Romans 12:12 - "Faithfully"

Before going to sleep I prayed for pastors. I prayed for them when I was awake during the night and again this morning. I prayed for strength for those struggling physically such as myself. I prayed for wisdom for those struggling spiritually. I prayed for my friend Keith who will be at his new church today. I asked God to bless him and the congregation in abundance as they begin this journey. When I woke up, I had these words to a song Toby Mac sings called Faithfully on my mind...

'Cause when my world broke into pieces
You were there faithfully
When I cried out to You, Jesus
You made a way for me
I may never be the same man
But I'm a man who still believes
When I cried out to You, Jesus
You were there faithfully

Yes! I praise His Holy Name for always being here for me. I praise Him for never giving up on me when doubts come into my mind or I don't do/say what He desires. I praise Him for the peace He provides in the midst of the storms of life and for the wisdom He showers down upon me. I praise Him for the opportunities He gives me to love with His love. Yesterday was another day of struggle in my physical body yet He was with me every step of the day. He blessed me in abundance with Doug getting some household projects accomplished in the morning and then taking me to a craft show and a couple stores in town. As the sun shined down I felt His strength shining down upon us. An afternoon of rest before having the Beckett's over for dinner was just what I needed. They stayed after dinner long enough to play a game which filled my emotional tank! They are such a blessing to us and we are grateful to call them family. The days of late have been challenging for me in so many ways with one of them being emotionally. I struggle to not feel good enough to function in my normal capacity. I struggle with my thought process to be off and for extra tingling from the MS. This morning the tingling is driving me crazy in my face/head and I pray for it not to be a distraction when I am in the pulpit. I go back to the promises of this song and bask in the knowledge He is faithful to provide exactly what I need. I am reminded of Paul's words in The Passion Translation from Romans 12:12. Let this hope burst forth within you, releasing a continual joy. Don’t give up in a time of trouble, but commune with God at all times. Don't give up... These are words are heard from my earthly Daddy many times. The 'secret' to not giving up is found at the end of this verse. ...commune with God at all times. That is the only way we can keep putting one foot in front of the other when we feel like we can't continue on. We must stay focused on Him, living in His presence, and allowing Him to be our strength. That can be easier said than down when we feel like everything is going wrong but we must remember He is with us. He will provide what we need to not just get through such times but to glorify Him through them. Yes!

Dear Jesus, Thank You for the blessings of yesterday and the ones ahead today! Thank You for Doug, my friend Anna, and Sierra, Billy, and the kids who blessed me yesterday! I pray for all pastors to be full of Your hope as they lead their flock today. I especially pray for Pastor Keith and the Sandusky Church as they have their first Sunday back together. Cleanse me so You can fill me so people will see/hear You through my words, actions, attitude, and thoughts. I pray Your hope to come down upon many going through difficult days. My sisters Linda, Sally, and Mary; my brother Richard; Ben and Colleen; Pete and Delores; Steve; Doug's sister Jackie; Cait; Rhonda; Mike; Norma Hall; Jack and Paula; Beth; Sharon Sebolt and her parents; some young ladies with anxiety; Brooklyn; April; families in turmoil; Gay and Doug; Sherry; and many others. I also pray healing prayers over many dealing with ‘c’ and/or going through treatments…Chrissy’s cousin; Mike's sister; Shirley Jones; Little Judson; Little Roselynn; a young girl in our community; Audrey; Mr Mullet; Marybeth's friend; David; Dave and Carol with his treatments; Dan; and Ray. I pray for: the Long family; Becky; Baby Sabre and her family; Debbie and her family; Mr. John; Darrell; and Russ. Thank You for continued healing for Pastor Tommy and Pam Thank You in advance for calming down the tingling in my face/head this morning! Thank You for being My Hope! Amen.