Romans 8:28

 

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, 

for those who are called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28 ESV 

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Please join me this week in praying for contentment for ourselves and others. May we rest in the hope of Jesus Christ. Pray that those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ come to know Him. Pray that we recognize the daily blessings that God bestows on us. He provides for all of our needs. Let us be thankful for having food, water, shelter, and clothing. Praise God for His unfailing love and grace.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #contentment #peace #hope #prayer #faith #love #sufficient #needs #ChristAlone #Romans

Matthew 6:33

 

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, 

and all these things will be added to you.

Matthew 6:33 ESV 

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Please join me this week in praying for contentment for ourselves and others. May we rest in the hope of Jesus Christ. Pray that those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ come to know Him. Pray that we recognize the daily blessings that God bestows on us. He provides for all of our needs. Let us be thankful for having food, water, shelter, and clothing. Praise God for His unfailing love and grace.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #contentment #peace #hope #prayer #faith #love #sufficient #needs #ChristAlone #Matthew

Seek contentment

 

When I graduated from high school, I had my whole life planned out. Unfortunately, I didn't involve God in my plans and actually, turned away from Him when I got to college. From there, my life was a downward spiral to destruction. It weighed on me for over twenty-five years until I reconnected with God. That connection made a huge difference in my life, but I still struggled with negative feelings from my past.

     It wasn't until I found a remarkable counselor that I was finally able to work through my past and move on.

     I've heard people say lately: 

• "I don't need a therapist. I just need to pray more and read the Bible more." 
• "I'll be fine. I'm giving it all up to God." 
• "Time heals all wounds." 

     All of those things help and are a great first line of defense, but what if God wants you to seek counsel? What if He directed you here to plant the seed? God gives people the gift and education to help others for a reason. 

     So if you are struggling right now. If you cannot possibly be content because of something happening in your life, or in your past, please consider seeking the counsel of those who can help you.

     Your church may have people to help you. But, if not, here are some resources.

Faithful Counseling (Christian organization)

K-Love (Yes, the music station. They have pastors on staff to help you.)

Psychology Today (If using this link, I encourage you to find a Christian counselor and one who does EMDR - at least, it worked for me.) 

The young lions suffer want and hunger; but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.

Psalm 34:10 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for contentment for ourselves and others. May we rest in the hope of Jesus Christ. Pray that those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ come to know Him. Pray that we recognize the daily blessings that God bestows on us. He provides for all of our needs. Let us be thankful for having food, water, shelter, and clothing. Praise God for His unfailing love and grace.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #contentment #peace #hope #prayer #faith #love #sufficient #needs #ChristAlone #counselor #therapist #seek #Psalms

True contentment

 

Take a moment to think about your own level of contentment. Do you have all that you need? Do you have the basics of life (not the extras that we can all live without)? Do they bring you contentment? Satisfaction?
     It's okay if the answer is 'no.' We're human, and it's our human nature, or rather our sinful nature that keeps us wanting more. Or is it?
     The poorest people of Lima, Peru live in what we would consider squalor. Their houses are built out of whatever materials they can find. They don't have clean drinking water. There's trash everywhere. Yet, they're happy and content. If you were to tell them they're poor, they wouldn't know what you're talking about. They may covet their neighbor's electricity (and may take it upon themselves to tap into it), but that's the extent of their "want."*
     Every time I think about them, I feel ashamed of my own occasional dissatisfaction with life. I have God in my life; I don't need anything or anyone else. But, there are times I find myself longing for this or that. Sometimes the longing is over a relationship, or having time, or needing direction and I take all of those types of things to God. Sometimes it's more materialistic like escaping to a foreign country. That I just keep to myself because I realize it's not a need.
     Whatever is keeping you from contentment, examine it and then let it go. Count your blessings. Praise God for His mercy, love, and grace.

The Bible verse of the day just popped up on my phone, and how fitting:
   Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. Mark 11:24 ESV

I absolutely love what Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians. It really stops me in my tracks and makes me realize how difficult his life was, yet he said time and time again that he considered his life gain. Dwell on verse 10 below.

6 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says,
          “In a favorable time I listened to you,
               and in a day of salvation I have helped you.”
Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 3 We put no obstacle in anyone's way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, 4 but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, 5 beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; 6 by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; 7 by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; 8 through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.
2 Corinthians 6:1-10 ESV

*This description is from what I've learned from Missionaries who've been in Lima and from the photos I saw of the area where they were serving.

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Please join me this week in praying for contentment for ourselves and others. May we rest in the hope of Jesus Christ. Pray that those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ come to know Him. Pray that we recognize the daily blessings that God bestows on us. He provides for all of our needs. Let us be thankful for having food, water, shelter, and clothing. Praise God for His unfailing love and grace.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #contentment #peace #hope #prayer #faith #love #sufficient #needs #ChristAlone #poor #humannature #Corinthians #GospelOfMark #want #covet

God has a sense of humor

A little joke from God, and a lesson in waiting on Him.

Every morning I pray for words to share with you, but sometimes they don't come in the timeframe I need them to and I get impatient. This morning was one of those times. I got frustrated and decided to just post a Bible verse.
     I chose Philippians 4:19. Scrolling through the images already created with this verse (on the YouVersion app), I realized that I have used all of them in the past, and almost stopped to look for a different verse. Lo and behold, the very last one was the image above. Notice the pencils? God provided a short anecdote (that's what this is, lol) that fits into my allotted writing time, that brings Him glory as supplying all of our needs. It's also a lesson in waiting on Him and trusting in Him.
     God is so cool! I love seeing Him at work.

And my God will supply every need of yours

according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:19 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for contentment for ourselves and others. May we rest in the hope of Jesus Christ. Pray that those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ come to know Him. Pray that we recognize the daily blessings that God bestows on us. He provides for all of our needs. Let us be thankful for having food, water, shelter, and clothing. Praise God for His unfailing love and grace.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #contentment #peace #hope #prayer #faith #love #sufficient #needs #ChristAlone #amwriting #patience #Philippians

A senior moment, a Psalm, and a life well lived

 

I need to make a correction with yesterday's post. I started out talking about 'comfort' but then switched to 'contentment.' We talked about contentment in Women's Group, but the subject of Sunday's sermon was comfort. Somehow, I meshed the two together. Like I've said in the past, I sometimes still experience these chemo-brain moments. (Maybe I should face the fact that they're really senior moments.) 

     Speaking of senior moments, for the life of me, I can't think of one thing that I was going to write about this week. Yesterday I was full of ideas, but did I write them down? No. No, I did not.

     So, I paused and read Psalm 37:1-11 ESV:

Fret not yourself because of evildoers;
be not envious of wrongdoers!
For they will soon fade like the grass
and wither like the green herb.
Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
Delight yourself in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light,
and your justice as the noonday.
Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath!
Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil.
For the evildoers shall be cut off,
but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.
In just a little while, the wicked will be no more;
though you look carefully at his place, he will not be there.
But the meek shall inherit the land
and delight themselves in abundant peace.

You can read the rest of the Psalm here.

     This whole passage describes what we need to do to be content. How often do we look at others and wish we had what they had? It doesn't even have to be material things. I used to be jealous of a woman who didn't have to work. She wasn't a 'housewife' either. Her husband worked full-time, took care of the house, cooked, ran errands, and did the laundry. She was free to do whatever she wanted, whenever she wanted. What I didn't see was the downside of that. They had no relationship to speak of. She wasted most of her life sleeping. Now, because of how she lived, she has all of these health issues and can't do much of anything even if she wanted to. Why would I want any of that?
     I want my life to have meaning and the only way to do that is to serve the Lord. That means sharing the gospel, praying, reading my bible, reaching out to others. God has a reason for putting us in the situations He puts us in. It may be so that we meet that one person who needs to hear our story. That person then may reach ten people, and each of those people may reach thirty people. We may not know how God used us to plant seeds until we get to Heaven but we can be satisfied and content knowing that our individual lives each have meaning. Pray without ceasing that His will be done. Then, you will know contentment.

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Please join me this week in praying for contentment for ourselves and others. May we rest in the hope of Jesus Christ. Pray that those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ come to know Him. Pray that we recognize the daily blessings that God bestows on us. He provides for all of our needs. Let us be thankful for having food, water, shelter, and clothing. Praise God for His unfailing love and grace.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #contentment #peace #hope #prayer #faith #love #sufficient #needs #ChristAlone #correction #retraction #Psalms #purpose

Where to find contentment

 

During Women's Group yesterday morning, we landed on 1 Timothy 6:6 (and beyond) which prompted a conversation about comfort. Later, it turned out that the entire sermon was focused on comfort, too. So, this is our topic for the week. It's another area that could take us to so many different places and lead us to pray for so many different people, going through a variety of situations that are anything but comfort-giving.

    What 1 Timothy 6:6 is talking about, though, is being content when our basic needs are met. John MacArthur wrote: "This Gr. word means, "self-sufficiency," and was used by Stoic philosophers to describe a person who was unflappable and unmoved by external cirucumstances. Christians are to be satisfied and sufficient, and not to seek for more than what God has already given them. He is the source of true contentment..." *
     People talked about finding contentment in their spouses, in their homes, with their lives. I personally don't find it in any of those places. I don't think I've ever been content in those areas. It's not that I seek something extraordinary--maybe I'm just searching, praying for contentment that others seem to have. But then, isn't that covetous?
     Our Women's Group leader then said that "My hope is in Christ alone. Everyone else will let us down." That was kind of my 'aha' moment of the day. It was as if God was answering all of the thoughts swirling through my mind during the discussion: Christ alone. Everything else is temporal. Everything else is insignificant.

But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 ESV

*MacArthur, John (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible, New King James version.

     Thomas Nelson, Inc. Nashville, TN.

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Please join me this week in praying for contentment for ourselves and others. May we rest in the hope of Jesus Christ. Pray that those who do not have a personal relationship with Christ come to know Him. Pray that we recognize the daily blessings that God bestows on us. He provides for all of our needs. Let us be thankful for having food, water, shelter, and clothing. Praise God for His unfailing love and grace.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #contentment #peace #hope #prayer #faith #love #sufficient #needs #ChristAlone

Help from your church family

 

I know this doesn't always work, but it's a place to start if you require assistance. Your local church family may or may not have all of the resources to meet your needs, but maybe they can direct you to someone or somewhere that can help.
     We're blessed to have a loving, caring church family. We're also blessed to have several services set up specifically to minister to our church body or even to the surrounding communities. However, some of these ideas could be instigated in smaller churches as well:
- Meal Train: people volunteer to deliver a meal to people recovering from surgery or going through debilitating medical treatment. See mealtrain.com
- Counseling: a service normally provided by the pastor can be expanded by training other church members with tools to help them counsel those in need.
- Discipleship Groups: when a new believer comes to faith, it's important that they be discipled right away so that their new-found faith is made stronger with knowledge of what God's word says, what the church believes, etc. It's also important because we want new believers to become part of the church, serving, encouraging others, sharing their testimony. Today's converts could be tomorrow's church leaders.
- Physical Needs: money could be budgeted to help people who have trouble paying a bill or handling an emergency.
- Cards of Encouragement: our church has a list of people who would benefit from receiving a card once in a while. Maybe they're sick or grieving or lost their job, whatever the situation, it's a wonderful way to minister to those in need.
- Food Pantry: some churches partner together to stock a food pantry within the community.
- Transportation: members could volunteer to take people to doctor's appointments and/or run errands.

     The opportunities to serve are endless. If you have an idea for a way to meet a need, talk to your church leaders. If you have a need, talk to your church leaders. Either situation is a way to connect with your church family.
     If you are able, find a way to serve within your church. Everyone has the ability to do something, whether it's sending an encouraging text or card to someone who's going through a rough time, or making coffee on Sunday morning, or mowing the lawn, or being on the prayer chain. Of course, some tasks are harder than others. Some take more of a time commitment but find something you can do and be a part of the solution.

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.

James 5:13-18 NKJV

You may also like:
-"Isolation"
-"Pray for the health of The Church"
-"Peter is the rock"

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Please join me this week in praying for those who need help but don't ask for it. Pray that they see the benefits of allowing others to help them. Pray that they have good experiences as a result of opening up to others. Pray that they are served by Christians who show Christ to them. Let's also pray for those who refuse to help, for whatever reason. Pray that God softens their hearts and minds, that he give them servants' hearts so that they may know the joy in working together as one body of Christ and the reward of knowing they are doing God's will.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #help #ask #need #churchfamily #serve #prayer #services #churchelders #assisance #church #servantsheart #hope #counseling

Peace of God

 

Every so often I like to ask, "what's your go-to Bible verse or passage in times of dispair?" One of mine is Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV):

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

     This life is trying. Accepting Christ as our Savior doesn't mean that we'll have an easy time of it, but it does mean that we'll carry with us the peace of the Holy Spirit and the hope of eternal life with our Father. He created us for the express purpose of bringing glory to Himself and to share His love with one another during our time on Earth. We're here to love and serve one another and to build relationships. He doesn't want us to walk this journey alone.

     Reach out to others. Be there for each other. Love one another, as Christ loves us.

You may also like:

- "Compassion and Grief" about when my dad passed away. I was able to rejoice in knowing that I'll see him again in Heaven.

- "Walk the Walk" 

- "Don't be anxious about anything" has an image with the Philippians 4:6 verse that you can share with someone who needs to see it today.

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Please join me this week in praying for those who need help but don't ask for it. Pray that they see the benefits of allowing others to help them. Pray that they have good experiences as a result of opening up to others. Pray that they are served by Christians who show Christ to them. Let's also pray for those who refuse to help, for whatever reason. Pray that God softens their hearts and minds, that he give them servants' hearts so that they may know the joy in working together as one body of Christ and the reward of knowing they are doing God's will.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #bibleverse #bible #help #ask #need #independant #strong #prayer #relationship #anxiety #isolated #lonely #peace #hope #salvation

Waking up

 

How do you wake up each morning? Do you wake up to an alarm clock, cursing the day for dragging you out of bed? Do you postpone the inevitable by hitting the snooze countless times? Do you just generally hate mornings?

     Or, do you wake up praising God for giving you another day? Do you say a prayer of thanksgiving for the possibilities that lie ahead?

     I used to be the first set of examples above. I would wake up angry; sometimes even singing the old WWII song, "Oh how I hate to get up in the morning. Oh, how I'd love to remain in bed..." Then, I realized there are people who are bedridden who would love nothing more than to be able to get up in the morning. My problem wasn't the morning, it was that I needed more sleep, and a major tweak in my attitude.

     It makes me think of the movie "Groundhog Day." Bill Murray's character woke up angry every morning; he went through the day feeling defeated, bitter, and hopeless. He lived his life full of dread. After the turning point of the movie, his attitude changed; he found purpose and hope. He learned to make the most of his situation and woke up each day with anticipation. 

     Now I wake up saying, "Thank You, Lord!" I ask God to guide me as to His will for my day. It has helped tremendously. I no longer feel (as) overwhelmed (it's a work-in-progress), and therefore I don't have those feelings of being defeated.

     I don't want to come across like I have anything figured out, but I do want to share when I have that "aha" moment that not only makes my life a little easier but also draws me closer to God.

     My challenge for you is this, wake up every morning and say, "Hallelujah!" Say it like you mean it! Say a prayer of praise and thanksgiving and ask God for direction for your day. If you'd like to share what happens, let me know. I'm excited for you and for your week ahead.

     Our Father and Jesus and the Holy Spirit deserve nothing short of our continual praise and love.

“For God so loved the world, 

that he gave his only Son, 

that whoever believes in him should not perish 

but have eternal life.

John 3:16 ESV

You may also like: "Pray for a widow or widower" from January 14, 2019

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Please join me this week in praying for the Church. Pray that we focus our attention on our purpose and goal in this life. Pray that we keep our eye on the prize. Everyone, every single person will live forever, will have eternal life, but it's where they will spend eternity that needs to motivate our action each and every day.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @7DegreesOfMe
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#ThisIsMyHallelujah #7thHourPrayerPower #mornings #attitude #wakeup #praise #challenge #hope

A new life

 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 

1 Peter 1:3 NKJV 

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Please join me this week in praying for the new year. Pray for physical, mental, and spiritual healing. Pray that through the turmoil, we will see an unprecedented number of people come to know Jesus and that God will be glorified through it all. Pray for the Church to be united and of one mind so that non-believers may see the peace and hope we have in Jesus.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #Jesus #NewYear2021 #new #hope #God #love #mercy #faithfulness

Strain to what lies ahead

 

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:13-14 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for the new year. Pray for physical, mental, and spiritual healing. Pray that through the turmoil, we will see an unprecedented number of people come to know Jesus and that God will be glorified through it all. Pray for the Church to be united and of one mind so that non-believers may see the peace and hope we have in Jesus.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #Jesus #NewYear2021 #new #hope #God #love #mercy #faithfulness

Your new self

 

To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Ephesians 4:22-24 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for the new year. Pray for physical, mental, and spiritual healing. Pray that through the turmoil, we will see an unprecedented number of people come to know Jesus and that God will be glorified through it all. Pray for the Church to be united and of one mind so that non-believers may see the peace and hope we have in Jesus.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #Jesus #NewYear2021 #new #hope #God #love #mercy #faithfulness

A new creation

 

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. 

The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for the new year. Pray for physical, mental, and spiritual healing. Pray that through the turmoil, we will see an unprecedented number of people come to know Jesus and that God will be glorified through it all. Pray for the Church to be united and of one mind so that non-believers may see the peace and hope we have in Jesus.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #Jesus #NewYear2021 #new #hope #God #love #mercy #faithfulness

New each morning

 

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; 

his mercies never come to an end; 

they are new every morning; 

great is your faithfulness. 

“The Lord is my portion,” 

says my soul, 

"therefore I will hope in him.”

Lamentations 3:22-24 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for the new year. Pray for physical, mental, and spiritual healing. Pray that through the turmoil, we will see an unprecedented number of people come to know Jesus and that God will be glorified through it all. Pray for the Church to be united and of one mind so that non-believers may see the peace and hope we have in Jesus.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #Jesus #NewYear2021 #new #hope #God #love #mercy #faithfulness

Rivers in the desert

This year, when the ball drops and the clock strikes twelve, we'll rejoice like never before for having survived a year like none other. Because we are God's children, we have the assurance of knowing that whatever 2021 brings, we'll persevere, adapt, and continue to praise God, our Father who loves us and cares for us.
     This is Google's 2020 video. I love that the word most searched for was "why". To me, that says that people are searching for something deeper, and it's my prayer that maybe in that search, they'll find God.

Google - year in search 2020

As we get ready to say goodbye to 2020, let go of any ill-will and focus instead on the road that God is laying out before us. Through Him, all things are possible. (Matthew 19:26b)

 

“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. 

Behold, I am doing a new thing; 

now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? 

I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

Isaiah 43:18-19 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for the new year. Pray for physical, mental, and spiritual healing. Pray that through the turmoil, we will see an unprecedented number of people come to know Jesus and that God will be glorified through it all. Pray for the Church to be united and of one mind so that non-believers may see the peace and hope we have in Jesus.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #Jesus #NewYear2021 #new #hope #God #sovereignty #perservere #survival #plan

A future and a hope

 

Each year I write about the coming new year, usually choosing a theme instead of a resolution. I don't always post these to my blog, because sometimes I don't finish writing it, or sometimes I finish writing but just don't get around to posting it. For 2020 I had trouble settling on a theme and wrote about a couple of ideas but never finished them. Then, March came and blew everything out of the water anyway. There was no way I could have planned for that, and definitely no way I could have adhered to any pre-2020 "ideal" of how I should handle such a tumultuous year. 

     As of this writing, there have been 19.1M cases of the virus in the U.S. and 333,000 deaths. There have been 80.7M cases worldwide and 1.76M deaths. Countries all over the world have had to be in lock-down to slow the spread of this virus. Economies have tanked. Unemployment has soared. Businesses have gone under. Hospitals and funeral homes are overwhelmed. 

     In our country alone, we've seen division and violence like never before. People are getting killed for asking customers to wear a mask. Health and political officials are receiving death threats for doing their jobs. I never thought I'd see and hear the things that have transpired this past year in a country like ours. If I weren't a child of God, I honestly don't know how I would have survived the year.

     I haven't settled on my theme for 2021 but someone said that the word for 2020 should be "perseverance," because even with everything I stated above and all of the things I didn't include (aka Australian bush fires, Black Lives Matter protests, the explosion in Beirut, murder hornets, West Coast fires, Nashville explosion, etc...) we're here, doing the best we can, adapting day to day, and praising God for His sovereignty through it all. 

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.

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for the new year. Pray for physical, mental, and spiritual healing. Pray that through the turmoil, we will see an unprecedented number of people come to know Jesus and that God will be glorified through it all. Pray for the Church to be united and of one mind so that non-believers may see the peace and hope we have in Jesus.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #Jesus #NewYear #2020 #2021 #new #hope #God #sovereignty #perservere #survival #plan

Fear not

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, 

for I am your God; I will strengthen you, 

I will help you, 

I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Isaiah 41:10 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for those who suffer from any type of mental illness. Pray that they will find strength and hope and comfort in the Lord. Let's also pray that they seek earthly counsel and aid.  

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible #fear #testimony #Jesus #hope 

Power to seek help

The last three years of my first marriage were the hardest, but they were also the best. It took a while to get to the good part though.
     When he was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer, we were told his odds were about 50-50. The surgeon gave him even worse odds, so we ignored him.
     At first, everything was horrible. The whole process of getting started with treatment is very debilitating in that there are so many unknowns, and we spent so much time looking stuff up online and reading books because the time between diagnosis and actually starting treatment was about two months. That can seem like an eternity. We felt an urgency to start treatment, or at the very least meet with our oncologist and get answers, but nothing about the entire journey happened quickly.
     Because of this added stress, I began feeling like I was going to die. All the camomile tea in the world couldn't calm my heart or mind. I was praying diligently by that point, and it was in answer to those prayers that God got me to finally see a doctor.
     Our insurance was no longer accepted by my family doctor (I had been going there since I was a child; it was hard to move away from him), so I had to find a new doc. In the waiting room, I filled out all of these forms. I was getting anxious and stressed out. Then I got to the form where I had to mark the symptoms and illnesses experienced. With each checkmark, it began to sink in how sick I really was...all of the chest/breathing questions, check, all of the head questions, check, all of the digestive questions, check, all of the mental questions, check, check, and check. I started crying. When did I get so messed up?!
     By the time we got the exam room and the doctor came in, I was balling. My husband had to translate what I was trying to say and filled in about his diagnosis. The doctor said part of it was a type of pre-grieving, which made sense. My husband and I were one, as in Genesis. We went everywhere together, even worked together; we were inseparable. My thoughts were never of what it would be like without the verbal abuse. It was always more like, what will happen when half of me is stripped away?
     The doctor also said I was suffering from anxiety and depression so he prescribed some medicine for those. Those pills changed my life. For the first time in 27 years, I was able to cope with difficult situations. The medicine didn't get rid of all of my physical symptoms that resulted from anxiety, but it diminished the severity of them. I was taking a lot less over-the-counter medication.
     I also went through some testing to make sure none of my physical issues were because of physical disease. They weren't. Everything checked out. With all of this taken care of, and my increased prayer life, and getting back into the word, I was able to focus better on taking care of my husband through this horrible disease, and juggling work, family, finances, and all of the other parts of my life.

I just want to encourage anyone who's reading this who needs help with a mental condition to seek help. Just go to your family doctor and begin a conversation with what you're struggling with. Pray to our Father for guidance and courage to ask for help.

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

2 Timothy 1:7 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for those who suffer from any type of mental illness. Pray that they will find strength and hope and comfort in the Lord. Let's also pray that they seek earthly counsel and aid.  

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible  #depression #anxiety #testimony #Jesus #hope #help #MentalBreakdown #therapist

God's plan

 

For a long time, I felt "broken." I had completely lost my sense of self, and my life just wasn't my own. Then my husband was diagnosed with stage 3 colon cancer, and I really lost it. Fortunately, God had brought me back to Him right before this. I wouldn't have survived this time otherwise, but I'll talk about that tomorrow.
     Here's the video I mentioned yesterday. I'm really embarrassed to share it because I'm not proud of the decisions I made back then (and also because I didn't know I moved my mouth so weird when I talk). Still, most of you have seen it already anyway and this week is about putting myself out there in the hopes of encouraging others who struggle with different mental issues to seek help. It's not a weakness. A big part of depression is physical and has to do with the synapsis in our brains (or something like that).
     When this pandemic hit, it felt like all of the work I had done to heal was immediately undone and left me feeling broken once again. A dear friend sent me this, and it really helped, so I'd like to share it with anyone out there who needs to know this message:
Me: Hey God.
God: Hello.....
Me: I'm falling apart. Can you put me back together?
God: I would rather not.
Me: Why?
God: Because you aren't a puzzle.
Me: What about all of the pieces of my life that are falling down onto the ground?
God: Let them stay there for a while. They fell off for a reason. Take some time and decide if you need any of those pieces back.
Me: You don't understand! I'm breaking down!
God: No - you don't understand. You are breaking through. What you are feeling are just growing pains. You are shedding the things and the people in your life that are holding you back. You aren't falling apart. You are falling into place. Relax. Take some deep breaths and allow those things you don't need anymore to fall off of you. Quit holding onto the pieces that don't fit you anymore. Let them fall off. Let them go.
Me: Once I start doing that, what will be left of me?
God: Only the very best pieces of you.
Me: I'm scared of changing.
God: I keep telling you - YOU AREN'T CHANGING!! YOU ARE BECOMING!
Me: Becoming who?
God: Becoming who I created you to be! A person of light and love and charity and hope and courage and joy and mercy and grace and compassion. I made you for more than the shallow pieces you have decided to adorn yourself with that you cling to with such greed and fear. Let those things fall off of you. I love you! Don't change! ... Become! Become! Become who I made you to be. I'm going to keep telling you this until you remember it.
Me: There goes another piece.
God: Yep. Let it be.
Me: So ... I'm not broken?
God: Of course Not! - but you are breaking like the dawn. It's a new day. Become!!!
~Author John Roedel

being confident of this very thing, 

that He who has begun a good work in you 

will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

Philippians 1:6 NKJV

If you or anyone you know is suffering from any sort of mental condition, please reach out to someone. I encourage you to seek counseling; it has made a world of difference to me. Go to  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/ to search for a therapist in your area. You can then filter the results to show only Christian counselors, then by issues, gender, therapy methods, etc. if you want. Pray for the strength and courage to take this vital step to recovery.

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Please join me this week in praying for those who suffer from any type of mental illness. Pray that they will find strength and hope and comfort in the Lord. Let's also pray that they seek earthly counsel and aid.  

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27
Pinterest Prayer Group #7thHourPrayerPower

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

#7thHourPrayerPower #BibleVerses #bible  #depression #anxiety #testimony #Jesus #hope #help #MentalBreakdown #therapist