Are you winning: The battle of the flesh and the spirit

We all experience life differently and see it through the perspectives shaped by our life experiences. Those life experiences determine how we think about ourselves and others; and our thoughts transcribe into our emotions which dictate our actions. Thus, life experiences are pretty significant in shaping how we process every element of this side of heaven.

We are fashioned, shaped and formed by the encounters we have or do not have with others. And some people audaciously hold on to the belief that we are merely a product of our environments, nothing more or less. And while I think this belief removes the saving grace of God, yet I examined this belief more closely and I have discovered something about this assertion.

The little people that grow up to be the big people are greatly influenced by the big and the little people in their lives. 

This part I believe and though I can understand the logic in that we are a product of our environment, I believe that we are not merely an accumulation of the mess that gets piled on us as we walk through life. We are the sons and daughters of the one true God, the King, and the creator of the universe. I am not a pile of mess and I am certainly not the leftover remains of my environment, whether those remains are good or bad.  But, I am not all of this because of my own works or my strength, but instead when I accepted Christ into my life I was the same. The old self was gone.  The Bible illustrates for us, therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold the new has come. (2 Cor. 5:17)

We are not the same, but there are still issues that reside within that must be uncovered and handed over to God. We have to be willing to sort through the mess and let go of anything that weighs us down and keeps us from walking and operating in God's truth. It is a daily act of submission and obedience, because the old self, the sinful nature of the flesh, fights the spirit and is always in battle against the spirit. The bible makes it very clear: The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions (Galatians 5:17 NLT)

The mess that gets piled on us as we walk through life can leave impressions on our hearts and inspire faulty thought-processes and logic, then we can find ourselves struggling with the old self all while we are earnestly trying to embrace the new self.  It can feel very overwhelming if we think we must take on this battle alone. But, there is hope for us, because we are free in Christ and God is on our side.  The Bible offers us this truth: We know that our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. (Romans 6:6 NLT)

But, remember the spirit is in constant battle with the flesh and if we are not strengthening our spirit through studying the word of God, prayer, fasting and putting on the full armor of God, then the flesh is bound to win a few battles. Because, sometimes we struggle so much with the flesh and the battle feels so intense that giving up seems to be the only option; we're especially weak because we are not allowing the power of God to fully operate in our lives. Plus, the pressures of our culture and the ideals of the world disguised as truth and joy confuse us and cause us to stumble. This is because when we give into the flesh we are no longer operating in the spirit, thus we cannot please God. The Bible states:  6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8: 6-8) 

But remember this good news: God already knows the struggles we face, which is why He offers us incomparable grace and mercy, the wisdom and truth of His word, the guidance of the Holy Spirit and the example of righteous living through the life of Jesus Christ.  God has given us everything we need to win the battle. Plus, He is on our side. If our God is with us, then who can be against us! God is tender and patient. He knows exactly where we are, how we got there and where we're headed.  We have to remind ourselves that we do not have to accept the lies that the world delivers as truth, but instead we can propel forward in our lives through living and operating in God's truth.

And although, the culture has bombarded us with a plethora of ideals, philosophies and perspectives that are simply flawed, inaccurate and false imitations for the truth that is only found in the word of God. We can still be set apart, holy and pure just as God calls us. The Bible makes it clear: For God saved us and called us to live a holy life. He did this, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan from before the beginning of time--to show us his grace through Christ Jesus (2 Timothy 1:9 NLT). This reminds me that God's grace is sufficient and I do not have to accept anything this world has to offer, but that I can be everything God says I am and everything He calls me to be. So, for the many of us that have chosen to follow Jesus, we must decide to refuse to accept the fate that the world wants to give us. We are not merely a product of our environment. Instead, we must seek God, pursue Him and develop a relationship with Him so we can embark and stay on the journey He has design for our lives.

So, what happens when we draw near to God and He reveals to us areas in our lives that are not in alignment with His word, thus unpleasing to God.

 As we draw near to God, the darkness inside us is uncovered and sometimes we discover that there are dark places within us that only God can transform. We may discover we have tainted perspectives and faulty tendencies that have resulted in unfruitful, selfish and mediocre-faith driven lives. Some of us never notice until we look inward and see all the areas we have tried to hide, run from and pretend didn't exist, or the areas that we are unwilling to change. But when we draw near to God and grow in our relationship with Him, then there comes a time when pretending will not work and the stubbornness must come to a halt. Yet, this is not a one-time occasion, because we are always growing, always transforming and always pursuing to be more like Christ. We should never want to stay the same, even if we think we are doing well, we must always be willing to trust God's ability to search our hearts; but I, the LORD, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve. (Jeremiah 17:1) 

Remember, God sent His son to die for us as the ultimate act of sacrifice and expression of love that allowed redemption to manifest between God and mankind and initiated the process of purifying our lives; He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. (Titus 2:14)

I want God to search my heart and to renew my mind so that I can walk in His will, be used by Him and for Him. It may not feel good at times and I certainly have uncovered some things about myself that weren't easy to face, but in those moments of discovery God is tender, gentle, patient and loving. So, I encourage you today to spend time drawing near to God and ask Him to search your heart and to renew your mind so that you may become more like Christ and walk in the peace and joy that only a relationship with God can offer. 

You can win the battle; God is on your side and you have all that you need.  

Let's Pray Together: Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for desiring to have a intimate relationship with me. Thank you for making yourself available to me, at any moment and thank you for loving me enough to never leave me. Father, I want to honor you with my life and I want to serve you with a pure heart and a mind that is set on you, but I struggle with this. I struggle with the impressions left on my heart from my past experiences and I struggle with surrendering to you every hurt, mistake, disappointment and thought. So, I need you to help me. I need you to transform me. I need you. I ask that you will help me to have the strength I need to face the areas of my life that are not pleasing to you and the desire to change them. May you guide me every step of the way in becoming more of the woman you are calling me to be. In Jesus name, Amen.

Let's Reflect: Think of a time in your life that you had a positive experience that altered or improved your perspective and think of a negative experience that had the same affect. Have you developed any thought processes or ways of thinking that align with God's word as a result? Have you developed any thoughts that are not a reflection of the truth in God's word? 

Let's Live Out Our Faith:  

Step 1: Think about someone who shared in one of your positive life experiences. If it is possible, call them and tell them how much they mean to you. If they are deceased or unreachable, but have a family member that you are able to contact, then give that person a call and let them know how much that person means to you. Spend time thanking God for allowing that person to share in your positive life experience.

Step 2: Think of someone that shared in one of your negative life experiences and pray and ask God to search your heart for any ill feelings for this person. If you discover any bitterness, resentment or grief, then I would like to challenge you to lift that experience and that person up in prayer for the next 10 days or longer.  (If you would like encouragement in this area, consider seeking the help and support of a spiritual leader such as a pastor. ) You can always send me an e-mail and I will also pray for you too. I'm not a pastor, but I am a praying sister! 

If this blessed you, please share it with a sister.  

Nothing.

We all do it and some are better at it than others. Some of us do it so well that we are unaware of the work required to do it. We all fill our lives with distractions. We believe that we are working hard to achieve this or that. We convince ourselves that building resumes, claiming credentials, working in the church, keeping clean homes, building perfect lives will give us fulfillment. We convince ourselves that the distractions are necessary and serve a true purpose in our lives and for a while, maybe they do.  

We add one more job, one more responsibility, one more commitment, and one more goal to our list of “to dos”, while we are really on a quest to true fulfillment. And when we are forced to sit quietly long enough with ourselves, we come to realize that our soul is crying out for more, more of God.  But, sometimes drawing closer to God can stir up a number of uncomfortable feelings and emotions. Sometimes God will identify areas of our lives that need His healing hand, forgiving power and His incomparable grace. When we draw near to God the darkness within us is unveiled, but for many of us that is an uncomfortable position to face. So, we get back to the business of distractions. We don’t like how it feels to acknowledge the areas of our lives that are dark and broken, so we run from those places, hide from them, conceal them and keep busy avoiding them. 

Sometimes we create wholesome distractions. We build ministries, participate in charities, give of ourselves to our friends and family, but if those activities are performed in an effort to avoid facing the issues that reside in us, deep inside us, then they are merely distractions. If we are so busy getting involved in this and that and fail to seek God for guidance and we refuse to take time to establish and build a genuine relationship with God, then we labor in vain. The Bible says, Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain. Unless the Lord watches over  the city, the guards stand in watch in vain. (Psalm 127:1 NIV) We can be involved in so many things, give so much of ourselves and convince ourselves that we are doing a good thing, but we must examine our heart—daily. 

We must surrender our agenda--daily.

We must come before the throne--daily and ask God to have His way in us daily.

We must ask God to search us and to purify our hearts, our minds and our motives.

It is in those times that we uncover the distractions and measure them for what they are in our lives. We can still live a life that is full and abundant. We can still have thriving relationships and healthy balance in our lives without running. We can still be involved in an assortment of activities and live a more abundant life just as long as we are not trying to fill a void that only a deep relationship with God can fulfill.

Maybe you aren't running from yourself anymore, maybe you've stopped and decided to face the unfiltered you. Maybe you see yourself and you are ready to accept every bit of yourself.  And quite possibly, you are ready to expose the darkness in your life with the light of God and you are prepared to release the burdens you've been carrying into the hands of the one true God. And just maybe you are ready to draw near to God. So now what? What do you do with the very things that are holding you back from surrendering, totally surrendering yourself to the one true God? 

Nothing. 

You don’t do anything with them, instead you invite God to come in and totally transform you. So, just as there is nothing you can do to make the sunrise in the morning or the moon shine at night, there is nothing you can do to transform your life, except surrender. When you surrender, God leads you on the journey of total transformation. And, no you don’t just lay down on the floor and stay there all day, instead there will be things God will guide you to do or not do, but that’s just it—it will be God guiding you. All you have to do is totally surrender.

Let’s Pray Together: Heavenly Father, I am tired of running. I am tired of creating my own agenda to satisfy my fleshly desires. I am tired of trying to compensate for my past mistakes and failures. I am tired and I need you to restore me. I ask that you will help me examine my life and identify anything that is a distraction. I come to you to surrender everything I have: my life, my goals, my family, my career, my everything. Will you guide me and show me how to be the person you are calling me to be. And Father, when I stumble and get off track, will you help me to run straight to you for guidance and direction, as you are the only one that knows the way down the path you designed just for me, in Jesus name, Amen. 

Let’s Reflect: Are you ready to put down your agenda and lift up your arms and surrender? 

What’s holding you back?

Let’s ‘Live Out’ Our Faith: What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of something in your life that is a distraction. Is it something you can do without? Examine what level of impact that something has on your life and ponder on how you can remove the distraction or how you can reframe it in your life. 

This time is different

God told me what to write about. 

I didn't want to write about it. 

So, I didn't. 

I didn't press the keys on my computer to form the words to create the story that  He was beckoning my spirit to compose. I didn't want to be exposed, naked and bare. I didn't want anyone to misjudge me or better yet, I didn't want anyone to know, unless I felt safe: I wanted to control my audience. I wanted to know that my hurt would be treated with tenderness.

I’m not an incredibly private person and I am not good at keeping a lot of secrets, but this part of me was so tender, so delicate, so fragile that it could only be properly handled by those I could trust, so I thought.  So, as God told me to write, share my story, my journey; share me with whoever will listen, I said "no" in my spirit and with my flesh. I didn't write about it. I didn't write about anything for awhile. 

I said "no" to God. That is extremely bold and ridiculous. And even though I knew that then, I still continued to say "no", because saying "yes" was too scary, uncomfortable and unknown. There were too many questions, too many uncertainties and too many opportunities to be hurt—more deeply and intensely. I was already hurting so much, struggling and battling with everything I had; I couldn't possibly risk more. I didn't want to, so I said "no."  But, my spirit was not at peace with stubbornness and my unwillingness to submit and obey. My spirit continued to yearn to honor God, so I began drawing near to God. 

And as I continued seeking God, I was hoping that I misheard Him, I thought: surely I could get away with just writing in my journal, sharing my story in a Bible study or reciting it to those I measured up as being capable to listen without harsh ridicule.  I was so afraid of people and what their minds would think of me.  I was still trying to control it.

But, as I continued to pray and seek God the more evident it became. I began listening to the whisper in the hurricane. The more I drew in to God the more He revealed to me His plan for me to write. He wants the glory for where I am today. I couldn't come up with this plan if I had tried, this was not my dream. I used to believe my dreams were for me and that I could honor God with my dreams. And yes, I know I honored God with my talents, but now I see that my dreams were still about me using the talents He gave me for my glory and honoring God was a byproduct. 

This time is different.

I am using the talents He gave me to honor Him and my blessings are a byproduct of submission and obedience. I had it backwards. I put the dream before God instead of God before the dream. I came up with the ideas and the plans, then I asked God to guide me, instead of asking God to impress the ideas and plans on my heart and then ask for the guidance to walk in His purpose. I wasn't fully operating in the Holy Spirit and I wasn't fully surrendered to God’s will for my life.

 But, this time is different.

I’m surrendering: through the writing I am moving at God's pace for my life and I'm choosing to wait to hear from God and to be led by Him. 

This time is different, this is not MY dream.  

I didn't come up with this on my own and the plan hasn't been fully revealed to me. God knows I like to know the plans. I like to be prepared and alter things as I see appropriate. God knows what He is doing by only revealing it to me a little at a time. He does the same for you. (Jeremiah 21: 11-13)

He knows the plans for us and we don't need to know the details. We simply need to trust Him with it all. And at times, He gives us a glimpse. That glimpse is enough to intimidate us and send me right to back to Him, just where He wants us. 

So for me, this is all about Him. 

This time is different. 

Let's Pray Together: Heavenly Father, I thank you for blessing me to get to where I am today. This is no mistake and it did not catch you by surprise. I thank you for allowing me to continue on this journey of transformation. I thank you for being so tender with my heart. Thank you for beckoning me to draw near to you and thank you for never leaving me. I ask that you will help me to continue  to see you in every area of my life and may I always desire more of you. I pray that you will help me keep my mind, ambitions, goals and dreams in line with you will. In Jesus name, Amen.

Let's Reflect:

Have you ever been in a place in your life where you felt God calling you to do something? How did you respond? Are you in that place right now? What are you saying? What are you doing?

Why do you think God requires our obedience?

Let's "Live Out" Our Faith:  

What are you life goals: write them down. See if you can find scriptures in the Bible that will support your goals. Now submit each of those goals to God and ask Him to reveal to you if they are from Him or from you and to help you to understand  the difference. 

If this blessed you, please share it with a sister. 

What are chasing?

I used to speak my aspirations into the air with hopes that someone was listening out there. I used to inhale hope and exhale inspiration. I used to do a lot of thinking and believing. I used to have hope in a future, bright and full. I used to believe that I was capable. I used to believe my dreams were living inside of me waiting to be born into reality. I used to go drifting into a realm of endless possibilities and lifeless insecurities.

 I used to dream. 

 I used to think nothing was too big, too hard-- too impossible for me.

Then, life settled into the cracks of my insecurities. I grew numb and faint.

I was doing everything I could to just survive.  Like a robot, I moved from one moment in time to the next, hoping He wouldn't ask me for more.  I didn't want more. More meant trying and I was tired of trying. More meant I couldn't give up, though I so desperately wanted to let go.  

But, He wouldn't let me let go.

I survived the battle of my life, twice, surely I must do more.

Then, life settled in deeper into the cracks of my insecurities: You've tried so many things and so many things have added up to:

Not. Many. Things.

And when God would speak to me, it was heard as faintly as whispers in the hurricane. That hurricane was a whirlwind of confusing thoughts and insecurities. But, as I began digging deeper into my soul and searching within myself I experienced a deeper understanding of why and how I used to dream.

God revealed a pattern in my dreams and the pursuit to achieve them. Each sparked in response to a void felt in my flesh and each were energized and motivated by worldly gains & accomplishments.  Even the desire to be needed by others, pleasing and satisfying to others, was an inward longing crying out from a malnourished spirit: A spirit that did not fully operate in the truth that God's grace is sufficient. When the flesh is craving for more from man, the spirit is crying out for more of God. When the flesh longs to feel needed the spirit is yearning to commune with God. When the flesh wants to feel useful, the spirit is crying out to be used by God and for God’s purpose. When the flesh is yearning to greedily gather worldly possessions, the spirit is bankrupt in obedience. When the flesh is driven to accomplish much to gain the approval of man, the spirit is unaligned with the will of the Father. We can have great dreams and goals, but if they are not from God and if they do not glorify God, they will not accomplish what we set out for them to fulfill in our lives. (Galatians 5:16-17)

I used to want to be a creative writer. But, the pursuit of monetary gain became a distraction. So, I ignored the faint whispering in the hurricane. I ignored the truth that my dreams were about me, not about Him. My dreams, selfless at times, were me-centered, not God-centered. Even today, I still aspire to be the best, but not because I think I’m better, I simply want to be my best.  I still desire to be needed, wanted, valued and pursued. And in the past, I crafted and designed dreams in an effort to fulfill those desires.

I used to believe that if I prayed loud enough and worked hard enough, then my dreams would fulfill those inward desires.  But, MY aspirations were actually my soul crying out in desperation for more of God and less of my dreams.  I desired my dreams to quench a thirst in my spirit that could only be nourished by in-taking the living water: Christ. I was so used to operating within the confines of my dreams that my spiritual perspective was a bit foggy. 

I've always fashioned my dreams around my skills and interest, then I would pray that God would position me and grant me the opportunities to achieve my dreams. But, this time it’s different. This time, I stood still for a moment, long enough to hear the quiet-still voice of God.

And, then it happened.  

I began to draw near to God and the foggy-faint vision of God's will became clearer. I could hear Him calling me and bringing me closer to Him, but moving closer to God meant moving away from MY dreams. My dreams weren't His dreams for my life, at least not in the fashion that I was attempting to pursue them.  And even worse, My dreams had evolved into my distractions. I found myself in a place of frustration, disappointment and confusion. I knew I needed to reevaluate everything I was pursuing and decide if I was chasing God or chasing a man-made dream. So, I let go of everything and I fully surrendered. I gave every ounce of me to God and said, “Here I am; here’s my life—it is yours, use it as you will”.

But, it hurts.

Letting go of something that I thought I wanted, I knew I wanted, is not a gratifying or comforting feeling--initially.  But, when there's a  peace that surpasses all understanding that settles into the cracks of your insecurities and a confidence that arises from following God's purpose, then it ignites the soul to cry out: YES, Lord! That encounter, that experience, that life-changing moment trumps any bit of anguish or upset from stepping out of one chapter of your life and walking boldly into the the next.  I strongly believe that if it’s not what God wants for us, then our spirits will never be at peace with it—no matter how hard we try.

Yet, I still find myself feeling uneasy and uncomfortable. This is such a new and unfamiliar place, but I know I am not alone and I find peace in that. I believe He is using me. I still dream, but this time my dreams are not what my flesh desires, but what my soul craves: to obey God, to  honor God and to operate in the Holy Spirit. My dreams aren't crafted and designed by me this time  

I prayed first, waited and prayed again until I heard the clear call from God. I prayed to God and He answered me: write. 

Let's Pray
Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for being so gentle and tender with my heart. Thank you for allowing me to experience the love and grace that you extend to me. I ask that you will help me to bring every bit of myself to you everyday, so that you may have your way in me. I ask that you will help me to see the areas of my life that you are calling me to surrender and I ask that you will help me have the strength and desire to do so. And Father, I pray that you will help me to identify anything in my life that does not bring you glory and will you give me the wisdom and the strength to do with it what you will have for me do. I thank you now in advance for blessing me  with the courage to live out your will for my life. In Jesus name, Amen.

Let's Reflect
Do you feel God speaking to your spirit about something He desires for you to do?

Are you chasing God or man-made dreams?


Let's 'Live Out' Our Faith
God is speaking to all of us, but are we really listening?  Take a moment today to spend time in prayer with God.  Spend time praying and mediating so you can allow God to hear your heart and to speak to your heart.

If this blessed you, please share it with another sister.

Write about it.

I love to talk and I love to listen.

So, when I learned that I could talk to the creator of the heaven and Earth, my Father, about anything, I fell in love with prayer. 

Prayer opens the doors to conversation with God. And while God already knows every thought we think before we think it and every word we speak before we speak it, yet prayer is our way of connecting with God and speaking out our faith. Prayer allows us to speak life over any situation in our lives and the lives of others. Prayer is talking and mediation is listening. Often while I'm praying, I am prompted to sit still in silence and listen to the Lord speak to my heart and minister to me. 

When God designed me He placed a special gift of intercessory prayer inside me. I have learned that our gifts are not designed to be used simply for our good, but to glorify and honor God. This gift of intercessory prayer can be easily misunderstood as a burden and possibly displaced and transformed into anxiety. And, that is exactly what I did with my gift for quite sometime, but I didn't realize it.

I was taking on burdens and carrying them as if I was capable of doing something-anything with them. Then, I would pour the stress of the burdens into my life and they would manifest in the form of worry, fear and anxiety. My hands were so sticky with despair and confusion that it became very difficult to give the burdens to God.  I was holding on to them and I wasn't really trusting God with them.

I will never forget the day God revealed my gift of intercessory prayer and revealed to me why for so long I was struggling with anxiety. The anxiety held me in bondage--kept me from operating in my spiritual gift. I was missing out on the blessings that come from being obedient: the confidence in knowing that we are honoring and serving God with our lives. It took me sometime to figure out what God was prompting me to do with my gift and my writing, and now I am understanding it much more. He wants to use my testimony to bless others and to manifest my healing. 

At first when God told me to write about it, I said "no". Then, when I decided to stop being stubborn and to listen, God began confirming His call to write. He began making it known to me through others and through His word. At that point, I didn't want to say "no" anymore. I desired obedience.
I began writing and it was painful.

So, I stopped.

I started again, but the pain settled in deeper.

So, I stopped.

Then, I started writing about other issues that were a little safer and less painful, less private and more comfortable.

But, God continued to speak to me gently: write about it. 

So, I did.

I wrote about it.

But, I was still very afraid to share it. I didn't want to to reveal those wounds to others, at least not to anyone outside my comfort zone. I didn't want to open up enough to uncover the pieces of my aching-broken heart. I didn't want to. But, then I had a great conversation with a dear friend  that allowed me to reflect on a time in my life that God called me to do something that I didn't want to do, but I chose to surrender instead of listening to the desires of my flesh. I did what He was asking of me and through me He allowed so many amazing blessings to transcend. He used me to bless others and I could have said "no" and He simply would have used someone else, but I am so glad He used me, because I am tremendously blessed because of it.  

The next morning I shared it: A glimpse into my experience with postpartum depression. 

I shared a piece of the story. I shared it and the response was more than I could have imagined. I was so blessed by the tremendous feedback that I my heart was full of gratitude. I praised God for allowing me to experience the pleasure of knowing that my testimony blessed others. Now I realize I need to continue being obedient, even when it is uncomfortable and painful. I need to continue writing:  I need to continue being honest, real and as some may say, raw with my writing. I can't hide behind words, instead I must continue to share the issues of my heart.  So, I write and I pray that God will bless you through my obedience. 

Let's pray: Dear Heavenly Father, I thank you for the heart that is being ministered to through the reading of this prayer. I thank you for sending her to this prayer at this very moment. I ask that you will penetrate her heart and mend the brokenness. I pray that you will soothe the pain and that you help her to walk in victory. I pray that you will bless her hands to work to bring you glory and will you order every step she takes in your name. I ask that you will keep her mind on you and will you always remind her that she is worthy of your love, grace and mercy. May she never doubt for one moment your love for her. I ask that you will bless her to always experience your joy and peace. In Jesus name, Amen. 

Let's Reflect: 
Do you desire to be obedient to God in every area of your life?

Are there any areas of your life that you are still holding on to, instead of surrendering them to God?

Have you shared your testimony with anyone?

Let's 'Live Out' Our Faith:  Decide today that you will take time to reflect on a time in your life that God drew you closer to Him. Write it down and share it with someone who hasn't heard it. Pray that God will guide you to the ears and the heart that needs to hear it.

If this blessed you, please share it with another sister.