Persecution

Dear God,

Bless my friend with Your spirit that even though he may never say Your name at work, all that know him may still feel Your love.  Help us all to remember that our example may be our witness when the words are not allowed.  Help those of us who love You, as well as those who do not, to realize that true faith is neither in our words or our deeds but in who we are.  We can no more remain separate from Your love than we can live without air.

Guide us in Your light and help us to reflect that to the world.

Love, Ericka

God's blinding light

Dear God,

Thank You for all of the awesomeness that You have added to my day!  I know that there is nothing I can do to deserve this, but I am more than happy to accept!

What I was SO happy NOT to accept was that pity party invitation.  Thank You for the blessing of peace that you have given me.  Thank You for carrying me through all that darkness so that I could truly appreciate the light of Your love.  I ask that You guide my path that I never have to struggle through such complete darkness again, but I will always try my best to do whatever You require of me.

As I prepare to lead a growth group this summer, and every day, please help me to share Your love with others.  Let me be Your hands and feet to lead others through those dark and scary places.  Help me use the gift of writing that You have bestowed upon me to spread Your peace and understanding farther than the spoken word alone could go.  Help me have the courage to expose my weaknesses in order to showcase the power of Your grace.

Help my feet not to falter when our finances get scary.  I remind myself that as I give my gifts for you and turn my finances over to you, you will fill all the needs of my family.  Bless my home as I strive to always place my trust in You.

Love, Ericka

Weary

Dear God,

Please grant me a gentle rest in the comfort of your arms tonight.  It is late and I am tired and I know I won't get as much sleep as my body needs.  Help me to feel refreshed so I can start my busy day and keep taking the necessary steps to rebuild this temple.

Help my chiropractor to allow my body to heal itself.  Bring the calm to my heart that I will need to face this day and help me to keep going until my work for the day is truly done.

Thank you for the many blessings you have bestowed upon me and for lifting the veil of anger from me that has been keeping me from being loving to Melissa.

Love, Eeka

Sunday Morning Review 3

Good morning, Lord!

Thank you for carrying me through another week in your grace.  We both know how hard this week has been for me but only you know how much harder it could have been.  Thank you for the blessing of that protection.

I started my week in confidence and pride that I had been trusting in you more.  Yes, Lord, I fully admit that my pride was my downfall this week.

I've been so tired, Lord, that when Satan came at me with a little pain, I fell for it.  I was so used to dealing with my pain poorly, and on my own.  Forgive me for taking a couple of days to remember that only you can heal and only you can help me move beyond that pain.

Just when I thought I was back on an even keel, BAM!  That email came from Melissa.  You know how hard I have been struggling to open my heart and let go of those hurts so you can heal them.  I've just had them so long that they are familiar.  Please help me to do better.  I know that if I listen, you will show me the way to have the best relationship with her that is possible.  I know that you are the one who can open her heart so that we can truly work together for what is best for Ashlynn.

This week was my first big test after truly accepting your love for me and I feel that I have failed you miserably.  Thank you for your patience with me as I struggle to be more of the person you want me to be.  Thank you for the strength with which you have carried me this week.  Thank you for all of the earthly supports you have given me to guide me on my way.  Thank you for using EastLake as the catalyst for the changes that I needed and for blessing me with so many beautiful souls.  Help me to be a blessing to my EastLake family if even only in small proportion compared to the blessings that they have been for me.  Help us all to be obedient this week, not only in the easy things but especially in our challenges.  Guide us and strengthen us as we strive to share your love with Lawrence and beyond.  Please take the offerings of our efforts and expand them exponentially so that Lawrence may become more than just an awesome place to live but a lighthouse of your love.

Help us to remember that in  our little messes, like our seemingly constant struggle with Melissa, how blessed we truly are.  If the end result of dealing with an ex is the blessing of a daughter, who am I to complain?  We all know of at least one EastLake family who would trade such a petty battle to know that their baby girl would be healthy.  God, continue to give Jayden  and her family your strength and your love.  Thank you for the good days you have given them and let them feel your comfort and peace when the struggles are the hardest.

Guide our EastLake family to show your love to others this season as you guide me to be more obedient with both big and small things.

Love, Ericka

The other mother 2

Dearest God,

Please give me the peace to rest well tonight and be refreshed tomorrow.  Take my worries about Ashlynn and her mom and Momma and Daddy and wash them away in the strength of your love.

Grant me an open mind and the wisdom to see and accept the solution to this problem.

Help me to follow your will and not what I think is best.  Help me to be the mom that Ash needs me to be and use me to be an example of your love.

Please guide me in your wisdom and bless the other mom and I both with a measure of your peace and love so we may work together for what is truly best for Ashlynn.

Love, Ericka

The other mother

Dear Lord,

Help me to let this pain go and accept the situation for what it is.  Help me to sympathize for whatever pain she is dealing with that may be causing her to be so antagonistic.  Bless her with your love and light and help her to heal her wounds.  Help me to love her as your daughter, Ashlynn's mom and a sister in your love.  Let me not add another pain on top of the many she has endured, including those I may have already caused.  Forgive me for sinning against you as I thought, spoke and acted wrongfully against her.  Grant me your wisdom that I may grow in your grace and in my relationship with her.

Thank you for giving me an open heart and an opportunity to grow.

Love, Ericka

My Dan

Dear God,

How do I deal with my frustration with Dan when I believe it is justified?  How do I keep from being his mom and treating him like a child when I feel like he is acting childish?  Am I treating him this way because he is acting juvenile, or is he behaving this way because I am treating him this way?  Is it my duty to make his choices for him?  Should I not expect him to take some responsibility for himself?  I love him.  I just don't know how to deal with him lately.

Please guide m with your wisdom so I can grow with him rather than pushing him away.

Thank you for bringing Dan and I together.  So far, your plan has been amazing.  Please help me to keep my heart open to keep following your lead.

Love, Ericka

Gaining Momentum

Dear God,

Thank you for supporting me so far today.  Thank you for the blessings of Edye, Joyce, Dr. Risley and Katelynn.  Thank you for all of the supports that are getting me moving and that are encouraging me.  I needed some of that today.  But then, you know that!  :)

Please give me the strength and endurance I need to do the things that are truly important today.  Please help me make sure that my list doesn't supersede your list.  I know that I have been making great strides, but I need your help to keep my momentum going.  I need your help in tackling my finances and figuring out how everything is going to get paid.  Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do for me and through me.

Love, Ericka

Bed time

Dear God,

Now I lay me down to sleep,
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.

I have several very important prayers to work on.  Please help me to write the prayers in such a way as can lift the needs to you and can help them feel your way if they read them.  Please keep my friends close to you in their struggles.  Please help me to see with your vision to the core of what I can do to help them.  Give me our understanding to be able to support and guide them closer to you.  Please inspire my dreams that I may go on the road you guide me to tomorrow.

Please grant me a peaceful sleep tat will leave me energized to do your will.

Love, Ericka

My Sunday Morning Review 2

Dear God,

Thank you for not letting me burn my apartment down when I left the burner on this morning.  Forgive me for not taking the time to pray for Mitch and turn my concerns for him over to you.  I know that there is no acceptable excuse for not taking time to talk to you and share my concerns openly. We both know I could have used the peaceful rest this would have allowed.

Thank you for this glorious week you have given me.  Thank you for guiding me to Eastlake where I could be safe enough, not just in your arms, but in the love of a strong church family, to let down those final walls that were keeping me from opening my heart.  Thank you for filling me up and overflowing me with your grace and joy.  My week has been so amazing in ways that only you could have imagined for me.  Forgive me for basking in the glory of your light like a lazy lizard on a rock.  You have clearly shown me the work you want me to do, yet I have been that lazy lizard.  I have been so blessed and so busy soaking up those blessings that I have forgotten that you have a job for me.

Thank you for smoothing my path this week so that it was easier to turn away from things that are les beneficial and focus on those things that are better.  Thank you for the yummy salads, the friends to go walking with, the chiropractor, his awesome assistant and all of the other people who are helping me to become healthy.  Help me stay on this path and lend me your strength that I may never again be the glutton who wears drowsiness like rags.

As I focus more on you and less on the many blessings that you have given me, help me to find guidance in your word.  Please give me the patience not to be bored with the bible but to keep looking until I find the meaning you intend for me.

Thank you for Eastlake.  As Easter approaches, let us celebrate your life in ways beyond our imaginings.  Show us your ways in which to touch more lives with your spirit.  Open the hearts that are connected to Eastlake in even the most indirect ways that your love for us shines through us and draws others as your nectar draws your bees this spring.

Bless us all with the eloquence to speak in the language that is necessary to reach those who need you most desperately.  Lord, you have wrought some mighty changes.  I am humbled and blessed to be a part of your chorus.

Love, Ericka

Pride

Dear Lord,

As I write my prayers, today and everyday, help me to remember that no matter who may read or hear them, these are truly just for you and me.  Help me to keep my own pride out of them so that you can continue to speak to me and use me in a away that can glorify you.

Love, Ericka

An April Fool

Dear God,

Forgive me for being a slacker this week.  I believe that writing is the focus that you approve of, yet I have not "had the time" to write.  I know this is my own shortcoming that I have given priority to things that really don't matter.  Please help me to stay committed to doing those things that are really important.

Help me to focus on the beautiful children that you have trusted me to raise in your love.  Give me patience for them and help me to be better at giving them my undivided attention.

Lord, please help Dan and I to fully reconnect.  I really miss him.  I am seeing some of the same issues with Dan that I was having with Aaron and I can't help but wonder if I am the common denominator.  Please help me to focus on Dan's strengths and support him rather than tearing him down for his weaknesses.  Help me begin to see Dan as our head of household and to treat him as such so that he can feel my support of him.

Please give me strength as I begin my journey back to good health.  Help me to find those supports that I need in order to know what I need to focus on.  Thank you for holding my hand to help me avoid sugary temptation this week, but don't let go of me now as we both know that was just the first small challenge on this treacherous path.  I know that you will move this mountain for me if I just keep on walking.  Please bless Dr. Risley as he helps my back to heal and bless Katelyn for the beauty she adds to my physical and emotional healing.  Help me to know when it is good to work through the pain and when it will cause further injury.  Help me not to use pain as an excuse when I know that many times all I need is to move.

I feel better about Jesi, but I ask that you grant her a measure of your peace and open her heart to feel your love.  Please give Khelon a safe and happy birthday.  Guide Shay-Shay to a path of healing from both her physical and spiritual hurts.  Open Angie's heart to know that all power comes from you and give her faith that you will make sure she still has a family to support her.  Bless Moogie and Misti as they wait for their new home to be prepared for them.  Grant Nana and TC all of the strength and patience that young mamas need.  Bless my babies.  Help Payton to feel your peace and your strength so that he can learn patience and calm.  Help Livi to learn that anger is not good when left unchecked and pouting isn't a resolution.  Give Ash the confidence to know her own beauty and not be as susceptible to the slings and arrows of grade school.  Please continue to help me grow and to be the mother that nurtures my kids the way that you have entrusted me.

Love, Eeka