Pray the Hardest, when it is the hardest to pray

Not rendering correctly? View this email as a web page  here . Give Up or God-Up TRACIE MILES September 29, 2017     “Therefore, since God in his mercy has given us this new way, we never give up.” 2 Corinthians 4:1 (NLT) Problems kept piling up — many of which I had no power or resources to resolve. I was perpetually living in survival mode and found myself simply spent.  One morning, after another set of seemingly hopeless issues reared their ugly heads, tears began to roll. I let out a heavy sigh and in a quivering voice spoke out loud,  “God, I literally don’t think I can take anymore.” Maybe you can relate. Maybe you’re a single parent, like me, and financial worries coupled with the emotional weight of parenting and being alone feels overwhelming …  Maybe you try to live frugally, yet money never seems to stretch far enough … Maybe you’re unhappy at your job, but no other opportunities have arisen … Ma...

 I wrote this prayer down last night after the Bible Study. The ideas are from the Bible study called "Proven" by Jennie Allen. Here is the prayer:               Dear Daddy,                       I need to create more the God given experiences around myself for other people to see. I need to chose to enjoy the people, children, and all kinds of work around me everyday. I need and want to lay this life down and live for the next. I need to be reminded that You are fully available. Thank you so much for being and letting me see You as the "Preparer". That's the full focus I need right now. I need to receive Your Gifts as You prepare them for me in Your Timing. I need to know and trust that I did all that I could during the day everyday. I need to have peace at the end of the day. I just need You to over flow in me that I never knew before. Things might be hard in this world but once we get ...

           I have started to look at Jesus in another way lately. I should have looked at Him in that way a long time ago. My life might be just a little better off if I did. The way I have started to look at Him is as "The Great Physician". That title came to me when I was at a Drs. Appointment earlier on this month.          I was honestly listening to everything the doctor was saying to me but in my mind it didn't make sense. He went on about the meds. I was "supposely" taking and if we needed to up it in the winter months let him know. Then he also went on again about how Important excise was while on the meds. He wanted me to join a gym and do some weights and things like that.          There are a lot of things wrong with those comments. One: I am not taking the meds. Anymore. I am on Plexus and more natural pills. Two: I know I need to eat right for...

Matthew 11:28-30 The Message (MSG) 28-30  “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ John 7:37-38 New International Version (NIV) 37  On the last and greatest day of the festival,  Jesus stood and said in a loud voice,  “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.   38  Whoever believes  in me, as Scripture has said,  rivers of living water  will flow from within them.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Isaiah 43:18-19 New International Version (NIV) 18  “Forget the former things;      do not dwell on the...

Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers 7  Dear friends,  I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning.  This old command is the message you have heard. 8  Yet I am writing you a new command;  its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing  and the true light  is already shining. 9  Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.   10  Anyone who loves their brother and sister [ c ]  lives in the light,  and there is nothing in them to make them stumble.   11  But anyone who hates a brother or sister  is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness.  They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them. Reasons for Writing 12  I am writing to you, dear children,      because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name. 1...

            I have been in the childcare field for about 10 years. This calendar year (2017) has been full of surprises and new happenings for me. It seems so strange but it is really the first year I have dealt with elementary aged children for a whole year. Up til now I have taught or babysat infants and toddlers and it has been fun and a lot less injuries and mistakes. This calendar year I have had a school building window broken on my watch and now since this past week a broken arm on my watch. I know these things just happen because us teachers can't be everywhere at once but it still upsets me a little bit. Knowing my heart and my perfectionism, I hate it when I mess anything up especially a child or a school building.            But having these experiences now will sort of make having my own children a little bit easier. I don't want to say that it will make it easier for sure because I don't know how that feels just y...

          Choosing between two things, or in this case, two groups of people. It's hard because the group that you want to be a part of won't take you but another group will. That happens a lot with children espically elementary school aged where they are finding themselves. Of course, this one particular girl gets me this year. I can really tell when she's upset or just sad. It is a gift I have if you must call it something.          I want to help and I do some days but other days I just stand back and observe. I can't do it for the child every time. They need to learn on their own too. Some days the child picks the right group to be with and other days she just gets all crazy and picks another group. It is like she has her grown up days and her childish days. She can be both and I love that about her but at the same time I think and hope that she will grow out of that way someday. It is never good...

           I have started a book called "Daring to Hope" by Katie Davis-Majors. I am reading it slow because there is a lot to think about in and from that book. She jumps right in to the real stuff. When I say that, I mean she gets to the point. The 2nd chapter is called "Wrestling with God" and it has a lot to think about or it did for me at least. It made me think how I wrestle with God from time to time. We all do. It is in our sinful nature. When I was reading this chapter, I was wrestling with an actual season but from time to time I wrestle with a lot of different things.              When I was reading this chapter a couple of weeks ago, I was wrestling with God about it being almost deer season. Now I know that might seem a little funny but when it is a thing one of your friends focuses on all year, it can be something to wrestle with. I also wrestle with it because n...