharon and all others we individually name here, healing that we can see and healing that only You know about.  Please continue to grant Your healing to each of them as we all keep our hope and faith in You.  We continue to be thankful for the men and women who serve us by laying their life on the line day after day to protect us, all branches of Military, Police, Firemen and Paramedics.  May You please grant them Your divine protection and also comfort and peace as many of their jobs take them far from their families and loved ones.  Be also Lord with their families and loved ones granting them Your peace, comfort and strength.  Lastly Father, I ask that You may please bless all who may read these words, grant them Your favor, protection, peace and grace each and every day of their lives.  We ask that all these things may be done according not as we want but as is Your will, in Jesus name.  Amen.

Have a blessed week ahead!!

Love Through Christ,

Niki

My own personal prayer request

 Good morning!

Today as I come before you with this request I am wanting to tell each of you that I am so grateful to be able to share my faith with you every week.  Often times to me a simple thank you does not seem enough to express how inspired you make me feel to know that what God is blessing me to say you are wanting to read.  I have made my emails to all have a "signature" leading to my web pages where I post the Weekly Thoughts and Daily Verses {though I am a little behind and plan to update a lot today} and I also ask for your prayer requests as I believe strongly in the power of prayer, the power of praying in numbers and also that prayer is the best gift we can ever give.  This morning, I ask for you to please remember my family in your prayers.  Most of you know that we made a big move 6 months ago, to NC where we had no family and just a few newfound church friends.  We feel this is where God wants us to be and that He has a plan for our lives here however things have been challenging.  Please pray that my daughter does not lose interest in learning because of one year at a bad school, that I may find a job closer to home that pays more and that we may continue to keep our faith and hope set in God as we have so far.  I thank you again so much!  Asking for help is something God has been teaching me to do lately and it has not been an easy lesson for me but it has been a very humbling one.  I pray that God blesses each of you today and always!

Love Through Christ,

Niki

1-5-2008: Opportunities

 

Colossians 4:5 "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity."

 

The second half of this verse is what really is speaking to me this morning however the first is not to be overlooked.  I know it can be hard to maintain your compassion when you must deal with someone who does not understand you and whom you do not understand, whether it be a language barrier, a culture barrier or just a personality clash...it is made more difficult when the other individual is as willing as you are to make every effort to make the situation work.  However, considering our Lord Himself told us that whatever we do to others we are likewise also doing unto God, well, that makes it a whole other ball game, right?  I guess I'm going to tie these two halve together before I can even get to my other thoughts on the second half because I want to say that we should take every opportunity to treat outsiders as though they are Jesus standing or sitting before us.  How does that change our actions?  Does it change them at all?  Briefly I do want to add that when God closes one door He will open another or at least a window so there is always opportunity around us to make the most of.  We need to stay open to His voice and be ready and willing to give every situation, every opportunity our full passion, strength and love.  Let's pray together:

Heavenly Father,

We thank You for making each of us unique, different and special and we thank You for giving us opportunities to celebrate each other's strengths, ideas and cultures.  Please help us, Lord, to always treat everyone around us, especially "outsiders," as if it were You standing before us since in a way it truly is.  Please also assist us in making the most every opportunity You allow us to receive.  Father, we continue to be in awe of Your merciful healing hand in those who are ill, injured or hurting in other ways.  We especially thank You for the healing that You have already worked in Summer, Sharon and all others we individually name here, healing that we can see and healing that only You know about.  Please continue to grant Your healing to each of them as we all keep our hope and faith in You.  We continue to be thankful for the men and women who serve us by laying their life on the line day after day to protect us, all branches of Military, Police, Firemen and Paramedics.  May You please grant them Your divine protection and also comfort and peace as many of their jobs take them far from their families and loved ones.  Be also Lord with their families and loved ones granting them Your peace, comfort and strength.  Lastly Father, I ask that You may please bless all who may read these words, grant them Your favor, protection, peace and grace each and every day of their lives.  We ask that all these things may be done according not as we want but as is Your will, in Jesus name.  Amen.

Have a blessed weekend and week ahead!!

Love Through Christ,

Niki