Prayers

Sometimes we pray for long periods of time and think that God isn’t paying attention. That’s when we need to pray even harder without ceasing. I have a family member that is drinking themselves to death. Witnessing this day and night gets exhausting and can leave a dent in your prayer life if you let it. I find that praying for people with addictions is the hardest, because they need to hit a rock bottom before they can quit. It takes a lot of time sometimes before prayers can be answered, but just hold tight. God has a plan and reason why this is happening. Heavenly Father, please help to give us the strength and understanding to continue praying for our fallen friends and family. In Jesus name amen.

Joy of a child

I have never met a child that was so outgoing and happy as my daughter. Yesterday we went to get her haircut and I sat and watched as she sat in her lifted seat while the stylist went to work. The lady had wrapped her neck with some kind of paper before wrapping her with the cover. My daughter asked,” Why are you putting toilet paper around my neck?” The stylist laughed and explained what it was for. The entire time her hair was being worked on my daughter had her laughing. The stylist kept saying how cute and funny she was and the entire time my daughter had a huge smile on her face. As she finished up the stylist told her that she was done and started to remove the cover and my daughter says “wait”, “I want my dad to see,” so she turns the chair for my approval. Both girls had beaming smiles on their faces and she asked, ” how does it look daddy?” I started tearing up but managed to squeak out that she looked beautiful. I praised God as I sat in that chair that my wife and I through God are leading her down the right path. We teach our daughter to encourage and uplift, but I believe that God ingrained it in her when He created her. I also believe that more often than not, she is teaching us. Thank you God for showing us how to love. Thank you for blessing our daughter with a kind and loving heart. Thank you for the gift of our beautiful child and giving us the sight to see you working through her. Amen

A child of God!

When I was growing up my best friend was from Italy. Her family stayed in New York for a couple of months before coming to California. I’ll never forget her first day at school. She dressed different and stood out like a sore thumb. I asked her to join me for lunch and that was the beginning of a great friendship. Over the years I spent a lot of time with her entire Italian family and Greek friends. When I was at there gatherings, it never failed I was always asked, ”Karen, what nationality are you?” I would say ”I’m American.” then several voices would say. We’re all American but where are your father and mother from. Oh, my father is from Oklahoma and my mother Arkansas. They would laugh and say you truly are American. The first time it happened I went home and asked my mother about my heritage. She said I was a Heinz57, our family came from several different countries. At eleven being called a Heinz57 did not make me happy. I had just been baptized and realized that no matter what my lineage was I now am, A CHILD OF GOD. That is what defines me.

Friends

I haven’t the slightest clue where my relationship with my God would be if it weren’t for the friends He has placed in my life. God has blessed me with a slew of close friends that have been with me through thick and thin. In times where the outlook on life seemed pretty bleak. Times where I didn’t think that I could go any further with my faith, they were there to sharpen me as iron sharpens iron. Friends that help to rebuild churches and change the lives of the less fortunate. Listen when you need to vent, encourage you to be better and hold you when you can’t seem to stand upright. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve cried on their shoulders and shared my deepest of regrets. God places these wonderful persons in our lives to help change and mold you into a better Christian. If you have a friend or friends like these, make it known to them today how much they are appreciated. Take the time to encourage or inspire them. Thank them for the impact they have made in your life, be the friend that sharpens. God bless you all and hope you have a wonderful day.