Aliens

Aliens. They are making a comeback. It used to be funny that people believed that they existed. Now, even scientists are entertaining the possibility for real. There is more and more expanding research on alien life, UFOs (Unidentified Flying Objects) and life on other planets. Aliens are defined as another people who claim home as another place - other than earth. They are strange. Strangers. The bible even talks about them!

Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers [in this world] to abstain from the sensual urges [those dishonorable desires] that wage war against the soul. (1 Peter 2:11, Amplified)

Well, there definitely are odd people among us. Peculiar people just don't fit in with everyone else. They stick out. They do not assimilate or acculturate and they do not mind. It may not be popular, but that is not the point.

If you are a Jesus follower, this may be you, an alien to this world. When you are born again, Heaven becomes your home. You do not conform to this world, but you are transformed by the renewing of your mind (Romans 12:1,2, KJV). Your life is not your own. It belongs to God. You no longer belong to this world and it has no claim on you either. Being born again changes your life and your residence.

When God is your Father, you are a legitimate resident of his kingdom. It is an everlasting Kingdom. You are in the world but not of it (John 17:16, KJV).

Prayer: Lord, help me to have the right perspective about my life. Earth is a temporary dwelling place and heaven is home. When I am discouraged, help me to remember that I am not home yet.

Action: Make a list of all the places you have ever lived. What makes this place feel like home? What things are you looking forward to in heaven? Share it with someone.

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Your daddy loves you

Your daddy loves you. He always has. No, not your earthly father, your heavenly Father. He may not hear from you much, but He is always around.

Let me tell you about my dad. I was his first born daughter and he was disappointed. He wanted a son, his namesake. He never really told me but it was noticed, especially when he had two more daughters after me. No worries though...I am over it. How could he resist my chubby little face and eyes that had me mistaken for an asian baby? No way. I was his like it or not.

No so with God. He not only wanted you, but He chose you from the foundation of the world to be His chosen possession. He designed you and fashioned you in your mother's womb... to be His own special treasure. You may not feel wanted or deserving, but let me tell you that God thinks that you are both. He wants a relationship with you and you deserve that. We all can have forgiveness and love and acceptance in Christ.

Do not let the enemy tell you otherwise! God is jealous for you (Exodus 34:14). He wants your full attention and love, not a replica, no substitutes, just you, the way you are...the way He made and likes you! Everything about you has purpose. You have unique gifts, talents and skills unlike any other person on earth and the Lord has phenomenal plans for your life and for your legacy (Jeremiah 29:11)!

If your self-esteem is down, let these thought pick you up. You are chosen (John 15:16, KJV). You are loved (John 3:16, KJV). You are special (Deuteronomy 7:6).

Prayer: Father, where my earthly father has failed, you never have. Thank you for your love and acceptance of me. Help me to make you proud!

Action: If your father is living, make sure that he knows that God loves him by your actions!

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My dad, mom, sisters and I.

Jesus Pursues

Jesus will never stop pursuing you. He is after your heart with a relentless, passionate love. He won't let go and He won't give in. He will not stop. He will not let your other Idols distract Him. He is on a mission for a relationship with you, for your eternal love.

It is the greatest love story of all time. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

He was born, lived and died for you: and because death could not hold Him, He rose again for you and now sits at the right hand of God, making intercession for you. All of it...for the love of His life. You are the reason and He wants all of you in return.

The Lord not only wants you to love Him with all of your heart, mind, soul and body, but He wants you to tell others around you that He is in real pursuit of them as well. He pursues you with passion on purpose. You see, it is not His will that any should perish, but that all should come to the saving knowledge of Christ.

So if you find yourself running away from Christ, just stop and let him catch you. Pursue Him back. It is His greatest pleasure.

Prayer: Lord, I will chase after You because you came for me first. I love you and want to spend my life sharing Your love with others.

Action:  What hinders you from running after Christ? Let it go and pursue Him with utter abandonment.

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It's Not Fair

Life is not fair. At least it seems that way. It seems that at times God may not care what happens to us. We may feel overlooked, rejected or even hated because things are unfair in this life. How is it that those who deserve justice for their sin and wrong gets set free? Then there are those who are innocent who are greatly punished for even up to half their lives in prison. There are unjust politicians, shady car salesmen, unfair pricing and wrong grades. It happens every day. Where is justice? Where is God? I have heard people say that God is just but he is not fair. Well I disagree. I think God is more than fair. He not only does not give us what we truly deserve, but he gives us more than we do deserve.

His grace is greater than our sense of what is fair.

We cannot even begin to fathom the mind of an all-knowing, all-seeing God. Who are we to question His judgment, His wisdom, His verdict, rewards and punishments. In a sense, we place ourselves on equal footing with God when we call him unfair and that is unfair to Him. Sometimes we just need to stop whining!

If we truly believe that God is just and that He is right and good, faithful and loving, then we should trust Him. Period. We place ourselves in a powerful position when we presume to understand the judgments of God. It is a scary place of authority that not even angels will dare tread.

When those feelings arise it is okay to ask God why, but it is not okay to presume that he does not have our best interest at heart. He ALWAYS does.

Prayer: God, when things seem unfair, help me to trust You with my life. Let me not lean to my own understanding, but to acknowledge You in all my ways in Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Action: Read the book of Job.

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Power

When we think about power we think about so many different things. We think about powerful people. We think about strength versus weakness. We may even think about God. When someone has power they often have influence. They may also have popularity. In any case, they have control. Power is the ability to control something or someone. If you are not the one who is in power then you may be being controlled by someone else. In my American culture, that is a bad thing. We are often taught to be in full control over everything and not to allow others to control us. However, in Christian thought, the opposite is true. As we submit to God who is the one who is all-powerful, our control is limited. We completely relinquish control to the one who has all the power. 

But ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and in Samaria and unto the uttermost part of the world. (Acts 1:8, KJV)

When that happens, it can be frustrating to be patient as God works in our lives or to be still when we really want to jump ahead. Control is something that we may possess or something that we give to someone else. What they don't tell you, is that there is more freedom in allowing someone else to be in control than for you to control your life. When we surrender, throw our hands up and back away from the problems, we are no longer responsible for the outcome. God is. He is the one we have placed in control of our lives and is therefore responsible for the things that he allows or disallows. 

Once we see the freedom in giving the power over to God we can understand why He wants it all. God doesn't want us stressed out, overburdened and beside ourselves with fear over things that He already has in control. He is omnipotent (all powerful) after all! Submission is still one of the most unpopular words in christian circles for women. However, I have learned that there is freedom in submission. There is rest in returning to what God places you in control over versus what is NOT your responsibility. Your power lies in learning that difference!

Prayer: Omnipotent God, I just surrender. I do not need to be in control of what You already have under control. Help me to submit to Your will for my life in Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Action: Ask the Lord to fill you with the Holy Ghost and give you the power that you need to be His witness in your life.

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Secret Prayer - 3 Reasons

I had not recognized until recently how often Jesus was in secret prayer with his Father. Majority of the prayers done in the New Testament are those in secret, not corporately. They is certainly power in corporate prayer and it is something that we should do, but there is great potential in private prayer as well. The Bible instructs us to go into a secret place a secret closet to pray (Matthew 6:6). It says that the Lord who sees us in secret will reward us openly (Matthew 6:18). The movie "War Room" has encouraged many many people to spend personal in prayer to petition the Lord on the behalf of themselves and others. Many people who have not taken their prayer life seriously now had a better idea of what it could look like for them.

But why pray secretly?

There's a story in the Bible that talks about one person who wanted to be seen as they prayed and had a prideful spirit versus another person in the shadows who cried out for mercy (Luke 18:11-13). There is something about coming to the Lord in a secret prayer space that puts us our hearts in a humble position before God.

Here are 3 reasons for Secret Prayer.

1. It develops your relationship with God. The more time you spend with the person the deeper your relationship becomes. It is the same with our father. Prayer is two-way communication. In this prayer space you can get to know God and learn his voice as well.

2. Secret prayer makes God's voice clearer. The discernment and that you can develop during this prayer time will assist you when you walk away from that prayer closet. Learning to hear God's voice in the silence is one thing, but being able to discern him in the midst of busyness is paramount.

3. Jesus instructs us to spend secret time in prayer (Matthew 6:6). His own prayer life was a perfect example. During many times would Jesus part away from the crowd and spent secluded time with the Father in prayer. If Jesus found this important and He instructed us to do it as well, then we should.

Prayer: Lord, teach me to spend secret prayer time with You and to make it a priority in my life.

Action: Designate a certain time and place to pray to the Lord in secret.

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Pressing into Prayer

Sometimes it is hard to pray. Sometimes we may not be in the mood to pray or we are not sure what to pray, but prayer is a BIG thing. How many things do we do before we "get to prayer". Sometimes we may even feel unworthy to pray for whatever reason. When we neglect prayer, however, we neglect asking for God's intervention and guidance. We need to major on the majors and stop making excuses.

Zacchaeus was not like some of us. He pressed his way to Jesus. He made the time to seek Him. He was not ashamed about what people thought of him and was rewarded by a visit from Jesus. Prayer is like that. When we move in faith believing God to take notice of us, He does. He sees us and will visit us. He will come into our house as well. We waits for your invitation to intervene in your life.

Prayer is two-way communication. We speak to the Lord and He speaks back to us. Sometimes we only share our hearts with God and do not wait to see what He has to say to us. We do not want our prayer lives to be a one-way street and we come to God only for what He can give us. Pressing into God is seeking His face and not just His hand. What is the real posture of your prayer life? How bad do you want Jesus at your house?

Prayer: Jesus, come in. I need You to speak to me. Help me to keep the main thing the main thing and to not major on minor things. Give me the courage to press into your presence no matter what others think in Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Action: Read this story in Luke 19:1-10. How are you like or unlike Zacchaeus? Ask God to speak to your heart after you have poured out yours to Him.

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A ministry moment of prayer with sisters in Christ this week.

Wholiness

Think of the idea of holiness as wholiness. Something that is whole is complete. It is a whole deal, not half or a quarter. If we are not completely holy, then we are not holy at all! Light does not dwell with darkness. God cannot abide in an unholy vessel. It really is THAT serious! If you don't believe me, believe the Word of God.

"...God is light and in him is no darkness at all. (1 John 1:5, KJV).

No darkness. At all. God also goes on to tell us to be holy as I am holy (1 Peter 1:16). That is a tall order. It is impossible really....without a holy God. Nothing intrinsic (internal) about us will measure up to the holiness that our God requires.

I have learned that the key to holiness is wholiness. The whole of your life must be pure which means that we must be in a constant state of repentance and striving to live a sinless life (sinning less and less and less). The truth of the matter is, that not even being sinless is up to us but repentance is! If you say that you have it all under control and you never sin you have already lied (which is a sin by the way) and the Bible warns us of that in 1 John 1:8.

But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His son, cleanseth us from all sin. (1 John 1:7, KJV).

If you were to eat a delicious pie but then discovered that a part of it had mold, would you eat any of it? Probably not. There is a chance that it is contaminated through and through. You cannot tell from the outside, but you can't really trust it now can you? God views us in a similar way. It is all or nothing. We either surrender fully to Him and live in the light (repenting as we go) or we dwell in darkness. Just a little sin is enough to toss the whole pie out. Let your holiness be evident. No darkness. At all.

Prayer: Lord, I repent. I have sinned and come short of Your glory. Please forgive me for ___ and make me pure and holy like You in Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Action: Turn out the lights and light a candle or use a flashlight. Is the room full of light? What things in your life need to "come to light"? Make a list, repent and turn on the light!

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Family First!

Our children are not our priority. Our marriage is. *GASP* Some people may not agree with me on this, but our marriage is the foundation of our family. We love our boys something fierce, but we have to put our lives in right order. It goes without saying that God is central to our lives, but He is not on my list of priorities. He is EVERYTHING! He is not after, He is intertwined into all other facets of life. Marriage is the first and most important relationship, then that our our children.

Marriage

We did things "the right way" and waited until we were married to have children. We actually waited five years! That was a blessing. We had met online and we needed that time to really get to know each other and do the marriage thing. Honestly, we had only had three real face-to-face dates before we were living with each other as a married couple, so it was time well-spent.

In our 15 years, we have learned the importance of communication, forgiveness and loving each other in the way we understand. I am big on love languages and understanding Maurice's love language revolutionized the way I love him. I highly suggest "The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman. We learned many other things as well (some are listed in a previous post called "15 things we know about Marriage").

Children in Marriage

Enter the boys. If you are a new reader, we have two boys. They are now 9 and 10 years old - and a handful! One looks just like me and the other is his dad incarnate...lol! Our youngest son Chay is a super clingy kind of guy and always wants to be up under me, sit next to me, hug me and would never let me go. Except Maurice will have none of that. So we have taught him that I can be his "girlfriend" so to speak, but I am daddy's WIFE! Big difference. We taught him that way because #1 - He will have no girlfriends any time soon and, #2 Marriage trumps girlfriend/boyfriend relationships always!

Instructing your children about the priority of marriage at an early age is huge. It will define all future relationships.

Along with investing time in your marriage, instill within your children the proper respect for your spouse. The children of light must train their children differently if we are to have a culture that will please the Lord in the coming generations.

Prayer: Lord, help me to put all of my relationships in proper order according to Your will. Help me to teach and model this for my children as well in Jesus name!

Action: Instruct your chidren about making marriage a priority and to respect that union.

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My parents with their grandchildren 2016

So Thankful!

What things do you remember that make you happy? Thankful? We are thankful for our marriage, our family and so many other blessings. You have probably heard of how powerful a thankful heart can be. Here are just a few ways that the habit of thankfulness has been a blessing:

Being thankful make you a better spouse.

Maurice and I have definitely avoided some arguments because we chose to see what we could be grateful for instead of emphasizing what was negative. No one wants to argue. It is time-consuming and counter-productive really. We both feel better and are able to resolve our differences without hating each other. When the spouse is happy so am I.

Being thankful decreases depression.

That makes sense. It is merely a change of perspective that tells your brain to concentrate on one thing versus another. We can choose our attitudes and our responses. The brain is powerful enough to convince itself to be happy or sad. Did you know that the bible tells us what to think about (Philipppians 4:8)? If we are told what to think, than there must be a measure of control. We relinquish that control when we give up deciding to think for ourselves. The enemy loves that.

Being thankful make you more productive. 

How about going into work knowing that you are making a difference, that you are appreciated and will see amazing results. You count. Your work counts. You just have to decide to believe it. When you enjoy what you do, you produce substantially. Even the smallest task is important and contributes to the final result. That is something to be thankful for. You can work. You have work and you are good at it.

Being thankful encourages those around you.

No one wants to be around the miserable person, the downer, the pessimist. Even if you are one! It  pulls on you doesn't it? Instead of motivating you to be your best you, it gives you reasons to reconsider being thankful. However, being a person who is grateful is encouraging. Encouraging others is powerful because you actually give them a reason to be thankful as well.

Prayer: Father, we give our thanks to you. Thanks for giving us so much to be thankful for!

Action: Tell someone how thankful you are and ask them to share a few things as well.

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Children

What does the bible say about children? Plenty. They are important to God and should be important to us as well. Children should matter to you whether or not you have your own. Children may enter your life in a way that is planned or quite unexpectedly, through blood or not. In any case, they are our future. Whatever we leave for them is all they have to work with. They are the next church, the next disciples!

Children are wonderful (Isaiah 44:3; 8:13). They are easy to believe and have faith in God. They need to be trained, taught and reared in holiness. They are impressionable, so impressing righteousness into their lives is our responsibility!

We must be intentional with raising them naturally as well as spiritually (Ephesians 6:1-3, KJV).

The next generation is being formed by our diligence in spiritual nurturing or lack thereof. Whether the children you influence are yours or not, you can make a difference. Many children are looking for love in all the wrong places. They are seeking attention by the wrong means. We have the power to speak words of affirmation and encouragement or we can plant seeds of doubt.

Radio, television and the internet are raising our children with the world's perspectives on love, money, sex and family. There needs to be another voice. There needs to be someone that the Lord can use to shape their worldview and answer tough questions.

In the bible, parents are instructed to train their children in the way they should go (Proverbs 22:6). This also means being an example. The way you live your life speaks volumes, and children are great at paying attention to your losses, failures, reactions and successes. Be aware of how you live your life. The next generation depends on us!

Prayer: Father, forgive me for not being the best example. Help me to be more intentional with raising my children and those that I can influence in the ways of the Lord in Jesus' name I pray, Amen!

Action: Ask the Lord how you can spiritually influence the life of at least one child.

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Power in the Blood!

As a nurse I know that it is true! There is power in the blood. It is good for cleansing, washing away heebee geebees like bacteria and viruses, for carrying oxygen (which could be useful if you want to breath) and giving our bodies volume so we are not dehydrated. It's good stuff for humans.

Now the blood of Jesus is a different story altogether! He was human AND divine. He had holy blood batman! Let's just think about this. He was born without being naturally conceived, lived, died and rose again. Sounds supernatural to me. So what does His blood have to do with us?

Since we are speaking of spiritual things, you need to think spiritually. In Bible days, the priests and Levites of Israel would offer regular animal sacrifices to God for their sins. Blood was required to cleanse them spiritually, but it was a messy business as you can imagine! The poor innocent animal was slaughtered before the people and the blood spilled out. Every time the people did wrong (imagine how often that would be), this had to be done according to Mosaic law. Then, God offered a better way....

1For the Law, since it has [only] a shadow of the good things to come [and] not the very form of things, can never, by the same sacrifices which they offer continually year by year, make perfect those who draw near. 2Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, because the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have hadconsciousness of sins? 3But in those [sacrifices] there is a reminder of sins year by year. 4For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, "SACRIFICE AND OFFERING YOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, BUT A BODY YOU HAVE PREPARED FOR ME;6IN WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND [sacrifices] FOR SIN YOU HAVE TAKEN NO PLEASURE.7"THEN I SAID, 'BEHOLD, I HAVE COME (IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN OF ME) TO DO YOUR WILL, O GOD.'"8After saying above, "SACRIFICES AND OFFERINGS AND WHOLE BURNT OFFERINGS AND [sacrifices] FOR SINYOU HAVE NOT DESIRED, NOR HAVE YOU TAKEN PLEASURE [in them]" (which are offered according to the Law),9then He said, "BEHOLD, I HAVE COME TO DO YOUR WILL." He takes away the first in order to establish the second.10By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Hebrews 10:1-10 NASB http://biblehub.com/nas/hebrews/10.htm

When Jesus died for our sins, it was the last sacrifice. He was the perfect innocent Lamb of God. He had done no sin, but His blood was spilled and He took our punishment. Thank you Lord for the blood!

Prayer: Dear Jesus, we love you for what You have done for us. Thank you for the power of the blood you shed on the cross of Calvary!

Action: Look up all the functions of the blood in your body. See any spiritual parallels. Write them down and thank the Lord again.

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You Can't Judge Me!

We are guilty and that's a fact! Maurice likes coffee and I like tea and we both drink too much. We know this, but we don't want you to tell us that...lol! Most people know when they are wrong, they just don't want to be caught or accused. It's the shame that we run from, even in marriage!

Well...a judge is one who sits in authority in order to tell the difference between what is right and wrong, what is lawful and what is not. There must be a law to be judged by in order to be accused of doing wrong. God gave His people rules, laws and commandments. He knew that they could not always keep them. So they were, like we are...guilty!

When our boys get upset and feel our rules are unfair or should not apply to them, they break them. They are then punished because they did what was wrong (even if they felt or understood it to be right). Some people get offended because they feel as though they are being accused by others with no basis. That could be true. However, whatever law you choose to use, know that you put yourself under it as well. Not even a judge is above the law! Except Christ.

Jesus did strange things. He broke Jewish and traditional laws. You may wonder why Jesus ate and healed people on the sabbath day (which was unlawful to do). In the eyes of others, He was blasphemous by "claiming" to be the Son of God for which they eventually crucified Him.

We err when we try to judge others. The same judgment falls back on us. Praise God for mercy and longsuffering with us. His judgment is always right! The truth is that Jesus was above the law rightfully. He made the law and He fulfilled it, He transcended it even. God is not fair always, but He is always righteous.

Prayer: Lord, You alone are the final judge. Help me to be obedient to You and not to look down on others. Forgive me for my self-righteousness and make me holy as You are holy in Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Action: Let someone off the hook. They may owe you a debt or a favor, but just forgive it. Set them free.

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Living in the Moment

All we have is NOW. If today were your last day on earth, how would you spend it? What are the top, most important things and people on your list of things to do and see? Our moments stretch out to days, weeks, months and years. Mundane tasks can be so....daily! But I wonder if you are making the most of yours?

My neighbor's mother died. I did not hear about it for a while, but when I did, I felt led to reach out to her. It is in moments like these when people tend to shut others out but what you really need is presence. I wanted to give that to her as my gift. Understand that the abundant life that God promises is not just so that we can enjoy ourselves, but so that we can "do life" with others.

Death seems to bring us back to reality most quickly. When a loved one passes away, we suddenly realize how short life is and how little of it that we have left. Some people will rehearse their regrets and shortcomings, but it will spur others on to redeem the time and make the most of today. How about you? We all have a choice to look backwards or forwards. Put your focus in front and don't look back.

Prayer: Father, thank you for the gift of today. Show me how to maximize my life in Your service. Keep me aware of how I can serve others, keep looking forwards and not get stuck in the past.

Action: Look around you. What has the Spirit been prompting you to do in the moments that you have that you are ignoring? Now, go do it TODAY!

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True Beauty

You are beautiful because God made you and He don't make no junk. We know beauty to be a very subjective, human thing. What does the bible say about beauty? God's views are different from ours. You may be surprised. Psalm 149:4 days that "the Lord beautifies the meek with salvation". Look at that scripture. There is no reference to anything physical whatsoever. Imagine that!

Being beautiful in the eyes of God is all about what He does in and through you, not what you do to yourself to be beautiful.

How many beauty products do you have to enhance, hide, color, darken, lighten or perfect yourself? You are God's canvas and He is finished! People usually attempt to beautify themselves for others. Who are you getting pretty for? There is no person we should be seeking to impress more than our Jesus. I wear what my husband likes because I am his. Wear what God likes if you belong to Him!

So let's talk about meekness since that is the element that lends itself to beauty. Meekness is gentle, quiet power under control. It is similar to being submissive (hint to all the wives). It is being non-resistant, tame. When we yield to the Lord, it is beautiful in His eyes. It begs the question: In what areas are you resisting God? In what ways does He have to prod you to be obedient?

There is no greater show of meekness than when we cry out to the Lord for salvation in our broken state. There is something about acknowledging our helplessness and need for Him that draws His attention and grants us salvation - which is beautiful!

Prayer: Lord, I surrender myself to you. I submit to Your Lordship over my life. Beautify my life in Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Action: Look at old photos of yourself. How did you feel about your beauty then...and now?

Watch the Scope: https://www.periscope.tv/anitamckaney/1yNGaenpPygGj