This is what I know for sure:
Deuteronomy 31:8, "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."
Since our Heavenly Father "knows" the plan He has for us, He has walked before us, and He will be with us in the tough times.
"I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in who I trust." Psm. 91:2
Psm. 141:8, "But my eyes are fixed on you, O Sovereign Lord; in you I take refuge..."
The seniors did a beautiful tribute to our Angel, Malorie. They donated a new score table for the gym, with "In Loving Memory of Malorie" on it. They had an awesome Sr. Video with several pictures of Mal in it! I love how her friends still remember her. Of course we cried, it was very bittersweet.
As much as I dreaded the day, I wouldn't have missed it. And...God was with us, every step of the way Sunday.
Dear Father,
Thank you for seeing us thru those very tough difficult times. Please give me the faith to trust you, even in those difficult times.
Lord, you are good, your love endures forever; your faithfulness continues through all generations. Psm. 100:5
I am so glad Malorie's friends are extending God's grace to you during this time. He is by your side. I will be praying for you this week. Today I am praying that God will be El-Shaddai, the God Almighty of all blessings to each of us. El-Shaddai means the Breasty One Who nourishes and supplies our every need and fufills our every desire. He is ALL-BOUNTIFUL AND ALL-SUFFICIENT. Looking forward to the next 11 weeks.
ReplyDeleteOh, goodness...we will face this next year and, honestly - I am already struggling with it. May is always teen month at church and I have a hard time with it each year - but this month I have already been thinking about next May. How wonderful for Malorie's class to include her memory - and your family! I hope I can find a way to incorporate Tyler next year, too.
ReplyDeletePraying for you....
I have been praying for you this morning Natalie.
ReplyDeleteGood news - all girls (except for one) signed in this week even though some had tough weeks (the second week is always the hardest- especially with the holdiay). That is awesome...THAT IS PRAISE WORTHY. I am so thankful you are all walking with me in this journey.
Motivation for the day - Nothing tastes as good as thin feels!!!
Tip for the day - If you drink half your body weight in water a day - the experts say your appetite will decrease dramatically. (Are ya thinking that's a lot of water =) Me too!!!)
Prayer for you today, "Lord, Father, Creator, Sustainer, Joy-Giver, Prince of Peace, King of Kings I come before you today lifting up my dear sisters in Christ: Nicole, Holly, Shannon, Haylee, Kassie, Amber, Becky, Belinda, Jennifer, Natalie, Jackie, Amy, Adrian, Jamie and myself. I ask today Lord God that you help us walk this walk and fight the good fight. Help me to offer my body, my choices up to you as a living sacrifice. I have exhausted all the possiblities for changing this situation in my life, and I AM POWERLESS. All things, all diets, all the will-power in the world will not accomplish my goal, but will YOU ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE. I humble myself before you Lord, and YOU WILL LIFT ME UP on wings like eagles. You will lift me up out of this slimy pit, out of the mud and mire. You will set my feet on a rock and give me a firm place to stand. You will put a NEW SONG in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God
(anybody wanting a new song...I do)
I have a great high Priest Who has gone though the heavens: Jesus. I hold firmly to the faith and profess that My High Priest is able to sympathize with my weaknesses. I approach your Throne of grace with confidence so that I may receive mercy and find grace in my time of need. Help me Jesus. In the face of discouragement, disappointment, frustration, and dispair I know YOU GOD ARE MIGHTY TO SAVE. You are my rock, a refuge where no enemy can reach me. You are a fortress where I cannot be shaken. Greater is He that is in me than He that is in this world.
Father I believe you have heard our cries, our groanings, our prayers for you this week. You will not leave us or forsake us. You will bring us out from under this yoke of bondage and free me from being a slave to temptation and frustration,. You have redeemed Nicole, Holly, Shannon, Haylee, Kassie, Amber, Becky, Belinda, Jennifer, Natalie, Jackie, Amy, Adrian, Jamie and me. You have transferred us from the darkness of bondage into the Kingdom of Light where love, joy, peace, righteousness, and grace abound towards us. In your sweet Son's name we pray. Amen!
See you next Monday!