March 16, 2026

This Is The Stuff

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

I lost my keys in the great unknown
And call me, please, ’cause I can’t find my phone

This is the stuff that drives me crazy
This is the stuff that’s getting to me lately
In the middle of my little mess
I forget how big I’m blessed
This is the stuff that gets under my skin
But I’ve gotta trust You know exactly what You’re doing
Might not be what I would choose
But this the stuff You use

45 in a 35 sirens and fines
While I’m running behind
Whoa ho ho

So break me of impatience
Conquer my frustrations
I’ve got a new appreciation
It’s not the end of the world
Whoa ho ho ho…Oooooh
Whoa whoa ho ho
This is the stuff You use 

Performed by: Francesca Battistelli

Songwriters: Francesca Battistelli, Ian Eskelin, Tony Wood

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Anyone else going through some STUFF lately?  I am sure I am not alone!  When things are hitting us right and left, catching us off guard, this is when we become tired and weary.  Much like being in a boxing ring.  Our temptation when we feel this way is to throw in the towel and quit…however that is the exact moment when God reminds me that I am more than a conqueror through Him.

Just as it is written: For Your sake we are being put to death all day long.
We were considered as sheep to be slaughtered
But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.
Romans 8: 36-37

It is easy in trying times—when many things are coming at us at once—to forget how BIG we are blessed. I then purpose to sit myself down and think on all of the blessings in my life and the miracles that God has done. I start to meditate on these things instead of all the stuff that can drive us crazy, and keep us preoccupied and distracted from the One Who loves us the most.

Here is one of my favorite Scriptures and proclamations on blessings…I speak this over my life each and every day.

If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully keep all His commands
that I am giving you today, the Lord your God will set you
high above all the nations of the world.

You will experience all these blessings if you obey the Lord your God:
Wherever you go and whatever you do, you will be blessed.
Deuteronomy 28:1 and 2, 6 NLT

What an awesome promise to hold onto….

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Heavenly Father, thank You for the reminder that the things we go through is just stuff and that we can conqueror anything we go through because of You.  Let us not forget how big we are blessed!!!  In Jesus’ Name, AMEN!!!

Every Praise Is To Our God

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Hey now!  Chair dancing is just NOT going to be good enough with this moving and inspiring song!  Are your toes tapping…head bobbing…shoulders jiving…hands clapping?  Up on your feet!  Use your whole self—hands, arms, feet…and mind, heart, voice! Allow your WHOLE self to fully engage in giving ‘every praise!’ to your God!  Sing HalleluJAH!

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Every praise is to our God
Every word of worship with one accord
Every praise every praise is to our God
Sing Hallelujah to our God
Glory Hallelujah is due our God
Every praise every praise is to our God

God my Savior
God my Healer
God my Deliverer
Yes He is, yes He is

Praise sung by Hezekiah Walker and friends
Songwriters: Hezekiah Walker and J. David Bratton

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Our God—our Savior, our Healer, our Deliverer—deserves all the praise there is to give!

Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good;
for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!
Who can put into words and tell the mighty deeds of the Lord?
Or who can show forth all the praise [that is due Him]?
Psalms 106:1 and 2

Truly, no one can…that is why all of the praise of all of the peoples throughout all time is required to ‘show forth all the praise…’!

Throughout the Scriptures there are many records of God’s people praising and worshipping Him—the object of their every praise. For example,

  • Moses praising with the children of Israel praising God Almighty for the miraculous way He saved them from the Egyptians (Exodus 15)
  • David worshipping with the people of Jerusalem when the Ark of the Covenant was returned to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 16)

Each of these show us wonderful examples of these Old Testament believers and their hearts to praise the Great I AM!  However, I just love the praises that are given to God by Daniel…and the king, Nebuchadnezzar…recorded in the Book of Daniel.  Here is one prayer of praise and worship Daniel prayed after God gifted him with wisdom and explanations of King Nebudchednezzar’s dream.

Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a vision of the night, and Daniel blessed the God of heaven. Daniel answered, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever! For wisdom and might are His! He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding! He reveals the deep and secret things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him! I thank You and praise You, O God of my fathers, Who has given me wisdom and might and has made known to me now what we desired of You, for You have made known to us the solution to the king’s problem.

Daniel 2:19-23

Just like in this song we are inspired by today, Daniel sang out his ‘HalleluJAH!’ and gave all the praise to his God! What can we see in his prayer of praise? First, he praised God. Then he acknowledged Who God is and that He is in-charge and in control—‘He changes the times and the seasons…He removes…and sets up kings.’ And that all wisdom and knowledge are His. And then Daniel thanked and praised God for giving him wisdom and might.

Later on, given the mighty and miraculous acts seen as well as the humbling that Nebuchadnezzar received, he had much praise to give to God, too. He lifted his praise of the Most High God before all the peoples of his kingdom.

It seemed good to me to show the signs and wonders that the Most High God has performed toward me.
How great are His signs! And how mighty His wonders! His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and His dominion is from generation to generation.

And at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar, lifted up my eyes to heaven, and my understanding and the right use of my mind returned to me; and I blessed the Most High [God] and I praised and honored and glorified Him Who lives forever, Whose dominion is an everlasting dominion; and His kingdom endures from generation to generation. And all the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing. And He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay His hand or say to Him, What are You doing? Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, Whose works are all faithful and right and Whose ways are just. And those who walk in pride He is able to abase and humble.

Daniel 4:2 and 3, 34-37

And, of course, there are many, many, many additional accounts throughout the Scriptures of praise and worship being offered to the One Who deserves every praise—our Great God!

Every praise is to our God
Sing Hallelujah to our God
Glory! Hallelujah! is due our God
Every praise, every praise is to our God!

 ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥

I will confess and praise You [O God] with my whole heart;
before the gods will I sing praises to You.
I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name
for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness;
for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your Word
and You have magnified Your Word above all Your name!
Psalms 138:1 and 2

Who Do We Put Our Trust In?

SeekingHimLogo

Praise the LORD!
Let all that I am praise the LORD.
I will praise the LORD as long as I live.
I will sing praises to my God with my dying breath.
Don’t put your confidence in powerful people;
there is no help for you there.
When they breathe their last, they return to the earth,
and all their plans die with them.
But joyful are those who have the God of Israel as their Helper,
whose hope is in the LORD their God.
He made heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them.
He keeps every promise forever.
He gives justice to the oppressed
and food to the hungry.
The LORD frees the prisoners.
The LORD opens the eyes of the blind.
The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down.
The LORD loves the godly.
The LORD protects the foreigners among us.
He cares for the orphans and widows,
but He frustrates the plans of the wicked.
The LORD will reign forever.
He will be your God, O Jerusalem, throughout the generations.
Praise the LORD!
Psalm 146

I can say that I don’t recall reading these words before but, as I read them I thought to myself, who do you put your trust in? So many times our society places individuals on pedestals (I do it myself). These individuals can include celebrities, politicians, preachers and pastors, our significant others, family members, friends, anyone. We raise them up and then raise our expectations of them. We ask things of them that they cannot deliver. We think they can do no wrong and, when they do so, we find ourselves hurt. Why do I do this? Why do we do this? I’m honestly not sure, but we are reminded of something…

Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there.
When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them.
Verses 3 and 4

They breathe a last breath…they are only human. I learned that thinking like this does a few things—it places unnecessary (and often unwanted) pressure on the person, and it takes away God’s glory. We place others in His position. This Scripture reminded me that we need to only place our confidence, our hearts, and our lives in One.  God.  He is our Helper, He is our hope, He is our peace, and He is the only One Who will never fail us.  As this scripture says

He keeps every promise forever.
Verse 6

This isn’t said to ruin relationships or break trusting connections; it is said to remind us that those around us are as human as we are, and when they will fail…they deserve grace and mercy. There is One who will never fail us, and that is our Heavenly Father.

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Let’s Pray:  Dear Heavenly Father, so often we take our eyes off of You and place others higher than we should.  Remind us and guide us to remember that out of everyone, You will never fail us, and You will never break the promises You’ve made.  Thank You for those who You have placed in our lives as role models, but it is You, Lord, who we need to put our trust in.  In Jesus’ Name, we pray, Amen.

Not In Men

SeekingHimLogo

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, my soul.
I will praise the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
Do not put your trust in princes,
in human beings, who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God.
He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
He remains faithful forever.
He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free,
the Lord gives sight to the blind,
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the foreigner
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but He frustrates the ways of the wicked.
The Lord reigns forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord.
Psalm 146

God desires for us to seek Him first for wisdom. We need to check His word for answers. We are not to trust in man only for answers for life’s problems. If we do seek human response, we should only seek those who pursue God even more than we do.

Paul was a great example of someone who did not rely on men. God had given him a mission to carry out and Paul knew what was required of him. When plans changed he sent encouragement to those who would need it. 

Now this is our boast: Our conscience testifies
that we have conducted ourselves in the world,
and especially in our relations with you,
with integrity and godly sincerity.
We have done so, relying not on worldly wisdom
but on God’s grace.
2 Corinthians 1:12

Even when Jesus was facing His last days on earth and knew His cruel fate, Peter could not stop Jesus from following what God required.

Jesus turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan!
You are a stumbling block to Me;
you do not have in mind the concerns of God,
but merely human concerns.”
Matthew 16:23

Peter reacted as we would have. We would not have wanted our best friend to be taken away from us either. Jesus knew He needed to follow God’s plan and show us how to love unconditionally. Who else would suffered the beating, the embarrassment, and humiliation He suffered at the hands of men? Praise the Lord for His continued love. Even now!

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Father, we praise You! We praise Your unfailingly love, even when we have proved to be unlovable. Please forgive us for when we have doubted You and not sought You first. Help us develop our trust  in You so that we can take it to a new level of commitment. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Freedom

SeekingHimLogo

The Lord frees prisoners.
Psalm 146:7b HCSB

Called to Be Free was the title of the sermon at church on Sunday, so this verse jumped out at me as I was reading through Psalm 146. One point the pastor made stuck with me: “You cannot lose your salvation. You CAN give up your freedom.”

John 10:28-30 (HSCB) assures us our salvation is secure:

I give them eternal life, and they will never perish—ever!
No one will snatch them out of My hand.
My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all.
No one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
The Father and I are one.

Ephesians 1:13-14 (NIV) confirms we bear His mark:

And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth,
the gospel of your salvation.
When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,

Now take a look at the following excerpts:
– “captives will be released and prisoners will be freed”  Isaiah 61:1NLT
– “For He has broken the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron apart” Psalm 107:16
– “freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free” Luke 4:18NIV

See the theme running through these verses? Freedom, specifically our freedom.

So, since we have been set free, why would we give up that freedom? (Think of the Israelites, set free from Pharaoh, yet clamoring to go back!) When things get hard, we sometimes want to return to “the way it was.” Or maybe it is fear of the unknown. Often we chain ourselves (and others) to rules and standards we have no hope of achieving on our own. We will never live up to God’s standards on our own.

Other times pride and ego stand in the way of our freedom. Or our desires. Or material things. Perhaps we have become complacent and allow the enemy to subtly trip us up. Too many times we blame our “sinful nature.” Yet our sinful nature no longer has any power except what we give it. Before long we are bound up in chains of our own making. When we realize we are once again chained to this world, we try to free ourselves but to no avail.

All our efforts will never be enough to set us free. However, Zechariah 9:12 holds the key:

“Return to the stronghold [place of safety, your fortress] all you prisoners of hope” (a paraphrase)

We need to return to our place of safety (our stronghold, our fortress) when we find ourselves bound by chains—Jesus. Only He can set us free. As John 8:36 (AMP) says:

So if the Son liberates you [makes you free men],
then you are really and unquestionably free.

When Jesus sets us free, we are free indeed. There is no one else who has that power. He is the only place we can find our freedom. The Spirit that marks us as His will always lead us back to the foot of the Cross.

When we truly understand who we are in Christ and what He has done for us, then we realize what we do NOT have to do.

  • We do not have to pretend to be something we aren’t
  • We do not have to live up to impossible standards
  • We do not have to fix ourselves (or anyone else)
  • We do not have to be bound in chains

All we must do is accept His grace

Our freedom isn’t because of anything we have or have not done. Our freedom is solely because of all Christ has done. The pastor summed it up like this:

Jesus + anything = nothing
Jesus + nothing = EVERYTHING
The choice is ours.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, thank You so much for everything You have done for us and given to us. Let us be aware of anything we chose that might take away our freedom that came at such a great cost. Your Son did not die so we could continue to bind ourselves in worldly chains. He rose that we might have everlasting freedom. You are so good to us. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen – so be it!

Faith To Believe


psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Faith that’s forever
Faith to believe
Faith that moves mountains
Faith for my dreams
Faith that’s forever
Faith to receive
(I’ve got faith)…Faith to believe 

Now faith is the substance
Of things hoped for
And the evidence
Of things I can’t see
It’s my faith that moves mountains
Of doubt and uncertainty

I’ve got faith…faith to believe

Down through the years
Through every test and trial
I’ve learned down on my knees
By faith I can live out what I’ve heard
He won’t go back, back on His word

I believe, I believe, I believe
It’s possible
I believe, I believe, I believe
I’ve got faith…faith to believe 

Written and Sung by Sheri Jones-Moffett

 *   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

How faithful is our God!  When we doubt, all we have to do is look toward our Father for support and guidance along our way.  He will not answer when we want…not always in the way we want…but He will answer.

Our thoughts follow what is in our hearts.  What we say brings life or death.  What is in your heart?  Do you believe, do you have the faith to trust that God will be there to catch you no matter what?  As our faith grows, our words should follow. We should speak words that encourage each other and instill hope in our God.

As you sing the song, think on the words.

Consider what you believe.

Pesto Pasta with Grilled Chicken

Look what someone who loves me gave me today?  Oh happy me!

2014-08-07 17.34.47

My daughter, Kassia, lovingly gifted me with a jar of her healthy but-oh-so-yummy pesto (and luscious balsamic reduction)!  This is precious stuff…what to make, what to make?  Eventually, I just decided to keep it simple: I took a couple of tablespoons to marinate chicken tenderloins, which we then grilled; and then topped off sauteed zucchini and onions with another couple of tablespoons and combined it all together with some gluten-free penne pasta. So yummy!

2014-08-07 19.31.01

Kassia graciously is sharing her pesto recipe with us today…. This recipe is vegan and dairy-free (along with being intrinsically gluten free, soy free). Her secret ingredient? “Nutritional yeast.” Yup! Don’t knock it ‘til you try it! (Oh, speaking of trying it…dust your freshly popped popcorn with it!) Here’s a fun link loaded with lots of good info about nutritional yeast, or noosh, and some ideas where to purchase it. Enjoy!

Pesto

ingredients:
1/4 cup walnuts2014-08-10 17.47.41
1/2-1 tablespoon finely minced garlic (she uses jarred garlic, like her momma!)
2 cups fresh baby spinach
1 cup fresh basil (leaves only!)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup+/- extra virgin olive oil
sea salt, freshly ground black pepper (to taste)

directions:

  • in a food processor, process the walnuts and garlic until minced
  • add the spinach, basil, nutritional yeast and lemon juice; process by pulsing until spinach is finely ground
  • with food processor running, s-l-o-w-l-y pour the oil down the food chute ‘til all is well incorporated
  • season with salt and pepper, to taste
  • this will make approximately 3/4 cup (about 12 tablespoons) of pesto. I only used 5 tablespoons in the entire dish pictured above which made 4 generous servings!

♥   ♥   ♥   ♥   ♥

God loves you!  ♥  (Please don’t ever forget that!)

♥  coleen

 

 

A Friendly Reminder About Guidance

SeekingHimLogo

The Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who weighed down.
The Lord loves the godly.
Psalm 146:8

Life can be burdensome.  As I step forth into this new season of my life, I find myself making the classic mistake of not taking everything to God.  I find myself trying to decide what I should do or what I shouldn’t do.  Making life choices can be difficult when done alone.  My pastor has said that when you say ‘yes’ to something, you are saying ‘no’ to something, as well.  Right now my major concerns in life are career choices.  Do I want to go back to school, or do I want to get a second job…again.  Do I want to do both?  Can I do both?  Do I want to go back to being so exhausted and never having time to do anything but work and work.

When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild.
But whoever obeys the law is joyful.
Proverbs 29:18

Getting advice from parents, friends, mentors, or an advisor is a smart choice; but ultimately their advice is just that—advice.  The true Decider and Decision maker is the Lord Almighty.  He has a plan.  He has a purpose for you.  He knows where you would fit best.  Yes, He places people around us to help guide us, but we need to do so prayerfully.  You don’t exactly want to take financial advice from someone who is not a good steward of their own money, for example.

When we spend daily time with God we can bring Him the concerns of our hearts and the decisions we have to make. God knows. He knows what we are supposed to do and He promises in Psalm 32:8,

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will counsel you and watch over you.

No matter what you are facing today—how big or small, how easy or hard—remember that you have a God who wants to help and lead you down the correct path.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Lord, thank You for Your ever ready and never-ending guidance through life.  We have a tendency to make our lives harder than they need to be.  Help me to constantly pause and remember that I serve a God who loves me dearly and knows every step I need to take to fulfill the purpose set before me.  Help me to lean on You instead of myself, and to never stop trusting in Your awesome plans for me.  Amen.

Rise Again

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

Go ahead, drive the nails in My hands
Laugh at me where you stand
Go ahead, and say it isn’t Me
The day will come when you will see

‘Cause I’ll rise again
Ain’t no power on earth can tie me down
Yes, I’ll rise again
Death can’t keep Me in the ground

Go ahead, mock My name
My love for you is still the same
Go ahead, and bury Me
But very soon, I will be free

‘Cause I’ll rise again
Ain’t no power on earth can tie Me down
Yes, I’ll rise again
Death can’t keep Me in the ground

Go ahead and say I’m dead and gone
But you will see that you were wrong
Go ahead, try to hide the Son
But all will see that I’m the One!

‘Cause I’ll come again!
Ain’t no power on earth can keep Me back!
Yes, I’ll come again
Come to take My people back

Singer/Songwriter: Dallas Holm

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Last week a couple of  friends and myself felt like the enemy was taking target practice at our marriages.  It wasn’t the first time…and I am quite certain it won’t be the last.  A recent sermon I heard, entitled Called to Be Free, came to mind and I thought about being free from satan’s attacks.  I know we won’t be completely free until we reach Heaven but Jesus has set us free from the chains of this world.  That includes satan and anything he tries to ensnare us in.  The enemy only has what power we give him.

Luke 10:19 (HCSB) puts it this way:

Look, I have given you the authority to trample on snakes and scorpions
and over all the power of the enemy; nothing will ever harm you.

We have all authority over the power of the enemy.  Sometimes we forget to use that power.  Even when we do, sometimes we still get knocked for a loop.  It is difficult to keep getting back up when you get knocked down repeatedly.  I read a Scripture that totally changed my whole perspective on this.  Take a look at 2 Corinthians 4:10-11 (AMP):

Always carrying about in the body the liability and exposure
to the same putting to death that the Lord Jesus suffered,
so that the [resurrection] life of Jesus also may be shown forth by and in our bodies.
For we who live are constantly [experiencing] being handed over to death
for Jesus’ sake, that the [resurrection] life of Jesus
also may be evidenced through our flesh which is liable to death.

I read this and had a “light bulb” moment.  Because we are believers and followers of Christ, we carry Jesus’ death and Resurrection within us!  The attacks we incur, the battles we fight are where we share in the death of Jesus.  If satan knocks me down, he may have won that battle but Jesus has already won the war.  Every time we rise up from defeat—whether it is perceived or real—we share in the Resurrection and ultimate victory of Jesus.  We can rise again because Jesus has already done it and we carry Him within ourselves.

As I was mediating on all of this, the song “Rise Again” came to mind.  But I was hearing it and singing it in a whole new light.  Since I have a personal relationship with Christ, it doesn’t matter if people laugh at me or mock me. It doesn’t matter if I get knocked down or thrown for a loop. “I will be free….” “…No power on earth can tie me down.”

For me, this revelation was earth-shattering and life-changing.  The storms will be easier to bear, and the attacks easier to survive because I know Jesus has already been there.  He has paved my way in victory and His victory is manifested in me.  Hallelujah!!!!

God, Parents, and Children

SeekingHimLogo

He is the Maker of heaven and earth,
the sea, and everything in them—
He remains faithful forever.
He upholds the cause of the oppressed
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets prisoners free,
the Lord gives sight to the blind,
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,
the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the foreigner
and sustains the fatherless and the widow,
but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.
Psalms 146:6-9

For those who have children, you can probably relate to the verses above if you think about it.  We help to create, or make, our children in the way we hope that God has in mind.  We uphold them and make them feel better when they are bullied or treated unfairly.  We watch over them to keep them safe and healthy.

My daughter and I bought a mother/daughter combo necklace that we found on sale after Mother’s Day.  I wear the ‘mother’ heart, and she wears the ‘daughter’ heart.  She wore her necklace to daycare the other day.  Because one child at daycare is not allowed to wear necklaces because she turns it into a toy, her mother threw a fit when she saw my daughter wearing her heart necklace.  To keep things fair, the teacher took my daughter’s necklace up.  (I got the necklace back later on.)  My daughter didn’t fuss, but I am pretty sure she did not understand what was going on.  I felt for her, and I felt bad because I was not there to watch over her during the injustice.  But, I am proud that she didn’t fuss when her teacher took the necklace.  Most three-year olds would throw a fit.

Just as we help to create, or make, the person our child becomes so does God. God created the earth and everything in it. He created each one of us as a unique individual. He watches over each one of us, and He guides just like parents guide their children. We lift them up when they are down and we lift them up when they have success.  God does the same for us.  Just as we are faithful to our families, God is faithful to us.

*   ~   ♥   ~   ✞   ~  ♥   ~   *

Dear Heavenly Father: Thank You for Your wonderful creation.  Thank You for freeing us and helping us guide our own children and families as You guide us. You sustain us, and You lift us up when we most need it.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.