Week Ending Friday, July 21, 2023
{quotes}
In order to succeed, we must first believe that we can.
Michael Korda
The first step in the acquisition of wisdom is silence, the second listening, the third memory, the fourth practice, the fifth teaching others.
Solomon Ibn Gabriol
Loving a teenager is just as emotionally intoxicating as loving a baby. Maybe even more.
Mary Laura Philpott
We are still masters of our fate. We are still captains of our souls.
Winston Churchill
We are all inventors, each sailing out on a voyage of discovery, guided each by a private chart, of which there is no duplicate. The world is all gates, all opportunities. Ralph Waldo Emerson
{blessings}
If you were on a long train ride and God himself sat down next to you, what would you ask Him? And how long before you went back to scrolling on your phone? May you be blessed with focus, free from distractions.
Doubts about faith are normal. Deal with your doubts by rising above them, and you will be blessed because you stood up to God’s tests.
{prayers}
Cover My Family + Print Version
Dear God. I ask you to bless this week ahead. I come to You in prayer today, asking for strength and peace to cover me and my family. Life can be tough and challenging, and I need Your help to navigate through the difficulties that may come my way. Please give me the courage to face anything that comes against me with a clear and focused mind. Help me to remain calm and composed even when things are out of control. Fill me with strength and wisdom so that I can make the best decisions for myself and those around me today. I pray that I will be able to overcome any negative thoughts or emotions that may try to overpower me. Help me have a positive mindset and a resilient spirit that can withstand any challenges that come my way. May Your light shine upon me and guide me towards Your peace that surpasses understanding. ~Marcus Stanley
God Answers
Dear God, I surrender my worries in prayer. I hear joy and hope and the promise of dawn. I hear grace and forgiveness in the faithfulness of night. Thank You for each passing day. Thank You for answering my every prayer.
Soft Light
In the morning, when nature stirs and I rise to my daily beginning, I praise You, O Lord, for the quiet, tangible lessons I am about to receive. May I always carry with me Your sweet song of hope.
Douse in Joy
My head is filled with the loud rush of a persistent storm. Dear God, quiet my heart and help me hear beyond the tremors. Let me feel more than fear. Fill me with courage, and douse me in joy.
Blessed in Love
Dear God, Thank You for the partner and friend with whom I can be my own self. One who loves me without suggesting that I be any different than who I already am. As for those not as blessed in love as me, make it happen for them at some time in the near future. Let them know it’s coming.
{bible affirmations}
Ephesians 2:10
I am God’s masterpiece.
Psalm 104:19
God made the moon to mark the seasons. The sun knows its time of setting.
Jeremiah 17:7
Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in God.
Micah 6:8
What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.
Job 1:21
The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. May the name of the Lord be forever praised.
{features, stories, videos}
Story: Bless God
Feature: Cliffs Notes Paradox
Parable: Belief in Miracles
Video: Two Brothers Banging it Out
Feature: Homeless Portraits
Feature: The Great De-Churching