In this scripture from the Gospel Mark, we see Jesus perform one of his many miracles as he heals the paralyzed man.

We also learn three things from this story:

1. Jesus knows you better than you know yourself.
2. Jesus gives you what you really need.
3. Jesus loves you enough to make you wait.

Take some time today to contemplate these three things and to praise him for all that he has given you and all that he has done for you.

While a dear friend and I were talking about an upcoming Emmaus Walk, I said something about the Triune God. She said she would not have thought to use that particular term. I am not sure why I did, either. That conversation sparked my curiosity.

We as children of God must also work together along our “walk” of faith to help each other reach the goal of eternal life with our Heavenly Father. Each of us has a God-given talent unique to ourselves that must be shared much like the three persons of the Holy Trinity. Had Father God not given His son Jesus to redeem our sins and had Jesus not given His life for all, there would be no Easter. The Holy Spirit is the third person in the Trinity who remains in constant communion with God’s children, guiding our daily lives and helping us to remember how much we are loved and cherished even through the hard times when we could stumble along the bumpy spots in life that we all suffer.

Our journey in faith is also filled with glorious amounts of love, grace beyond measure, and peace that passes all understanding. All we must do to receive these amazing gifts is to believe in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ—no strings attached. In doing this, we continue our journey in faith and take pleasure in sharing that faith with all we meet, demonstrating to them our strength and love, sharing our unique talents in ways only  we as individuals can, and praising the Triune God–Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

During this Lenten season, let us all reflect on our lives so that our light may shine and glorify our True God who is in Heaven.

Prayer:

Almighty God, we thank You and praise You for giving to us Your Son Jesus to save us from our sins. Please help us to receive Your gift with open hearts that we might live with You in glory forever. Amen.

  Contributed by Alice Schlessiger

“For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present or the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth,nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

On an outside marquee at a church in Moody, Texas, on Highway 317, the sign read:

EVERY SAINT HAS A PAST,

 EVERY SINNER A FUTURE

This message, actually an Oscar Wilde quote, sums up why I’m so grateful to be a child of God, and this promise brings me such comfort.  It reminds me that God forgave my many sins when I accepted Jesus as my Savior and was baptized.  God always knew what was in my heart even when I thought I wasn’t good enough to deserve His  salvation.  We all face hardships, and those adversities can cause us to be afraid and lonely and doubt God’s presence in our lives.  But Paul tells us in Romans that it is     impossible to be separated from Christ.  Impossible.  I love the way the Apostle Paul lists all the things he can think of that could drive a wedge in our bond with God, and Paul even ends verse 38 with an all-inclusive encouragement (…’or anything else in all  creation…’) just to ensure he covered everything.  God’s profound love for us never fails us; we are never alone.

Prayer:

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for the promise of a future in heaven with You. Amen.

Contributed by Becky Smith

Monday, February 19th, 2018

1 Peter 5:6

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.”

Lent is that period running from Ash Wednesday and leading up to the celebration of Easter.  It is the time where we, as Christians, seek to prepare ourselves for the miracle of the Resurrection.  This preparation, both physical and mental, comes from many    different sources that have evolved over time.  Denying ourselves personal luxuries, fasting, and seeking through prayer and penance to purify our thoughts and body bring us into a stronger relationship with God.  Then and only then are we truly ready for the  celebration, for the rejoicing in the Resurrection of Christ.  But beyond our rejoicing,  this is also a time where we should reflect on the sacrifices and suffering of our Lord, 

seeking a more complete understanding of what that means to us and to the world, what it means to be a disciple of Christ, and what we need to do to truly transform our world and bring about His kingdom on earth.  As Peter notes in his letter, our immediate need this Lenten season is the humbling of ourselves to the will of the Father and, through that humility, be lifted up to become a true Christian, a true disciple of the Lord, an agent truly committed to transformation!

A Prayer from the Catholic Church for this Lenten season:

“Almighty and Everlasting God, You have given the human race Jesus Christ our Savior as a model of humility.  He fulfilled Your will by becoming Man and giving His life on the cross.  Help us to bear witness to You by following His example of suffering and make us worthy to share in His resurrection.  We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son. Amen.

Contributed by Dave Hall

Sunday, February 18, 2018    

Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Our grandson Jack is 15 months old.  As many of you know, he was born with two very rare eye conditions leaving him blind. One of Jack’s eyes never formed, and the other eye was extremely underdeveloped. Both of his eye conditions were undetected prior to birth. Immediately after he was born, Jack was rushed to the neonatal ICU. Within hours of his birth, doctors told us that he would never see. I’ll never forget the moment the doctors told us those words. Jack will never see.  We were rejoicing over his birth and yet so overwhelmed with the raw emotion of learning about Jack’s conditions.

We called our family and friends. One of our dear friends, a pastor and his wife, told us they were driving immediately in from Dallas to be with us. They wanted to pray over Jack and place their hands on him. Our friend told us, the Lord kept repeating to me Jeremiah 29:11 over and over the whole way here! He placed his hands on Jack and recited this beautiful verse. He declared this verse for Jack. We all cried and praised God! This is the verse we declare for Jack every day.  

It is the most amazing thing! Complete strangers will come up to us, lay their hands on Jack and pray for him. Many times they recite Jeremiah 29:11. God has such wonderful things planned for our sweet Jack! We are so blessed to watch God’s works in his life. Praise be to God!

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for reminding us all of your promises for our lives. May we be forever grateful for your love and devotion to each of us. May we always find comfort in the words you give us through scripture.  Amen.

 Contributed by Nancy McCullough

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

It is a tradition in my family that when a child reaches school age, he/she receives his/her own personal Bible.  My first Bible was a King James Bible that I received on    February 17, 1947.

One of my first Bible verses I remember learning was Psalm 119:105 in the King James version.  Mrs. Anderson was her name and she encouraged all the children in her Sunday school classroom to memorize Bible verses.  Today we have many versions of the Bible, but my favorite one is the New International Version (NIV).

I no longer carry a heavy Bible with me.  I use a smartphone.  The site I use is Bible Gateway.  On that site I can pull up 49 versions of the Bible as well as audio, Bible maps, commentaries, devotionals, and Bible dictionaries.  God’s word is there to give us hope and guidance and to help us grow spiritually and to share with others so they may come to know God.

The Bible for me is a life-long journey.  I hope it is for all of us.

Prayer:

Oh God, help us build on our relationship with You through the scriptures. Amen.

   Contributed by Elaine Passman

Friday, February 16, 2018                                                                          

James 5:16

“Pray for one another, that you may be healed.”

Several years ago, my best friend Mike Quinn called me one Sunday after church and told me that he was on his was up to Baylor Scott & White in Dallas because his wife Tina was experiencing liver failure, and the hospital here had exhausted all possible avenues for her treatment. I immediately began to pray for her healing and made my way up to Dallas to be with him. The week was long with so many ups and downs. By Friday evening the doctors informed Mike that unless she had a liver donor, she wasn’t going to make it through the weekend, and he needed to gather the family members together so they could say their last goodbyes. Mike had called me when he received the news, and we cried on the phone. I tried to find the right words to say, but was at a loss. What do you say to someone that has just been told that someone they love so dearly is not going to make it through the weekend unless a miracle happens?? I told him I would continue to pray for Tina and lift her up to the Lord for healing. Exhausted, I arrived home late that Friday night but was so restless I could not sleep. I usually sit on the side of our bed and say my daily prayers before I go to sleep, but this night I walked into our den and got down on my knees and prayed for a miracle of some kind to happen. No sooner had I finished my prayer than my phone rang, and it was Mike. A long pause ensued, and in a broken and tearful voice he said, “We have a donor!” Four years have passed this past October, and Tina has fully recovered with no side effects and lives a normal healthy life.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I pray for Your healing hands to cure the sick and comfort those who are in need. In your holy name I pray, Amen.

Contributed by Dave McCullough

Teach a child to choose the right path, and when he is older he will remain upon it.”  (Proverbs 22:6)

FAMILY

values.  They took us to church to establish the basic fundamentals of life.  They ensured we were educated to meet the challenges of the community.  They set the   standards for the future.  We were led by our good deeds and strong faith in the Church and Jesus Christ.  My brother, sister, and I were guided to success in life.  Our success spilled over to the church, school, on the job, and family.  Today, all family members are successful, educated, and accept responsibilities associated with growing up and raising families.  They are loving, supporting, caring people who are thankful for the past and continue to reach for a better future.  The benefits of growing up in the church and a growing family continue to demonstrate strong and productive families.  Today, our families worship together and strive for a more fruitful future.  We have learned to appreciate and support each other in all aspects of life.  Our children, grandchildren, and great-grandson are living examples of the grace of God, and we continue to follow the teachings of the Bible to reach the mountaintop.

Prayer:

Dear God, thank You for family.  Thank You for the continued life and living teachings of the Bible, inward peace, and prosperity.  We pray for the Church, its leaders, and its families.  We ask for Your forgiveness and continued blessings on the Church, the    community, and its members. Amen.

                                                                                          Contributed by Jos Portmann