Category Archives: Uncategorized

Day 20 ~ Tell ~ 31Days2019

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“They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, ‘All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!” John 8:7 (NLT) Photo by Artem Beliaikin on Unsplash

Tell

Tattling is one of those things that teachers find extremely challenging. Some children seem to enjoy telling anyone who will listen about all the things that someone else has done wrong. The funny thing is, quite often the tattler will have recently done the exact thing he is now trying to get someone else in trouble for. Of course, that does not occur to the one telling the tale. All he has on his mind is seeing punishment handed down.

It seems to me, that adults today are becoming more and more like those students all the time.  Our news and social media feeds are full of people “telling on other people” they don’t agree with. And just like the offenders in the classroom, these adults have the goal of gaining followers who believe their tales, want to take part in judgement, and then inflict punishment on those they’ve targeted. Simply put, they point their finger in hopes of getting someone else in trouble.** But, we all know the old adage that says when one finger is pointed at another, three more are pointed back at ourselves!

“And why worry about a speck in your friend’s eye when you have a log in your own? How can you think of saying to your friend, ‘Let me help you get rid of that speck in your eye,’  when you can’t see past the log in your own eye?” Matthew 7:3-4 (NLT)

Just recently I was talking with my mother-in-love about cleaning my house. She was trying to reassure me that our house always looks clean and I responded that she just didn’t look closely enough, to which she replied:

“If I want to see dirt, I’ll look at my own house!”

Isn’t that exactly what Jesus is telling us in the verses above? Don’t look for someone else’s dirt until you’ve cleaned your own house! And the thing about dirt is, we can dust one day and then the very next time the “Son” shines in, new specks are already showing up again!

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet, God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” Romans 3:23-24 (NLT)

The truth is, every one of us deserves to be in trouble, with or without the help of a tattletale, and the world has seeing our punishment handed down on its mind.  “Yet, God.”  Because of His grace our punishment isn’t simply handed down; but because Jesus’s hands were nailed down to the cross, it has been forgiven. Now that’s a tale worth telling!

This post is written as part of the 31 Days of Five Minute Friday Free Writes Challenge. You can read posts from other writers on the same topics over at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com I hope you know that I so appreciate you being here! God bless, Cindy

 

 

Day 19 ~ Strong ~ 31Days2019

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“Her children stand and bless her.” Proverbs 31:28a (NLT) / Pixabay

Strong

My image stares back at me as I stand in front of the mirror.  I gaze at the reflection. Are these too tight? Does this even go together? Is this outfit still in fashion? I worry way too much about the clothes that I wear! As I ponder upon that, I realize I’ve forgotten two very important things:

  1. “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more than food, and body more than clothes?” Matthew 6:25 (NIV)  And, that
  2.  I learned from my mom at an early age, about the most important things to wear.

My mom. She’s one of the strongest women I know! When my dad unexpectedly chose to leave our family, she was suddenly left to raise my two sisters and me by herself, at a time when single mothers didn’t have the rights and benefits they do today. That didn’t stop her from doing what it took to** assure that we had the best childhood possible. She worked hard and sacrificed much. Mom put our needs above hers and she always made sure we knew we were loved and cared for. Her example taught us that the most important things to put on don’t come from our closet.

“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.” Proverbs 31:25-27 (NIV)

Yes, through the years of ups and downs, joys and sorrows, good times and bad, our mom has modeled for us her ensemble of incredible strength and dignity and she still wears them well today!   So, the next time we look in the mirror let’s not look at our clothes but rather what we’re clothed in. Strength, dignity, wisdom, faith, love!  With any of these we have no need to worry because one size fits all; they compliment each other; AND… they never go out of style!

This post is written as part of the 31 Days of Five Minute Friday Free Writes Challenge. You can read posts from other writers on the same topics over at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com I hope you know that I so appreciate you being here! God bless, Cindy

 

 

 

 

Avoid ~ Day 16 ~ 31Days2019

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“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,” Acts 2:46 (NIV) / Pixabay

Avoid

There are lots of things we avoid. I would guess that some of the what I avoid, you do too. Things like snakes, bats, closed in spaces, the dentist, and others. Then there are those things that since moving to my rural, farming town I’ve had to learn to avoid the hard way: such as being stuck in a manure pile, an angry rooster, or eating raw ramps. And of course, there are those things I’ve learned to avoid by mistake, specifically swallowing a chicken bone, trusting my GPS, and brightly dying my hair the day before leaving on a trip with my friends.

On the flip side, we all have things we avoid that we shouldn’t. I’m thinking of things such as exercise, a yearly check-up (including the weigh in), ** cleaning out our closets, and getting together more often.

Why is it that most of us don’t make time to gather with friends and family anymore? Yes, we’re busy. But are we really too busy to find time to share a meal, have a game night, sit around and talk with those we care about or do we just no longer make it a priority?  I’m asking myself these same questions. Knowing there’s so much pain and suffering in the world today and time is short, shouldn’t we want to be with each other more rather than less?

“Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25 (NLT)

Just imagine the difference it might make in our lives, our communities, our world if we’d come together more to support and be supported, to inspire and be inspired, to minister to and be ministered to. Or, to simply laugh and have fun. I think it’s about time to make a change. How about you? What if we stop looking at our phones and watching our T.V.’s as much, left work a little earlier, cleared a day on our calendar, and instead shared some of that time with friends and family? Let’s challenge each other starting today, to scratch gathering with one another off our “to avoid” list and begin making it a priority to “not neglect our meeting together”. Are you with me?

Now, who wants play a game of Yahtzee and have some popcorn?

This post is written as part of the 31 Days of Five Minute Friday Free Writes Challenge. You can read posts from other writers on the same topics over at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com I hope you know that I so appreciate you being here! God bless, Cindy

 

 

Scared ~ Day 10 ~ 31Days2019

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“For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:6 (NIV) / Pixabay

Scared

Several years ago I took my class up on a mountain to the highest point in our state for a hands-on, nature-filled, educational adventure.  As it turned out, it was a little more adventurous than I could handle.  As the leaders explained to the kids what the next activity would be, my pulse quickened and my hands began to sweat. A cave. We were headed underground. I. Was. Scared.

For as long as I can remember, even the thought of small, closed-in places cause panic to rear its ugly head, and to actually go in to one? Well let’s just say it isn’t pretty!  But there I was the teacher….so with assurance from the guides that it would open up into a wide cavern, I put on my hard hat and hesitantly ventured in. Squeezing through narrow passageways my heart felt as if it would burst from my chest. As the entrance disappeared from sight, I had a hard time catching my breath. Finally, we reached our destination below the earth and they were right, it was a larger space. What we failed to talk about was that it was also pitch dark! Sitting on the cold damp cave floor, not being able to see my own hand let alone my students faces, the space became very small and fear took over. All I could think of was escape!

A kind caver had to lead this shaking in the knees ole teacher back out, where I then waited for my class’ return. Disappointed in myself? Completely! Wish I’d trusted those who were leading the way more? For sure! Embarrassed to let my** kids down? Most definitely! Thankful to be sitting in the light and wide open landscape? Absolutely! With a wide open view, peace returned and my fear retreated!

Guess what? A dark cave isn’t the only place where fear steals my breath. Sometimes in the dark of night, lying in my own bed I. Am. Scared. Health issues whirl in my mind: my pulse quickens. The well-being of my children and grandsons dominate my thoughts: I begin to sweat. Life’s worries consume me: I can’t see a way out. The walls of anxiety seem to close in around me and all I can do is hope for an escape! I suspect some of you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Recently, I came across these verses in Psalms and they’ve been like a light in the darkness to me. I hope they are for you too:

“When hard pressed, I cried to the LORD; he brought me into a spacious place. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid.” Psalm 118:5-6(NIV)

As I’ve pondered on them it’s occurred to me that as much as I try to avoid small, tight spaces, I’ve allowed my worries and fears to trap me in just such a place, hard pressed on all sides! I hadn’t thought about it in that way before. Disappointed in myself? Yep! Wish I’d trust God’s leading more? Beyond any doubt! Embarrassed that I still let anxiety take me down? Without question. Here’s what I’m thankful for though:  We have an “Escape”! All we have to do is cry to him and He brings us not just out into the light, but into a spacious place: A boundless place where we can breathe in His Spirit, a comfortable space where our hearts will beat to the rhythm of His peace, a generous place where our fear will finally retreat. A cave, an airplane, a high ledge, our own beds, it doesn’t matter. Fear can’t trap us because we have an Escape and He’s with us always everywhere we go.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9 (NIV)

This post is written as part of the 31 Days of Five Minute Friday Free Writes Challenge. You can read posts from other writers on the same topics over at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com I hope you know that I so appreciate you being here! God bless, Cindy

 

 

 

Join~Day 9~31Days2019

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“In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears. Psalm 18:6 (NIV)

 

Join

A small, quiet beach in North Carolina has been my family’s summer vacation spot for many years.  It’s one of my very favorite places to be!  There used to be one bridge that joined the island to the mainland and what a welcomed sight it was each time we’d visit! Somehow stress just seemed to disappear as we crossed over the Inter-Coastal Waterway leaving the bridge and the mainland behind. There was one problem though….

While driving across the bridge to get onto the island was relaxing, trying to get back to the mainland a week later along with all the other departing vacationers was anything but!** The few miles from our beach house to the edge of the island were slow at best BUT once we reached the bridge it was bumper to bumper traffic that resulted in a complete stand still. We knew what we wanted and where we needed to go but it felt like we’d never see the other side. Now, just picture that scenario with a hurricane evacuation added into the mix!  Talk about a traffic jam! With the threat of a storm and the path that joins where you are to where you want to be blocked, anxiety levels rise!

Sometimes our prayer lives can feel the same way. Prayer is what joins us “vacationers” on earth to God in our Heavenly Home. When the sun is shining and the road is smooth, it seems our prayers are moving right along and we’re getting closer to where we want to be. But when the thunder and lightning of an unexpected storm crash our calm, we often find ourselves coming to a sudden stop! We try to maneuver this way and that, steering our prayers in the direction we want to go, but find ourselves feeling blocked, unable to move, and that’s when worry and anxiety take the wheel.

“But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” Romans 8:25-28 (NIV)

No one wants to have to evacuate and cut short their vacation and worse yet, in life, we don’t want to have to pack up our plans and leave them behind. Both happen though. We hope the storm veers off shore while we anxiously wait. We “honk our horns” because we don’t know what to do next to get things moving again and then we wait some more. Thankfully, we’re not waiting alone. The Spirit himself takes our noise joins it with his own and delivers it directly to God’s ears. We can loosen our grip! Stop clenching our jaw! Leave our worries in the rearview mirror. God’s in the driver’s seat and we can trust that He’ll get us exactly where we’re supposed to go! (Which will be our favorite place for sure!)

Yes, prayer offers us a bridge to God. Through the Holy Spirit, prayer joins our wants with God’s plans. Let’s cross over, leaving our stress behind, and pray the prayer that keeps us moving in the right direction:

“Thy will be done.”

This post is written as part of the 31 Days of Five Minute Friday Free Writes Challenge. You can read posts from other writers on the same topics over at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com I hope you know that I so appreciate you “joining” me here! God bless, Cindy

 

Gather~Day 8~31Days2019

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“And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.” 1 John 5:11 (NIV) / Pixabay

 

Gather at the River

A small crowd gathered on the bank of the river this past Sunday to witness the baptism of some young people from our church family. Raindrops fell but spirits could not be dampened. Temperatures dropped but praises were raised. What a joy and a privilege to experience a person coming up out of the water into a new life in Christ!

“For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all.” Ephesians 4:4-6 (NLT)

When I was a child, a group gathered with me as I was baptized, too. Water was sprinkled and at the front of the church that morning, through this act, I shared my testimony for the very first time as I confessed my faith in Jesus. Funny, I haven’t thought about that day for a long time so of course it has me pondering…”Glorious hope, one Lord, one faith”…have I continued to share** this testimony with those I gather with?

“And Jesus Christ was revealed as God’s Son by his baptism in water and by shedding his blood on the cross-not by water only, but by water and blood. And the Spirit, who is truth, confirms it with his testimony. so we have these three witnesses-the Spirit, the water, and the blood-and all three agree. Since we believe human testimony, surely we can believe the greater testimony that comes from God. And God has testified about his Son.” 1 John 5:6-9 (NLT)

Jesus proclaimed God’s love for all people to the crowds who gathered around Him to listen, but He didn’t stop there. His actions on the cross affirmed all He had said. Do my, do our, actions testify as well? Do we:
~Put God’s will and the needs of others above our own? ~Jesus said, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.” Luke 22:42 (NLT)
~Forgive others? ~Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” Luke 23:34a (NLT)
~Care for the grieving and the lonely? ~When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, ‘Dear woman, here is your son.’ ”  John 19:26 (NLT)
~Use the gifts God has given us to complete the plans He has for us, all the way to the end, even if it isn’t easy?~  Jesus said, “It is finished.” John 19:30a (NLT)

Yes, our words and actions should declare the message of eternal life through the truth of the Spirit, the water, and the blood of Jesus to as many as we can, so that one glorious day, we all can gather side by side at the beautiful, beautiful river flowing by the throne of God.

This post is written as part of the 31 Days of Five Minute Friday Free Writes Challenge. You can read posts from other writers on the same topics over at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com I hope you know that I so appreciate you being here! God bless, Cindy

 

31 Days of Pondering Lessons in the Everyday

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“Finally brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things.” Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

October brings brilliantly colored leaves, pumpkins of all sizes, cooler weather, and  of course, the 31 Days of Five Minute Free Writes Challenge! I actually considered not joining this year as my calendar page is already filling up with commitments but it’s something I really look forward to. So, here’s what I’ve decided to do: I’m committed to doing my best to stick to the five minute** time limit (if you’ve been here before you know that really is a “challenge” for me) and to write to as many of the prompts as I can. It’ll be like a little adventure.  Are you with me? I sure hope so! It’s a lot more fun with you along!

I’ve recently gained a new blogging skill and so all my posts for the Challenge this year will be right here in one place! Just click on the link in the Table of Contents below after it goes live to read each post. As always, I appreciate you stopping in and I pray that the lessons I’m learning this month will be meaningful to you, too! 

~Table of Contents~

Why

Gift

Problem

Listen~Out of town

Other~Out of town

Notice~Out of town

Same~Out of town

Gather

Join

Scared

Deep

First

Reach

Voice~Missed

Open~Missed

Avoid

Consistent~Missed (not very consistent!)

Active

Strong

Tell

Person

Sense

Need

Different

Wait

Accept

Better

Test

Practice

Memory

Enjoy

 

Why~Day 1 ~ 31Days2019

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‘Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” Psalm 43:5 (NIV) / Pixabay

Why?

Those of you who’ve spent any time at all around children have experienced or at least heard about the “Terrible Twos”. But what about the “Terrible Sixties”? I don’t know about you, but sometimes it feels as if I’m stuck in those toddler years! I often want my own way, can throw a  pretty good fit, and find myself repeating the question “Why?” over and over again.

Things happen in this life that I just don’t understand. Upheaval in the world, tragedies in my community, and very personal disappointments within my own family. I know you’ve been there, too.  We pray and pray but the answer we get isn’t always the one we hope for.  It’s in those very times that I raise my hands in despair and ask “why?”.** I need an attitude adjustment! And then, that still, small, Voice reminds me:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:8-9 (NIV)

And there’s another voice, that of my mother-in-love, that also reminds me that God doesn’t make mistakes. The truth is we can’t begin to know why things happen the way they do to the people they happen to. Life often just doesn’t make sense to us. It’s when we begin to let go of our toddler ways though, that we can then grow in our faith and put our trust in God’s plan. Inch by inch we start to realize it doesn’t have to make sense to us because we know Who’s in control. It isn’t always easy and just like a toddler I still have a lot to learn! How about you? But when we put our hope in God, we have a wonderful promise to look forward to! The time when:

“…’God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ ” Revelation 21:3b-4 (NIV)

Just imagine: no tears, no pain, no mourning!  And….no more “why’s?”!

This post is written as part of the 31 Days of Five Minute Friday Free Writes Challenge. You can read posts from other writers on the same topics over at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com I hope you know that I so appreciate you being here! God bless, Cindy

 

A Challenge ~ Five Minute Friday

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Jesus said, “I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.” John 13:15 (NIV)

Technology is often a challenge for me.  I can still remember like it was yesterday, going to my first Teacher’s Technology Conference and feeling so overwhelmed.  One of the presenters even talked of “Technological Natives”: those growing up in and proficient at using all the different devices and then of the “Technological Immigrants” like me, who, being in a foreign land, must learn to navigate the World Wide Web, understand an unfamiliar language, and perform tasks that feel beyond our ability.  Like I said, a challenge.

Then along comes Kate , our leader at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com  and in two days this week she taught me things I hadn’t grasped before in blogging even though I’ve tried. Two days-two skills! The difference you ask? Kate taught by example, showing us step by step each action on her computer that we’d need to make on ours. Seeing it instead of just hearing or reading about it, has made it possible for me to follow her lead and successfully walk through the process myself! Now, it’s gotten me thinking. (You knew that was coming, didn’t you?)

As Christians, we are “Heavenly Natives” living our lives as “”Earthly Immigrants”. We try to navigate the world without being worldly, understand The Word, and carry out the work God calls us to do even though we feel unqualified. And, just as Kate did for those of us trying to master skills in our writing life, we have those who offer us examples to follow in our Christian life, too!

“Join together in following my example, brothers and sisters, and just as you have us as a model, keep your eyes on those who live as we do.” Philippians 3:17 (NIV)

Listening to sermons and reading books by Christian authors have inspired me as I’m learning what it means to be part of God’s family. Jesus gave us the Perfect Example, but there have been and still are things I haven’t grasped. That is, until I’ve seen faith in action!  I’ve been blessed with many people from whom I’ve learned more about being like Jesus by watching the ways they’ve acted and interacted day to day. I’m sure you have a list of your own. Their examples show us the characteristics we hope to gain. With God’s guidance and as we follow their lead, they help move us closer to being who we were designed to be. And…that’s got me thinking again!

As we act and interact in the world, people are watching MY example, YOUR example, too! Now, that’s a challenge I think I’ll save for another post!

“And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching.” Titus 2:7 (NLT)

Joining with Kate and the other talented writers at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com  as we think about the prompt “Challenge”. I challenge you (and myself)  to think about those people in your life who are examples of Christian living and then thank them for showing you the Way! Thanks for taking your time to stop! It means more to me than you know!

 

 

 

Mrs. P.’s Testimony ~ Five Minute Friday

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“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 6:16b (NIV) / Pixabay

Not long ago, I attended the funeral for a lovely lady in our community.  The eulogies given by those who knew her were warm and endearing.  The last person to speak was her son.  What he shared with us challenged me to take a look at my own life. Maybe it will challenge you as well.

After a time of exchanging cherished family memories that caused laughter and tears to spill out at the same time, her son then reflected on his mother’s prayer life.  He called her a “Warrior on her knees”! He shared that he’d often wondered how much of what had happened in the lives of his family was a direct result of their mom’s fervent prayers.  In addition, he was also curious about the number of bad things that hadn’t happened to them because of their mom’s fervent prayers. Then this grieving son asked a powerful question:

“Now, who will take her place?”

Who will take her place?  Who will take over where she left off? What a testimony to a life!  A woman remembered for her prayers; an intercessor, so dedicated, that her passing would leave a vacancy, not easy to fill. Just imagine… WANTED: Someone able to lift heavy burdens. Must be available all hours of the day and night. Dedication to, persistence, and confidence in results required. Needs to be prepared to work in private. Able to manage large case loads. Now, who will take her place?

Driving home after the service that question kept playing over and over in my mind and I started thinking about the testimony my life offers to those around me. Guess what? In the area of prayer, Worrier came to mind before Warrior!  Let’s be honest, NOBODY needs to fill that position!

“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything.  Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. 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 4:6-7 (NLT)

I didn’t know Mrs. P. well.  I wish I had! This quiet, behind the scenes worker, a Sister in Christ, lived a life here that affirmed a great faith, declared her abundant love, and professed the power of prayer. Even from her Heavenly home, her witness has challenged me to spend more time on my knees than I do wringing my hands. I can’t think of a better testimony of a well-lived Godly life than that! Can you?

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)

I’ve written this in memory of Mrs. P. to the prompt “Testimony” and have joined the other writers over at http://www.fiveminutefriday.com 

I look forward to seeing the directions others have taken their writing in today.  I encourage you to click over and read for yourself! I pray Mrs. P.’s testimony has touched you in some way and if it has prompted you to think about your own life testimony, I’d love to hear about it! Just leave me a note in the comments! As always, thank you for being here!