Spreading J.O.Y.

We can be at times rather selfish I am afraid and I am no exception.  It is easy to be more concerned about ourselves than others.  We believers in Jesus Christ need to put those old ways of thinking and allow the Holy Spirit to transform our minds and hearts to make us more loving and caring more about other people's needs.  I remember people used to wear buttons that had the word J.O.Y. on them and it stood for put Jesus first, Others second, and You last.  That is a great reminder for each of us to have.

We wonder to ourselves how can we do that.  Well we can't do it on our own we will need the Lord's help in that endeavor.  We must first have a proper relationship with God by trusting in the shed blood of Jesus Christ and know Him as our Lord and Savior.  When we are trusting in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior we will have the Holy Spirit to dwell within us and He will lead us and guide us.  The Holy Spirit will help us to love others in a deeper way.  Sometimes it is hard to love others and sometimes it hard for others to love us as well.  The Holy Spirit will help each on of us to love each other by helping us to forgive those who have hurt and wronged us.  He will help us to overlook those hurts that people inflict upon us at times.

We can show our love for others by praying for them and telling them that we are indeed praying for them.  Sometimes people need to know that there is someone that cares enough to at least pray.  Praying is a very important aspect in a Christians life and it should never be neglected.  We have a great honor to cry out to the Living God who is the Creator of all things.  We have the blessed opportunity to lift up people we know and people we don't know up in prayer to the Lord.  What a great responsibility it is to be able to pray for another person because you may be the only person in the world that is praying for that person that God placed on your heart.

I want to thank each one of you that has prayed for me concerning my doctor's appointment today.  Everything went very smoothly and very well.  The growth on my pituitary gland is small and it is not producing hormones according to a blood test which is a good thing.  The doctor is going to keep an eye on things and in March of next year I will have more blood test and another MRI (yikes) then as well.

May the Lord bless you and keep you as you serve Him in love and empowered by the Holy Spirit.

Lord,
We thank You for loving us so greatly. 
Help us to love others.
Help us to forgive those who hurt us.
Forgive us when we fail miserably and say dumb things that we ought not too.
Lead us and guide us by Your Holy Spirit.
Thank You for those who prayed for me this day.
I uplift each one of those who prayed for me up to You O Lord.
Touch them and help them with their needs.
I pray for those in nursing homes and those who are sick.
I pray for those who are in financial trouble.
I uplift those struggling with grief and loneliness.
Bring comfort to each one O Lord.
Remove the fear and anxieties that we face and give us a peace that surpasses all understanding
to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
In Jesus Name we pray, 
Amen.