BEAUTIFUL CHRISTIAN
By Maya Angelou

'A woman's heart should be so hidden in Christ

That a man should have to seek Him first to find her.

'When I say.... 'I am a Christian' I'm not shouting 'I'm clean living,'

I'm whispering 'I was lost, Now I'm found and forgiven.'

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I don't speak of this with pride.

I'm confessing that I stumble and need Christ to be my guide..

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not trying to be strong.

I'm professing that I'm weak and need His strength to carry on.

When I say.. 'I am a Christian' I'm not bragging of success

I'm admitting I have failed and need God to clean my mess.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not claiming to be perfect,

My flaws are far too visible, but God believes I am worth it.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I still feel the sting of pain...

I have my share of heartaches, so I call upon His name.

When I say... 'I am a Christian' I'm not holier than thou,

I'm just a simple sinner Who received God's good grace, somehow!

Dear God

Dear God, you know my heart and you know how much I yearn to have a child. Through You all things are possible and I trust in Your promises. I have faith that You will bless us with a baby. But God, I am struggling today. I am feeling overwhelmed, irritable and a little bit angry. I am not angry at anyone in particular but I am angry. I want a baby so badly and I am having trouble coping. I want to be a mommy Lord. Angus Buchan prayed for all the childless couples on Saturday and it gave me so much new hope. But today, 2 days later I am starting to feel negative again. Lord, please help me through this time. Help me to understand that it might not be now, but it will happen some day. Help me to accept the results of this cycle without being bitter. If this cycle if a BFP Lord, please help me to stay positive and keep the worries away from me. Please help me to cope with a new pregnancy. Lord, I need to feel your presence, especially now. Thank You for all the blessings in my life. Thank You for loving me and forgiving me of all my sins. Thank You for a wonderful husband, loving parents, great friends and most all wonderful on-line friends. Lord, please bear the cross with every childless woman that I know. Please help each woman to find some peace in You. Help them to cope with the pain of infertility and loss. Please help their husbands who silently yearn for children too.

Thank You that we can put our faith in You. We serve a Mighty God. With Love, Your Child.

Walk Through

Walk Through
TODAY'S SCRIPTURE
"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me…"(Psalm 23:4, NKJ)
TODAY'S WORD
In the Bible, David went through some dark times in his life. But notice in this verse that he didn´t say,"I´m going to sit in this dark, challenging place, this shadow of death, and have myself a pity party." No he said, "I´m not staying here! I´m going to walk right through this situation because God is with me!" Are you going through a dark time right now? If you´ll make up your mind and be determined to walk through, knowing that God is with you, you will see things turn around in your favor.
Oftentimes, those difficult situations don´t make sense. We can have a lot of questions. Sometimes those questions get answered, and sometimes they don´t. But that´s when we have to be willing to trust God and know that He is with us. He promises to never leave us nor forsake us, especially in the dark times. So be encouraged today because God is on your side and by your side. He is your light in dark places. As you trust in Him, He will lead and guide you into the wonderful place of blessing He has prepared for you!
A PRAYER FOR TODAY
"Father in Heaven, today I choose to follow You, knowing that you make Your Word a lamp to my feet and a light upon my path. I will be bold and not afraid, knowing that You are always with me even when it´s difficult for me to see. Thank you for the courage to keep walking even through the darkest times. I thank You for Your comfort and presence to guide me into the life of abundant blessing and victory you have for me. In Jesus´ Name. Amen."

Give your Faith a Target

TODAY'S SCRIPTURE
"Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see"(Hebrews 11:1, NLT)

TODAY'S WORD
So many people today are depressed and discouraged because they only focus on their present circumstances. They’re constantly dwelling on their problems, what they don’t have, and what’s wrong with them. They don’t realize it, but they’re allowing the enemy to steal their hope. This negative frame of mind is what keeps people from moving forward in life.
Understand today that faith is confidence and assurance about the things we hope for according to the promises of God. Like an arrow, your faith points to the target of hope. If you don’t have hope, that arrow of faith will just drop to the ground. It won’t accomplish anything. But, when you keep your hopes up, when you keep expecting and keep believing, it’s as if that target gets larger and larger—easier to hit!Choose today to live with an attitude of expectancy. Get your hopes up! Start by taking captive any negative thoughts you may have one at a time. As you focus on God’s goodness and faithfulness, you’ll feel that hope inside you growing. You’ll give your faith a target, and you’ll move confidently into the blessings and peace the Lord has in store for you!

A PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father in heaven, today I surrender every thought to You. I choose to release my cares and concerns so I can focus on Your goodness in my life. Thank You for the gift of faith to see the impossible become possible as I continue to place my hope and confidence in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.