Weekly Spiritual Meditations - 8/23

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No matter what you’ve done in the past! Forget it , you’re forgiven and you are free in Jesus name!!!! Enjoy life because you are God’s masterpiece and He has a great plan for you! --Malene Mendoza

Seasons may change but God’s grace remains the same. Be stronger in every season so that you will become fruitful. --Malene Mendoza

Faith in Jesus Christ makes the difference between despair and hope.

As we pray and seek the Lord, God reveals little by little what we are to do. Whatever our circumstances and background, God has a plan and purpose for us.

God knows what is happening in our lives when nothing makes sense to us. God knows our weaknesses and understands our frustration and despair. In the Bible we can find what we need to see us through. The promises revealed in scripture offer us comfort and assurance. When we are having the most difficult experience possible, we can remember that “God is at God’s best when we are not.”

God can use our struggles to strengthen our faith.

When we have nothing left but God, we’ll find that God is enough.

If we cannot pray, just talk to God and tell Him our troubles.

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PLANTING POTATOES by Joseph J. Mazzella
When I was a boy growing up we had several gardens around our old house. The largest one of all was used just for growing potatoes. I can still remember those potato planting days. The whole family helped. After my Dad had tilled the soil, my Mom, brothers, and I went to work. It was my job to drop the little seed potatoes in the rows while my Mom dropped handfuls of fertilizer beside them. My brothers then covered them all with the freshly turned earth.
For months afterward I would glance over at the garden while I played outside and wonder what was going on underneath the ground. When the harvest time came I was amazed at the huge size of the potatoes my Dad pulled out of the soil. Those little seedlings had grown into bushels and bushels of sweet sustenance. They would be turned into meal after meal of baked potatoes, mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, and my personal favorite: potatoes slowed cooked in spaghetti sauce. They would keep the entire family well fed throughout the whole year. It truly was a miracle to behold.
Thinking back on those special times makes me wonder how many other seeds I have planted in this life that have grown unseen in the hearts and minds of others. How many times has God used some little thing that I said or did to grow something beautiful? How many times has Heaven used these little seedlings to provide another’s soul with sweet sustenance?
Every single day of our lives we step out into the garden of this world. Every single day we plant seeds that can grow into something wonderful. We may never see the growth that comes from the kind words or loving acts we share but God does. I hope then that you always tend the garden around you with care. I hope that you plant only goodness, peace, and compassion in the lives of everyone you meet. I hope that every day you help miracles to grow.

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BECAUSE GOD LOVES YOU by Joseph J. Mazzella
There are stories that find their way into your heart and stay there forever. This is one that found its way into mine. There was once an elderly woman who lived in a violent, drug-ravaged, crumbling neighborhood in an old city. Her children had died before her. Time had left its mark on her too. She was no longer pretty in the eyes of the world. She had become wrinkled, stooped, thin and hollow-eyed. Her body was now half crippled with arthritis.
Still, this little old lady continually brought joy to the community around her. Everyone called her “Granny" and she was a loving Grandmother to all. As she moved slowly down the street she would sing hymns and share smiles. She had a kind word for everyone. She gave her gentle laughter as a free gift to all. She offered encouragement, said prayers for, and brought hope to the disheartened. She went about doing good every chance she could. No one who met her left without their heart feeling lighter and their smile shining brighter. Her serenity and tranquility remained a mystery to the neighborhood, though. No one could figure out how someone who had lost and suffered so much could live so beautifully.
One day a curious little girl ran up to the tiny old woman shuffling along with her walker and called out to her. "How do you do it Granny?", she asked. "How do you love so freely? How do you live so happily? How do you give so much to all of us every day?" Granny just smiled at her and said, "Because God loves me child! Because He loves me, I love Him and you and everybody else!"
What a glorious truth she shared. There is no better reason to live and love than that. That is why this story will forever have a home in my heart. May you too make your life a beautiful gift of love, just because "God Loves You!"

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Though there may be times when the world seems haywire and no one does what you really want them to, please stop and think about all the things that are really okay!
Think about the people who really love you and treasure time with you.
Think about the people you love with all your heart!
Think about how much GOD loves you and will always be there to help!
AND KNOW THAT THERE will be times when music will just lift you and fill you with JOY!
There will be times when just seeing a baby will fill you with the thoughts and knowledge that God is close and still performing miracles.
There will be times when suddenly out of the blue you will have a day when everything goes so well, you will feel privileged, surprised, pleased and loved!
And know that as long as you keep giving to others and doing service for others, there will always be something positive and good coming back to you! - Ellie Braun-Haley

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Gaining the Wisdom of God (By Bayless Conley)
I think every Christian desires wisdom from God. But they don't get it because they don't understand how to receive it.
In Psalm 51:6, we are told, "...in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom."
When God communicates His wisdom to us, He does it in that secret part. Whether it's as we read His Word and a Scripture speaks to us, or whether the Holy Spirit just whispers to us. As Proverbs 20:27 tells us, The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord. In other words, God illuminates us through our spirit.
For example, maybe you are in a difficult financial situation and you just don't know what to do. You are working, you are tithing, you are trusting God, you are doing all you need to do, but it seems like you can't make ends meet.
Maybe what you need is wisdom. If you ask for it, God may speak something as simple to your heart as, "Go talk to this person." Or, "Advertise in this magazine." Or, "Call so-and-so and ask them to forgive you for the way you treated them." Or He may just say, "Hold steady."
Shortly after I was saved, I developed a physical condition I could not get any relief from. So I went to God and I said, "God, give me wisdom." God spoke to me and said, "You need to stop drinking coffee."
Now I did not want to hear that because I was a big coffee drinker. But you know what? After obeying God in that, almost immediately, that condition cleared up, and it has never been back.
God's wisdom. He will speak to you. If you ask, He will make His wisdom known in the hidden part.

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Whatever You Do, Do It for Him (By Glynnis Whitwer and Tarnie Coleman)
"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving." Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV)
Tarnie treasures her early morning walks around the neighborhood before her two toddlers wake up and the day flies into high gear. One particular Sunday morning was especially beautiful ... the sky was azure blue, the air clean and crisp, and the quiet was accented only by the songs of a few cheerful birds and an occasional car.
As she turned a corner and started the second leg of her walk, she noticed a beat-up Cherokee ahead of her, driving on the wrong side of the street ... the same side she was walking on. The car stopped, then started, stopped, then started again. Unfortunately it was a very loud car, which disturbed the peace of her morning. Still optimistic and determined to enjoy her walk, Tarnie thought it would be short-lived ... either she would pass the vehicle or it would turn someplace else. Neither happened.
The two kept an annoying pace with each other as the car would start and stop, and Tarnie walked ahead of it, then behind it. Tarnie soon realized it was a newspaper delivery man, tossing out papers to those houses on his route. He seemed about 50 years old, and his face was expressionless as he alternately read his map and tossed the papers to the correct houses.
Tarnie was frustrated. She wanted the peace and quiet of that beautiful Sunday morning so she could talk with God before getting the family ready for church. But all she got was a strange dance with a newspaper delivery man. Why had God allowed this picture-perfect walk to be so annoyingly interrupted, she wondered.
As she started paying more attention to this man in the beat-up car delivering his papers, she realized he was not simply throwing the papers on the driveways ... not just whipping them out to land where ever they might land ... but instead he was intentionally tossing them. This caught her attention and she watched some more. As she did, she realized that each paper he tossed landed right next to, or right on top of, the other newspaper lying on the driveway that had already been delivered. Now, each driveway had two papers, right next to each other.
"How great to come out of your house and only have to bend down once to get your papers!" Tarnie thought. What at first seemed an annoyance was actually a show of selfless courtesy. But this was a show that will never be seen, known about, or even appreciated by most of those homeowners who would likely walk outside, grab their papers and go about their days. But Tarnie noticed, and even more importantly, God noticed. She immediately thought of Colossians 3:23 and 24: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving" (NIV). She realized that if she were delivering papers to Jesus' house, she would make sure they were right next to the other papers so He would only have to bend down once.
Tarnie learned a lot that "noisy" early morning. God was speaking to her after all. Watching a normal paper delivery man in a beat-up car, driving on the wrong side of the street, and doing his job in an extraordinary way ... as if He were doing it for the Lord ... was a priceless learning experience. She was reminded that everything - everything - can be done for Jesus!
"Dear Lord, thank You for teaching us important biblical lessons through everyday events. Thank You for instilling value and worth in even the most humble tasks. Help me to keep a right attitude about my daily work, and remember that it's all for You. In Jesus' Name, Amen. "

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How Do You Cook Your Pancakes? (by Renee Myers)
"The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride." Ecclesiastes 7:8 (NIV)
Pancake breakfasts have become a Saturday morning tradition at our house. One morning, as I prepared a batch, my older son proudly told us he had cooked the pancakes for his Scout Troop on a recent camping trip. He'd never cooked anything at home, so this was a surprise to me. He was also pleased to report that they had liked his pancakes!
Consequently, the next time we made pancakes my younger son wanted his brother to make them. My older son did a great job making pancakes for all of us, and each turned out perfectly! However, we had to wait very patiently for our breakfasts because he cooked just one pancake at a time. I suggested that he could speed up the process by cooking more than one, but he insisted that this was the way he did it.
We certainly cook pancakes differently. I cook several at a time, and while waiting for them to cook, I try to multi-task by rinsing out the mixing bowl, pouring drinks, and doing whatever else needed to be done. In just minutes I'd produce a whole batch of pancakes and would have other tasks done, too.
However, I quickly learned that productivity and efficiency weren't the only differences in the way we made our pancakes. The results were different, too. His were better than mine! He had taken the time to tend to each pancake, making sure it cooked just right. I, on the other hand, tried to cook too many at once while juggling other tasks and my pancakes were inconsistent. Some were done perfectly, but others were too done or not done enough.
It occurred to me that results in life often parallel the lesson I learned from making pancakes. Whether tending to my family, church matters, school needs, assisting others, or just doing things for fun, the results are better and more consistent when I allow myself to tend to each task properly, treating it as if I want it to be a perfect pancake - not over-done and not under-done.
This lesson is especially important to me as I seek to serve the Lord. I want to do my best to serve Him and not compromise my efforts by taking on too much, or distracting myself with other tasks. For me, this is best accomplished by seeking God's will and keeping my priorities in tact as I decide what to do and when to do it. I also must be patient in my efforts, taking the necessary time to do things well.
"Dear Lord, Help me to serve You and manage my life and family, too, in a way that serves up satisfying and consistently pleasing results. In Jesus' Name, Amen."
Reflections:
- What things interfere with your ability to accomplish your tasks?
- How can you better manage the things that distract you?
- How might your family benefit from better managing your time and commitments?
- How might your relationship with the Lord benefit from time better focused on Him?
Power Verses:
- Romans 12:2, "Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." (NIV)
- Colossians 3:23, "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." (NIV)
- 2 Chronicles 31:21, "Thus Hezekiah did throughout all Judah, and he did what was good and right and true before the LORD his God. And in every work that he began in the service of the house of God, in the law and in the commandment, to seek his God, he did it with all his heart. So he prospered." (NKJV)

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Small Straws In A Soft Wind by Marsha Burns
These are days of total surrender as you yield to the moving of My Spirit to bring into order all things that need clarity, purpose or safety. Everything is being shaken to show places of weakness or vulnerability where you could be taken advantage of by enemy forces. Be flexible so that you can move quickly to tweak or make the changes necessary to improve your position and situation, says the Lord. Hebrews 12:27 Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.

I recently had a dream of the end of the world and of spending my last day on the earth, and I heard the Lord say: I want you to consider where you are spiritually. Are you where you need to be, or do you need to make some adjustments in your priorities? I want you to live every day of the rest of your life considering that it may be your last and being ready for My soon return. Don't spend one more day in complacency. Romans 13:11 And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.

I am calling to you, My people, to stir yourselves up in the realm of the Spirit. Refuse to allow complacency and distraction to take you away from the vital work that I am doing in you at this time. I want you to be spiritual fire-starters so that you not only stir the embers in your own hearts to get on fire for Me, but that you speak the words that will cause others to do the same, says the Lord. Be sensitive to the moving of My Spirit. Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works.

Beloved, allow humility to be your hallmark so that your character and nature will exhibit goodness, kindness, compassion, honesty, integrity, generosity, respect and love. You will not be judged by religious culture but by how you treat others. Become one with Me, says the Lord, and let Me do a work in your heart to establish righteousness and peace. Then, there will be no condemnation. Proverbs 21:23-24 Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles. A proud and haughty man —"Scoffer" is his name; he acts with arrogant pride.

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The Trumpet by Bill Burns
"Set the trumpet to your mouth!" Hosea 8:1
The Spirit of the Lord would say today, indeed there is a river; the river of God whose streams makes glad His people. And, as those streams flow to you and through you, you’ll be strengthened. And, you will be endowed with the wisdom of the kingdom. Out of that wisdom I will speak, I will give you visions and dreams. For, it is My purpose to reveal the kingdom to you in these days. When you see you will be forever changed. If kingdom reality is established in you, the world and it’s trouble will grow dim and the light of the kingdom will grow bright like the sun shining on a new day. So, position yourself now to get in on this new move of My Spirit in which prophetic rivers will be released; so that you, My people, can dwell in and drink of the water that comes from the Rock, Christ Jesus. It will refresh you and strengthen you and make you whole again so that your purposes in My kingdom can come to the fullness of My desires for you. So come. Come today. Don’t wait. Come now. Step into the river of life.

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Child of God by Nancy Burr
Life is filled with challenges
each and every day.
Frustrations get the best of me
if I don’t take time to pray.
But when I stop and talk to God
He heals my broken heart.
He holds me close and tells me
that we’ll never be apart.
For I am His and He is mine,
I am a child of God.
And He takes me as I am
torn and scared and flawed.
He will not turn His back on me
no matter what I face.
He’ll stay and heal my wounded heart
my pain He will erase.
Challenges face me all my days
sometimes I cannot cope.
Questions always fill my mind
and sometimes I lose hope.
But when I stop and really think
about how much God cares.
I know that I will be all right
despite my deep despair.
For I am His and He is mine
He never leaves my side.
When I’m weak He carries me
then in His arms I hide.
I know the hard time will still come
for sin makes my heart flawed.
But I will never lose my hope
for I’m a child of God.

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Free To Be Me by Nancy Burr
Oh Lord please heal my broken heart
Please take away this pain.
I feel so torn up inside
Each day is such a strain.
Please reach down and rescue me
So I don’t fall apart.
I need You Lord so please stay close
And mend this shattered heart.
Each day is such a battle Lord
But I’ve no strength to fight.
I know that Satan’s hard at work
Pulling with all his might.
But Jesus You are all I need
So please help me get through.
Please fight this battle for me Lord
And bring me back to You.
I do not know who I am Lord,
I’m lost and so afraid.
Somehow I just stopped trusting you,
Now my life is what I made.
I long to know just who You made
Just who I’m suppose to be.
So please dear Jesus, please show me
The person that You see.
You are the Potter; I’m the clay
So mold my life for You.
Please dear Lord create in me
A heart that’s pure and true.
To live new life the old must die
So take that part I plea.
Give me new life and freedom Lord
So I’m free to be me.

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The Lord said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. James 1:2-3

13 It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”[b] Since we have that same spirit of[c] faith, we also believe and therefore speak, 14 because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. 15 All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

16 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. 17 For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. 18 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18

9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:9-13

8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. Psalm 27:14

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Renew Your Mind Author Unknown
As we make our way in life following Jesus something happens. We commit ourselves (sacrifice our lives) to God. We seek His guidance and long to know His will for our lives. We want Him to be the Lord, the ruler, of all that we think, say and do. We rely on His promises for strength, power, wisdom, courage, and the promise that His Spirit will guide us in all understanding.
In the process of all that, something amazing happens. We are changed. We are transformed. We become someone we have never known, and maybe never dreamed we could become. It happens through His power and it happens as our minds renewed.
To renew means to “resume (an activity) after an interruption. It means to “return to, take up again, come back to, begin again, start again, restart, recommence; continue (with), carry on. It implies the return to something or some place where we once were.
The follower of Jesus has little trouble seeing the need, understanding the process, and appreciating the opportunity to “renew our minds.” Where would we be if we did not have this gift of renewal?
As important as the renewal process is, and as vital as it is to our spiritual transformation, it often seems that we know very little about it. What is it? How does it work? How are our minds renewed?
From two of the three texts we have been examining (see them below) it seems apparent that it is something that happens to us. “Be transformed by the renewing of your mind” (NIV), and “You’ll be changed from the inside out.” (The Message). However, the New Living Version indicated it involves our “changing the way you think.” Actually the NIV leans toward some action on our part as well. So, let me offer a few thoughts on we can do to renew our minds and how we can prepare ourselves to have our minds renewed.
Sometimes we must literally change the way we think. There are times when our thinking just gets off track. Our brains (with the assistance of the great Enemy) begin to tell us lies. “God does not really love you.” “He is not really going to forgive you of your sins.” “You have done too many bad things to ever be make clean again.” When that happens we need to simply remind our brains that “this is wrong thinking and I refuse to do any more.” This requires an honest examination of what we are thinking and how it is affecting us. When it happens we need to literally change the way we think.
Sometimes we must do things that will renew our minds. There are times when we need to do some physical activity that causes us to change the way we think. Stress, busy schedules, sickness, fatigue, and being overwhelmed by life and cause us to lose our focus, lose our direction, and confuse our thinking. When that happens we need to take a break. It may help to get away by ourselves. Jesus did that regularly and at times took his disciples with him. We may need to get some rest. We may need to read something different. We may need to spend time with His Word. We may need to talk with a counselor or close friend who can help us regain a healthier perspective.
Sometimes we simply experience the renewal of our minds. There are times when it just happens. You see a rainbow after a storm. You witness a beautiful sunset. You wake up early and sit outside as the sun rises. You take a walk by the ocean, or you hike through the mountain. You get a call from a close friend. You read a passage from Scripture that you have read hundreds of times, but this time you see something new and fresh and different. You hear a song. You hear a sermon. You sit quietly with your Bible in your lap asking god to “Show me something new.” You hold a baby in your arms. You attend a funeral. You read an article. There may be no explanation but it happens. Your mind is renewed. You have a fresh look on life. You feel refreshed, revived, and restored.
However it happens, when it happens you are convinced once again that God is on your side, that He loves you more than you love yourself, and He is working in your life and in your heart to transform your life, mind, and soul. And, you are once again confident that your life has meaning and purpose and value.
Father, renew our minds to see You more clearly.
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2, NIV)
“Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.” (Romans 12:2,The Message)
“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12:2, NLV)

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All through this day, O Lord, by the power of Thy quickening Spirit, let me touch the lives of others for good, whether through the word I speak, the prayer I speak or the life I live. Amen

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Read Through The Bible
1 Chronicles 13
Bringing Back the Ark
1 David conferred with each of his officers, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. 2 He then said to the whole assembly of Israel, “If it seems good to you and if it is the will of the Lord our God, let us send word far and wide to the rest of our people throughout the territories of Israel, and also to the priests and Levites who are with them in their towns and pasturelands, to come and join us. 3 Let us bring the ark of our God back to us, for we did not inquire of it during the reign of Saul.” 4 The whole assembly agreed to do this, because it seemed right to all the people. 5 So David assembled all Israel, from the Shihor River in Egypt to Lebo Hamath, to bring the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim. 6 David and all Israel went to Baalah of Judah (Kiriath Jearim) to bring up from there the ark of God the Lord, who is enthroned between the cherubim—the ark that is called by the Name. 7 They moved the ark of God from Abinadab’s house on a new cart, with Uzzah and Ahio guiding it. 8 David and all the Israelites were celebrating with all their might before God, with songs and with harps, lyres, timbrels, cymbals and trumpets. 9 When they came to the threshing floor of Kidon, Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark, because the oxen stumbled. 10 The Lord’s anger burned against Uzzah, and he struck him down because he had put his hand on the ark. So he died there before God. 11 Then David was angry because the Lord’s wrath had broken out against Uzzah, and to this day that place is called Perez Uzzah. 12 David was afraid of God that day and asked, “How can I ever bring the ark of God to me?” 13 He did not take the ark to be with him in the City of David. Instead, he took it to the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite. 14 The ark of God remained with the family of Obed-Edom in his house for three months, and the Lord blessed his household and everything he had.

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Lord, I thank you that while you know everything I ever did in my life, you don’t look at my past, but at the potential in me. You offer me a new chance with you, eternal life through you. Lord, I pray that I will be all that you called me to be. Amen.

Wherever you are in life, whatever you've done, you can begin again. If you do not have Jesus in your life and wish to ask Jesus into your life please go to this link now to do so: http://www.bluidkiti.com/forums/showthread.php?t=130 .
Jesus is calling you to live a life that matters.