prayer

Carrying One Another Burdens

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Bear on another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2, ESV)

As I was preparing for the most recent global prayer meeting, I found the verse from Galatians about bearing one another’s burdens.  I enjoy asking AI questions; so, on a whim I asked, what is a prayer burden. This Gemini (google) AI’s reply:

“A “prayer burden” refers to a deep, persistent sense of concern or responsibility that motivates one to pray for a specific person, situation, or cause. It’s a spiritual prompting from God, a call to intercede and offer focused prayer, often accompanied by a feeling of weight or urgency. This burden can arise from various sources, including a specific need, a divine vision or dream, or simply a strong love for someone.”

It was perfect! It spoke specifically to the burden NCFI has for nurses and midwives affiliated with the national fellowships and regions. We are concerned and drawn to pray when there are lack of staff, challenges to finances, overworked nurses, and the many other burdens of managing a ministry. Our heart is heavy and focused on petitions to the Lord for those country contacts without a fellowship who need the community of nurses and midwives to stay strong in their faith. I am sure many in the NCFI leadership are prompted by the Lord to pray for specific situations. The most recent ones that come to mind are when I think about the nurses caring for patients in war-torn areas, places of disasters, or spreading infections and illnesses. These colleagues are on the frontlines representing Christ to the most vulnerable and we are supporting them with prayers of love and wisdom.

I can speak for myself, that I have a deep sense of responsibility to pray for each member of the International Board, Board of Directors, and our partner leaders, as well as the many volunteers who give of their time, talent, and treasure in supporting the mission of NCFI. Probably like you, my responsibility extends to the Christian nurses I personally know and work with. I lift them up in prayer as we labor in the work of Christ every day.

Rest assured, we at NCFI actively carry the prayer burdens of many nurses and midwives, their colleagues, their patients and families, and their students and staff. We do so joyfully and with a bright mission of assisting the Lord with his burden of loving the world.

Yoke of Trust

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Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gently and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:29-30, ESV).

We are familiar with Jesus’ comforting words, and I can imagine we all desire to lighten our burdens and find rest for our souls. As an educator who works with nurses from a variety of patient settings, I hear the nursing burdens: Not enough staff to care for patients; more and more patients who are sicker and sicker; units closing, which displaces or deletes nursing positions; and management changes. In my long career in nursing, these issues have always existed, and most of the nurses I know are accustomed to adapting to each crisis that comes by. 

We also care for patients, manage staff, and educate students whose burdens are heavy and difficult. How can we make the care that the Lord has entrusted to us lighter? Let’s break down Jesus’ promise and find a way to lighten our burdens.

First, we need to recognize that Jesus didn’t say, IF you have burdens. The assumption is we WILL have burdens. One of the barriers to releasing our heavy burdens is the unrealistic idea that our lives should be worry-free and complication-free. It sounds crazy to say it out loud, yet when a problem comes along, we are dismayed. Whether it is an illness, work-related stress, or a family crisis, these are all human experiences. This is true for our patients as well. There will be extended illnesses, surgery complications, and unforeseen diagnoses. Even though the Gospels have multiple accounts of Jesus healing people, there were even more people who weren’t healed. Yet, Jesus brought the Good News to them, which is Himself.

This brings us to our second point of Jesus’ teaching—“Come to Me!” Life’s burdens cannot be lighter if we don’t hand them over to Jesus. Handing them over to Jesus is more than just praying for healing, seeking His wisdom, and trusting Him. It is daily, and many times, frequently saying, “Jesus, I trust in You!” For example, when the fear of complications attempts to overwhelm a patient’s peace, we can direct them to trust in Jesus and let go of the outcome. I know, sounds frightening! Yet, this is how Jesus will make the burdens lighter, giving the present AND the future of our burdens to Him.

If you are feeling burdened by work, personal, family, or life in general, then you are carrying the load, and Jesus is not. Right now, what burden do you have? Write them down. How do they feel? Are they heavy, uncomfortable, stressful, or worrisome? Then you are carrying them. Or maybe there is a patient, student, or staff member whose burden is keeping them anxious and depressed. Help them as well come to Jesus and exchange the yoke of burden for the yoke of trust.

NCFI Cares: Quick Prayers for Lent

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After he (Jesus) fasted for 40 days and 40 nights he was famished. (Matthew 4:2)

As we enter the beginning of Lent, 40 days before the Passion of Christ and Easter, many of us are seeking the Lord’s guidance in giving up something or adding something.

Some everyday things Christians give up for Lent are favorite foods and drinks, like chocolate,  coffee, or alcohol, or specific food pleasures, such as eating out, desserts, or meat. Others may give up an activity, like phone time, watching movies, or other distractions. When I asked Google AI, I received additional responses, including sleeping without a pillow, abstaining from gossiping, or refraining from following/watching social media postings. To add a little bit of humor, my favorite activity Google AI noted was to give up “being a backseat driver.” – I have to admit—my husband would probably enjoy my 40-day struggle—LOL!

Humor aside, I think the Lenten period is not only a time to meditate on our Lord’s suffering; it is a time to add habits to our walk with the Lord while growing closer to him and his sufferings. Some of those daily habits include reading your Bible, adding another prayer time, reading a Lenten devotion, attending church or Bible study, and others.

Since I am the NCFI prayer chair, I would make the following suggestions focused on Christian Nurses:

Choose to pray for one of the following :

Your national fellowship and nurses in your country
Nurses at your work, church, and community
International nurses and regional nurses
A global health issue that’s concerning
NCFI people

At first, adding more prayer to our already busy and over-committed lives sounds overwhelming, yet it doesn’t take more time to send quick prayers to the Lord. Especially if you have given up something for Lent. For example, whenever you think of chocolate, immediately pray, “Lord, I lift up all the nurses at my workplace and trust you with their care.” Or something along those lines.

Another list of suggestions focused on Christian nurses are:

Choose to do one of the following:

Send an encouraging text or email to a nurse or healthcare professional. It can be kind words, scripture, etc (Let the Holy Spirit guide you)
Post on a social media platform an encouraging comment for nurses to read
Bring goodies or something to share to work
Invite a colleague to a Christian nursing event (prayer, journal club, etc)

Spend the next few days seeking the Holy Spirit in ways he would have you grow closer to our Lord through this period of Lent.

NCFI Cares: Pray for Us!

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Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it. Brothers and sisters, pray for us. (1 Thessalonians 5:23-25, ESV)

Happy New Year! As we welcome the year 2025, the NCFI Prayer and Care Committee wants to send a request—pray for NCFI! Below are some ideas on how to integrate the needs of NCFI into your prayer time. 

One way is to download and possibly print the Quarterly Prayer Guide. Here is the link

The prayer guide is a large table with the rows as weeks for each quarter. The 5 columns are areas and include the six regions, national fellowships, next-generation, and non-member country contacts. There are also requests specific for the NCFI organization: Directors, International Board, Leadership, Partner Organizations, and Institute of Christian Nursing. It may be overwhelming to see so many requests on a 4 page document. Here are a few suggestions on various ways to use the guide to pray for NCFI.

–Choose one day of the week dedicated to NCFI. Then, during your morning or evening prayer time take a few minutes to pray across the row.

–Add NCFI to a specific prayer time on a daily basis. For example, right before bedtime, pray for one square for that week.

–During a monthly national or group fellowship meeting, divide up the group prayer requests and spend a few minutes praying for nurses around the globe. You would take note of the months on the far left column.

–If your national/local fellowship has a texting/messaging group, assign someone to place the requests in the group messaging. This can be done daily, weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly.

These are just a few suggestions to include NCFI prayer requests into your regular prayer time.

NCFI appreciate your prayers to fulfill our mission in encouraging Christian nurses live out their faith in nurses. 

Praying The Angelus Personally

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One of the simple catholic prayers I have discovered is The Angelus which is Latin for Angel. It is a prayer based upon the Angel Gabriel’s announcement or annunciation to Mary, the mother of Jesus found in Luke 1:25-38. Even before I was Catholic, I appreciated and adored Mary, a teenage girl visited by an angel and told she would give birth to the Son of God. The first thing she asks is “How?” (verse 34). I love her practicality. She is a betrothed virgin and preparing to marry Joseph. So, being around farm animals, she knows where babies come from. “How will I get pregnant?” Once Gabriel clarifies how she will get pregnant, she says the most important words humans can say, “Be it done to me according to your word.” (verse 38).

In brief, the prayer dates back to 1317 when monks would ring a bell 3 times a day, morning, noon and evening while praying three Hail Marys. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Angelus

Let’s look at The Angelus Prayer and then I will review how I make a personal prayer.

℣. The Angel of the LORD declared unto Mary,
℟. And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you;
blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners
now and at the hour of our death.
Amen.

℣. Behold the handmaid of the LORD.
℟. Be it done unto me according to thy word.
Hail Mary, …

℣. And the Word was made flesh.
℟. And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary, …

℣. Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God.
℟. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Pour forth, we beseech Thee, O LORD, Thy grace into our hearts; that, we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord.
℟. Amen. (US Catholic Bishops website)

The ℣/℟. notations our when the prayer is said in a group. ℣ is for the Leader/Priest to say. ℟ is for the response of the people. All lines are said when praying individually.

The prayer, with meditations or adaptations, helps me align my life with the most obedient, holy human to walk the earth besides Jesus–Mary. Let me show you how.

The first line states: The Angel of the Lord declared unto Mary, And she conceived of the Holy Spirit. When, I say the Hail Mary response, I think or meditate asking the Holy Spirit to indwell within me for my life and work. I may ask specifically for a challenging situation in my home or work.

The second line states: Behold the handmaid of the LORD. Be it done unto me according to thy word. During the Haily Mary, I meditate and ask that I too may also be obedient to the word God sends to me.

The third line states: And the Word was made flesh. And dwelt among us. During the Hail Mary, I meditate and ask that Jesus (the living Word) be evident in my life for others to see. I may ask specifically to be Jesus to a family or friend who doesn’t know the Lord.

I have personalized the fourth line: Pray for me, O Holy Mother of God. That I may be worthy of the promises of Christ. During the Hail Mary, I will ask the Holy Spirit to guide me in becoming worthy of Christ’s promises.

I have also personalized the beginning of the final prayer: Pour forth, I beseech Thee, O LORD, Thy grace into my heart, …. I conclude the prayer without personalization or meditation:

that, we, to whom the Incarnation of Christ, Thy Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought to the glory of His Resurrection. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

The conclusion is a powerful reminder of the truth and hope of the Gospel– the Birth, Passion, Cross, and Resurrection of Christ is complete.

I am left with no other response except to follow centuries of the faithful with the Gloria Patri

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end.

When we personalize a prayer, we engage with our heart and spirit as part of a rich relationship with the Trinity.

NCFI Cares: My RX for Insomnia

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“On that night the king could not sleep. And he gave orders to bring the book of memorable deeds, the chronicles, and they were read before the king.” (Esther 6:1)

What do you do when you are unable to sleep? Do you listen to music or use an app on your phone to occupy your brain until you get tired? Do you read books or get out of bed to watch television or videos?

I have to admit I have had some very difficult times with insomnia. Some of it is part of getting older; our bodies don’t sleep as well as they used to. Don’t you miss the ease and depth of sleeping when you were younger? I do. In addition to aging, stress or overwork can wreak havoc on our ability to shut off our brains and rest.

The scripture above is found in the account of Queen Esther. During a bout of insomnia, the king asked his attendant to bring the chronicles of his kingdom. Like reading the newspaper, King Ahasuerus wanted an update on what was happening in his kingdom.

While the king may read about the events of his kingdom, I would prefer to pray. One of my favorite passages is Psalm 136:

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;

As you continue reading the psalm you will see clear sections marked out by a repeating refrain, “his steadfast love endures forever.”

Versus 4-9, focus on the Lord’s awesome works in creation: made the heavens, spread out the earth above the heavens, made the great lights, the sun, and moon and stars.

The next section, verses 10-22, provides a brief account of the Lord’s work on behalf of the Israelites: struck down the firstborn, brought Israel out, divided the Red Sea, overthrew Pharaoh, killed mighty kings, and gave a heritage to Israel. This is the section I alter for myself. I will begin to recount the good deeds the Lord has done in my life:

Blessed me with children and grandchildren,
“his steadfast love endures forever.”
Provides a job for me and my husband,
“his steadfast love endures forever.”
Guided me through caring for my mother,
“his steadfast love endures forever.”
And so on….

Stop now and take a moment to write down the immediate needs the Lord has fulfilled.

This is my RX for insomnia, recounting the personal good deeds the Lord has done for me along with proclaiming “his steadfast love endures forever.”. Depending on what has happened that day or my current stress, I will alter my accounts and ensure I conclude with a final refrain:

Give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.

NCFI Cares: Faith Proclamation to the World

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First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God’s will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you— that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine. (Romans 1:8-12, ESV)

We are on the countdown to the NCFI World Congress in Malaga Spain. We will convene for a Pre Congress training course from 24 to 26 of June. The Congress begins with an opening ceremony on the 27 of June. Romans 1:8-12 can guide our hearts and spirits as last-minute preparations are being made. I have pulled specific phrases to guide our thoughts and prayers.

—First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world.

Let’s start by thanking God for every Christian nurse and midwife attending the Congress. Their faith is a witness to the world. Pause momentarily and imagine the people impacted by each attendee’s preparation: embassy workers, airlines, managers, churches, communities, families, hotels, etc. Wow! What an amazing witness to Jesus. In addition, their faith will be proclaimed in Malaga as hundreds of nurses convene for the Congress. PTL!

—For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers,

This is a great reminder to keep praying. Please continue to pray for each attendee, speaker, and staff member at the Casa Diocesana. Notice how the prayer is specific:

—For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—

The prayers are specific—spiritual gifts to strengthen one another. Our theme for the congress is Strength and Courage. Prepare your heart and spirit ahead of time so that you can dispense gifts of strength and courage to at least one person during our time together.

–that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.

Finally, we know that we are mutually encouraged when fellow brothers and sisters come together. Your faith blesses me, and my faith blesses you. It is a joyous time of fellowship and community.

Unfortunately, some people are unable to attend the Congress. I know nurses who have been denied visas, are unable to leave personal responsibilities and face economic challenges. Our heart goes out to those who so desired to attend but cannot. You are part of the NCFI community and our loved AND valued!

We need you! We need your prayers as we endeavor to encourage nurses from more than 30 different countries. Please commit to pray for the Congress! In the NCFI Prayer Guide for April – June, 2024 contains prayer prompts for the final week of June. https://ncfi.org/resources/general-resources/ I have included the Prayer Prompts.

Pray for wisdom, love & unity for NCFI leadership meetings that will be held in conjunction with IB meetings (22-24), International & Regional Forums (28-29), and Board of Directors (1 July).  “Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. (Isaiah 40:28a)
Pray everyone involved in the NCFI Congress–may they experience the Lord in a new and courageous way. May the workers at the Casa Diocesana see the love and light of Christ in each attendee.
Pray that the Lord places a hedge of protection around the families of all attendees so that they can be attentive to the Holy Spirit’s voice. “He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” (Isaiah 40:11)
Pray that the Lord will equip all attendees with the courage and strength to be a bright light and loving grace to the world. “He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.” (Isaiah 40:29)
Praise the Lord for the Holy Spirit’s work during the Congress.“they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with the wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
Prayer Prompts for the NCFI Congress

Joshua’s Leadership Tip #10: Ask for the Impossible

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So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. And the Lord said to Joshua, Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you.

Joshua 10:7-8 ESV

The Gibeonites were under attack by five kings when they reached out to their new allies, Joshua and the Israelites. Joshua inquired of the Lord about what to do. Good idea! Satan deceived Joshua through the Gibeonites when he didn’t inquire about the Lord.

To wage war with five kings is an insurmountable battle. Yet, if they won, the Israelites would eliminate key adversaries and gain territory.

When I read Joshua’s army courageously confronting five kings, I thought, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful to tackle and solve five problems at once instead of tackling each problem one by one?” Like Joshua, we are assured of God’s victory in our life and must remember to seek God’s wisdom in approaching challenges.

As Joshua led the army into battle, the Lord sent their enemies into a panic and rained down large stones or hail from heaven. More died from the hailstones than the Israelites killed with a sword (10:10-12). As the battle raged on, Joshua recognized they were close to victory, and the last thing they needed was the loss of daylight. Darkness would give their enemies time to regroup, rest and strategize for the next battle. In other words, the Israelites not only needed more time, but they also needed more daylight to finish off their enemies.  

 At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. (Joshua 10:12-13 ESV)

Many of us are familiar with the account. My favorite part is verse 14, “There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded a man’s voice, for the Lord fought for Israel.” I love that the verse was recorded. It reminds me how the Lord listens to his people and fights for them!

As I gather prayer requests from nurses worldwide, I witness how difficult and overwhelming nursing is.  No matter where you work in nursing or your role as an educator, staff nurse, or administrator, it is likely that you are experiencing insurmountable problems. What do you need? Ask for the impossible and see what God will do. I don’t think nurses would ever ask for our day to be extended or our shift to be longer, but the Lord can make us more efficient and provide solutions.

Be encouraged that the Lord listens and directs solutions to all we are experiencing. We can stand assured that God will do the impossible!

NCFI Cares: Prayerful Waiting During Advent

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As nurses and midwives, we are in the business of waiting. Whether our patients are waiting for surgery, an upcoming test, healing from an infection, or for an update on their condition, nurses wait with their patients. As nurses, we not only wait with our patients, but we also wait for physicians to see our patients and update their plans of care. We wait for the multidisciplinary team to visit our patient and provide services. We also wait on other nurses. We wait for a report from the previous shift or another facility, or at the end of our shift or day, we wait for the next nurse to take over our assignment.

The Advent Season is a time of waiting also. We seek to find time to quiet our hearts from the busyness of the season to spiritually wait for the anticipated birth of our Messiah. Since we are living in the post-coming of the Messiah, we also equate our spiritual waiting with His future coming (Revelation 22:20).

During these final weeks of Advent, let’s turn our physical waiting into spiritual waiting. We can do this for both ourselves and our patients. Turn the time of inactivity while you are physically waiting with your patient into a time of contemplative waiting. Take those few moments to praise the Lord with the angels from Luke 2:14, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” Or repeat from Mary’s praises, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior” Luke 1:46-47.

If you are waiting with your patient, then quietly pray for your patient following Zechariah’s proclamation in Luke 1:78-79, “the tender mercy of our God, whereby the sunrise shall visit us from on high to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”  You can also spend time waiting with your patient and sharing how as Christians, our time of waiting is over. As believers, we boldly join Simeon in proclaiming:

“Lord, now You are letting your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation that You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel.”

(Luke 2:29-32)

Christmas Blessings from NCFI

NCFI Cares Joshua’s Leadership Tip #2 Change Your Perspective

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When Joshua was by Jericho, he lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, a man was standing before him with his drawn sword in his hand. And Joshua went to him and said to him, Are you for us, or for our adversaries? And he said, No; but I am the commander of the army of the Lord. Now I have come. And Joshua fell on his face to the earth and worshiped and said to him, What does my lord say to his servant? And the commander of the Lord’s army said to Joshua, Take off your sandals from your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy. And Joshua did so.

Joshua 5:13-15 ESV

Joshua experienced amazing miracles in his life prior to becoming the leader of the Israelites. He witnessed the plagues in Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the miracles of manna, and the stopping of the Jordan river. As he prepares to take on the city of Jericho, he comes face-to-face with the Captain of the Lord’s Army, the pre-incarnate Jesus Christ (1). Every time I read the passage; I stop in awe at the encounter. I wonder what it would have been like to have the visible Jesus Christ suddenly appear. I imagine walking around my campus strategizing who will teach a course, how can I recruit faculty, and what will happen if I have to cancel classes or delay graduation. I can imagine being deep in thought when suddenly I look up and see a strange man standing before me. I most likely would not think he is an enemy. Instead, I could see myself asking him if he could help me with my problems, especially if he was dressed as a nurse. I am that desperate! 

Instead of answering my question, the man responds, “I am the Commander of the Army of the Lord. Now I have come.”  Like Joshua, I would fall face down in shock. I have to admit, I would be too dumbstruck to respond in reverence to the Son of God. Maybe after a few minutes, I might be able to pull myself together enough to at least listen to what he had to say. I doubt it though.

Beyond my personal reflection behind, I find profound meaning behind the encounter between the Commander of the Lord’s Army and Joshua. There were two principles communicated to Joshua:

The first one is for Joshua to realize God’s claim over him and His purposes.

“We tend to approach our battles and causes backward; we turn things around and try to marshal God to support us rather than to submit and follow Him…Joshua, as with all of us in the army of the King, must be following the Lord, submitting to His authority, taking our orders from Him, and resting the battle in His hands because we realize it is really His battle as the Supreme Commander.” (1)

In other words, instead of seeking God to provide wisdom for my problems in nursing; I need to submit and follow God. Instead of being stressed and racking my brain for solutions, I need to follow Joshua’s example and state, “What has my Lord to say to his servant?” After Joshua replied, the Lord provided directions for taking Jericho, which, if you read on through Chapter 6, was not a military maneuver.

The second principle is the commander brings God’s powerful provision and personal presence.

“The promise of God’s personal presence always carries with it the assurance of God’s personal care. Likewise, the promise of His powerful provision always carries with it the promise of His infinite supply and power no matter how impossible the problem may appear to us.” (1)

When I recently asked the question, “What has my Lord to say to his servant?” The Lord replied, “It’s all mine and I will tell you what to do.” His answer changed my perspective. Yes, I still am looking for instructors to teach.  Yet now, I wake up and ask the question and do what I can to solve the many problems. I don’t get stressed and am not afraid of worst-case scenarios. It is up to God, and he will decide what the future brings. He will tell me what I need to know when I need to know it. I wait for His directions, and when they come, I act. I take them one step at a time, expecting God’s personal presence and waiting on God’s powerful provisions to address the challenges I face.

(1) Keathley, J. Hampton, Studies in the Life of Joshua. 4.Consecrating the People (Joshua 5:1-15)