Week Ending Friday, January 6, 2023
{quotes}
You will face many defeats in life, but never let yourself be defeated.
Maya Angelou
There is nothing permanent except change.
Heraclitus
Life is not a force but a pilgrimage.
Michael Gerson
I see the angel in the stone, and I chisel around it to free it.
Michaelangelo
“As soon as possible…” is a trap if you focus on soon instead of possible.
Seth Godin
{blessings}
Sun and Moon
Don’t compare your life to others. There’s no comparison between the sun and the moon. They shine when it’s their time. May God bless the light you bring to this world.
Independent Children
If they don’t need you, it’s okay. You’ve done something right. May God bless you to instill confidence and independence in the people you care about.
Fighting the Evil Inclination
Don’t engage with your evil inclination. Refuse to acknowledge it, though it’s there. Snub it, ignore it, because you can. Resisting temptation is easier when you bring God into the fight. Two together will not give in. May God bless you with victory over evil.
Great Chain
Life is a great chain of action and reaction. May God bless you always with calm, clear, and kind reactions.
Hopeful Waiting
Hope is not blind optimism. It is faithfulness, confidence, and vision combined with a determination to act. May you be blessed with healthy hope to get you through the waiting.
{prayers}
Circle of Life
Thank You, dear God, for the love that has filled our home for many years. Life hasn’t been easy, and we’ve had our share of pain and disappointment. Yet, we live with love and watch our circle of family and friends expand and contract. New babies are born—and loved ones die. The miraculous circle of life.
Grandparents Prayer
Thank You simply for the blessing of grandchildren whose very presence reminds me that life is good. Laughter, smiles, and a heart bursting with pride for Your creation, for my pleasure, for the benefit of the world.
Prayer Affirmation
Dear God, thank You for revealing yourself to me all the time in every conceivable place. Driven by love, I joyfully find You in every interaction with people, pets, and wildlife. I see You in each act of grace, in every experience, in all the moments of my life. Good and bad. Happy and sad.
Greatness of God
Dear God, I contemplate Your greatness and dominion that envelops all worlds, higher and lower, beyond boundaries, transcending them all. Praise to You, true Master, for eternity.
Fear Factor
Why am I to fear You, holy God, when I love You as I do? In prayer today, I reflect on Your wondrous deeds. The blinding brilliance of Your creation. I shudder at the enormity of it all, and I get it. Fear feeds my humility and enlarges my soul. Thank You for Your wisdom and perfect knowledge. Thank You for the infinite love You return to me daily.
{bible affirmations}
Proverbs 10:25
A righteous person is the foundation of the world.
Habakkuk 1:5
Look at the nations and watch — and be utterly amazed. I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told.
Isaiah 40:26
Lift up your eyes and see Who created these. He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls forth each of them by name. Because of God’s great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.
Proverbs 20:27
The human spirit is the lamp of God that sheds light on one’s inmost being.
3 John 1-4
I have no greater joy than hearing that my children are walking in the truth.
{stories, features, videos}
Music Video: Near Year’s Day Taylor Swift
Blog: Moment Such as This Susan Diamond
Feature: Abide Hannah Brenchner
Humor: Coca-Cola in Israel
Blog: Thank You, Not Sorry Seth Godin
Feature: The Dog That Walks Like a Human + Video