Using our spiritual gifts

Use your spiritual gifts for the edification of the church body

One of the things God is leading me to do is to write down other women's stories. I'm extremely excited about it especially because I've spent the last nine years working on writing my story and have always felt that it was not what God wanted me to do, so now I get why. ... Okay, so I was going to leave this next part out, but then decided, Nah - so if you want to debate this, go for it, but I don't feel like it - this is just my opinion ... This is how I see free-will versus God's plan. I had the freedom to choose to write my story because it was something I really, really wanted to do, so I did it, feeling that it wasn't part of God's plan for me, so He let me go down that 9-year-long rabbit trail that led nowhere for my own personal satisfaction and then He posted a detour sign that brought me back to His path for me. Isn't that just awesome?!
     I thought about bringing up this new venture in our women's bible study group Sunday morning but then decided against it until I was closer to being ready to start, till I was more organized, etc. In our group we were talking about judgment (Romans) and that we're all sinners and to never forget our own testimonies, our own past and someone said, "We each have a story to tell" and I realized that if that wasn't God telling me to share, then I don't know what else it could've been, so I shared.
     One of the women who I had in mind to interview anyway came up to me after group and said that her brother has been telling her for years that she should write down her story. That about knocked me over and I said "I would love to write it," so that's my first project and I'm super psyched about it! I can't wait to get started!!!
     Then, the sermon started out about we should be for each other, not ourselves (so I took that as writing about others instead of myself - another 'whoa' moment!). Then, the sermon went on to talk about some of the same things we were talking about in women's group even though it was a different subject, it still touched on the same things we were discussing which seems to happen a lot whenever we study, but I guess this is probably enough sharing for today.
     To bring this back around to our topic for this week, our Pastor had a few stories about other churches and it's really heartbreaking, so encouragement, lifting each other up, growing the church through mission work circled back around (in my thought process) to growing, caring, and maintaining the churches we have here at home. So, if you're part of a church that seems to be slipping in attendance, consider praying about how you can use your spiritual gifts to help heal the church body.

What then, brothers? When you come together, each one has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.

1 Corinthians 14:26 ESV

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Please join me this week in praying for the healing and growth of our local churches.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Our ailing churches

I have so much to tell you! Yesterday at church was just one "wow" moment after another! I really wish I would've written this blog post last night, but I didn't and now I feel like I don't have enough time this morning to do it justice, so let me just introduce this week's topic and I'll try to get all of this written down tonight to share tomorrow.
     This week let's pray for all of the local churches that are seeing a decline in attendance. It is kind of a continuance from last week if you think about it. We're praying for healing and we're holding each other up and offering encouragement.
     A healthy church needs the benefit of a congregation who is willing to work together, utilizing their spiritual gifts for the edification of the church body, in such a way that will bring honor and glory to our Lord.

from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.

Ephesians 4:16 NKJV

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Please join me this week in praying for the healing and growth of our local churches.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Heal me Save me

As we conclude this week of healing prayers, I want to encourage you to continue to pray for those who are ill and to reach out to someone who's suffering. A note or card can go a long way in lifting someone's spirits.
I'll try to provide updates on those we've been praying for.
Continued prayers for our brothers and sisters in Christ:
D.D. who is having double or triple bypass surgery this Tuesday or Wednesday
D.A. who has leukemia
B.F. who is dying from cancer
S.S. who has pancreatic cancer
M.W. who has a lung or respiratory disease
T.H. who has stage 4 cancer
G.&P.T. a couple with multiple health concerns
A.N. a newborn with Kasabach Merritt phenomenon
S.S. suffers from chronic pain due to CRPS and damaged nerves
J.F. heart condition in hospice
D.I. diagnosed stage 4 prostate cancer, great pain
C.T. seeing the surgeon Tuesday, 3 more chemos before surgery
P.B. a friend of hers, Dad is sick
H.C. chronically ill
W.C. severe diabetes
B.K. no more bone or tissue degeneration from rheumatoid arthritis.
M.H. immense knee pain from surgery and is having surgery on left knee 1/24/20
G.H. - suffers from the after-effects of a stroke
D.H. breast cancer and is not doing well
L.P. blood pressure problems

Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed;

Save me, and I shall be saved,

For You are my praise.

Jeremiah 17:14

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Please join me this week in praying for healing for these brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering from disease or illness. Pray boldly and with your whole heart, knowing that whatever we ask for and do not doubt, God will do.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

In a valley

When I was going through chemo and radiation, there were days when I was praising God that I was alive and then there were days when I was crying at the prospect of dying. It was an extremely emotional time made even more difficult by the fact that I had just lost a husband to cancer two years before.
     One of the things that got me through was the outpouring of love and support from people all over the world. I had online friends from several different countries, including this one, and everyone would keep in touch by email, IM, social media and let me know that they were praying for me.
     What made my day every once in a while, though, was when I would receive a card in the mail (and sometimes a gift). It was just so wonderful to know that someone took the time to buy a card and write a note in it. It never failed to cheer me up.
     I find that when I'm down now, a wonderful pick-me-up is to buy a card or small something for someone who I know is sick or hurting. It's my opinion that when I'm depressed it helps immensely to turn my focus onto others AND to count my blessings.
     So, if you're trapped in a valley or know someone who is, think about sending them a card today and you may just lift both yourself and the card recipient to the mountain tops.

Please take a moment to pray for the healing of these special people:
D.D. who is having double or triple bypass surgery this Tuesday or Wednesday
D.A. who has leukemia
B.F. who is dying from cancer
S.S. who has pancreatic cancer
M.W. who has a lung or respiratory disease
T.H. who has stage 4 cancer
G.&P.T. a couple with multiple health concerns
A.N. a newborn with Kasabach Merritt phenomenon
S.S. suffers from chronic pain due to CRPS and damaged nerves
J.F. heart condition in hospice
D.I. diagnosed stage 4 prostate cancer, great pain
C.T. seeing the surgeon Tuesday, 3 more chemos before surgery
P.B. a friend of hers, Dad is sick
H.C. chronically ill
W.C. severe diabetes
B.K. no more bone or tissue degeneration from rheumatoid arthritis.
M.H. immense knee pain from surgery and is having surgery on left knee 1/24/20
G.H. - suffers from the after-effects of a stroke
D.H. breast cancer and is not doing well
L.P. blood pressure problems

Every valley shall be exalted

And every mountain and hill brought low;

The crooked places shall be made straight

And the rough places smooth;

Isaiah 40:4 NKJV

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Please join me this week in praying for healing for these brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering from disease or illness. Pray boldly and with your whole heart, knowing that whatever we ask for and do not doubt, God will do.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Can you believe?

Last night I found out that the baby we've been praying for, A.N. has been diagnosed with a rare vascular disease called Kasabach Merritt phenomenon which stems from the type of tumor she has which is called Kaposiform hemangioendothelioma. She started chemotherapy yesterday in order to shrink the tumor. She will receive treatments for probably two years.
     My first reaction, of course, was, why? Why Lord? But then I quickly remembered He is He and I am just me and can't possibly know what plans He has for this little girl. Maybe, since this is such a rare disease, He will use her medical team to make medical advances for this disease. Maybe He'll use the baby's family to advocate for the disease and bring public awareness to it. We don't know. It's not our job or our purpose to know.
     From what I read, this is a benign tumor so I imagine the chemo is used to shrink the mass so it can be removed. We need to pray for her and her parents and grandparents to get them through this process.
     Her family wrote: "We are very overwhelmed and not sure what to think but we are trusting God's plan and know He will provide for us."
So, please keep praying. Pray without ceasing.

Continued prayers for our brothers and sisters in Christ:
D.D. who is having double or triple bypass surgery this Tuesday or Wednesday
D.A. who has leukemia
B.F. who is dying from cancer
S.S. who has pancreatic cancer
M.W. who has a lung or respiratory disease
T.H. who has stage 4 cancer
G.&P.T. a couple with multiple health concerns
A.N. a newborn with a possible vascular tumor in her hand. She's having an MRI done Wednesday morning. Please pray that the doctors figure out what's wrong and that it's not life-threatening.
S.S. suffers from chronic pain due to CRPS and damaged nerves
J.F. heart condition in hospice
D.I. diagnosed stage 4 prostate cancer, great pain
C.T. seeing the surgeon Tuesday, 3 more chemos before surgery
P.B. a friend of hers, Dad is sick
H.C. chronically ill
W.C. severe diabetes
B.K. no more bone or tissue degeneration from rheumatoid arthritis.
M.H. immense knee pain from surgery and is having surgery on left knee 1/24/20
G.H. - suffers from the after-effects of a stroke
D.H. breast cancer and is not doing well
L.P. blood pressure problems

Send me anyone you would like for us to pray for this week to archadia7@yahoo.com and put in the subject line Prayer Request.

Remember to pray with your whole heart and believe that God will heal these people!

Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.”

Mark 9:23 NKJV

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Please join me this week in praying for healing for these brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering from disease or illness. Pray boldly and with your whole heart, knowing that whatever we ask for and do not doubt, God will do.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Confidence in prayer

For the past several years my spiritual journey has been focused on paths and crossroads, with my life verse being Proverbs 3:5-6

 Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

 In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall make straight your paths.

Yesterday I realized that my journey has moved to the mountains. I'm excited about this and feel like it presents a lot of opportunities for growth and, it will allow the world to see my light.

There are so many people who are suffering from illness, disease, and chronic conditions. Let's pray for these brothers and sisters in Christ that they may be healed. Let's pray fervently and intently like their very lives depend on our prayers (which is the case in a few instances). Names have been added.
D.D. who is having double or triple bypass surgery this Tuesday or Wednesday
D.A. who has leukemia
B.F. who is dying from cancer
S.S. who has pancreatic cancer
M.W. who has a lung or respiratory disease
T.H. who has stage 4 cancer
G.&P.T. a couple with multiple health concerns
A.N. a newborn with a possible vascular tumor in her hand. She's having an MRI done Wednesday morning. Please pray that the doctors figure out what's wrong and that it's not life-threatening.
S.S. suffers from chronic pain due to CRPS and damaged nerves
J.F. heart condition in hospice
D.I. diagnosed stage 4 prostate cancer, great pain
C.T. seeing the surgeon Tuesday, 3 more chemos before surgery
P.B. a friend of hers, Dad is sick
H.C. chronically ill
W.C. severe diabetes
B.K. no more bone or tissue degeneration from rheumatoid arthritis.
M.H. immense knee pain from surgery and is having surgery on left knee 1/24/20
G.H. - suffers from the after-effects of a stroke

Send me anyone you would like for us to pray for this week to archadia7@yahoo.com and put in the subject line Prayer Request.

Remember to pray with your whole heart and believe that God will heal these people!

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him,

 that if we ask anything according to His will, 

He hears us.

1 John 5:14 NKJV

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Please join me this week in praying for healing for these brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering from disease or illness. Pray boldly and with your whole heart, knowing that whatever we ask for and do not doubt, God will do.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power

Faith as a mustard seed

I love this phrase, "if you have faith as a mustard seed..." Jesus was saying that as long as we have faith, no matter how small, we can do great things.
     Yesterday morning I had a God experience and I'd like to share it with you as best as I can. My faith has been all over the board throughout my life. As a youth, I was very involved with my church, I took my bible to school with me, I shared my faith, invited people to church. Then, for some unknown reason, when I moved away to college, I moved away from God. For twenty years, I went through life without Him although He never left my side. Then, one day I had chest pains. I thought I was having a heart attack. My immediate response wasn't to call someone but instead, to get down on the floor and pray, which is what I did. Later, when I went home, I dug through my bins of memorabilia until I found my bibles. I plunged into the word and have stayed there ever since. Like the Prodigal Son, I guess I thought I could go it alone, and God let me go out into the world without His comfort, but when I hit rock bottom, I knew that the only place to go was back to Him.
     This past year and a half, I've finally worked through some pride issues and have been praying that God leads me to do His will. My New Year's theme this year is "Devotion and Faith" (blog post still to come) and I have jumped in with both feet. I wish there was a way to convey the change it has made in me.
     Yesterday, I was singing in the shower, "I believe in God the Father, I believe in Jesus Christ. I believe in the Holy Spirit, who's given us new life." Those are the only words I know to the song and so I just kept singing them over and over again. And then, God reached out to me. He started putting statements and images and memories in my head like a, well, like I guess it would be if your life flashed before your eyes. Anyway, it's impossible to describe the feeling, but what He was telling me was how all of these events of my past have led to this point and what I'm to devote my time to now.
     What this means is that I'll be writing more and praying more and sharing more and I may sound a little crazy at times, but I just want to shake the world up and let people know that God is real and He really is with us day in and day out. I can't understand why He would communicate so effectively with little 'ole me because I'm a nobody; I don't have a big following, no "platform" or anything. I'm not special in any way, but the only thing I can think of is that I've been listening intentionally and intently lately. I pray out loud so Satan can hear me and know that I'm pushing him out the door and that I'm all in as far as what God has planned for me. I pray in the morning, while I'm driving, whenever God does something for me, I say 'thank you', and I pray before bed. And I try to listen for Him when I'm finished in case He has something to say.
     I'm just overwhelmed and want to share this with the whole world. If you think I'm crazy, I'm sorry, but I'm not. So, I'm urging you again today to pray without ceasing. Pray fervently and intently. Keep God close.

Please pray that these brothers and sisters in Christ be healed:
D.D. who is having double or triple bypass surgery this Tuesday or Wednesday
D.A. who has leukemia
B.F. who is dying from cancer
S.S. who has pancreatic cancer
M.W. who has a lung or respiratory disease
T.H. who has stage 4 cancer
G.&P.T. a couple with multiple health concerns
A.N. a newborn with a possible vascular tumor in her hand. She's having an MRI done Wednesday morning. Please pray that the doctors figure out what's wrong and that it's not life-threatening.
S.S. suffers from chronic pain due to CRPS and damaged nerves
J.F. heart condition in hospice
D.I. diagnosed stage 4 prostate cancer, great pain
C.T. seeing the surgeon Tuesday, 3 more chemos before surgery
P.B. a friend of hers, Dad is sick
H.C. chronically ill
W.C. severe diabetes

Send me anyone you would like for us to pray for this week to archadia7@yahoo.com and put in the subject line Prayer Request.

Remember to pray with your whole heart and believe that God will heal these people!

...if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting.”

Matthew 17:20b-21

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Please join me this week in praying for healing for these brothers and sisters in Christ who are suffering from disease or illness. Pray boldly and with your whole heart, knowing that whatever we ask for and do not doubt, God will do.

I'll post daily reminders on:

twitter @7DegreesOfMe

Instagram @archadia27

Facebook group 7th Hour Prayer Power