December 23, 2024

Desert Song

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

This is my prayer in the desert
When all that’s within me feels dry
This is my prayer in my hunger and need
My God is the God who provides

And this is my prayer in the fire
In weakness or trial or pain
There is a faith proved
Of more worth than gold
So refine me, Lord, through the flame

And I will bring praise
I will bring praise
No weapon formed against me shall remain
I will rejoice
I will declare
God is my victory and He is here

And this is my prayer in the battle
When triumph is still on its way
I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ
So firm on His promise I’ll stand

All of my life
In every season
You are still God
I have a reason to sing
I have a reason to worship

This is my prayer in the harvest
When favor and providence flow
I know I’m filled to be emptied again
The seed I’ve received I will sow

Performed by Hillsong United / Songwriter: Brooke Fraser

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Thank You, Father, that ‘in every season You are still God,
and, even in the desert, I have reason to sing’…because I have You.

Even in the fire we are being refined. And, just like Shadrach, Meshach and Abendago, we will come out better, stronger, and not even smelling like smoke. Thank You, Lord, for the victory ahead.

See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
Isaiah 48:10 NIV

“Every one of us is a potential diamond in the rough. Embedded within each person are diamond-like qualities waiting to be mined bringing joy to our Maker, others, and ourselves. Are we willing to endure the pressure, the cutting, and the polishing of the Master Jeweler to bring out the diamond within us?”

A quote from God’s Diamond in the Rough.

Click here to go to Prevail Magazine.org

So, are we willing to let God refine us through the fire and be looking for the good that will come in the desert seasons?  When we give praise in the desert, He will give us the strength that we need to overcome.  God is our Victory!  Praise Him that He is here….

But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation,
a people for His own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him
Who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
1 Peter 2:9 ESV

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Heavenly Father, I thank You that even in the desert You have not left us and that we always have a reason to sing in every season because we have You. Thank You for strength and peace as we are awaiting the triumph that is on the way. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

When The Crazy Kicks In

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Here I go tiptoeing to the kitchen
And don’t you know, crash goes the coffee cup
My only chance to be still and listen
Lord, don’t let, don’t let the kids wake up
A little time with You, the only way to get me through the day

Oh, come meet me in this moment
Before it all gets going
And these plates start to spin
And the crazy kicks in
A circus of distractions
Is just about to happen
I’ll be ready when
The crazy kicks in

Pushed and pulled by a thousand expectations
And all the roles that I’m supposed to play
To hit the ground running is a temptation
But I have learned this lesson the hard way
A little time with You, the only way to get me through the day

You got me, where You want me, even through the highs and lows
You know me, and You hold me, and You show me that You’ll never let me go

Singer/Songwriter: Francesca Battistelli along with Ian Eskelin, Tony Wood

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“Oh Lord, thank You that You are the peaceful place in the midst of the crazy in life….” Jesus said, “Come to Me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest” in Matthew 11:28 NLT.  “Oh Father, come meet us in these moments….”

I think this blog “Wounded But Victorious”states it so well:

“Meet me in my broken place….hold me now.
I am so thankful that I have a God that meets me where I am at, when my faith is weak, when my legs wobble under life’s weight, He is steadfastly there. Sometimes it appears as though He is missing in action, sometimes it feels as though my cries fall on deaf ears, but He is always there. Usually it seems He is waiting for me to grasp the latest concept or lesson that He wants me to learn, to humbly follow Him in complete surrender. I love my Lord and at the end of the day, I know that He alone can be counted on.
Though my life’s lessons have been hard at times for me and usually because of my stubborn reluctance to say ‘Yes Lord,’ I can reflect and say He has always been there.”

(Click on the link above to visit this blog.)

Even in those times when we FEEL as though God isn’t there we can rely on this promise:

So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them.
For the LORD your God will personally go ahead of you.
He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
Deuteronomy 31:6 NLT

These are the times that we must continue to be strong and courageous and remember “Greater is He that is in me than He that is in the world…”. We can remain strong in the midst of life’s difficulties because we are strong in Him.

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Heavenly Father, Thank You that I am not the different roles I play in the midst of my busy life. That I am whom You created me to be. May we remember each and everyday who we are living for—and that is You. In Jesus’ Name, AMEN!!

Overwhelmed

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I see the work of Your hands
Galaxies spin in a heavenly dance,oh God
All that You are is so overwhelming
I hear the sound of Your Voice
All at once it’s a gentle and thundering noise, oh God
All that You are is so overwhelming

I delight myself in You
Captivated by Your beauty
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You
God, I run into Your arms
Unashamed because of mercy
I’m overwhelmed, I’m overwhelmed by You

I know the power of Your Cross
Forgiven and free, forever You’ll be my God
All that You’ve done is so overwhelming

You are Beautiful, You are Beautiful
Oh God, there is no one more Beautiful
You are Beautiful, God, You are the most Beautiful

You are Glorious, You are Glorious
Oh God, there is no one more Glorious
You are Glorious, God, You are the most Glorious

Big Daddy Weave / Songwriters: Michael Weaver and Phil Wickham

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Do you ever get overwhelmed when you think about the glorious majesty of the Father???  I love, love, love the part in this song that says “…unashamed because of mercy…”  We don’t have to be ashamed because of the mercy of the Heavenly Father; we can run into His arms and receive His unconditional love.

God’s love is unconditional.  Unlike earthly affection, His love does not fluctuate.

The Father doesn’t care for us more when we have pleased Him
or less when we have failed or sinned.
Charles Stanley

But God showed His great love for us
by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
Romans 5:8 NLT

Are you captivated by the beauty of the Father? I love this quote from Captivated By Christ!  (Click here for the full article by George Dillahunty.)

In our Holy Scripture text, for today, Jesus, the Christ, was talking to the Disciple/Apostle Thomas – “Doubting Thomas!” Every blessing – for the Christian true believer – is obtained – by being captivated by Jesus, the Christ – the Way, the Truth, and the Life! Having entered through the “Door,” by repentance and faith, we can continue to experience His Grace by following the path that only He can provide!

Jesus saith unto him, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life:
no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me.
John 14:6

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My prayer for this day:
Father, may we all be so ‘captivated by Your beauty’ that we are ‘overwhelmed by Your mercy’ and ‘run into Your arms’…in Jesus’ Name! AMEN!!!

Little Ol’ Me

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

 

Well I was just a kid coming up those steps
All dressed up in my Sunday best
Learning to sing, learning to stand
Right in the front, holding mamma’s hand
I still remember listening to my dad
Even if I didn’t always understand
Cause deep in his heart, deep in his soul
There was a fire that I wanted to know
And those memories are still burning brightly
Oh Jesus how I love the way You’re writing my life

However could it be, to have a part in your story
Bigger than what I can see, little old me, little old me
I may not know Your plan but I’m safe here in Your hands
Cause I know that You believe, in little old me, little old me

Walking through the halls on my way to class
Caught my reflection in the trophy glass
Who was this girl, trying to be
And who in the world is she trying to please
Suddenly ignited by a spark I hear my Savior’s voice speaking right to my heart
“Don’t give up now, and don’t be afraid, you know who you are,
you got something to say”
And those memories are still burning brightly
Oh Jesus how I love the way You’re writing my life

Turning the page, I’m up on stage
But I’m still a kid in a lot of ways
So many dreams, that are coming true
But Lord when they see me, I hope they see You
Nothing but You
(God I know, I know You got big plans for me)
Little old me, little old me

Singer/Songwriter: Jamie Grace Harper along with Morgan H. Nichols, Juan Otero, Joel Parisien
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Suddenly ignited by a spark I hear my Savior’s voice speaking right to my heart, ‘Don’t give up now, and don’t be afraid, you know who you are…’ “

Do we REALLY believe who God says we are??  Would we walk our walk with Him differently…fully confident with our head held high KNOWING we are more than conquerors??  God never meant for us to be living a defeated life and walking around in despair.

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
Romans 8:31 NIV

As long as we have God on our side there is never a reason to lose hope in any situation.  Our hope is in Him.

I pray that God, the Source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace
because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope
through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Romans 15:13 NLT

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Heavenly Father, may we never lose sight of the hope that we have in You and knowing with full confidence that ‘if You are for us WHO can be against us’.  Thank You for the promise in Jesus’ name.  AMEN!!!!

Blessings

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We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
And all the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It’s not our home

‘Cause what if your blessings come through rain drops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise

Singer/Songwriter – Laura Story

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Blessings in disguise. Are you looking for those blessings even in the hard days? What you focus on is what you will magnify…good or bad. What are you choosing to magnify in your life?  My prayer is that even when we are going through hard times we will choose to magnify God and focus on Him.

“I thought about how when I looked through my magnifying glass all I could see was the object that I was focusing on. Then I thought, when we go through hard times we need to focus on the Lord. We need to MAGNIFY HIM above our troubles and see only His helping hand in every situation.
In Psalms chapter 34 and verse 4 it says, “I sought the LORD, and He heard me and delivered me from all my fears.” We need to seek the Lord in our times of troubles and look to Him for our help. Psalms 69:30 says,” I will praise the name of God with a song, and will MAGNIFY Him with thanksgiving.” When we praise and thank God for being their for us in our times of need and our times of gladness,….when we like Joseph in the Bible, thank God for every situation we find our selves in, we can have peace of mind that God will come through for us.
When Paul and Silas were thrown into prison they didn’t sit there and gripe and say WHY ME….why did we get put into prison…were people of God… how could God let this happen to us!!!!! No… instead they sang the praises of God. They MAGNIFIED the LORD in their situation and the Bible says that the earth shook and their shackles opened up and the doors of the prison opened up for them. There is POWER in magnifying the Lord in our lives Psalms 40 and verse 16 says, “Let all those that seek you rejoice and be glad in you; let such as love thy salvation say continually, THE LORD BE MAGNIFIED!
So the next time you find yourself in a hard place in your life, be a Paul and Silas…. sing praises and MAGNIFY the Lord and see His mighty hand come to help you. And as Psalms 35 and verse 28 says,” My tongue shall speak of YOUR righteousness and of YOUR praise all the day long!”

excerpted from Living Truth website “Magnify The Lord”

click here to read entire article

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Heavenly Father, thank You for when we choose to magnify You in the midst of our troubles that You are faithful in each and every one. Thank You for the blessings in disguise. May we focus on You so that we may find them…in Jesus’ name, AMEN!!!

Everything I Need

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

When every step is so hard to take
And all of my hope is fading away
When life is a mountain that I cannot climb
You carry me, Jesus carry me

You are strength in my weakness
You are the refuge I seek
You are everything in my time of need
You are everything, You are everything I need

When every moment is more than I can take
And all of my strength is slipping away
When every breath gets harder to breathe 
You carry me, Jesus carry me

I need You
You are everything I need
I love everything about You

You are strength in my weakness
You are the refuge I seek
You are everything in my time of need
You are everything, You are everything I need

Jon Michah Sumrall, Dave Lubben  ~ Kutless

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Father, when life gets to be too overwhelming it’s Your refuge I seek. You are all that I need!

But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ
may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults,
hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV

It is in our weaknesses that we are made strong through Christ. Jesus is all we need. He is the strength in our weakness. God is our everything in our time of need.

I will love You, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
My God, my strength, in whom I will trust;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
I will call upon the LORD, Who is worthy to be praised;
So shall I be saved from my enemies. The pangs of death surrounded me,
And the floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
Psalms 18:1-4

Jesus is the one who carries us when we feel as though our strength is slipping away. It is in these moments that we must turn our focus back to Him.

I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me.
Philippians 4:13 NKJV

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Heavenly Father, I thank You that You are my strength in ALL my weakness and it is in my weakness that You make me strong.  You are my everything!  Father, I need You!  Thank You for Your faithfulness to see me through to the victory that lies ahead.  In Jesus’ name, Amen!!!

Hold Me

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv
I love, I love, I love, I love the way You hold me
I love, I love, I love, I love the way You hold me
I love, I love, I love, I love the way You hold me
I love, I love, I love, I love the way You, the way You

I’ve had a long day, I just wanna relax
Don’t have time for my friends, no time to chit-chat
Problems at my job, wonderin’ what to do
I know I should be working but I’m thinking of You and
Just when I feel this crazy world is gonna bring me down
That’s when Your smile comes around

Oh, I love the way You hold me, by my side You’ll always be
You take each and every day, make it special in some way
I love the way You hold me, in Your arms I’ll always be
You take each and every day, make it special in some way
I love You more than the words in my brain can express
I can’t imagine even loving You less

Lord, I love the way You hold me
Whoa, oh, I love the way You hold me
Whoa, oh

Well ya, took my day and You flipped it around
Calmed the tidal wave and put my feet on the ground
Forever in my heart, always on my mind
It’s crazy how I think about You all of the time
And just when I think I’m ’bout to figure You out
You make me wanna sing and shout

I’m so grateful and thankful for all You’ve done
Wish I could tell You in a short story or poem
But all I have is my voice and this guitar
And You have my heart

Oh, I love
I love, I love, I love, I love the way You hold me
I love, I love, I love, I love the way You hold me
I love, I love, I love, I love the way You hold me, hold me, hold me

Written and Sung by Jamie Grace and Toby McKeehan along with Chris Stevens

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Where do you run when you have one of those days?  To Jesus???  He is our comfort….

“Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28 NLT

“Gracious ‘word’ of a gracious Savior, on which the soul may confidingly repose, and be at peace forever! It is a present rest—the rest of grace as well as the rest of glory. Not only are there signals of peace hung out from the walls of Heaven—the lights of Home glimmering in the distance to cheer our footsteps; but we have the “shadow” of this “great Rock!” in a present “weary land.” Before the Throne above is there “the sea of glass,” without one rippling wave; but there is a haven even on earth for the tempest-tossed, “We who have believed DO enter into rest.”

(I love this word picture! It is taken from gracegems.org.  Click on the link to read more of this article.)

And He said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.”
Exodus 33:14 ESV

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Heavenly Father, I thank You that when it has been one of those days, we can find comfort and peace in You!  I love the way You hold me.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!!!

Fix My Eyes

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Hit rewind
Click delete
Stand face to face with the younger me
All of the mistakes
All of the heartbreak
Here’s what I’d do differently

I’d love like I’m not scared
Give when it’s not fair
Live life for another
Take time for a brother
Fight for the weak ones
Speak out for freedom
Find faith in the battle
Stand tall but above it all
Fix my eyes on You

I learned the lines and talked the talk
But the road less traveled is hard to walk 
It takes a soldier
Who knows his orders
To walk the walk I’m supposed to walk

The things of Earth are dimming
In the light of Your glory and grace
I’ll set my sights upon Heaven
I’m fixing my eyes on You
I’m fixing my eyes on You
I’m fixing my eyes

Singer / Songwriters: For King and Country (Luke and Joel Smallbone)

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When I fix my eyes on Jesus, through His strength, I can do ALL the things He asks me to do. God ways are not our ways. What doesn’t make sense to us doesn’t have to…as God always has a higher purpose for what He calls us to do.

“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD.
“And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.”
Isaiah 55:8 NLT

For God to do the unimaginable in our lives we must be willing to keep our eyes focused on Him and not be trying to figure things out by our own strength.. He must have full reign over our lives… More of Him and less of Me..

He must become greater; I must become less.
John 3:30 NIV

I love this passage in the Bible where Jesus prays for Simon that his faith would not fail him.

But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail.
Luke 22:32a NLT

Our faith is what gives God the ability to work in our lives. You either trust or you don’t—it is as simple as that! What unimaginable are you believing for in your life?

Now all glory to God, who is able, through His mighty power at work within us,
to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.
Ephesians 3:20 NLT

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Heavenly Father, thank You that we can do ALL that You ask us to do by Your strength and power that is at work in us at all times. All we have to do is tap into it… May our faith in You not fail us and please forgive us when it does. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!!!

Rain Down

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Looks like tonight, the sky is heavy
Feels like the winds are gonna change
Beneath my feet, the earth is ready
I know its time for Heaven’s rain
It’s gonna rain

‘Cause it’s Living Water we desire
To flood our hearts with holy fire

Rain down all around the world we’re singing
Rain down, can you here the earth is singing
Rain down, my heart is dry but still I’m singing
Rain down, rain it down on me

Back to the start, my heart is heavy
Feels like it’s time, to dream again
I see the clouds, and yes I’m ready
To dance upon this barren land
Hope in my hands

Do not shut, do not shut, do not shut the heavens
But open up, open up, open up our hearts

Give me strength to cross this water
Keep my heart upon Your altar
Give me strength to cross this water
Keep my feet don’t let me falter

 

Written by Martin Smith, Stuart Garrard / Delirious

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Living Water is the only water that satisfies… Father, “flood our hearts with holy fire!!!”

In order for the offspring of water to exist, everything starts in the rain..and Who gives the rain?  Where does it comes from?  It comes from God.

Then I will give you rain in its season, (…)
Leviticus 26:4

If I want to have the Living Water and become a fountain, I need to seek those waters from above, through my seeking of the Holy Spirit, through my surrender, my sincerity and daily sacrifice in order to obey God’s Word.  The Living Water will accumulate in us, forming our character and shaping us into God’s children, until the moment that God’s Presence also overflows and we become a fountain.  We will have for us and to give others.
excerpt from Elijah Blogfire

My prayer is to be filled with the Living Water that I may not be a reservoir that keeps it stored up for myself, rather, a river so as I am filled to overflowing it may flow freely to those around me…

Shower, O heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down righteousness;
let the earth open, that salvation and righteousness may bear fruit;
let the earth cause them both to sprout; I the LORD have created it.
Isaiah 45:8 ESV

On the ‘Got Questions?’ website, we read this about the Holy Spirit:
“Fire is a wonderful picture of the work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit is like a fire in at least three ways: He brings God’s presence, God’s passion, and God’s purity. The Holy Spirit is the presence of God as He indwells the heart of the believer …” (Click here to read the entire article!)

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Heavenly Father, “give me strength to cross this water…keep my heart upon Your altar…keep my feet, don’t let me falter” and “flood my heart with your Holy Fire” in Jesus name AMEN!!!

(Never Gonna) Steal My Joy

psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv

 

I look at my life and I still can’t believe it
How could I make it to where I stand now?
You don’t understand, I was up against the whole world
And all I could feel was it breaking me down
But out of a hopeless situation
There came a song of redemption

Life may push my heart to the limit
But I won’t let go of the joy in my soul
‘Cause everything can change in a minute
And the world may try
But they’re never gonna steal my joy
No, they’re never, no, they’re never

So get up, stand up and rise above it
If every plan that you made go so wrong
You don’t have to give into the struggle
You may be down but don’t stay there for long
In every hopeless situation
There is a song of redemption

The world may say you’re never gonna make it
The world may say you’re not strong enough to take it
But I don’t care ’cause of the joy of the Lord is real
And they’re never gonna steal my joy,
Never, no, never 

 Songwriters: Sam Mizzell and Matthew West / Performed by Mandisa

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‘Get up, stand up, and rise above it’!!!  We were never meant to live a defeated life. Not when we have Jesus on our side.  ‘The world may try but they’re never gonna steal my joy’!!  Our joy can only be stolen if we ALLOW it to be….

Joy is not dependent upon our circumstances.

For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling;
He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.
Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me;
at His sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.
Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me.
Psalms 27:5-7 NIV

Joy is possible when we feel secure in the Lord.

Many, Lord, are asking, “Who will bring us prosperity?”
Let the light of Your face shine on us.
Fill my heart with joy when their grain and new wine abound.
In peace I will lie down and sleep, for You alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Psalms 4:6-8

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Heavenly Father, Thank You for the fullness of joy that can only be found in You…for Your faithfulness in all circumstances…and for the strength to conquer whatever life brings.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!!!