My Year End Prayer

Dear Lord,

Thank You for the end of this year. The end of this chapter, a mark in time, a stamp I have put in my life.

It's been a year of counting. Counting blessing, only the ones I've been able to see with my human eyes. Such a great year in you. Filled with joy, triumph, sadness, change, questioning, defeat, but all in you and with you. The Real and The Relevant.

I ask for the "remember when we felt close" moments, looking yearningly at the past. Looking back without realizing, yes, we got closer then, but we're past that now. Those moments brought us to where we are now. Going back to those moments would be going backwards in our relationship.

You are the Alpha and Omega. Beginning and the End. My past in you hands. But You want me to know You are the God of my future and everything in between.

You know it's hard for me to leave blank pages in my journal, "incomplete." But, tomorrow we start new. A new book, with pages left unmarked in this one.  I'll try to justify with it's left for blessings and requests groaned by the Holy Spirit. But I'm OK in You, even if these pages remain unmarked, because this is Your story. Not mine.

Help me to trust you with where we go next. In all things. Life, home, family, nursing,  Circle of Prayer, Sabbath School, counting blessings, worship reading, Bible reading, mom, wife, daughter, friend.

Thanks you for always loving me, hoping for me, wanting me.

I leave me past in "Your sweet embrace, " and move forward into the future trusting Your loving plan, while living Your present offering my marked sinful offering of glorifying You. All made perfect in and through Jesus.

All My Love,
Kartini

December: Thinking of New Year's Resolutions

New Year’s Resolutions!

When we say New Year’s resolutions, it bring connotations of wanting to eating healthier, paying off credit card debt, exercising, or going to bed earlier.  Some of you may recognize these type of resolutions. We have all had our resolutions that we have made.  Most years we make it work a week, a month, two months maybe, and then it becomes too hard.  So, we give up, because we don’t want to do hard things.

This month let us pray that God will give us guidance to what we need to change, and the skills and resources to make those changes possible.  We need to also pray that God comes into our heart, and empties us of ourselves.  If He is our coach, and our cheerleader, maybe we won’t quit so easily.

Are the resolutions really something we pray about?  If the answer is no, then why not?  We pray for others, we pray for situations, we pray for our family. We pray for whatever or whoever.  Do you take a moment to pray for yourself?  Do you pray how to become the person God designed you to be?

Maybe there is something that you know you need to change, but you are scared.  I know there is in my life.  I want to be the best possible me that God designed.  He designed me to be someone, and sometimes I am not that person. 

This is the last month of the year.  There is so much in this month.  There are gifts to get, and Christmas parties to host or attend.  We have so much to do.  Take a moment away and pray that God will show you your resolutions.  Pray that He shows you the person he designed you to be.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Contributed by Laura Maxson

December Prayer Topic: How Jesus is relevant and real in the messy and beautiful aspects of our lives right now!

With December, comes the end of the year. For me a time to reflect on the year past. As I look back, I see His finger prints all over it. From the joy in friendships that have been forged to last into eternity, the unexpected of yet another move, even the sadness in closing a chapter in life I didn't want to end. But He is there, real, relevant in the messy and beautiful aspects of my life.

It seems easier to look back and follow that thread that He has woven through our lives. But what about ahead? Are we able to trust that His tread will hold strong through the unknown. To not only trust Him with the beautiful, but also with the messy?


My prayer is that as you look back, you not only see just how faithful He is, you will believe that through this He will build you up to be faith FULL.


Just look around. Your life doesn't happen by chance. He is there relevant and real.

"I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." John 10:10

THANKSGIVING 365 DAYS A YEAR

Thanksgiving is not just the 4^th Thursday of November.  Yes, that is when we celebrate it here in America.  However, I believe that Thanksgiving should be every day of the year.  Every day there is something to be thankful for.  From the fact that I woke up in a warm bed to having friends that love us no matter what. Every day is a new day to be thankful for something.

God puts people in our lives.  That is Thanksgiving.  We were made not to be hermits, but to thrive.  God loves us no matter where we are, and He doesn’t leave us there.  That is a Thanksgiving.  Finally, giving it all to God, that is Thanksgiving too.  It doesn’t have to be a big thanks. It can be a small giving of thanks.  God is in all things.

What I am thankful for:

• God for giving me His son to die for me.
• Family and Friends
• Birthdays
• Having a little bit of whimsy added to a day 

Pray that God will continue to show you things to be Thankful for.  All we have to do is open our eyes to see it.

Contributed by LM

Counting New Blessings Daily

The idea of counting blessings is not a new one.  At this time of year, in the United States we think of the Thanksgiving season. We look around at seemingly obvious things we can be thankful for. For some it's family, a home, a job, health, life. 

But, at times these things may not seem as obvious to be blessing. Especially when we are going through struggles. Struggles with a difficult job, struggles with family, health, understanding our relationship with God. It can be hard to feel thankful, and remember, "all things work together for good, for those who love God."(Romans 8:28) 

But God's word is true. Unlike our feelings, which are inconsistent at best, He is consistent and steady fast. He is constant and patient. He is Love. 

During this month, as the holiday season comes upon us, let's pray for our eyes to be open to more then just the obvious. Let's pray for eyes to see the new God has for us every morning. 

"Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." ~Lamentations 3:22,23 

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Fruit of the Spirit

Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22-23

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (God-control).

How many of you feel lacking sometimes in the area of the fruit of the spirit?  I know that there is often time that I don’t have patience, I want it right now.  I pray for the Lord to help me be patient.  However, is that enough?  Sometimes, are we afraid of letting God have complete control of our lives? 

It isn’t enough to pray that we be filled.  We can pray all we want, but we have to do one more step.  We have to be willing and open for God to give us the fruit of the spirit.   That is the more difficult part.  It means giving up control.

I don’t know about you, but I often find it hard to give up control. I don’t like the word SELF control.  Did you know that a synonym for self-control is restraint?  I need restraint from trying to control everything.  So, if I give control over to God, and honestly let him have the control, then I am God-control.  I like that a lot better.

Let’s pray that we allow God to have the control so He can bestow on us the fruit of the spirit.

Contributed by LM