If we are going to struggle, let’s do it together.  It makes no sense for each of us to suffer, worry, triumph, battle or contend with the obstacles of this life unless we be in tandem.  And furthermore, there is no gratification in facing any gain or loss without approaching it thankfully.  Not out of some maudlin sense of mortality but since each thing, good or bad, when done in the Love of God will some how be used for His Glory.  What a concept that no matter the motivation of my Brother, even when mistaken if He loves God and walks according to His purpose that somehow the Lord will turn the outcome to His Good Use.  That means the lump in your chest, the bump on your head, the words that you said, the bride that you gained or the friends that you’ve lost will somehow be used for Glory.  In that understanding we are integrated, because even the things we meant for ill toward each other He will utilize in positive manner.  So thank You Lord for the bad and good that has been done me, this pain, these embarrassments, thrills, let downs and joys will all be used for our betterment through Your Good Will.

Now I ask of You, discernment Lord, so that my intentions are in line with Your Will and the kind, gentle care of my Brothers and Sisters.  Just because I know that You will miraculously transform or sway the effect of my haphazard or selfish actions in to something useful, please do not let me do the wrong thing with this knowledge.  I am also thankful for Your discipline and grateful that You will not allow me to get too far from You before sending emissary to call me home.  Your Grace is a broad river from which I never wish to depart.  Let me chart a course that is consistent with Your intention for my life.  Keep me safe and never let me lose sight of from whence my Blessings Come.  Praise You King Jesus for Your Sacrifice and Glory.

In earnest I looked upon a young man’s twitching smile and his pacing, I wondered.  He didn’t know what to say but had masterfully developed the oration skills necessary to pulling through just about any circumstance.  His convincing style, bright looks and charm had basically rescued him for every negative impact, conflict or potential beating.  He considered himself a survivor, having defeated all odds.  God watched him in silence again catching the arrows in his palm just before they sank into the young man’s back.

Jesus was on top of the world, looking down upon creation in silence waiting for the proper moment when He would come into the world to rescue us.  He knelt and prayed for us while all the planets, solar systems and galaxies simply existed as representation of His glory.  All He could think about was each of us waiting to be born, learning to discern, making choices that would eventually lead to an awesome encounter.  A destiny, not written by what we would do, earn, capture, crave or harm, but by that moment in time when we would have the initial interaction with our Creator.  Each of us frozen in time until that point when we saw the fire.  Knowing immediately the truth of all things and briefly living in the supernatural as we decided to accept that axiomatic Gospel or turn away accepting worldly explanation.

You see He didn’t have to come.  He didn’t have to create Lucifer, that beast who is now called satan.  He knew before time began exactly what the enemy would do and still He chose to call the devil into existence.  Doesn’t that give you some understanding of His awesome power and authority.  Which of us, knowing in advance all the future actions of our children’s enemies would allow them to breathe one lungful?  We are not like Him, His thoughts I cannot discover, interpret, change, predict, emulate or describe.  But I want to be like Him, for He is the greatest part of me, the breath, the spark, the Life.  The fact that He loves that young man enough to protect Him from even the unseen threats is all that I need to know.  For I am that young man as each of us must be in our attempts to conquer all that we survey.  That is before we have that moment of humility when we meet God and realize that we are not Him.

Wretched without condemnation a hard justification to manage.  Without your Love Lord I would be forlorn.  Putting on the shades, the mask, the smooth, tolerable visage of a man of good works, I fool myself briefly.  Thinking for moments that somehow this world is not all that bad and that somehow I may have reached a plateau of sufficiency on my own authority.  But I must and safely declare that I am worthy of nothing, there is no good thing within me but Christ Jesus.  Left to my own accord I will forever attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of humanity instead of simply wearing the wool as the adornment of a good sheep or caring for it as shepherd.  I am the sinner no matter how effective my argument otherwise.  The fire burns within me fueled by Your passion, Your Truth, Your actions, without that flame I would be frozen or consumed.  How is it that You could love such?

What manner of sham do each of us construct to disguise our own brand of charlatanry?  Each of us has his or her own private illusion into which the enemy thankfully injects supporting chicanery, discombobulation, fantasy and delusion.  My pride opens wide the door to paramnesia, because I wish to be blinded to the reality that I cannot tolerate, the simple fact that I am complicit in my own wickedness.  Yes, I said it.  It is my own internal pride, wickedness, illness and perversion that allows the enemy purchase into my drama.  The only iota of grace measured to me was that given by God, without it I was hopeless captive to this self-perpetuated nightmare I call “reason”.  My purpose is grander than a wasted life only because the Lord chose to find me in the pig pen I called home and gave me new clothes, linen and yes at times, sackcloth.  Thanks be to God that I am not defined by my own deserved reputation but that which has been made new by blessings and cleanliness of Christ.

I do not wish to be that wicked man and this simple act of contrition is what allows me to surrender.  Without that personal disgust and the desire for escalation I am lost because it is impossible to please God without faith, and faith impossible to achieve without repentance and belief in the saving Works of Jesus won upon the blessed cross.  That cross, only a tree or poorly constructed prison to bind the life of Jesus, became the pathway to freedom for the history of mankind.  That cross, only rough wood designed to accept the lashings and spikes, meant to steal from us the greatest gift ever given, but in reality giving us that gift through the most Divine Irony.  Even now to look upon that rudimentary device brings reflection that challenges even the most assured atheist.  It makes too much sense for the scientist and confounds the orator.  It is too simple in its construction, to be manufactured, too complicated to be the miracle of man.  Yes, I look upon that cross and mourn the cruelty of men just like me, but instantly I am refreshed in that understanding my own deficiency I can accept His Sufficiency.  I am free in Christ, hidden in Christ, alive in Christ through our unified death upon that tree and eternal ascension.  I am here suffering my own iniquity but not alone.  I am hidden in His mercy, sheltered by His Righteousness, made whole by His Justification and full of Hope because He made certain the promise of my salvation.  Praise You Father, forgive me yet again.  I pray the day when I stop sinning and perhaps can be at peace with this gift that I do not deserve.  Thank you for doing what You alone could have done.

I’ve lost my Mom!!  Please forgive me Father for this initial reaction.  My heart hurts, the door which brought me into this world and gave me protection, love, kindness and nurture has closed.  You have chosen to close that door, and I am struggling in my imperfection to feel anything but loss.  But please stay with me as those selfish feelings of personal impact turn into reflection upon her grace, love and strength.  Allow me to see through losing such a dear person you have shown me how truly blessed we were to have called her our Mother.  Let me see those things that she planted and grew on her journey through this life instead of concentration upon the enormous void left from her passing.  Having benefited so much from her love I cannot blame You for wanting her there with You.  Bless You for allowing us to experience that relationship for these few short years.  May she find peace and rest sitting there with You waiting for us to join her.

Some called her Margaret, some Miss Peggy but we just called her Mom.  Some knew her intimately as the woman who felt so deeply about things that she would have to sit in silence being overwhelmed by emotion.  Others knew her briefly as the lady who cared enough to stop and whisper something encouraging to someone fallen in the street, giving them the courage to get up and try again.  Many experienced her love each time they came into contact with her as they picked up medicine at the pharmacy for their sick child, aging Father or weak heart.  Some of us, the fortunate few knew all of these aspects of this complicated woman even that woman who would make you grow up quickly by telling you “the whole truth and nothing but the truth”.  Regardless of which woman each of us knew, Margaret, Peggy or Mom she made each of us better.  She had enough room in her life for all of us.  I am amazed at the stories from people we never knew of the effect Mom had upon their life just by caring enough to tell them that they weren’t alone.  Whether it was a wink, a hug, a kind word or a solid word of discipline she was always there to demonstrate her love for us by participating in whatever we were experiencing.

Life was not always easy on Mom.  She had a great love for one man that was never easy and cost her more than any of us care to venture.  She suffered the pains of difficult and stubborn children who challenged her and brought her equal measure of frustration and pride.  I know this because I own many of the gray hairs that graced her wise brow.  Thankfully, she did not have to watch any of her children pass from this life before her.  She had health, wealth and relationship difficulties that often appeared to be more than one person could handle, but she did.  She had the best and the worst of this life.  She had tremendous long term friendships with so many family, colleagues and mates.  Sometimes it was all too much for her and like most of us she would have to run and hide with You Lord until the storms had passed, but she always got back in the fight, kept going, never quit.  She was a model of that ability to do what must be done each day, regardless of the challenges or circumstances in order to take care of her family and her responsibilities.  She had that tenacity it takes to overcome this life and all that it throws at us.  She was a winner and many of us have the courage to keep on kicking as a bi-product of Mom’s unrelenting dedication.  She took care of us when we couldn’t find the strength to go on because that is what she was, a good friend, a loving partner, a Mom.

Father thank You for loving us enough to send us such a great Mother.  As in most blessings we may not see all the benefits of that relationship until she has been long passed, but in this moment we clearly see how she improved our lives, giving us hope, courage and love.  We know that You love her so much that You couldn’t wait to see her and that she is smiling down on us even now wishing us well and reminding us we’re not alone.  We thank You Lord that she has finally found rest in Your Loving Embrace.  Let us remember dearly the lessons she left us and not forget the joy of her smile, the strength of her courage and tenderness of the love she had for each of us.  We have been honored by her participation in our lives.  We love you Mom and celebrate your life.  Father be with those of us who struggle to find comfort in this moment of chaos.  Let us find rest in Your Loving Arms.  We Look forward to that day when we will meet Mom again and share that peace she now enjoys.

A good name is better than precious ointment; and the day of death better than the day of one’s birth.  It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will it to his heart.  Sorrow is better than laughter for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.  The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning: but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.  Ecclesiastes 7:1-4 

The life and words of Solomon confound me at times.  A man with such liberal understanding of life, having experienced every facet to his nth degree, displays the spectrum of moods and musings.  Ecclesiastes may be interpreted as the “The Preacher”, an acceptable perspective when reviewing the Holy Spirit’s teaching in this robust book on wisdom, patience, reputation and the cost of hubris.  Review of the life of this man chosen by God, brings perspective to humanly pursuits, painting all our worldly quests, victories and achievements “vanity”.

Must every good intention born of my own volition produce naught but folly and conceit?  If we are to accept this book as the Holy Truth consistent in the Bible’s entirety then we must accept that there is no way to “explain away” or justify our own, good intentioned but frankly naive campaigns, if they be outside the Sovereign Will, Authority and Direction of God through Christ Jesus.  Solomon is painstakingly clear that the wicked and the good both face the ravages of time and chance.  What then explains the conflict between a successful king run by shame and misery and an impoverished wise man filled with joy?  It is the same discernment each of us faces whether to choose worldly riches or priceless wisdom.  For if the same pressures of death and time await all then how that time or death is met is the measure of success.

For those who proclaim science as their master hoping to explain themselves to peace, I pose the following unexplainable quandary;  Why do the lost face death in fear and disquiet while the saved approach it in quiescence and joy?  For those who have “experienced” that moment when each of us faces the mutual departure, death, none can account for that inexplicable disharmony without broaching the taboo of the existence of God.  The scientist is doomed to find God through just pursuit in his attempts to explain Him away.  This is irony in the midst of folly.  For my reputation is best served in service to God’s Will.  Pursuit of my own pursuits however noble end in the vanity of my own passing, whose benefits are observed by another in my absence.  And to those who have lived amongst the saved, an seen first hand the wisdom that comes even in poverty, I say this you have seen Christ in all His majesty.

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.  Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Growth and growing up.  Are they the same thing?  Are they interdependent?  The Lord’s calls us to both but are they truly separate segments of learning?  The Bible is clear on both.  First look at the concept of “growing up”, becoming an adult, maturing in to a “well rounded” person.  In 1Corinthians 13:11, the Lord uses Paul to remind us of these necessary changes, “When I was a child, I talked as a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.  I when I became a man, I put childish ways behind me.”

What could be so attractive to me about being childish, perhaps the lack of accountability, that it would continually drive me to deliberate and unconscious actions associated with the behaviors of a child?  Is there some endemic safety in reactionary behavior or shedding responsibility which makes it a desirable place to reside in time of trouble.  Frequently I hear the naivete defense used to exculpate responsible parties from the consequences.  The “I don’t know” or “didn’t know” excuse is so commonly used that it has become laughably the first expected response whether chief executive or child.  It must work and that is why they keep using it.  I wish that weren’t the truth, but my hoping that is the case does not make it so.

Thinking as a child when one is an adult is extremely dangerous practice.  Typically excuses significantly amplify or magnify the ramifications of wrong doing.  Ordinary behavior in the mainstream is blame, deny, obfuscate and deflect.  Very rarely are we counseled to just tell the truth anymore, we are now counseled to do anything but.  Perhaps they are removing Bibles from the swearing in process because no one could possibly be expected to make an oath for which they have no intention of complying.  This is the price of immaturity.  That is intensified in Christianity, because for someone to develop a mature faith they must first and foremost accept, adopt/practice truth and personal accountability.  It is impossible for a Christian to lie when they know that God sees all that they do or have done.  It is also impossible for Christians to shirk accountability as the Bible distinctly defines the responsibility for each Christian when infractions occur.

Utilizing childish techniques or escapism or prevarication are unacceptable for Christians.  This is a practice meant for the world of men and friendship with the world is enmity with God.  We cannot hope to mimic worldly practices and expect to achieve any freedom, acquittal or fellowship with God.  Being honest even in the face of personal loss or recrimination is admirable in Christianity.  We should not be tied to the circumstances but to how God will view and judge each or our thoughts, words and actions.  Growing up and growing are both necessary to mature faith in Christ Jesus.  We must first grow up and realize we need Him before we can grow in faith that He will deliver us from all unrighteousness.

It has been roughly two thousand years since our Lord came to us, defeating sin and death, providing an avenue for the salvation of every human.  It has been roughly one nano second since I have been challenged with thoughts of my sin and the difficulties in capturing/managing my thoughts and actions.  It has been roughly two hundred years since a group of people got together, defining a new nation that was supposed to be different than any historical republic in its ability to adhere to righteous principles defined by God.  It was roughly one week later that we began to influence and corrupt that foundation to conform to our own desires, morals and wishes.  Is there something for which close is not good enough?

I have roughly been a good Christian, in that I don’t cheat, steal or commit murder/adultery.  Just as roughly implies limited accuracy or precision, I have always come close to the mark or roughly became what I was supposed to become.  What is that missing statistic, that range of imperfection, that zone of incompleteness that keeps me from the bulls-eye?  The margin for error is where I reside in my unwillingness to surrender to the Lord Jesus Christ.  Six can never become seven.  It is representative of the “roughly” category in which man attempts to reach God through his own means.  I can never reach perfection.  Even if I were to maximize my gifts, talents, treasure, philanthropy and psychology it is a destination that will forever remain roughly unachievable.  Roughly the reason for my misery is that I have never fully accepted the necessity for surrender.

There are many things that I would be okay with just coming close; my job, my house, my car, my relationships, none of these require perfection.  I would be okay with a house that almost met all my needs or a car that had everything but was not the right color, but not so with my relationship to the Lord Jesus Christ.  To be with Him, I must surrender to His changing hand to become like Him.  And He is perfect, so becoming like Him requires that I give way to that perfect hand in His ability to conform me to His likeness.  I cannot achieve it.  I cannot stand being roughly, sort of or almost like Him.  The only path to reaching that goal is through surrendering to His hand.  Therefore my unwillingness to surrender is the “real enemy”.  Sure the voices of the Lord’s enemies will always seek to capitalize on my rebellion, assisting me in turning away from God’s Will, but it was me who displayed the disobedience at the outset.

Father I pray for an obedient heart.  I pray that you build in me a disgust for “roughly” achieving Your Will and Blessing.  Make in me a heart that refuses to accept any thing less than complete surrender to Your Perfection.  Deliver me from dependence upon anything but You, even when that foundation is my own strength.  Make of me Your Perfect creation so that You may delight in the Work of Your Hands.  Give to me a submissive spirit.  I love you and do not want to miss the mark.  Let my flight be true.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

Regret is entirely associated with action not taken until “then”.  Now is the time for realizing the moment in which we find ourselves.  Now is the time to love our families, friends and neighbors because then may never come.  Now is the time for trial and relief, bringing us closer to resemblance to Christ Jesus.  Now is the time for study, prayer, struggle and works bubbling up from our hearts filled with gratitude for the blessings we were freely handed.  We see evidences, impacts and costs of waiting until “then” to take a conscience or Spirit evoked action in the faces, mourns and laments of those who did not take those actions while “now” existed.  I pity those who mourn and mourn with them for their loss, but I also reflect on what created that loss, the fact that they did not value what they had when it stood, walked or vied for their attention in the “now”.  We are to come to the Lord with a spirit of “thanksgiving” always appreciating the enormity of His grace and “soberly” reflecting upon the times in which we find ourselves participating.

This world does not want truth.  We all know that there are extremists of every order attempting to campaign their abhorrent views into the norm of acceptable morals through effective media strategy and tactics.  We see that power corrupts, greed is poisonous, sexual promiscuity is immoral, it is wrong to kill the innocent and that it is right to pursue righteous living, but we exceed to these campaigns labeling all these things acceptable.  We praise terrorists as “freedom fighters” without looking at their motivations or their “charter” documents, something we would never do when looking to align ourselves with any club, company or social experiment.  We support people that we know are wrong, giving them the benefit of the doubt in hopes that they may somehow correct their continued malfeasance and allow us to eventually proclaim our absolution from poor judgment.  What happened to choosing someone to represent us based on evidence of the proven “character” and good judgment?

Look the signs are self-evident just as the budding of trees and the greening of grasses is predictive of Springs arrival or the falling leaves and chill are signal of winters promise.  For those who are sitting on the watchtower as we have been commanded; typically globally we have roughly 200, 2.5 or greater magnitude earthquakes per week.  That number conspicuously jumped last month to 300 per week and this week has now eclipsed 400.  Volcanic activity has trebled in the past year.  Storms are getting more ferocious in their life taking ability and the enemy embroils us in a conversation about global warming as the cause to obfuscate the real reason, God’s warning of coming judgment.

The social paradigm is ripe for wickedness.  A clear separation between believers and those who worship the various gods of this world has never been so precise.  The climate for a global religion for “tolerance” and acceptance of every road as a path to God exists for perhaps the first time in the history of mankind.  The groundwork for one-world government has been fostered, tended and promoted in acceptability by our leaders for the past century and is now approaching reality.  Soon, like false prophets there will arise a leader so clinically impactful and authoritative in his delivery of the words “itching ears” wish to hear that they will proclaim him messiah.  Very shortly it will become impossible to live outside of the rules of this collective agreement the foundation for unions both civil and private.  Those who will not participate, any group who is prohibited from following these guidelines by the commands of their God, namely Christians and Jews will be targeted for widespread conversion, persecution/prosecution or termination.  It is surprising to see the Jewish Nation playing right into the hands of this folly as they know the horrific reality of this episode more clearly than any group in history.

What we do now defines what can be done then.  Concentration on the now allows us to rejoice then.  Rejoicing now allows us peace and contentment then.  Praise now leads to adoration and faith then.  Faith now pleases God now and assures eternal relationship then.  Belief, prayer and action now leads to the absence of regret then.  The question remains will we live now or wish for life then.  The Kingdom of God IS COME, it is now and will be then and forever thereafter.  Embrace it now and live abundantly regardless of circumstance or episode.  Praise You Father for Your Eternal Righteousness and Truth.  Jesus is God come to us because we could not save ourselves from sin and death, so He conquered them to demonstrate His love for us.  That is worth rejoicing for Now.

https://www.cbn.com/spirituallife/prayerandcounseling/intercession/Hickey_PrayerFasting06a.aspx  What one Christian columnist says about the power of prayer and fasting.

http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/10-awesome-bible-verses-about-the-power-of-prayer/  A Christian Bloggers view of Prayer

http://bible.org/question/what-does-bible-say-about-fasting  Analysis of Prayer and Fasting in the Bible.

The power of each Christian resides in the indwelling of Spirit.  Each time God is glorified through our actions it is achieved through His prompting, through His energy and in His authority.  Prayer is answered either in the manifestation of a particular request, the release from an encumbering circumstance or the achievement of a particular objective through the Grace of God.  The action of petitioning the Lord for resolution is an act of Faith in His Promises to answers those requests.  As faith is the belief in things not yet seen.

Prayer is also demonstrated obedience to the Lord’s direction as He commands us to “pray without ceasing”.  Believers are encouraged, comforted, relieved and empowered through prayer.  Spending time with the Father in prayer builds relationship with the Lord Almighty.  Considering all the benefits of prayer it is the chief assault point of God’s enemies.  If all relationship, empowerment, confirmation, encouragement, faith and fellowship occur while in prayer the enemy must prohibit that time and action at any cost.  So be advised, expect your prayer time to be a battle with the powers and principalities of the heavenly realms, in their attempt to curtail your prayer life.  No wonder the Christian community has lost the Power and Authority of Holy Spirit of God considering our prayer lives have been reduced to paltry moments of acknowledgement and requests.  Those who live in victory are always prayer warriors, spending committed time seeking the Lord’s counsel in humility.

What about fasting?  So many out there today deny its place or potency in the Christian paradigm, but few will argue the clarity and breakthrough moments they have experienced in fasting.  Self control is one of the characteristics of the Holy Spirit.  Have control over your actions is evidence of the presence of Spirit.  Food is one of those things that typically exerts control over every person.  Hunger pangs visit each of us signifying the bodies requirement for or craving for sustenance.  Fasting in order to humble one self in an exercise of worship to the Lord is not required but sure does have a lasting effect on our prayer life.  The power to fast typically generates the desire to pray and the willingness to ask for His intervention and strength to complete the fast.  Fasting takes the dependence off of the material and places that dependence on the authority of God.  Additionally, when you give up anything for a period of time in recognition of a desire to become closer to God, then for at time, the importance of the object of abnegation decreases in precedence.  Basically we are saying that Lord we love You so much that there shall be “No Thing” that will stand between us.  Again, as in prayer fasting is a manifestation/demonstration of faith.  Faith remains a concept unless there is evidential action.

So much is written about works in the Bible as confirmation of our belief in God.  Let us for a moment analyze the intrinsic truth housed in that philosophy.  Hate does not sponsor a desire to do good.  Greed does not create generosity.  Gluttony does not enhance our willingness to take care of the needs of others.  Anger does not bring someone to readily forgive one’s enemies and adultery does not breed patience, kindness and selflessness.   The presence of God in a person’s life and the subsequent thankfulness sponsors a desire to give back.  Since we cannot give to God directly, He provides us the way to demonstrate our gratefulness and love by giving to those whom He loves.  Without faith it is impossible to please God, so Prayer, Fasting and Giving are all pleasing to God as they are manifestation of Faith.

Lord, forgive me for my paltry prayer life, my unwillingness to fast and my lack of works done out of thanks.  Make me an avid and mature prayer warrior.  Call my heart to fast in honor of Your Glory and as a means to draw nearer to Your Grace.  Make my works sincere, upwelling out of an abundant heart, bubbling to the surface refreshing those around me through their momentary reflection upon the origin of their blessings.  Praise God in all His Glory.  Jesus My King.

Father, the weight upon my mind has become burdensome.  There are things that I have been attempting to carry without asking you for assistance and direction.  The storm looms and my brothers and sisters still frolic as if these signs indicate nothing.  Christian people are clamoring to have one more hoorah, one more sightseeing tour, one more slice of cake, leaving nothing for Kingdom Work.  I am not a clanging pot, yet I feel the urge to cry, scream, shake them awake to the darkened horizon and the need for repentance, prayer and re-dedication.  The blossoms have bud and the fig tree is fixing ripen.  Now is the time for harvest and preparation for winter.  What has occurred that so many believers do not see the evidence in the truth of Your Predictive Warning?

War’s and rumors of wars.  Natural disasters consistent with a planet that is burdened with sin and ready for the physician.  Lawless people wanted the restraining influences of law, truth and moral controls removed so that abandon may thrive.  A new breed of wickedness that demands peace at the cost of all reason and sensibility.  A peace that means they get what they want and no one has anything to say about it.  This is not peace this is liberalism bordering on anarchy.  Peace is not possible, just as love is not possible without the Prince of Peace and a Loving God.  How long can this thirst for wickedness prevail before You bring judgment to this guilty world?  Your enemies thrive and mock You Lord.  I know that Your timing is perfect and that You will allow this to go on only as long as there one heart remains reserved for You.  Please forgive me for relying upon my own strength in attempting to tolerate this wickedness.  I am thankful for Your disciplining hand as many will come to know Your Love through the catalysts You are about to provide.

Bless Your Mighty Name and Praise You for Your Wisdom, Righteousness, Glory and Patience.  Remake my heart to Your Good Pleasure.  God Be Praised in Jesus’ Holy Name.  Amen.