Good evening, Family! 🙏🏽
We are praising God for:
🙌🏽 Angy praised God for granting Nelly another birthday and another year of life. Despite the challenges she faced throughout the year, God has heard our prayers and kept her protected and safe.
🙌🏽 Micharen is also celebrating a birthday this week. Angelina asks that God continue to bless and keep her healthy. She ya grateful for the wonderful mom He has given her
🙌🏽 Ruth thanked God for granting her best friend, Angy another year of life. Nelson also thanked God for Angy’s birthday - may God continue to grant her health and safety.
🙌🏽 The Lozano Family extended their love and appreciation for their church family for always keeping them in prayer, especially during their toughest times. Please pray for Andy and Kristina as they recover from Covid. Continue to pray that God will grant them a full recovery and safety for Seth and Baby Sianna, e especially in these last week's of her pregnancy.
We are also praying for:
🙏🏽 Carol is thankful that God protecting her throughout her experience with COVID and is allowing her to regain strength.
🙏🏽 María asked for prayer for her friend's father. Please pray for the Schafer family during his fight with cancer, give him the strength and perseverance to win this battle
🙏🏽 Maria’s friend Karen - Bless their family and give them comfort through this difficult time
🙏🏽 Jackie- for continued health and safety. May she regain her strength as she has not been feeling well.
🙏🏽Vashti asked that we pray for everyone who wasn’t on the line or not feeling well to be here next week and continue to bless them throughout the week.
🙏🏽Carvins, Astrid’s friend, who is desperately in need of healing and new kidney after his transplant surgery was canceled due to him having COVID. May the lord protect him as he awaits a new kidney.
🙏🏽Bianca, Vishal and Baby Sebastian. May God continue to guide and protect them.
🙏🏽 Doris asked for continued prayer for her family, including her daughters, grandchildren and siblings.
🙏🏽 Catheryn, Connor and Baby Nora. May His ministering angels be their support system as they transition into this new life as a family.🙏🏽
Tonight’s Devotional was shared by Frances.💕
I heard the story of a mom who was was making pancakes for her two boys. Kevin, aged five, and Ryan who was three. At first, the boys were just being rambunctious as usual. But as the pancake started to bubble in the little cast iron skillet, the boys started to argue over who would get the first pancake. Mom paid close attention as she heard the assured declarations turn into whining from Kevin, and then noticed that Ryan was definitely close to tears.
She wouldn't panic. Instead, she decided to take this opportunity as a "teaching moment", just as Kevin's teacher always encouraged. So, she flipped the pancake, took a deep breath for strength, and then turned to face her boys.
"If Jesus were sitting here today," she began, "He would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake. I can wait.'” She could see them both thinking very hard and had to press her lips together to keep from smiling. Kevin spoke up first by turning to his younger brother. "Okay, Ryan—YOU be Jesus."
😑
We might all chuckle at the story, but don't laugh too hard. It truly is a lesson for us all because we are ALL guilty of this kind of selfish thinking sometimes. Friends, selfishness is in our thinking and behaving. In fact, selfishness is at the root of almost every problem we have—think about it.
Selfishness ruins lives and destroys relationships. That's because when a person is selfish, they only care about their own needs, wants, and desires. The person is focused on self-giving and is only concerned about himself or herself. The selfish person feeds only his or her SELF, but NOTHING can survive when it isn't fed; not even a meaningful, loyal relationship. Eventually it dies out.
God never intended for our relationships to be selfish. He is a giver, and created us to be givers as well. Jesus would ABSOLUTELY let His brother or sister have the first pancake! 🥞
What is He calling you to let someone else have, even if you have to wait? Success? Their moment? Attention, love, or support from people you share? From the church? Your family?
Let them have it! It won't mean there won't be enough for you! There is ALWAYS ENOUGH with Jesus! 🤲🏽
What is Jesus asking you to give a brother or sister selfLESSly today? Forgiveness? Understanding? Acceptance? Patience? Empathy? UNCONDITIONAL LOVE?
Give it lovingly. Jesus has done the same for you. You know how good it feels to receive it.
Let's not be selfish. The One who has given to us has a Neverending supply of whatever we give away. It's when we hold on to what we think is too much to give that we block Him from giving us more, better and abundantly.