Last Week's Combined Readings
from "The One Year Devotional Guide":
Leviticus 9:7-20:21
Mark 4:26-8:38
Psalm 37:30-42:11
Proverbs 10:6-17

May 2nd's Combined Readings

from "The One Year Devotional Guide":

Leviticus 20:22-Numbers 3:51

Mark 9:1-12:17

Psalm 43:1-47:9
Proverbs 10:18-25

Focus: "Christ is risen from the dead! He trampled death by death, and to those in the tombs He has granted life."

In our church this is our Easter hymn which we sing on Easter and throughout the following 40 days. The words are powerful on their own but to participate in the joyous singing with the entire congregation raising their candles (lit with Christ's light) in unison is a goosebumps and happy tears experience. In that moment it is as if all of heaven is joining us and one feels closer to Christ...at least I know I do. Unfortunately, this year I missed out on this extremely Spiritual moment thanks to a nasty stomach virus... It got me thinking though, about how to achieve this closer to God, goosebumps, happy tears feeling every day. I don't think there's one right answer to this, rather I believe that we each have to find our own. Just as we each have a special and unique relationship with our Savior, so also I believe we each must find our own special connection that draws us nearer to God. It could be a hymn from church, or a Bible passage, or a Christian rock song on the radio that speaks to our soul...or maybe it is more than one of these! Once we pinpoint how we can achieve that "wow" closer moment with God then I believe we should re-visit it often! Daily, or if we're finding it is a particularly rough day then perhaps revisit it hourly! No matter what, I think that this is an important daily step in our journey with our Lord. Please pray with me:

Dear Lord,
I praise Your glorious resurrection! I thank You Lord for the special moments we share and I ask You to please grant me a Spiritual nudge daily to remind me to seek these closer times with You. Lord, I want to thank You for all of Your leaders in Your world, Your countries and most especially in Your churches. Please continue to bless all of them and continue to grant them Your wisdom so that they may lead us, Your people, in the right direction. We also thank You for all of 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, Gary, Tim, Jeff, Joy, Ward, Jeff, 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

(I will be out of town this weekend for my husband and my anniversary but will have a Weekly Thoughts ready by May 2nd. Thanks!!!)

Our Hope

This Week's Combined Readings
from "The One Year Devotional Guide":
Leviticus 9:7-20:21
Mark 4:26-8:38
Psalm 37:30-42:11
Proverbs 10:6-17

Next Week's Combined Readings

from "The One Year Devotional Guide":

Leviticus 20:22-Numbers 3:51

Mark 9:1-12:17

Psalm 43:1-47:9

Proverbs 10:18-25

Focus Verse(s): Psalm 38:16
"For in You, O Lord, I hope; You will hear, O Lord, my God."

I'm still fumbling, learning and "becoming Christian" but I am finding that one of the keys to a strong faith is hope. We have to set our hope in our Lord and we have to hold firmly to that hope. This seems to me especially crucial when we are stumbling in the valleys and through the dark...it is usually pretty easy to keep your hope in God when things are going good! However, when we are struggling it is then that we desperately need that Spiritual light at the end of the tunnel. When our sinful, human nature wants to get swallowed up by a pity party and shut down the hope switch we need to remember that our hope is in God, He will hear us, He will NEVER leave us and He is bigger than what troubles us. Remember, "don't tell God how big your problems are, tell your problems how BIG your God is!" If we can focus on this, on securing our hope in our Lord, then I believe we will find ourselves walking closer with our Father...growing stronger in our relationship with our Savior...following our Holy Spirit's guidance and overall feeling less alone. Will you pray with me:

O Lord, my God,
Thank You for being our hope, for hearing us. Please help me to remember to cling to You and to secure my hope in You always. Lord, I want to thank You for all of Your leaders in Your world, Your countries and most especially in Your churches. Please continue to bless all of them and continue to grant them Your wisdom so that they may lead us, Your people, in the right direction. We also thank You for all of 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, Gary, Tim, Jeff, Joy, Ward, Jeff, 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

God Is Calling

This Week's Combined Readings
from "The One Year Devotional Guide":
Exodus 35:10-Leviticus 9:6
Matthew 27:32-Mark 4:25
Psalm 34:1-37:29
Proverbs 9:7-10:5

Next Week's Combined Readings
from "The One Year Devotional Guide":
Leviticus 9:7-20:21
Mark 4:26-8:38

Psalm 37:30-42:11

Proverbs 10:6-17

Focus Verse(s): Mark 1:17-18
"Then Jesus said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men." They immediately left their nets and followed Him."

How many times in our lives do we immediately drop everything and follow Jesus when He calls?If you're like me then it probably isn't often enough! Here I am (incredibly) late again in my tiny weekly effort to share His love and not yet resuming the Daily Verses...yup, not immediately putting God's call into play the way I should be. Sure there's a LOT going on in my life, I'll bet there is a lot going on in yours too, but I'm sure the the disciples all had plenty on their plates too. The difference, I believe, is that they did not use their busy lives as an excuse for not doing what the LORD called them to do. Jesus wants to make all of us His fishers of men... But who among us will answer His call? Who among us will not make any excuses? I hope and pray God will continue to use me to do His will...and I pray I'll be able to drop my excuses once and for all. Will you join me in this journey and listen for God's call in your life? Please join me in prayer:

Dear Jesus,
Please forgive me - I've heard Your call but have not immediately followed. Please help me - send Your Spirit to dwell within me and grant me the strength and discipline to follow You when You call. Lord, I want to thank You for all of Your leaders in Your world, Your countries and most especially in Your churches. Please continue to bless all of them and continue to grant them Your wisdom so that they may lead us, Your people, in the right direction. We also thank You for all of 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, Gary, Tim, Jeff, Joy, Ward, Jeff, 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

True Strength

This Week's Combined Readings
from "The One Year Devotional Guide":
Exodus 23:14-35:9
Matthew 24:29-27:31
Psalm 30:1-33:22
Proverbs 7:24-9:6

Next Week's Combined Readings
from "The One Year Devotional Guide":
Exodus 35:10-Leviticus 9:6

Matthew 27:32-Mark 4:25

Psalm 34:1-37:29

Proverbs 9:7-10:5

Focus Verse(s): Psalm 31:4
"For You are my strength and my refuge, And for Your name's sake You will guide me and sustain me."

So often in my daily life I forget to lean on God and draw my strength from Him. It is then that I feel weak, overwhelmed and incapable...but when I open my heart, and realize I am drifting, I turn to our Father in prayer and He draws me to Himself and grants me the comfort and refuge I need. God wants to guide us and wants us to rely on His strength to sustain ourselves. If only we could completely let go of our egos which want to "do it all by ourselves" and take all the credit then we could remember this Psalm. Consequently, as we give credit to God for our strength He will continue to build His house through us and will be able to use us more and more to do His will. God has a perfect plan for our lives but sometimes He has to lead us through trials to refine us to be more like Him and through these trying times we can learn more and more to let Him be our true strength. But we have to be willing to humble ourselves to relying fully on God for all things, especially our strength! St. John Chrysostom said, "The Scriptures were not given to us only that we might have them in books, but that we might engrave them on our hearts." I urge you to engrave the above verse on your heart and cling to it in the face of any and all trials which God may be leading you through currently or in the future! Will you please pray with me:

Dear Lord,
I want to be able to truly say as David did, "You are my strength." Please soften my heart that Your spirit may dwell within me that I may let You guide me and sustain me and be my one and only strength and refuge. Lord, I want to thank You for all of Your leaders in Your world, Your countries and most especially in Your churches. Please continue to bless all of them and continue to grant them Your wisdom so that they may lead us, Your people, in the right direction. We also thank You for all of 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, Jeff, Mamie's family 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

Spiritual Endurance

This Week's Combined Readings
from "The One Year Devotional Guide":
Exodus 10:1-23:13
Matthew 20:1-24:28
Psalm 25:1-29:11
Proverbs 6:6-7:23

Next Week's Combined Readings
from "The One Year Devotional Guide":
Exodus 23:14-35:9
Matthew 24:29-27:31
Psalm 30:1-33:22
Proverbs 7:24-9:6

Hello to one and all!! Thanks for your continued patience with me getting back on my feet and back on time! I will try my best to get back to Saturday morning emails instead of these sporadic any day messages! I know God will help me get on track and share His love with you!

Focus Verse(s): Matthew 24:12-13
"And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved."

Last week, talking about the state of the economy and things in general, got me thinking about fear. This week, reading this verse and still contemplating the world around us, I am thinking about love and optimism. I see so many emails, news stories, and daily conversations that have people growing more and more negative. I read and hear complaints over various situations and leaders, tales of destruction and war, and overall pessimistic tones to almost everything being circulated... When I read this passage in Matthew it occurred to me that this is exactly what the evil one wants! The devil has planted his seeds and is sitting back watching us destroy ourselves and the world around us. He is laughing as people are growing cold! But God wants us to endure! We can't let ourselves get sucked into the lawlessness and the hopelessness that encompasses the world around us. We need to grasp onto our brothers and sisters in Christ and help each other endure through faith and His Spirit. We need to approach all things with love and with an optimistic attitude. God does not wish to see us perish, He sacrificed His only Son to see us saved! Through prayer, worship, meditation and fellowship I believe we can endure together and we will not grow cold if we cling to God. Will you please pray with me:

Holy Father,
I am torn daily to grow cold as those around me are disheartened by the state of the world today. Please help me to cling to You and endure in love, faith and hope. I want to be a beacon of Your light in this world that is growing dim and I pray that Your Spirit keeps me from growing cold myself. Lord, I want to thank You for all of Your leaders in Your world, Your countries and most especially in Your churches. Please continue to bless all of them and continue to grant them Your wisdom so that they may lead us, Your people, in the right direction. We also thank You for all of 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, Jeff, Mamie 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

Impossible Fears?

This 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

Next Week's Combined Readings
from "The One Year Devotional Guide":
Exodus 10:1-23:13
Matthew 20:1-24:28
Psalm 25:1-29:11
Proverbs 6:6-7:23

Hello to one and all!!
I've missed these emails and typing to you each week! Baby and I are doing great and I am starting to feel more normal energy-wise...most days! Please update me on any prayer requests you would like for us to include in our prayers and also if you no lonoger wish to receive these weekly emails. Thanks for your patience with me getting back on my feet!

Focus Verse(s): Exodus 3:4 - 4:17
The One Year Devotional Guide asks this week, "How did Moses respond when God told him to go lead the Israelites out of Egypt?" Well, he totally freaked out!! Moses was positivley scared out of his mind! First, when God starts to speak to him in chapter 3 verse 6 Moses hid his face. Then, in the rest of this passage I believe I count 5 times where he tries to talk God out of using him. So, I started asking myself, 'Why does God take this man, who seems to be such a chicken, and turn him into one of the great men of the Old Testament?' Well, I believe I found my answer in Matthew 19:26b: "with God all things are possible." Moses and his entire story exemplify this truth! In today's turbulent times, with the state of the economy, the warring nations abroad, and the increasing violence here in the States, it is easy to become scared ourselves. Moses plight seemed impossible to him and our fears may seem impossible to overcome today... However, in II Timothy 1:7 Paul teaches, "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." So, I believe we need to lean heavily on the sound mind we've been given by our loving God, with whom all things are possible, and conquer our fears through His power. We can remember Moses and how God used him in spite of all his fears and doubts...likewise I think God will use each of us in great ways too! Please join me in prayer:

Father God,
I have had my fearful moments when I have not fully trusted You and leaned on Your power. However, Your Word teaches me that You did not give me a spirit of fear. Please help me to cling to this knowledge every time the evil one tries to spring that fear on me and help me to lean on Your power to overcome the impossible. Lord, I want to thank You for all of Your leaders in Your world, Your countries and most especially in Your churches. Please continue to bless all of them and continue to grant them Your wisdom so that they may lead us, Your people, in the right direction. We also thank You for all of 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, Jeff 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

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.