Restoring the Temple...Getting Healthy!

 My Journey to a Healthy Lifestyle:

I haven't blogged in quite a while now...but I have been going through a transformation, inside and out.  For many years now, I have harbored resentful feelings toward myself and my body for having "let myself go".  As I look back on the past few years, I certainly do not see laziness.  I have been busy every second!  I see lack of time and care for myself.  I see my "temple" of the Holy Spirit, my body, being martyred for the sake of taking care of everyone else.  I would skip meals, not to lose weight, but because I forget to eat many times while taking care of a house, husband and three children.  In that time, I have also worked and pursued a Master's degree.  Everything but me, my health and my happiness had become a priority.  I am happy in the morning to wake up and take care of my family...don't get me wrong, I have a very amazing life...much better than I ever dreamed I would have.  There has always been this persistent problem of where I fit into the picture of my own life.  Is it ok to take time to nourish myself?  The obvious answer is "yes" but during the course of a busy life, it can be easy to deceive yourself into believing this time-out for yourself is just not an option.  I simply told myself that there are only so many hours in a day, and I am already not able to complete all the tasks on my to-do list every day -- where do I find time for healthy living?

I am sure I am not the only person who thinks this way.  Obesity in America is at an all-time high. In the past few years, I have gained a passion for food and cooking.  I enjoy making a wide variety of recipes and even creating my own.  However, I also live with a family who loves comfort food.  Who doesn't love comfort food, hence the name!  We comfort ourselves with food to deal with stress, loneliness, and pain.  We love a nice bowl of comforting ice cream before bed, or a deep dish lasagna full of gooey cheese.  I love these food as well, and could cook them now in my sleep!  But something inside of me has been crying out for more...a richer, healthier life, where I have more energy, sleep better, and look healthier.  I do not need to be a 102 lbs., as I was when I graduated high school...but I do NEED to be healthy.  At one of my last visits to the doctor, I was discussing the stress and fatigue in my life, and the doctor told me that it would be wonderful if I could lose 20 more lbs.  I was thinking, YEAH, wouldn't that be great....but HOW? 

Because I was always fit in my younger years and had a racing metabolism, I have never had to lose weight on purpose.  I am not a dieting person, and honestly, the process of dieting is complicated and overwhelming to me.  I need a system for living, a lifestyle change that can progress into more healthy living over time.  I need to change from the inside out, not just do a flash in the pan diet and lose 30 lbs, only to gain back 50.  I started praying over a year ago about my health issues.  I was having heart issues, lack of energy, pain in my joints...not to mention emotional effects from having to look in the mirror every morning and see the results of being pregnant so many times, and unhealthy eating.  Somehow, I had drifted from my youthful, healthy body and lifestyle to someone who has been asked numerous times in the past 2 years if I am "pregnant again." I can't even tell you how that feels.  I have graciously tried to lessen the humiliation of the people asking, while secretly dying inside at the thought of what they think!  I have hidden myself from cameras, worn oversized clothes, which only make me bigger-looking (and more pregnant), and ultimately tried to ignore myself for the past few years. 

A year ago, I became very dissatisfied with living this way.  I had been told by the doctors that I had dual heart conditions that would not allow me to exercise more than a power walk for the rest of my life, unless I received a pacemaker.  It was devastating news when you are 28 years old,  35-40 lbs. overweight and seem to have no hope of losing it.  Last year, I went to the Air Force Ball and had to squeeze into a size 12 dress.  That just about killed me, considering I spent most of my life between sizes 1 and 5.  When I saw the pictures from that night (although people told me I was beautiful), I felt anything but...

I began to maneuver through the vast world of diet, nutrition and exercise.  I felt so overwhelmed at where to start, how to lose weight, and how to change my lifestyle that I almost gave up before I even started.  I know now how it feels to be overweight.  I know how people look at you, what they say to you, and how you feel inside.  I have compassion and I have been comforted by the Lord in my trials that I helped to create.  The Bible says that we can comfort others with the comfort we have been given.  When I go into prayer and reading the Bible, I  see scriptures about how God sees me, and this is my comfort.  He looks at heart and not the outward appearance.  However, I still desire and pray for my outward appearance to change, and most of all, to feel healthy again...vibrant and energetic. 

I began to cry out to God and asked Him to heal my heart.  One day, while in prayer, I just knew in my heart that I would be healed completely.  We visited a new church shortly after, and a man spoke with faith into my life and told me that the Lord was going to heal my heart completely.  Within a month, I felt the Lord touch my body and at my next cardiologist visit, I received the news that my heart had "healed itself completely."  I had no more heart conditions AT ALL!  I am perfectly healthy according to the doctors.  I was also cleared to do any exercise I wanted!

Praise the LORD!!!  So, I began to gain hope again.  My search for the right nutrition and exercise lifestyle begun.  I started asking questions from friends about their nutritional/exercise choices and here I am today.  I am currently on DAY TWO of a Clean Eating plan (through www.emeals.com), taking Biotin supplements, joining the local gym where I will receive personal training, and Zumba classes. I am feeling very excited about my future.  Already to date since November 2009 (when my third child was born), I have lost 33 lbs.  I need to lose another 35 lbs. to be in the center of the target weight for my height.  I have decided that I am going to blog through my weight-loss, healthy lifestyle journey, and hopefully inspire others to believe that with God, all things are possible, and I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.  He has led me to these choices for diet/exercise, and I know He will prosper me in everything I put my hand to.

It's time to restore the temple of my body, where the Holy Spirit dwells.  God loves us and desires each and every one of us to be healthy and full of abundant life.  If you would like, you can follow me on my journey by reading this blog.


CURRENT STATS:

Age: 29
Height: 62"
Weight: 153 lbs.
Dress Size: 8-10
Pant Size: 8-10



God bless you all in Jesus name!


Sarah

Overcome Fear and Believe God!

This week has been the most challenging since the foundation of Esther's Call Prayer Ministry. The ministry has been reaching more people every day, both in the United States and around the world, including creating a new ministry connection with Helping Hands Ministries in Pakistan. It has been an amazing and very explosive ride over the past couple of weeks. In the past 2 weeks, there have been over 1150 pageviews of the website, and it has been both humbling and exhilarating to pray over brothers and sisters who love the Lord, but are facing situations in which there seems to be no hope. I have clung tightly to the Lord's words of promise that "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes" (Mark 9:23)" and "nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37)."

I have been challenged in my own life, as well as my personal prayer time, due to the heavy demand of prayer requests coming to the ministry. I find this to be a great blessing in that I am being pressed into God's presence even more, having to seek Him with all my heart. I am finding Him and He is comforting me when I feel overcome with fear of failure and rejection. My family is also facing personal struggles as well, while I pray over the needs of others, I must remember to keep my own family members in prayer.

This week, I have seen God move in the miraculous! I have also seen the enemy (the powers of darkness) launch a massive attack against my family and this ministry. This past week I was called the devil and told I operated in gifts empowered by demonic spirits. That reminded me of when the Pharisees told Jesus that He was casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub, the "lord of the flies (which represent demons)." But the Bible also says that when we share in the sufferings of Christ, we also share in His resurrection power (Philippians 3:10-11). He promises that no weapon formed against my family or ministry shall prosper and I will condemn every tongue that rises against me in judgment. It also says this is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of God. (Isaiah 54:17).

We faced many challenges this week. Our two year old son refused to sleep one night when I was already exhausted, but God graciously granted me rest while he napped during the following day. We had a major setback financially when a rental car company (dealing with us for a car accident on Mar. 1, 2012) debited our account for the entire amount of the rental instead of billing the insurance as agreed. We spent an entire weekend with no money, gas, and unable to do grocery shopping. We ended up having one of the happiest and most blessed weekends for our family in several years! Our daughter has been having a battle with anxiety and depression since arriving in Oklahoma. She has had trouble making friends. She has also been struggling to believe she is successful at anything. This week, she received test scores from her school that said she is equivalent in two areas with a 10th grader. She is currently in the 3rd grade! She also added two new stripes to her tae kwon do belt! Most importantly, she made two new friends! Our middle son suddenly got an abcess on his leg this week that wouldn't seem to heal. Now, it is being healed. We also saw him rise up as a little prayer warrior, asking us all to pray for a family while their house burned down near our home. He didn't have to be told to pray, his heart was touched and he asked us to "agree" in prayer with him, showing that he understanding the power of the prayer of agreement. The baby has slept better than he has in months for the remainder of this week! It has been a great week of challenges and victories from the Lord!

As for me, my greatest struggle has been a sudden onset of a spirit of fear. It has come to cause me to stop ministering and be afraid to move forward. I began to feel overwhelmed and felt as though I almost could not minister in prayer. But the Word of God says that I have not been given a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Tim. 1:7). I had great struggles in the past with fear and God has given me great deliverance from it! When I came into a relationship with Jesus, I was told that I would become an evangelist. At that time, I was so terrified to even mention the name of Jesus that I could not imagine how THAT could ever happen. God has proved that He can overcome any obstacle.

I also remembered an important principle of prayer. God says that if we pray anything according to His will, we can expect to receive what we have asked for from the Lord (1 John 5:14). We can pray with confidence when our prayers line up with the Word of God. We WILL have what we ask for in prayer. That is the will of God in Jesus Christ.
Have a blessed week! I know our next week will be blessed as well because we are abiding in Christ.

Your sister in Christ,

Sarah

Doing A New Work

God is doing a new work in me.  For the past few years, I have felt the Lord speaking to my heart about how broken people are, and how alone they feel.  I have spent hours, days, months and years in prayer over others' issues in life, crying out to God for a divine intervention.  I have asked for the impossible to become possible, and miracles to happen.  I have seen God answer every time.

Lately, I started feeling as though it was all just not enough, the ministry God had given me needed to expand. I began to pray the prayer of Jabez in the Bible and ask God to bless me, increase my territory, keep His hand upon me so that I won't do evil and hurt anyone.  I began to ask God to show me what I was destined to do in this life. 

It is so funny how your calling can be staring you in the face and you can't even see it!  Here I am, praying day and night for people (sometimes until 3:00 or even 4:00 in the morning) and not realizing that it is truly my passion to pray for others.  I have heard people in the world say that you should try to make your passion a career because you will be more successful.  I believe God has called me to pray for others, having great faith to believe for hopeless situations to have hope, and the impossible to become possible. I have seen God answer daily and this has built up my faith even more!  I wanted to make my passion into my career.

Thus, a ministry was born.  Two days ago, my husband and I founded Esther's Call Prayer Ministry using a free website and a 99 cent IPhone I got from AT&T.  We don't have much extra money, but we have a lot of heart and I am already doing the work of this ministry every day.  We might as well make it official and really got on with it!  I am also putting a college degree in Communication to work, hoping that some churches and women's groups will ask me to teach/preach/pray at their events.  I believe God has already spoken to me that this will happen.  I just need to keep having faith.  This is my dream, my passion, and my calling rolled into one glorious ministry. 

My main goal is just to show people through prayer the love of God through Jesus Christ, and the power He has given us in the resurrection from the dead to overcome every obstacle, challenge, and circumstance in life.  I want to show others what I have already discovered, having been freed from addictions, healed from incurable diseases, and rescued from financial ruin.  God can overcome, and HE WILL OVERCOME!  He has already defeated Satan, death and hell on the cross, and He is wanting to help you.  Please visit our new website:

www.estherscallprayerministry.org

Leave a message in the Guest Book telling me what you think!  If you need prayer, please call 918-424-7161.  You can also text this number, or email me at Pray4Me@estherscallprayerministry.org.  You can find the ministry on Facebook by searching Esther's Call Prayer Ministry. 

I pray you all will check out the site, drop me a note, and call when you need prayer!

Be blessed!

Sarah

Finding Hope in the Trials of Life

Do you ever get really tired? So tired that all you can think about is sleep? I have always been a little prone to weariness which is also defined in the Bible as a spirit of fainting. Fainting, falling down, giving up... The past few years have brought many challenges to our lives. I have faced health problems, financial problems, marital problems, children becoming ill, and I have learned that life brings a new challenge around every corner. Jesus never promised us that life will be perfect before or after becoming one of God's children. Many seem to get a false hope that becoming a Christian means that life's problems just fade away. There will be a day when we leave this earthly life and our human flesh and we are finally fully restored and made whole while living forever in the presence of our Lord Jesus. Until that day, what do we have to look forward to in this life, on this earth? One thing I have come to know is that, while problems exist in life, we have been given a few great gifts from God to help us through. First we have been sent the gift of the Holy Spirit to counsel us with God's wisdom and give us comfort. God also tells us that as we keep our eyes on Him, He will keep us in perfect peace. A peace that surpasses all understanding that keeps us from descending back into the pit from which He rescued us. How do we keep our eyes on Jesus when the whole world is crashing around us? We read the Bible, the holy words spoken by God's Spirit to man so that we could have a guide for living. Reading the Bible reminds us of WHO God is, WHAT He has done for us, and HOW much He loves us. Second, but not less wonderful is God's LOVE for us. This great love that makes up the whole of who God is at the core of His being comes to us in a variety of ways, both big and small. It can be that we experience God's I've when we get a great deal at the grocery store, or a friend drops by when we need a moment of comfort, a prayer at church prayed for us, or recovering from an illness. It can also be more flashy and spectacular as in a person who is healed from terminal cancer or my son being restored from a lack of brain development. However it comes to us, we can feel a tangible expression of God's immense love for each of us. Another great gift He gives is is HOPE. Most of us have experienced a hopeless situation at one time or another. Sometimes, a dark cloud descends on your life and it seems as though life has hit rock-bottom and things can never get better. I have been there. More than once! God gives us hope through the sharing of testimonies about His goodness, mercy and grace. We must be careful to always share the stories of how God has loved us and helped us. You never know how your story might encourage another human being to keep living, pressing forward an having hope for a better future. We have that ultimate hope in Jesus of a day when there will be no more suffering, pain or tears. When only peace and love, mercy and grace will remain. We will live in heaven and will be free from the toils and trials of this life, forever basking in the presence of our God who is LOVE. I know the past few months and years have taken a toll on me. But these three things remain: faith, hope and love. The greatest of these is love because GOD is LOVE. Three things will last forever—faith, hope, and love—and the greatest of these is love. (1 Corinthians 13:13 NLT) I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, “Look, God’s home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.” And the one sitting on the throne said, “Look, I am making everything new!” And then he said to me, “Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true.” (Revelation 21:3-5 NLT) After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! (1 Thessalonians 2:19 NLT) God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted. (Matthew 5:4 NLT) Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7 NLT) Be blessed and don't give up hope in Jesus! His beloved, Sarah

Jesus in the ER

I haven't blogged in a few days, but that does not mean God has not been moving in an awesome way!  The past few days have been full of excitement.  God has been answering so many prayers of mine all at once, and I feel as though His blessings are overtaking me.  He is truly amazing.

A few things that been happening...first, we received the money to pay our car sales tax/registration after three long months.  The first two months were not our fault, as there was a hangup with the paperwork for the sale of our car, but we still would have to pay the penalty fees.  The last month, we simply didn't have $1200.00 laying around for that purpose. I decided last month to just let go of my worry over this issue.  It has been plaguing me and causing me stress since the day we bought this car. What could have made matters worse is that we were rear-ended in an intersection on March 1st, and we didn't even have current license plates. I could just see another ticket, more fines, and a court date in my near future.

None of that happened. 

I let go, and let God handle all my worries.  Well....this is what He did.

1.) He brought me $7095.00 today to cover my car registration and taxes, and a whole lot more. 
2.) He gave me grace with the policeman at the car accident and he didn't give me a ticket for being late on my car registration.
3.) I went to pay the taxes today and I wrote the lady a check.  She said, OOPS, I messed up on the amount. You are gonna have to write me another check.  She says, "the total is $99.00 cheaper than I told you."
4.) I wrote a check with the late fees deducted.  AMEN.

But that's not all, God has been on the MOVE....

Let's see... I had to take my son to the emergency room because he was having trouble breathing two nights ago. I've been needing to set up his surgery date to have his tonsils removed to help with the sleep apnea he is facing (at 2 years old!)  But anyway, we went to the ER and they gave him some medications and a breathing treatment. I had not slept that whole night (we went at 4 a.m.) before going as I worried about my baby. I had been praying over him for healing and God's protection.  Finally, I decided to get him some help.

After getting the medications and gathering our things to leave, an old man walked by our room.  He stopped and shuffled into our room and said, "What is your little boy's name?"  I told him my son's name and he immediately reaches down and touches his forehead and says, "I bid to thee God's Word, you are HEALED in Jesus' name!"  The second he started praying, I became aware of the presence of God in the room, but it wasn't just the chill bumps all over my body as usual, it was like a SHOCKWAVE.  It hit me in the chest and the power was unbelievable.  I felt knocked back and yet completely overcome with peace and joy.  He only said those words, but I left that room praising God, full of JOY....and my baby was suddenly feeling much better! 

My baby lifted his arms to have me carry him.  As I did this, he loudly said, "AMEN!"  I said, "Well, Amen!  Amen!"  Then we walked to the car, but as we did, my son -who barely started talking - starts shouting "JESUS, JESUS, JESUS, JESUS...."  He was full of excitement and looking over my shoulder.  We got to the car and I said, "Yes, Jesus." 

My son looked over my left shoulder and said, "JESUS....RIGHT THERE."

He was making eye contact and smiling.  And I suddenly had the feeling that a man was standing right behind my shoulder and I knew it was Jesus and my son was seeing him clearly.

We are so blessed to walk through this life with Jesus.  He is always with us. He never leaves us or abandons us.  He was with me when I thought I was alone in the ER.  He is ALWAYS with us.

That is my testimony for today.

God bless you all.  If you don't know Jesus as your personal Savior....you should.  Life is never the same, and you are never alone again.

His Beloved,

Sarah

A Lesson in Perseverance: Don't Give Up!

Sometimes, I feel as though doing a tedious task can just take FOREVER.  Sometimes, I have a goal in mind that I am trying to achieve, and there seems to be a million roadblocks in my path.  Stones tumbling before me, causing me to believe the path I was following is not open for passage anymore.  What do I do when this happens?  What does anyone do?

There a couple of different choices when one faces this situation.  The first is to turn back from where you came.  The second is to step to the left or the right, and take a different path.  The third, is to persevere and tell that boulder (mountain) to move out of your way.  This is the steadfastness that results in perseverance.  Some may call it stubbornness. It is often mistaken for pure foolishness.  However, at times, it is the wisest choice.  It is the choice that will lead to victory and when I have arrived at the destination, I will receive a reward. 

God talks a lot about perseverance in His Word.  Perseverance = Not Giving Up!  Even in the midst of trial and adversity, one can push forward and believe for greater things ahead.  My family has been tested many times in the area of perseverance.  We were tested when we heard our middle son was "special needs" and his brain wasn't developing right.  We believed he would be completely healed, and he is.  We were told that my husband might not ever return to military life.  We were encouraged by many to just turn aside and seek another path.  Maybe it was not God's will for us.  My husband is currently back in the military and doing fine.  At the last minute, when we almost gave up, God opened a door and here we are!  I was told last year that my heart had two conditions that would prevent me from ever resuming an active physical lifestyle that included many sports and activities that I love.  Recently, the doctors declared me completely healed and normal and I was given a full clearance to do anything I want. 

Don't get me wrong, there are times when it is wise to turn to the left or right because the path you have taken is not God's way for you.  If you are involved in activities that are harming you and clearly go against God's Word in your life, you should turn to the left or right and seek peace with God through the forgiveness provided by Jesus' blood shed on the cross for you.  But....if God has spoken something to you and confirmed it through His Word, the church, prayer and circumstances....you should hold onto that thing God has said.  Commit your way to the Lord, and He will bring IT to pass.  What is IT?  Whatever God has spoken to you.  The Word says to delight ourselves in Him, and He will give us the desires of our heart. It says this right before it says to "commit your way to the Lord and He will bring it to pass."  These two thoughts go directly together in the Bible. 

I know some things that Lord has spoken to, and about, my family that have not come to pass yet.  I am believing God today that these things will come to pass.  God just wants us to persevere, not give up on these things or Him, and commit our way to the Lord.  I have a renewed desire to believe God and tell the mountains standing before us to GET UP AND BE CAST INTO THE SEA! Mountains, get out of my way, 'cuz I am coming through! 

Lord, may you grant me even more perseverance as I face life's challenges.  Give me a spirit that will never give up, no matter the mountains that rise up in front of me.  Give me faith to believe that all things are possible through You and nothing is too hard.  Give me a heart to pray and a desire to constantly seek Your face, in Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Let me drink deeply of the Living Water today:

Psalm 37:4-6

New King James Version (NKJV)

⁴ Delight yourself also in the Lord,
And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

⁵ Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him,
And He shall bring it to pass.
⁶ He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light,
And your justice as the noonday.

Romans 5:1-4

New King James Version (NKJV)

Faith Triumphs in Trouble

5 Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have^[a] peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴ and perseverance, character; and character, hope.

Deuteronomy 5:32

New King James Version (NKJV)

³² “Therefore you shall be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

Mark 11:23

New King James Version (NKJV)

²³ For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.

Matthew 17:20

New King James Version (NKJV)

²⁰ So Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief;^[a] for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.

Keeping My Eyes on Jesus

I am so weak. My great weakness is revealed in the many things I aspire to do each day that never get done. I wake up each morning with a million things on my mind that had to be done. Get the kids to school, fed and with all their homework. Clean the house that is never really clean. Dishes, laundry, unexpected requests from others for help, my own work, pray, read the Word. See how those two things get shoved to end of the list of priorities. How easily that happens when you are a wife and mother of three. The days when I don't seek the Lord first always seem to be out of whack. Often, I hear His still small voice saying to me "Seen first the kingdom and His righteousness and all the rest will be added unto you (Matthew 6:33)." Oh, if I could just get that part right... I was wallowing this morning in self-pity. I cried most of last night and today, feeling overhelmed by all the responsibilities I have and the prospect of impending failure when I don't keep up. I decided at some point that I was just going to turn my eyes back to Jesus and just praise Him despite how I was feeling. I turned on Christian music and made a point to sing it loud in my kitchen, even if I didn't feel like it. One thing I do know - God is always worthy of praise! He is still good despite my small troubles which are light and momentary afflictions. In the past couple days while I was crying and feeling sorry for myself, I had a couple of powerful revelations. First, if all of life was easy and painless, I would have very little need for God because I would be satisfied with my own existence, but then I would never turn to Him and enjoy His presence in my life. As much as I hate to say, I spend the most time with God when the sky is falling on me. I try to seek Him with the same fervency when things are going great, but the truth is that I generally don't. Then, my eyes get off Jesus and when trouble comes again, I feel all alone again. The Word of God says that He will keep in perfect peace the one whose eyes are focused on him. When I am lacking peace, I should already know that my eyes are on all the troubles I have, all that I am failing to do, my inadequacy. But when I am looking at Jesus through prayer and His Word, I begin to remember how He sees em...without spot or blemish, blameless because He sees the blood of Jesus as the sacrifice and sufficient price for everything I have not done or succeeded in doing. Instead of seeing my failures, my Father in heaven sees me hidden in Christ. He sees me as one day I will be when the Author and FINISHER of my faith has completed His good work in me. So the next time I feel the waves of sadness, failure and hopelessness crashing over me, I will again turn my eyes to Jesus and He will always be there to restore peace to me again because He is Living Water to me. He is the only reason I can go on. Thank you Lord for reminding me that You are the giver of peace. You are the friend that sticks closer than a bother. All I need to do is keep my eyes on You, and You will take care of the rest. (NKJV) Isaiah 26:3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. (NKJV) 2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory (NKJV) Matthew 6:33 "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. (NKJV) Hebrews 12:2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. His beloved, Sarah