♫For I live only to see your face so shine on me♫

Prayer: I never want to cover your light that you have bestowed upon me Lord. I never want to just sing the lyrics to a song and not actually want you to do it in my life. Jesus--let your light shine in my life and in the organization that you have placed me in. Because despite what the devil thinks...like I am shining your light into darkness! Dear God, for you said whatever we do for you will never be done in vain.

Prayer: Let them know that Jesus--you give more pleasure then what this world can bring. OH JESUS! You give more pleasure then weed, alcohol, sex, success! Oh Lord you are worth it! You are worth given up this entire world for you because you give more pleasure then this world.Oh Lord, open their eyes to the truth! No longer shall the devil keep them in darkness from the truth. Unveil their eyes oh Lord so they may trust and see the goodness of who you are

♫I am going to take a free fall and its worth it when you catch me♫

Prayer: I trust you with my heart Lord. As hard as this might be I trust you because you love me so much. You poured your love on my life time after time---you showed your faithfulness towards me time after time--so I know you will protect my heart better than me--you have healed my heart and because of that I trust you Jesus-- I trust you God with my heart because you are more faithful to myself than anyone else. You are more faithful to me then I am to myself. You love me more than I loved you so YES Jesus! I trust you! I trust you with my heart

-Amen

-Faith

I was watching the kindergarten class for another teacher for a few moments. Both of our classes were learning about Jonah so I had begun to start a conversation asking the kids if they remembered the first half of the story they began to learn the week prior. Some answered, others stared, but one sweet little girl who had been in my class previously couldn't seem to pay attention to our dialog. She was flipping through her mini picture bible, and began to turn the pages to show me. She turned to the page of Jesus on the cross and said to me, "look, look, this makes me so sad," with the greatest sincerity of remorse in her voice. I nodded and attempted to explain to her that Jesus died for us, but then rose & now we have a chance to live with Him forever, but before I even got a chance to get through half of my explanation, she cried out, "but wait!" and rushed through a few pages to show Jesus, risen from the grave and entering into heaven. I knew at that moment no explanation was needed.

She had gotten it. And this is the child like faith we were told to pray for.


Stephanie

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." -Ezekiel 36:36

"A heart of flesh is known by its tenderness concerning sin. To have indulged a foul imagination, or to have allowed a wild desire to tarry even for a moment, is quite enough to make a heart of flesh grieve before the Lord. The heart of stone calls a great iniquity nothing, but not so the heart of flesh.

"If to the right or left I stray,

That moment, Lord, reprove;

And let me weep my life away,

For having grieved thy love"

The heart of flesh is tender of God's will. My Lord Will-be-will is a great blusterer, and it is hard to subject him to God's will; but when the heart of flesh is given, the will quivers like an aspen leaf in every breath of heaven, and bows like an osier in every breeze of God's Spirit. The natural will is cold, hard iron, which is not to be hammered into form, but the renewed will, like molten metal, is soon moulded by the hand of grace. In the fleshy heart there is a tenderness of the affections. The hard heart does not love the Redeemer, but the renewed heart burns with affection towards him. The hard heart is selfish and coldly demands, "Why should I weep for sin? Why should I love the Lord?" But the heart of flesh says; "Lord, thou knowest that I love thee; help me to love thee more!" Many are the privileges of this renewed heart; "'Tis here the Spirit dwells, 'tis here that Jesus rests." It is fitted to receive every spiritual blessing, and every blessing comes to it. It is prepared to yield every heavenly fruit to the honour and praise of God, and therefore the Lord delights in it. A tender heart is the best defence against sin, and the best preparation for heaven. A renewed heart stands on its watchtower looking for the coming of the Lord Jesus. Have you this heart of flesh?" Charles Spurgeon

-Steph

Malachi 3:3 "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness."

This verse puzzled some women in a Bible study and they wondered what this statement meant about the character and nature of God.

One of the women offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study. That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities.

The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot; then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The man answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed.

The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy -- when I see my image in it" "

[original author unknown]

-Stephanie

Psalm 103:2 "Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits"

Ok a little study break to tell a story. It will ALL make sense in the end.

My apartment doesn't use keys for the front door it uses a keycard similar to hotels. I worked yesterday so I had to carry my keys to open up one of the facilities. So this morning I saw my keys in my bag but was in a rush so I left them in my bag.

14 hours later [mind you it's 10 p.m.] I walk into my house. It's move out time so I'm sure my neighborhood has been in and out my apartment (=[) but they also left a note about an upcoming fire alarm check so that's ok.

So I'm walking to my room & I see the door is locked, I never lock my door. [insert freak out here] (Did they think I was moving out? My room is full of stuff in a whirlwind of studying all week) I go back to my kitchen, and open my bag. I remember my keychain with my room key is on it! The keychain I NEVER carry around, with good reason I hardly ever lock my room door. Oh my I was so happy. I rejoiced, called a friend, told her the story, rejoiced some more, and thanked my Papa.

Seriously, I don't believe this verse is of much use to God. He KNOWS hows good He is to me. It is for me, I easily forget the little things He does for me. Thanks for reminding me Papa, I love you!

Have you thanked God lately?

-Stephanie