I have been praying this week for my two little granddaughters that have a bad cold/virus. It breaks my heart to see little ones sick and I know it is hard on their parents. It is wonderful that we can bring our concerns to Jesus and ask for him to help them to heal. Prayer is such an integral part of my life I can't imagine living one's life without calling upon Jesus for help. He is always with us and hears our prayers when we cry out to Him. Philippians 4:6 says "If there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving." The following is from the chapter on Prayer in my book, Living Waters: Writings from the Heart of a Christian: "My followers are very precious to me. Your prayers are sweet smelling incense, a pleasing aroma that rises to my nostrils. When you smell good perfume that pleases you, a smile comes to your mouth. So it is with the sweet smell of your prayers, they bring a smile to my lips."

Jesus: Help us all to remember how pleasing our prayers are to you.

Childlike trust

This past week my husband and I had the privilege and joy of being with our 4 month old granddaughter. There is just something special about a baby's smile and grin that melts your heart. They are also so very trusting, loving and cuddly. I had a hard time leaving her so we could return home. Jesus calls us to be like little children and have the same complete trust in Him that a baby has with its parents. Many people are afraid to trust because of the rejection they felt at some point in their life, yet Jesus has never rejected us or forsaken us. Scripture tells us to become like a little child with our faith in Him. Being with our grandchild reminded me how to have that baby like trust. Are you trusting God with all of your worries, concerns and cares each day?

Cold weather

I have enjoyed the warmer weather this past week! Makes me realize how much I love Spring and Summer. Extreme cold is moving into our state starting today so I am thinking we will fire up the fireplace! It is always a cozy, warm feeling to curl up in front of the fire and read a good book and perhaps sip a cup of hot chocolate. Another warm feeling I love is the warmth of the Holy Spirit. There are times in prayer one can literally feel the Holy Spirit hovering and his warmth on my shoulder. The Holy Spirit, the third person of the Holy Trinity, is my comforter and leads me into a deeper prayer life with Jesus. I received the Holy Spirit at Baptism and then again at Confirmation. I also received a greater fullness when I asked the Holy Spirit to come and grant me the baptism of the Holy Spirit in all of its fullness. That is when the gifts of the Spirit began operating more fully in my life. You can read about the gifts of the Spirit in I Corinthians Ch 12:4-11. They are: wisdom, knowledge, faith, gift of healing, miraculous powers, prophecy, gift of tongues, interpretation of tongues. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is found in Galatians 5: 22,23, which is love, joy, peace, patient endurance, kindness, generosity, faith, mildness and chastity. So you can see the Holy Spirit is powerful and gentle and deserves a greater place in all of our hearts. Come Holy Spirit renew us again with your power and your love. Have a great and blessed week!

Talents

I started an art class this week to do acrylic painting. I have painted with watercolor for a number of years, but never tried any other media, so this will be a challenge for me. I am looking forward to trying something new. I think it is good for all of us to branch out and try something different and see whether our hidden talents may be ready to come to the forefront. I have discovered over the years that following Jesus always seems to lead to some new and exciting adventures. He seems to always have a fresh word for us to reflect on and is always leading us onward. In my book "Living Waters;Writings from the Heart of a Christian" there is a chapter on Talents, and I will quote a few sentences from it. "The special talents I give each of my children are deep within the heart. Do not be envious or jealous of someone else's obvious talent, but pray that I may help you recognize and develop your special talent. Many of my children have grumbled and complained that they were left out when special abilities and talents were handed out. I would not slight any of you." I pray you all will develop a special talent this year and pray that the Lord will help you with it. Blessings!

Love is a powerful weapon

Do you believe that love heals? Martin Luther King told us all to love to heal the divisions in our country. He stated " Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." Today we honor this very brave man who lost his life preaching what he believed. Jesus also has told us to love one another as He has loved us. Wouldn't it be great if this new year everyone made a decision to love more? The following is from my book Living Waters: Writings from the Heart of a Christian: "Do not let your hearts be troubled or afraid. I will never leave you, nor forsake you. I love you with an everlasting love. My love flows freely and mightily. Pass this love along to those you live with, and to those whose path crosses yours. My love will bring about healing to those that are hurting inside. My love will bring about wholeness. Love is a powerful weapon when fighting the evils of this world."

Does anyone else feel like one week flows into the next so quickly that it becomes hard to remember what day it is? I can't decide if it is because I have been so busy or if it is just age related. (We all know that time seems to fly by as you age.) I would like to think it is because I have been super busy. My book "Living Waters; Writings from the Heart of a Christian" needs ongoing marketing tasks so that it gets into the hands of readers. I am busy marketing it because I feel it is the work God has called me to do and also because it is a book that will help the reader know God's tremendous love and peace. His love is beyond our human understanding, for it is far far greater than any love we are able to give. How does one understand laying down one's life for another out of love? How does one understand forgiving us as He hung on the cross? Or how does one understand God coming to earth as a baby to save us from our sins? I can go on and on but these are just a few things to contemplate when thinking of how much God loves us. God calls us to love one another as He has loved us, so go forth today and reach out in love!

My husband and I took the Christmas tree and decorations down yesterday and today my sweetheart's back is hurting. I thought I did all of the lifting and putting the boxes in storage, but I guess he did some behind my back. So today I pampered him and prepared a very special dinner tonight. We both started our "after the Christmas Season diet" this morning, but I felt the back ache deserved a good hearty meal come dinner time. So we start over tomorrow with the diet!

In Chapter three of my book there is a message about being one with my husband that I will quote here: "You are one with your husband. It is good to support him in his decisions. He needs to know that you stand behind him and support him" I hope that message applies to a hurting back because I know he needs my love and support when it hurts. Prayer is also a healing balm to relieve some of the pain! Jesus please grant my husband a good nights sleep and help him to awaken tomorrow free from back pain. Thank you my Lord!