Category Archives: FL Weather

Ok, Please Shut The Refrigerator Door Up There!!

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Your freezing cold temperatures are affecting our warmth!!
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It’s a cold, windy 46 degrees here in FL right now…
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Feels like 40…
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The high today was 69…
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We all have our winter coats, hats, and gloves on!!
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Shut your refrigerator door up there…
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You’re lettin’ out the cold!!

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And it’s leaking down to us!
I know you don’t feel sorry for us!!
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But I’m sending prayers of warmth for all of you!!
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God must feel bad that we don’t get any snow…
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So He made our clouds look like snow today!!
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Such a nice backdrop for our Palm Trees!
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And it looks like our Evergreens have a dusting of snowflakes!
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He really knows how to put on a show, huh???
Psalm 19:1
“The Heavens declare the glory of God;
    
the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”

Guess Who’s Turning Seven?!?!

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Yup, Our Precious Little Girl!!

(a.k.a. Our Crazy Siberian!)

This Is What They Look Like!!

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(Photo received through e-mail-photographer unknown)

When they’re puppies!!

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(Photo received through e-mail-photographer unknown)

When they have blue eyes!!

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When they’re caged!!

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When they’re giving love!!

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When they’re trying to sneak some Thanksgiving dinner!!

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When they’re definitely spoiled!!

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When they want, “More, Please!”

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When they’re part of the family now!!

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Just like another child!!

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When we can’t remember what life was like without her!!

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Even though she knows she runs the show around here!

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Hey, wait a minute…what’s that?!?!

That wasn’t here before!

Is it Christmas, already???

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And when they turn seven…

And they’ve had a big day!!

Happy Birthday, Crazy Girl!!

We love you soooo much!

Thank you for all the joy and love you give us!

We pray for your health!

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And thank you for taking such good care of us!!

Amen!

Jesus, Bring The Rain…Or Whatever Brings You Glory!

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Be careful when you pray this prayer!!

Jesus takes it seriously!!

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Job 13:15

“Though He slay me, yet will I hope in Him;    

I will surely defend my ways to His face.”

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We must come to the place…

Where we will serve Him no matter what!

-Even if life seems to be going against us…

(True faith rises when it’s tested in the valley!)

-Even without encouragement from others…

(Sometimes you may need to stand alone…and say,

“As for me and my house we will  serve the Lord!)

-Even when we don’t understand everything He’s doing…

(Sometimes it’s when you don’t know His plan and purpose

that you build your greatest work for God!)

Do people ask how you can still praise the Lord…

With all that you’ve gone through???

Circumstances can’t possibly change…

Who you are forever in our Lord!

Since your life was changed

Long before the rainy days…

It’s now forever settled in your mind!

I’ll never turn my back on You…

Oh, Lord!

You’re my only shelter from the storms…

I’ll draw even closer through these times!

So I pray…

“Bring me joy, bring me peace…

Bring the chance to be free…

Bring me anything that brings You glory!”

Though there will be days when this life brings me pain…

If that’s what it takes to praise You…

Jesus Bring the Rain!

I am Yours regardless of the dark clouds that may loom above…

Because You are much greater than my pain!

You made a way for me by suffering Your destiny…

So tell me…

What’s a little rain???

You’re Holy, Holy, Holy! 

My Lord God Almighty!!

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This prayer means you take what God gives you…

And you use it for His glory!!

It doesn’t matter what you’re going through…

But that you KNOW He’s going through it with you!!

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John 4:23

“Yet a time is coming

and has now come

when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth,

for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks.

God is spirit,

and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

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John 6:66-68

 “From this time many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him.

 ‘You do not want to leave too, do you?’ Jesus asked the Twelve.

Simon Peter answered Him,

‘Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.'”

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2 Corinthians 4:7-10

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay

to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us.

We are hard pressed on every side,

but not crushed;

perplexed, but not in despair;

persecuted, but not abandoned;

struck down, but not destroyed.

We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus,

so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.”

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Matthew 5:44-45

“But I tell you,

love your enemies

and pray for those who persecute you, 

that you may be children of your Father in Heaven.

He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good,

and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.”

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Deuteronomy 31:6

“Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid or terrified because of them,

for the Lord your God goes with you;

He will never leave you nor forsake you.”

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Amen!

Every Little Thing You Do…

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Really Does Matter To God!!

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1 Corinthians 10:31

“So whether you eat or drink

or whatever you do,

do it all for the glory of God.”

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1Peter 4:10

“Each of you

should use whatever gift you have received

to serve others,

as faithful stewards

of God’s grace in its various forms.”

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Colossians 3:17

“And whatever you do,

whether in word or deed,

do it all in the Name of the Lord Jesus,

giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”

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Ephesians 2:10

“For we are God’s handiwork,

created in Christ Jesus

to do good works,

which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

You’re picking up toys on the living room floor
for the 15th time today
Matching up socks and sweeping up lost
Cheerios that got away
You put a baby on your hip and color on your lips
and head out the door
And while I may not know you I bet I know you
Wonder sometimes does it matter at all
Well let me remind you it all matters just as long as you

Do everything you do to the glory of the One who made you
‘Cause He made you to do
Every little thing that you do to bring a smile to His face
And tell the story of Grace
With every move that you make
And every little thing you do

Maybe you’re that guy with the suit and tie
Maybe your shirt says your name
You may be hooking up mergers, cooking up burgers
But at the end of the day

Little stuff, big stuff, in between stuff
God sees it all the same
And while I may not know you I bet I know you
Wonder sometimes does it matter at all
Well let me remind you it all matters just as long as you do

Everything you do to the glory of the One who made you
‘Cause He made you
To do every little thing that you do to bring a smile to His face
And tell the story of Grace with every move that you make
And every little thing that you do

Well, maybe you’re sitting in math class
Maybe on a mission in the Congo
Maybe you’re working at the office
Singing along with the radio
Maybe you’re dining at a five star
Or feeding orphans in Myanmar
Anywhere and everywhere you are
Whatever you do it all matters
So do what you do and don’t ever forget to do

Everything you do to the glory of the One who made you
‘Cause He made you to do
Every little thing that you do to bring a smile to His face
And tell the story of Grace as you do
Everything you do to the glory of the One who made you
‘Cause He made you to do
Every little thing that you do to bring a smile to His face
And tell the story of Grace with every move that you make
And every little thing that you do
Every little thing you do

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This includes every Mom– smiling while wiping off the highchair, and the floor around it, yet AGAIN!!

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This includes every Teacher-cheerfully, reminding kids ONCE AGAIN to be kind to each other!

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This includes every Dad-happily playing with the kids, even AFTER a tough day at work!

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This includes every Waiter/Waitress/Salesperson/Cashier-being patient EVERY DAY with difficult customers!

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This includes every Student-Doing well in school, even when they’d rather be ANYWHERE else!

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This includes-WHOEVER YOU ARE

 And WHATEVER YOU DO

For the GOD WHO MADE YOU!

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This Includes YOU!

And EVERY LITTLE THING YOU DO

For THE GLORY OF GOD!! 

Amen!

Power Failure???

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There’s never a power failure with God!

Unlike in Florida…

Where we experience power failures all the time…

Like today…

The sun was shining…

It was beautiful outside…

And our power went out!!

We’re used to it in hurricanes and lightning storms…

Prepared for it even…

But, I wasn’t prepared for a power outage today…

Electricity!!!!

I can’t live without it!

I was on the computer…

The internet went down…

Digital clocks were blinking…

The security alarm was beeping…

My hubby was watching his beloved Yankees…

And now nothing!

My son was getting ready to go out…

But can’t use the hair dryer…

Life just stands still a moment…

Or two, Or three…

I quickly forget we have no power…

I’m so used to having it available!!!!

 I go to turn on a light…

I go to microwave something…

I know I’ll freak out soon…

When I realize…

The air conditioning is dying!!!!

Help!!!

Oh, wait!

Thank You, Jesus!!!!!!

Here it comes…

The power is back…

Oh, Praise God!!

I know I need all Your power, too, Lord!

All the power Your Word says I have in Christ!

Power in Your Holy Name, Jesus!

And the power of Your Holy Spirit living in me!!

Thank You, God!!

You’ve never failed me yet!!!

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Luke 24:49

“I am going to send you what My Father has promised;

but stay in the city until you

have been clothed with power from on high.”

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John 1:12-13

“Yet to all who did receive Him,

to those who believed in His Name,

He gave the right to become children of God

children…born of God.”

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Romans 15:13

“May the God of Hope

fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him,

so that you may overflow with hope

by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

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1 Corinthians 4:20

“For the Kingdom of God is not in word,

but in power.”

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You can count on God’s Power!

My Simple Everyday Prayer…

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Here’s a definition of my recent days…

Pulled in a thousand different ways…

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At a loss for words to explain…

The need to relax, and rest my brain!

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Lord, I come to You for peace…

Make all my cares, and worries cease…

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So many opportunities abound…

To share Your Love all around!

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Help me know which ones to choose…

(Please make them my passions, desires, talents, and gifts)

Not just my obligations, or “have-to’s!”

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Help me stand strong, and not spread my life too thin…

With commitments, and busyness where I can’t win…

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Help me to see that You’re in control…

When tempests come, and friends cajole!

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To trust Your Word, and Your Voice…

To find the path where I can truly rejoice!!

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Where do you want me five years from now?

What will I do to get there, and how?

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Help me fulfill Your plan for me…

No matter what obstacles I see!

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To be in Your Image I must not fret…

You have never, ever failed me yet!!

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Thank you, Lord!

I feel better already!!

Amen!

You Know You’ve Embraced The Florida Lifestyle, When…

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This is your “cloudy” day!

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This is your lunch guest!

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This is your backyard!

(With a pool an “expensive hole-in-the-ground!”)

Where a live alligator has visited you on your lanai after the hurricane…

Before the lanai screen could be replaced!

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This is you, everyday…

  Not just on your day off!

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You expect your year-round weather to be “not so hot,” “hot,” “very hot,” and “intensely hot”…

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Another baby boomer, who just retired, has just moved in next door to you…

And you know their grandchildren have already embraced the FL lifestyle, too!

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Your sailboat “dock ornament” is taller than your house…

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You look forward to March…

So you can see your favorite NY team!

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Play the FL favorite during Spring Training!

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You enjoy being with so many New Yorkers, again!

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And you wait for Joe Girardi to smile!

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“Cause his team WON!!!

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And you truly believe Jesus is a Yankee fan!

“Christmas On The Beachside”

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I just heard this song on the radio last week…

I love it!

And if you’re from a beautiful tropical area…

You’re going to love it too!!

It’s by Austin Adamec, and featuring Lindsey Ciresi…

It’s called “Christmas On The Beachside”

I couldn’t find the lyrics…

So I listened to it a thousand times!

  Ha!

  I hope I got them right!!

“Christmas on the Beachside…

Gotta love the Beachside…

It’s wintertime…

And it’s so far from snowin’…

The palms are swaying…

And we’re jumpin’ in the ocean…

The sun shines on the waves in December…

The Birthday of the Savior…

We celebrate together!

Christmas on the Beachside…

Underneath the blue sky…

No need for sleigh rides…

The surf is just right…

Christmas on the Beachside…

It’s the Salt Life…

Because Jesus is the reason…

No matter what the season…

On the Beachside…

Fire from chimneys…

Presents near the fire…

It’s getting hotter…

Soakin’ out the weather…

Snuggies and comfy Christmas sweaters…

Can’t compare when you’re…

Breakin’ in the water…

Though the Holiday may fade away…

We will always find a way…

Red & green may dissipate

We will Always Celebrate

Christmas on the Beachside!!”

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“Let There Be Light!”

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Okay!

See those shutters on our windows to the left in the photo???

I’m so grateful for them!!

They’ve been up since June!

And when the winds start blowing, the rain starts falling, and the storm surge starts threatening…

They are a beautiful thing!

When we first moved here…

We didn’t order them for our house…

Hadn’t had a major hurricane in forty years…

 The locals said!!!

“You’ll be fine!”

Of course, Hurricane Charlie proved them wrong!

And three more major hurricanes right after that…

That infamous year!

We were shell shocked!

We “survived!”

Thank God!

But, we were not “fine!”

Sooo, we have shutters now!

They’re an ugly silvery gray color…

But, when needed for our protection…

I love them!

Now, at the first inkling of a tropical storm brewing in the Atlantic…

Around June/July…

My husband, retired cop that he is…

Goes into “there’s a crisis” mode!

And now we all know the drill!

Board up, get supplies and cash, and hunker down…

We did that once this hurricane season…

But, the storm passed us by…

Praise God!

Lots of work…

But, we must be prudent for our safety!

Unfortunately, this year (and two years ago) our East Coast family and friends…

Know the drill, too!

We’re still praying for them!!!

And all of you that were affected!

Well, it’s November…

Happy Thanksgiving!

So, my husband took down our storm shutters TODAY!

It is officially (at our house, anyway!) the end of hurricane season!!

Yipee!

Amen and Hallelujah!

“Let There Be Light!”

I can see sunshine again!

I’m free of our dark “dungeon-effect!”  Ha!

I can see Palm Trees blowing in the mild breeze!

And the beautiful view out back!

Psalm 4:6

“…Let the light of your face shine upon us, O LORD.”

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“You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning…

My God turns my darkness into light.”

John 12:36

Believe in the light

That you may be the Children of Light!

Amen!

Crisis Averted!

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Yup, Isaac’s headed our way!!!  Even if it skirts the west coast of FL…we’re on the wrong side of the storm!

Praying it goes further into the Gulf, & then dissipates!!

Our shutters are all up…my husband and son are bringing in all our lanai furniture right now…they cleaned out our old dog’s pen area outside of things that could be projectiles…we have waters, food, medicnines, dog food, etc  all ready!

We probably won’t have work on Monday.  Pray for the electricity to hold, so we’ll have AC…& water!  And internet would be nice, too!

 

On top of all that, my precious Siberian had a very scary seizure last night around midnight…

My son was asleep…and heard some loud scratching noises that sounded to him like hail!!

He got up to find our Husky flailing violently and foaming (drooling?) from her mouth!

Help!!!

We didn’t have a clue what to do!

My husband tried to see if she was choking on something, so he stuck his finger down her throat, & she bit him!

He’s bleeding all over the place…screaming out (policeman-type) orders!  “Turn on the lights, see if she ate something, find this, go get that!!”  Etc., etc., etc.!!

All this…and I had just fallen asleep, gotten awakened suddenly, and couldn’t even think!

I rushed to get the vet’s number…my eyes wouldn’t even focus!!

My son called the emergency vet number…they said bring her right in!

I knelt down next to my precious little girl, and just prayed, and prayed, and prayed to Jesus!!

“Please help my baby…please stop the seizure…please give her a long life…please help us to take good care of her…

We love her…Dear Jesus!!

Thank you, Lord!”

She’s used to this…I pray with her, and for her, each morning when I get up…”Dear Jesus…”

When she hears that, she calms down…gets restful and peaceful while I’m praying!

I pray for her to be safe…for Jesus to place a hedge of protection around her…for her not be stung by a bug…or bit by a spider or snake, for her not to eat a “lizzy” from out on the lanai, not to break any bones, not to run away, not to get hit by a car, get kidnapped, or get taken from us!

She always sits quietly while I’m praying!

So finally after praying…her seizure stopped, and she started to calm down…Praise God!

We tried to get her to drink water by using a little squirt bottle…

Water, drool, and blood were all over us, and all over her, too…Yuk!

Finally, she got up, walked around the house, and pooped a large mess of diarrhea!

But, thankfully, it was on the tile, and not on our carpet!!  Amen!

My husband and son took her up to the emergency vet to get some seizure medicine…

While I cleaned up the mess!

But, I couldn’t fall back to sleep for a long while…I kept praying…

Then this morning, they took her to our vet to get blood work…we’ll get the results in a few days…

She’s seems fine now!  Praise God!

This might be the one and only seizure, or she could have them periodically…please pray for her, too!

This all goes with my blogs from last week…”Life Happens…More Abundantly!!”  And “Hurricane Preparations!”  Ha!

But when all is said and done…in a crisis…in situations where you don’t have a clue what to do…

All you have is prayer…

And it is enough!

It’s your best resource!

Especially when you can’t focus…

Because as your prayer goes up…power from Jesus comes down…right into your circumstances!

He calms you and sends His peace…

He hears and He acts!  Amen!

I pray for that same hedge of protection around my husband, my son, our friends and families, our church, our schools, our house, ours cars, our finances, our jobs, our community, or country, etc.

And…I pray those prayers for what concerns you also!