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As I walked to the bathroom to shower and head to my favorite cafe this morning (I really AM going to get these grades done so that I can do midterms this afternoon!), my son said, "Hey Mom! I'm making eggs for breakfast for you."
That's when I looked in the living room and saw my younger child quietly eating. S. had already served his little brother and was still working at the stove.
This was such a nice surprise! I must admit there are days when I wake up to sibling rivlary that has culminated into a shouting match, but today was NOT that kind of day. Thank you, Lord, for such great kids!
I'm also going to meet a friend at 12:15. After grading papers all morning, chatting with a buddy will be a lovely break before I need to do midterms at 3:00. Have a wonderful day!
I was at my favorite coffee shop grading papers this morning when my friend, John, popped over to chat for a while. That was at 11:00, and I just returned home at 5:00! What a long chit chat! He gave me a guy's perspective on some things, and I think all of that will help me with my boys.
He also shared some extremely encouraging words about my reputation as a teacher...words that came from the mouths of board members and parents! Wow! My ego got stroked today, and it felt goooood!!!! :o) (Don't worry; I'll ask God to restore some humility in a minute...just let me enjoy this for a while...)
I suppose the best part of our conversation was his advice on how to stay happy. I know what I've got to do about some personal stuff now. Actually, I've known for a while, but I just didn't want to do it. It's hard to rearrange friendships that simply aren't healthy for you, you know? I seem to keep making excuses, telling myself that I can "handle it," but I'm not doing a very good job.
I'm so glad I saw him today.
Lord, help me. I pray, in Jesus' name, that you will let me know what to say and how to say it when the time comes. God, please give me the strength to do what I have to do...
I spent a few hours grading papers and recording attendance info. at a local coffee shop today. I took a break and read the paper for a little while too. I ran into several folks, though:
1.) a guy and gal from a Thursday prayer group (at a church I used to attend)
2.) my own pastor (who used today as an opportunity to teach me about some trustee stuff)
3.) my buddy Katie (who allowed me to pray for her and then said, "You should be a pastor!" Ugh...I'll explain later.)
4.) my sister Lani (who gave me an Olive Garden gift card to share with a friend...and then offered to buy me lunch today too)
5.) my buddy Gilbert (a local lawyer and fellow worship team member from years ago...he plays a mean bass and has such a heart for the things of God! I would date him in a heartbeat, but I want GOD to send me someone special. The last time he hinted at a possible dinner date and told me I was a beautiful woman, I was so unapproachable because I wasn't ready yet. Oh well; I'm not chasing anybody...now or later. As I said, God will have to bring him to me. Otherwise, I guess I'll stay single.)
I'm not sure why, but I sometimes seem to attract creepy, stalker-type guys. Ick. That's why I was SOOOOO happy that my pastor happened to be sitting directly across from me when one of these characters walked in. Normally, I'm not one to shy away from conflict, but when there's an element of "creepiness" about the other person, I become a messy, useless ball of nerves. The last time I saw him, "Creepy Dude" invited himself to sit at my table, and I had a heck of a time getting him to go away. My behavior started to be downright rude, but he didn't take the hint. Thankfully, all he did was watch me talk to my pastor...but it was from across the room by the fireplace. I can accept that.
The other day, my son witnessed bizarre behavior from Creepy Dude #2 when we were at McDonald's. I've seen this guy before, and a butthead at my job knows him and gave him information about me. (Remind me to clobber her later.) Anyway, I usually go through the drive thru when I see his cowboy hat, which is why I missed him: He changed hats on me! He wore an orange skull cap instead! He sat in his truck and watched us eat...and we took our good 'ol time too (40 minutes).
I suppose I should pray.
God, thank you for allowing me to have a wonderful job with fantastic insurance so that I'm able to provide for my children and myself, even as I recover from surgery. Lord, I give you all the glory for that. You also have healed my heart over the past year, and I thank you for that too! Now I have a request: please protect me when I'm out alone. I have mentioned in this blog two of perhaps five folks who make my skin crawl, and I pray that you will keep your arms of protection around me and my family at all times.
Please give me wisdom and discernment when it comes to accepting invitations to go to the movies, dinner, etc. So far, I haven't accepted any, but I will if you give me a green light. I don't really trust my own intuition anymore, so I'm relying on you to be perfectly clear with me, ok? Thanks for loving me, Lord, and I definitely love you back! In Jesus' name, amen!
I was sitting here feeling quite appreciative of God's blessings in my life. I'm "full," so to speak! Here are just a few reasons:
1.) My church "brother," Bob, is a hoot! He's the typical big brother in that he constantly picks at you...but he's so lovable that you can't get angry. He and his wife are an adorable couple, and I'm so glad I know them.
2.) I did a little too much yesterday, and by the time I was seated in an evening service my tummy was tight - - - and I was hurting. I folded my coat and held it by my incision and tried to relax, but I was still uncomfortable. After the service, folks were walking around and chatting, but I chose to stay put in the pew. Several teens came over, though, so I wasn't alone. We prayed for one another, and it was awesome! I had a ride to that service, but I had to drive home after returning to his driveway. Unfortunately, I was really hurting, and cleaning snow/ice off the windows was more painful than I thought it would be. But there's something in me that would rather die than ask a guy for help (and one of these days that just might happen)! Last night I had a "I can do it by myself" attitude. As you can see, I lived. :o) No harm done.
3.) My own two teenagers did not fight at all while I was at church. That's truly a blessing! I never MAKE them go to church (other than Sunday morning) because I had to go several times a week as a child. That backfired, though; as soon as I was out of the house, church was the first thing to go. My boys love going to youth group on Tuesday evenings, though. Man, am I glad about that!
4.) My Mom is already here (at 8:04 a.m.) to do my laundry. I'm feeling better, but she insists on helping. She doesn't want me to resume house work until the doctor releases me to go back to work. I'm frustrated, though, and feel like the ultimate loser when my 75 year-old Ma is doing stuff around me, but I must say that, if circumstances were reversed, I'd do what she's doing.
5.) I have the most lovable pit bull/lab on the planet! Actually, he gets on my nerves because I can't go anywhere in the house without him following me. I've heard that simply having the love of a pet can bring a quicker recovery from surgery, and I believe it; I was going up and down the stairs and walking without discomfort within a week of my surgery! God is good!
6.) A prophetic friend of mine had a dream last night about me. It's kind of creepy how on-point she was! I returned her e-mail this morning, so perhaps we'll be able to have lunch today and talk.
7.) Yesterday my pastor's aunt and uncle attended the morning worship service, and both of them uplifted and encouraged him openly. They proceeded to share the reasons why they believe he is truly a blessing to our church, and it was touching and beautiful to watch. It was a bittersweet moment for me: yes, I'm thrilled that they did that, but I also felt saddened because I could not do something similar without someone making a comment. In fact, he is the only person in the entire church whom I never hug. Sad, huh? Anyway, that incident made it on this list because I'm glad it happened.
Yes, I'm full of love and appreciation for everyone in my life right now. I'm even grateful for a guy who grated my nerves when he attacked a friend of mine. Dealing with him on a regular basis has taught me to love unconditionally...something I thought I already knew how to do. I learned that I can truly love someone who constantly seemed mean, and guess what happened? We're cordial now! We're hardly best friends, but he walked up to me yesterday and gave me a big 'ol hug in front of everybody! Yay! God is at work! Don't worry; I'm not going to be stupid and share all of my business with this guy, but I'm definitely going to keep loving him, no matter what he chooses to do in the future.
I am going to try to balance all that God has for me to do with all that I want to do. I have a track record of jumping into a gazillion projects (and doing a half-way decent if not "good" job at all of them at the expense of sleep and family time).
But I agreed to join a group that will meet this afternoon. The good news is that I'll regularly see some friends that I usually can't see. More good news is that we'll have supper together and then attend a worship service. It's soooo much fun to worship God, isn't it?
Even more good news is that I'm no longer running from a call to teach the word of God. Some people might call it a call to "preach," but I'm not ready for that word yet. I entertained the possibility of getting licensed at my church, but after talking to my pastor I prefer waiting. Maybe I'll never get licensed, and that's fine.
I have no idea what God has in store as far as ministry, but I do know that I love teaching the women's Bible study. I was a bit sad when pastor asked to keep the women and men together for a while, but he knows what he's doing. Maybe that's a good thing; I'll have more freedom to not go if I'm swamped with paperwork when I return to teaching next week.
For a while I was at church four days per week: Sunday (worship), Tuesday (T.O.P.S.), Wednesday (teach Women's Bible study), and Saturday (type the bulletin). I think I'll take the boys to youth group on Tuesday and use that time to type the bulletin. If Pastor teaches the Wednesday night Bible studies, then I'll only need to be at church two days per week until the summer, when I can resume everything. Life gets hectic when I have a full-time job (and three part-time jobs) while trying to juggle ministry stuff.
I'll pray some more about it.
I spent most of the morning talking to my Mom as she folded my laundry. I made her some coffee, and we enjoyed each other's company. VERY nice...
Then I went to church to tackle some paperwork at 1:00. When I looked at the pile, I decided to wait until another day. I'll start in the morning, either tomorrow or Saturday. I have a few things to do tomorrow, so it will probably have to wait.
Then I spent some time talking to a friend. I warned him that I had an attitude, but he invited me over anyway. I wasn't in a good mood yesterday and certainly wasn't very friendly to him or anybody else (especially my own kids). He is the only one on the planet who knows every character flaw I have and pretty much every sin I've ever done, yet he remains my friend. Although we were praying about some really important topics and loved ones, spending some quiet time with him was, by far, the most relaxing part of my day.
I just got home from a fantastic evening at the home of friends from church. This couple worked together to cook a fabulous taco dinner with lots of fresh veggies! My boys inhaled it! Then we had a little bit of ice cream for dessert (moose tracks or mint chocolate chip ice cream). After that, the Mom and I had some girl time while the boys watched television and bonded in their own way. ;o)
While I was visiting with them, my buddy, John, called to let me know he's stopping over tomorrow to bring supper (chicken) for me and the boys. He wanted to give me a heads up so that I wouldn't start cooking.
Aren't they sweet? My friends are awesome! I'm feeling much better, yet they wanted to bless me with good food and fellowship anyway!
I don't think any of these folks read my blog, but I just want to say how much I love them. They are such wonderful people! I couldn't ask for a more compassionate, loving, thoughtful, inspiring group to be my friends. Thank you, Lord!
Mom popped over to whisk my son and me to lunch. She brought me a big 'ol chocolate heart (which I gave to my son) along with a Valentine's Day card from my sister. We had lunch at Subway, and it was delicious! I like onions, but these onions were so strong and pungent that it made the sub much worse. After removing 90% of them, it was much more palatable!
I snuck out of the house this afternoon, though. I really really really really really wanted to drive, so I did...only to find out that there's a reason they told me to wait a full month before getting behind the wheel. Although I won't be driving any more this week, I still had fun!
When my son and I returned home, our driveway was full of prepubescent and adolescent boys playing basketball, even though they know good and well they're not allowed to play unless J. is home. (He's spending the weekend with the other side of the family.) S. wanted to handle the situation, so I let him try...but they kept playing anyway. Naturally, the "Mommy" in me surfaced: "I love you, but you know you're not allowed to play unless my son is home. You may come back tomorrow after 2:00. Bye!"
That's all it took. Everyone, regardless of race or age, can understand when a Momma is serious or not.
I was serious.
Then I went to check the mail, and guess what I found! A dozen red roses! They were from my nephew in Florida. He's like my brother since he was raised in my parents' home. We got along so well as kids; we didn't have time to argue because we were having too much fun! We shared everything: computers, toys, G. I. Joe and Star Wars action figures, etc. [I wish my boys liked each other as much!] I was definitely a tomboy and hated Barbie dolls.
I thank God for such thoughtful, loving people in my life. Now I'm off to fry some fish for the potluck tomorrow. Since I only got a few hours of sleep, I'm probably going to bed early tonight, so have a great evening!
I'm almost finished doing my taxes, and my head is throbbing. I needed a little break, so I decided to put a 4th entry in my blog. This has gotta be a record for me!!! ;o)
I am a Christian, so I never, ever cheat on my taxes. [God is watching, you know!] I'd like him to be proud of me instead of blasting me with guilt. I kept everything organized this year, so that made this task much more bearable. So...it has taken me two hours because I tried several different ways in my attempt to find the least amount to pay.
1st try: I owed the government $4,000+. That wasn't pretty, so I tried again...
2nd try: I owed the government $3,300+. Still ugly, so one last time...
3rd try: I owe the government $600. Much better. I think I can sleep tonight...
Wow...three posts in one day! I keep thinking of more ideas to write about here. I figured I'd send some love your way cuz I might forget by tomorrow! :o) My Saturday will be spent frying fish for the potluck at church. I don't want to cook it Sunday morning and let it sit for two hours; I don't want people to get sick. So I'm frying it tomorrow and putting it in the freezer. I can heat it in the microwave at church.
My nephew called my Mom today and said, "Grandma, what do you and Michelle have planned for Valentine's Day?"
I cracked up laughing! Even when I was married, I didn't do much (mostly because he forgot or wasn't home). I love cards, so he usually got one, but there were many holidays when I didn't get anything...not even a hug. It's all good, though; I got used to it.
Now I have two young men in my life (my boys), and they will get their Valentine's Day treats tomorrow morning. I've had their stuff for quite a while because I bought everything when a ride to the store was available.
I try to be happy on Valentine's Day (and Sweetest Day in October), but this lovey-dovey kind of holiday is really just a stark, brutal reminder of the reality of my own singlehood. That's hurtful sometimes, especially when I don't particularly want to be alone anymore. I truly can't complain about being single, though, because God is taking care of all of my needs (and most of my wants).
It would be nice, though, to share my life with someone special. Maybe someday...
For now, please accept a hug from me on Valentine's Day. I have friends who mean a great deal to me, and I send you love on this special day. May God's love and peace be with you always!
Love you!
My Mom decided to stop by and see if I wanted to go to the library. Of course I did! I'd do anything to get out of this house, but I absolutely LOVE going to the library!
She was babysitting my 3 and 4 year-old nieces, and they were such a hoot but sooooo loud! Their mother raised them a bit differently than I raised my boys, and it shows. My kids were not allowed to scream...ever. In our house, one was allowed to cry if in pain, but screaming for fun wasn't an option.
I fear that's a foreign idea to my nieces. Apparently, it's great fun to see who has the best vocal cords while a 75 year-old woman is driving the car.
And no, I did not feel safe. It was clear that their high pitched, nerve-crushing hollering distracted my mother enough that she tried to argue with me about going the wrong direction on a curve [which happened to be in front of the courthouse on a street full of uniformed officers walking on nearby sidewalks]; later, she neglected to use a much needed turn signal on the way home.
(Don't tell her I said that, please.)
All in all, the trip was fruitful. I was able to get six books to enjoy over the last phase of my imprisonment. I will be released on March 4, which is merely a few days away! I can't wait to return to a somewhat normal lifestyle. I miss my job, students, friends, and simple mobility. :o) I am thankful to be walking erect without pain, and now I'm looking forward to being able to work out. Billy Blanks is my buddy. Don't you love Taebo? I am eager for that first rush of endorphins! I was ill long before my surgery, so it has literally been months since I've enjoyed a wonderful workout.
I'll try to remember to keep my camera with me from now on. I haven't posted any pictures lately, and I'll try to change that soon.
When I moved into this house, there was already a refrigerator upstairs. I moved it to the basement because mine was so much bigger. The one downstairs stores frozen meat, pizzas, batches of cinnamon rolls that I make for the boys' breakfasts, gallons of milk, 5 wine coolers that I bought last year and simply haven't wanted, etc. That way, my fridge upstairs isn't cluttered.
Son #1 decided that it would be a good idea to bound up the stairs with a new gallon of milk...even though he is a klutz and falls/trips often as he is learning to navigate his 6-foot frame.
I heard, "Oh noooooo! Oh my God!" before a sickening **THUMP**.
I brought him everything he needed to mop the floor. When he was "done," I asked him if he had mopped the whole floor, and he said, "No."
Why is he such an underachiever? He is on punishment as we speak because of his lousy grades. Before I could ask my obviously vital question, I hear child #2...but I shouldn't because he should have been on his way to school 45 minutes ago!
You see, I set the alarm each evening and wake them up. In fact, as soon as I wake up one kid, I immediately set the alarm for exactly one hour later for the other one.
Why am I doing this if they're going to stay in bed and be late for school anyway?
All of this happened in the space of the first ten minutes of my day.
Then I could hear them complaining about me, which is actually a good thing. That means they're not in any danger of fighting each other since I am the common "enemy" at that moment.
Somebody please explain to me, though: how am I the cause of today's problems?
Grrr....I'm going to take a long shower and grab a book. If I were allowed to drive, I would do just that. I don't exactly live in the big city. Near my home are some peaceful, lovely roads surrounded by nature's beauty, and I love enjoying them when I'm frustrated - - but alas, I'm stranded.
Please tell me you had a better start to your morning...
I'm grateful to report that Jennifer came home from the hospital this morning!
Mom and baby are both fine! Praise God! She is on bed-rest from now until the delivery, but that's much better than some other scenarios, eh?
Thank you for praying!
I am going stir-crazy again, and I was looking forward to getting out of the house and chilling at the library for a while. Unfortunately, my Mom preferred doing my laundry instead; how could I argue with that?
I will try to relax tomorrow and thank God for so many blessings in my life.
See ya!
On a serious note, please pray for a young lady named Jennifer. She was rushed to the hospital for complications with her pregnancy, and I hope that everything is ok. I know how it feels to lose a baby...I lost one in 1993, and the devastation is almost unbearable.
My prayer is that God would allow her baby to live. I prayed that he would choose to let Jennifer give birth at the appropriate time, whenever that may be, and that he would remove all fear and anxiety.
Please pray with me for this young lady, her baby, her Mom, and her entire family.
I made quite a few phone calls this evening, and I was horribly disappointed. Some of the same folks who expect me to pray at a drop of a hat with or for them didn't have any time to pray for this young lady. After hearing the prayer request, one fella wanted to get off the phone because he wanted to get back to his company.
What the heck?!?!?!
God, I am more than a little frustrated right now. I pray that you help me to calm down and to remember that you are in control of everything.
Help me to focus on what's important. For instance:
1.) You are God! You know exactly what you're doing, and I do not need to be "God, Jr."!
2.) You know Jennifer intimately. You were with her as I prayed with her mother and even as I type this now. Thank you for that, Lord.
3.) Your scripture (Psalm 30) that we studied at Bible study this evening says, "Weeping may endureth for a night, but joy cometh in the morning!" That's what I pray, Lord: please allow Jennifer to have peace and joy, regardless of tonight's outcome.
Jesus, I pray that you help Jennifer not to be bitter if this ends tragically. Your word also promises that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord. I pray that she accepts you as her Lord and Savior (if she hasn't already) and learns to love you more deeply than she ever imagined.
Help her to feel your love flowing over her, especially tonight.
Bless her, Lord! I pray in Jesus' name, amen.
Apparently a man who has attended my church thinks I'm a "babe," and he asked his mother about me. This woman happens to be a friend of mine, and she kindly offered to drive me to and from Bible study this evening.
We've been talking a lot lately, and it turns out that she and I are more alike than I ever thought possible...even down to our eccentric attitudes before we got serious about serving the Lord.
She made me promise that I'd never tell her son that she mentioned anything to me, and I did promise...but there's no harm in mentioning it here, right?
I asked her, "You mean he's not afraid of my kids? I would think men would hesitate to date a woman with two teenage boys." She said, "Nope, he's not afraid at all. In fact, I told him, 'Now you give her some space. She's been through a lot.'"
Then he asked his momma, "Well, how much space does a person need?"
I love it!
Then I asked, "D., do you know how old I am? I'm going to be 38, so I think I might be too old for your son (who is 29 or 30)."
She said, "That don't mean a thing. [insert Alabama twang] Don't worry about it. Let God move; you just be patient. You never know what the Lord has planned for you."
In the meantime, as I wait patiently on the Lord, I can't help but revel in the fact that a cute (and much younger) guy likes my singing voice and thinks I'm a... well, babe!
Ha! Ha!
I ran into a guy friend when my Mom took me to the store yesterday. He has asked a female friend of mine to encourage me to date him and has called several times, but I was hoping something would spark between me and someone else.
It didn't, and it probably never will. The "someone else" is a wonderful friend...nothing romantic has or will happen there, except what I've recklessly allowed to occur in my own heart.
But I'm wasting so much time, aren't I? I shouldn't be so reluctant to date, right? I'm not married anymore, and there's nothing stopping me from simply going to dinner and/or a movie. I've heard that Fireproof is supposed to be great, so I could meet him at the theater on or after the 21st when I'm allowed to drive. [That may sound silly to you, but I have to really trust a man before I'll ride in his car.]
Maybe God has a gift for both us, but I've been too stubborn to envision him - - or anybody other than the one I wanted - - being a romantic interest. I will pray about this today...you can join me!
I'll keep you posted. Perhaps I'll give him a call tonight. :o)
My, oh my, you should see my kitchen door. It is filled with cards from folks who miss me at work or simply wanted to send "Get well!" wishes my way.
Some of them are from people at my church who are constantly checking on me. Others are from coworkers who let me know that they're praying for me. I didn't even know some of them were Christians, but I sure do appreciate their thoughtfulness!
One is from a guy who used to be an enemy. We worked together on a play a few months ago, and our interactions have been nothing but positive lately. I won't lie, though; it took a LOT of prayer on my part to forgive and forget. As much as I hate to admit it, our friction wasn't only his fault. The Lord is softening my heart, and I can honestly say that I like this man now. He's a bit ornery, but he can be sweet when he feels like it. I invited him to a potluck at church next Sunday, and I sincerely hope that he comes so that we can chat a bit more.
I spent at least an hour writing personal thank-you notes to folks who haven't received one yet. I have a horrible feeling, though, that I've forgotten somebody. It's so hard to keep track of every kindness folks have shown me!
I'm feeling much better; the pain is almost completely gone and has been replaced with some numbness and a wee bit of discomfort. I don't even need Advil anymore! :o) Praise God! It may sound silly, but I am REALLY looking forward to driving my car next week! Woo hoo!
What a nice service!
I didn't have to play the keyboard at all because B. had it all under control! :o) (I DO love to play, but it was nice to listen to someone else for a little while.)
His son did the cutest rendition of "Jesus Loves Me" for the offertory, and it's too bad I didn't have my camera!
Maybe I'll be able to go to Bible study on Wednesday too...
I want to be able to walk properly...with good posture that doesn't cause pain.
I want to drive my car.
I never thought I'd say this, but I actually want to go grocery shopping.
Hmph.
Ok, I guess some honesty would be nice. I have discovered, through this healing process since the day of my surgery, that I am an utter control freak when it comes to everything in my own life. Having NO control is slowly driving me insane!
Good news: I just confirmed an invitation for a ride to church tomorrow. Although she isn't feeling well herself, she still offered to take me and the boys. Isn't that sweet?
Perhaps I'll treat them to supper. ;o)
The Super Bowl was awesome, wasn't it?!?!?! Although I will be the first to admit that I don't understand all of the intricacies of the game, I still enjoyed myself thoroughly. My boys didn't even seem to be very irritated because I had too many questions; in fact, they were downright gracious!
I'm feeling better, but I'm still very uncomfortable. THANK YOU, Lord, for healing me slowly but surely.
I'm looking forward to going for walks soon. No, I won't walk outside on the ice, but I need to get out of this house. I've only been incapacitated for 12 days, and I have 4 weeks to go! Man, oh man....I'm starting to feel claustrophobic.
I just re-read an e-mail I sent someone this morning, and it was horrible! I'm not even on meds right now, but I still made a bunch of careless errors. Perhaps I should proofread before I hit "send," eh? :o)
I have more peace this morning than I've had in an awfully long time. I'm so grateful to know God! I'm even more grateful that he's healing me, both from the surgery and from some very old emotional issues. I've been spending a lot of time with the Lord lately (praying, reading my Bible, listening to Him), and I can't begin to explain how he's helping me to accept who I am and what has happened to me.
God likes me, ya'll! Isn't that cool?
Even though I've been couped up in the house for two weeks, I've still had several opportunities to minister to some other folks. Isn't that wonderful? God can use anybody.
My church family has been AMAZING. My fridge is still full, and I haven't had to cook a single meal since I came home from the hospital. I made steaks and potatoes (with Laura's yummy salad on the side) to eat during the Super Bowl, but I didn't have to cook last night. We still have a humungous pot of Melanie's yummy homemade chicken noodle soup and an entire pan of Laura's homemade lasagna.
God, thank you for my friends and family! They bless me every single day! Thank you for a pastor who preaches the truth, even when I'd prefer to be "right" instead of "corrected." I'm not sure why I typed that because I've been behaving lately, but I must need to pray for myself about that anyway. I like having the last word, but the last few conflicts haven't even been confrontational at all; he simply spoke confirmation on stuff you've already told me, God, and I appreciate that.
Please bless my church family in every way this week, Lord. Watch over our young people, and keep them safe from the enemy. Allow me to minister to whomever needs a little reminder of who they are in Christ; better yet, help me to lead someone to your love and comforting Holy Spirit for the very first time. That would be awesome!
Lord, I love you with every ounce of my being (and I have quite a few of them at the moment)! You are so kind, compassionate, and forgiving; help me to be the same. In Jesus name, amen!
