Scripture & Meditation February 2021
                               Hope and Honoring Black History
                                     Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness.

1 Peter 1:13  "Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming."
1 Peter 5:10 "And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast."
1 Thessalonians 1:3 " We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ."
Ephesians 1:18 " I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people,"
Hebrews 10:23 "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful."

     How To Find Hope For The Future Recognize your power.
1. Believe it or not, every action you take has an effect on things. 
2. Ask what positive actions you can take.
3. Once you understand the power you have in life,
it’s time to ask how you might influence things in a positive way.
4. Connect with people who have faced similar circumstances.  
5. Lean on those closest to you.  
Speak to a professional. 

A Prayer for Hope: Lord, I maintain my hope in You and I hold onto the assurance that what I am praying for is already accomplished in the name of Jesus. Your Word promises “no good thing does He withhold from those that walk uprightly” (Psalm 84:11). I wait upon You for Your definition of the “good thing” You will not withhold from me. As David prayed in Psalm 18:1: “I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
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​By Naina Raghavan 
02/01/21   Every year, during the month of February, people in the United States honor and celebrate the contributions and achievements of African-Americans to the country as part of Black History Month.
                                  
Here are few quotes taken from Parade.com that commemorate the importance of Black History

1. "Never be limited by other people’s limited imaginations." — Dr. Mae Jemison, the first African-American female astronaut
2. "I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality…. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word." — Martin Luther King, Jr.
3."The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression." — W.E.B. Du Bois
4. "In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute." — Thurgood Marshall, first African American U.S. Supreme Court member "Hate is too great a burden to bear. It injures the hater more than it injures the hated." — Coretta Scott King
5. "Whatever we believe about ourselves and our ability comes true for us." — Susan L. Taylor, journalist

         See, the former things have come to pass, and new things I now declare.—Isaiah 42:9                                        
                                              Living from my divine nature, I begin again.
Whether a new year or a new day, we am free to make a fresh start. Every moment offers a new beginning and a chance to rediscover who we really are. As we stand at the threshold of a new year, we should remember God is within and we must make a commitment to live from our spiritual nature.
Seeking to live more fully as a divine being, we must grow more mindful of our thoughts and actions. When we notice they are not in alignment with love, we should try not to dwell on them or judge our self. Instead, we return to Spirit.
Like pushing a reset button, we center our mind and our heart in the Truth of our oneness with God and begin again. Lets connect with the loving presence within us, and lets express more and more of our divine self.

   
Every year, we celebrate the New Year with a lot of enthusiasm, mainly because the beginning of a year is synonymous with renewed energy and optimism. And while 2020 had been a challenging year for so many, we need to understand that 2021 may not be starkly different. Some of the challenges may continue, and we only need to put up are trust in God and go on with our lives knowing that although it may take some time, things will get better. And as we all step into this year, we remind ourselves to check on our loved ones, find out if they are doing okay, and share with them our faith and love. While we may not be able to get together in one place and celebrate, we can still spread some cheer from afar.
                 

   His Mercies are New Every Morning Lamentations 3:22-23  “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.”
To lament is to “cry out in grief.” The prophet Jeremiah was lamenting the great sins of Jerusalem. But in the above verse, he finds a ray of hope during his deep sorrow. I love this verse and praise God for it every morning. There is no sin that He will not forgive; His love is greater. His mercies are new Every. Single. Morning. He doesn’t tire of us coming to say “Forgive me! I screwed up again!” Who else but God loves like this??   

                                                                 ​Sanctification by Faith
​Ephesians 4: 22-24 “Throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by its deceitful desires. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. 
Put on your new nature, created to be like God- truly righteous and holy.”  
​We should put our past behind us and leave our old desires and impulses behind. Think of the new pathways God is forging for you! It will be a process; Satan will work hard to try to turn us back into our old selves. Our job is to change our thoughts, attitudes, words, and actions for the better. God gives us a new nature, but it is up to us to choose to resist sin.

                             Guard your heart 
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23 
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.” 
Proverbs 3:5 NLT “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” 
Psalm 51:10 ESV 
                       Grow Strong in the Word
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Romans 12:2 
“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” 
Hebrews 4:12 And one of my personal favorites: “
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” Psalm 119:105 •

​                             Worship
“Come, let us sing to the Lord! Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come to him with thanksgiving. Let us sing psalms of praise to him. Come, let us worship and bow down. Let us kneel before the Lord our maker.” Psalm 95: 1,2,6  “Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.” Luke 4:8 •
                                   Prayer  
“Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7  “Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.” Jeremiah 29:12 “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
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 Perseverance is the path to new beginnings Perseverance is the pathway to a new start because a new beginning often requires patience.  James 5:11 says, “As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. 

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassion's never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘“The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him’” (Lamentations 3:22-24). Here we see the beauty of a new day. A new morning. New mercies awaiting us​

  Ecclesiastes 3:1-5 says, “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; A time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up; A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance; A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;” ​

. We see that they are new every morning… thus acknowledging that we are on this journey and it’s not a one time fix all. Today is a new day! Let’s be grateful!  “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:34-35). We see in this passage that while Jesus was here on earth, even He was doing a new thing! He was teaching believers a new way of living, a new commandment, a new covenant: to love as we have been loved. 

• Faith refers to a strong belief or confidence one has in something or someone. This faith is what helps us get through the major problems and obstacles we experience in life.
  If you are facing any issues and you’re feeling hopeless because of a problem, just relax and rely on your faith. Remain calm and believe that a solution is coming your way.
  Here are the most inspiring faith quotes for you.
  Faith is believing in something when common sense tells you not to.
  Without faith a man can do nothing; with it all things are possible. – Sir William Osler

As you practice counting your blessings, you will find that your faith is being suddenly revitalized. 
Robert Schuller

Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase. 
Martin Luther King, Jr..   

Sometimes beautiful things come into our lives out of nowhere. We can’t always understand them, but we have to trust in them. I know you want to question everything, but sometimes it pays to just have a little faith. 
Lauren Kate       

“See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17). Sometimes we just need to let go of the past and embrace the new season. Just like God does.  “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah’” (Jeremiah 31:31). The new covenant was given to us through the blood of Jesus. This is our hope. Newness is our inheritance. Jesus is the truest gift of newness in our lives. Newness of heart. Newness of eternity. From death to life.  “I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 11:19). We are given a new spirit as children of God. He turns our hearts from stone to flesh. New beginnings. New mercies. Newness of life forevermore. 

                     We place our faith in God and expect the best.
Having faith is having joyous expectation. Placing our faith in God, we must expect and accept positive outcomes. When we pray to successfully accomplish our goals, we receive clear direction. If we are praying for healing, we expect to be healed. When we pray for a loved one, we place our faith in the presence and activity of God at work within them to bring forth their highest good.
We must release negative thoughts, worries, or fears for they indicate our attention has drifted away from God. We must redirect our expectations with positive outcomes in mind. Growing in spiritual understanding requires ongoing practice. It's a lifetime journey. So we must step forward in faith with our mind and heart on God, secure in the knowledge that divine love is at work in each of us
1 Corinthians 16:13 tells us, "Keep alert, stand firm in your faith, be courageous, be strong." 

                                                      ​   God words of encouragement for us.

                                   We should always celebrate the power of forgiveness.
We are a divine work in progress—continually learning and growing. In the process of becoming all that we can be, we may make mistakes; yet when we know better, we do better. To remember the truth of our being, we breathe gently and pause for a sacred time of prayer. As we connect to our divine nature, we must surrender negativity and perspectives that do not serve our highest good. Self-limiting thoughts dissipate, and we can see who we are. From this higher perspective, we will recognize the wholeness within ourselves and others.
Even though we have made mistakes in the past, we should remember that we all are loved and loving. We celebrate the power of forgiveness that sets our self and all others free around us.
Revelation 21:4 says, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes ... mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away." Blessings and love to and for you!

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We must believe we receive when we pray, and we can have what so ever we believe. The word tells us we have to have forgiveness in our hearts when we pray.
Read Mark 11:22-25.                                           I am not trying to say that this is all the answers! We should really understand the power we have when we pray. God has given us a pattern to go by when we pray Gods word, according to His will. We have to be in order with His will not our own.
 Sometime we can be so focus on our problems when we pray that we forget about the promises that God Himself has given us through His word. Isaiah 55:11 says, “So is my word that goes out my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent” (NIV). That is awesome! God’s word cannot and will not return void! Praying God’s word we can never go wrong.

        Always remember
"Nothing goes right on the outside when nothing is going right on the inside"
2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature. Old things has passed away, behold all things become new."
​Everyday from the first day I prayed this prayer, I'm just thanking Him everyday, it's already done, in Jesus Name!    
                  Carolin Morgan                    

​Beautiful words and encouragements, that different authors has given us to embrace.
enjoy each clip as they stroll by, and allow them to minister to you.

         Something to remember   
 Beauty is only achieved with a balance life, and having a personal relationship with Christ realizing His love for us and taking care of God’s work. Our lives are watched by the world. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Beauty should always be a complement to our inner spirit and never a hindrance to the Kingdom of God.
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We learn over the years that it is by love that God works. 
Love is His power to convert and change our lives. His power to heal and mend all brokenness, no matter what that is. Matthew 26:33 says, "I will not be offended in Him."
No matter what happens, His love calls us to obedience and makes it our joy to obey, no matter how rough the road or difficult the way. 
We learn, that the fullness of the truth that God's grace is indeed sufficient, and that His strength is made perfect in weakness.
His grace and His strength never fail, and with Him all things are possible. Matt 28:20 promises that, "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."

                                                   
Click on download, and read what Jeremy Binns wrote about pain and forgiveness; Awesome!

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If you haven't received Christ as your personal Savior, and you want to, just click download. 

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Chaplain Phyllis Murphy
Be who you say you are, learn your identity, and walk in your purpose

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Montella Wimbly:
Always stop, and take time, and smell the roses.

Minister Jan Chandler: 
    God has called us all to greatness. Always Remember: "All's Well"

Sharene Thompson: Minister of music Chior Director
Always take time to enjoy God's creation!

 Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in time of need. Hebrews 4;16 ,NIV

1. Pray that God would awaken the passion inside of you to live for Him and Him alone.
2. Ask God to set a fire within you — a hunger for more of Him and His Word.
3. Pray that your desire to be close to God would only continue to increase.
4.Spend a few minutes remembering and journaling about how you felt when you first came to know Jesus. Ask God to make you feel that way again.
​We are, WOMEN WITH A PURPOSE that stand together for a cause,  and we join together praying for one another. Prayer is a God given purpose, and when we pray we express our dependence on God, and at the same time, we are affirming God's promise for spiritual power. Prayer becomes an attitude of the 
​"Heart of God."

    We are praying for women all over the world. 
What ever you're going through, "we got you"