PRAYER MATTERS
Philippians 4.4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”
Jeremiah 33.3 “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”
This week marked one year without Mom. I can’t believe a year has gone by already. The morning of her deathiversary (is that a word?!) as I put on my springiest yellow top (mom’s favorite color), I thought to myself, I should have stayed home from work today; I’m going to be a weepy mess! Instead, I stopped at Essencia on my way into work. Ordered their delicious dark chocolate brownies (mom’s go-to decadent treat.) I cut them into bite-size squares and shared with staff. (She always cut chocolate into small pieces, passed them around, and hid the remainder for another day. As my cousin said, she was the master of moderation!) During my extended lunch hour, I clipped the most fragrant, stunning lilacs from my neighbor’s tree, combining them with my lilacs, peonies, tarragon (another favorite), and a pretty yellow plant who has no name – I took them to my parent’s graves. Friends reached out during the day, hugs were shared, our family shared sweet memories over text and phone calls. My day ended with a friend (who wasn’t aware of the significance of the day) giving me flowers for May Day. They were yellow! I told them what a gift from heaven that was.
The most surprising part of my day was not only the peace I felt, but the freedom. I felt a release of pressure within my body that I had been clinging to this last year. I remembered a dream my friend had shared with me right after my mom was admitted to the hospital last year. She hadn’t heard the news yet but dreamt one night that I was standing in front of a wall of books. She woke up, thought nothing of it, went back to sleep and had that same dream again. So, she asked the Lord what it meant, and she heard “Ericka is free to write her own story.” I’ve sat with that word for the last year; it felt hopeful and promising. It felt like a gift from God. But it didn’t feel solid. Until the other day. That freedom I felt on Wednesday was from God. He is calling me to be the person He created me to be. Not the person that is trying to do all the things, and please all the people. He wants me to be me. Live my story.
I am not saying my connection to my mom and dad was negative – quite the opposite. It’s just over the years, I’ve morphed into someone who, in most all of my relationships, goes with the flow and doesn’t take the opportunity to voice my own wishes. God is restoring in me confidence and boldness to write my story (as I seek God’s will), and to live it out loud!
Giving Praise,
Ericka
*the two verses above – mom’s favorite, and one of my favorites.
Philippians 4.4 “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.”
Jeremiah 33.3 “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.”
This week marked one year without Mom. I can’t believe a year has gone by already. The morning of her deathiversary (is that a word?!) as I put on my springiest yellow top (mom’s favorite color), I thought to myself, I should have stayed home from work today; I’m going to be a weepy mess! Instead, I stopped at Essencia on my way into work. Ordered their delicious dark chocolate brownies (mom’s go-to decadent treat.) I cut them into bite-size squares and shared with staff. (She always cut chocolate into small pieces, passed them around, and hid the remainder for another day. As my cousin said, she was the master of moderation!) During my extended lunch hour, I clipped the most fragrant, stunning lilacs from my neighbor’s tree, combining them with my lilacs, peonies, tarragon (another favorite), and a pretty yellow plant who has no name – I took them to my parent’s graves. Friends reached out during the day, hugs were shared, our family shared sweet memories over text and phone calls. My day ended with a friend (who wasn’t aware of the significance of the day) giving me flowers for May Day. They were yellow! I told them what a gift from heaven that was.
The most surprising part of my day was not only the peace I felt, but the freedom. I felt a release of pressure within my body that I had been clinging to this last year. I remembered a dream my friend had shared with me right after my mom was admitted to the hospital last year. She hadn’t heard the news yet but dreamt one night that I was standing in front of a wall of books. She woke up, thought nothing of it, went back to sleep and had that same dream again. So, she asked the Lord what it meant, and she heard “Ericka is free to write her own story.” I’ve sat with that word for the last year; it felt hopeful and promising. It felt like a gift from God. But it didn’t feel solid. Until the other day. That freedom I felt on Wednesday was from God. He is calling me to be the person He created me to be. Not the person that is trying to do all the things, and please all the people. He wants me to be me. Live my story.
I am not saying my connection to my mom and dad was negative – quite the opposite. It’s just over the years, I’ve morphed into someone who, in most all of my relationships, goes with the flow and doesn’t take the opportunity to voice my own wishes. God is restoring in me confidence and boldness to write my story (as I seek God’s will), and to live it out loud!
Giving Praise,
Ericka
*the two verses above – mom’s favorite, and one of my favorites.
from the week of April 29
Praises
- Praises Arianna continues to receive treatments – please join her family in praying to minimize the negative side effects and maximize the benefits of her medications.
- Thank You Lord for hearing our prayers. Thank You for Your love and Your Word that guides our lives.
- Praise God the multiple therapies are having good results on 3 yo R. She is working hard to speak. Prayer please for an official diagnosis of autism in order for their insurance to pay for much needed therapy.
- God’s blessing to all our family and children!
- Praise God for every single thing! From fresh water to being able to be accountable through Him for myself.
- Thanks be to the Lord for my wonderful hubby, kids, friends, and dad. Continue to watch over us and bless us.
- Praise God for watching over our pastor and his medical issues.
- Praise the Lord for A, B and L’s knee healing. Thank You Lord for the marvel of surgeries that restore joints! And thank You for the healing that allows us to walk again without pain – Your gifts, God, are of never-ending love!
- Praise the Lord for my sister-in-law selling her house and finding a new home.
- Lord, I praise You for blessing me with the strength to make healthy decisions in speech and deed. You are a good, good Father!
- John and Sue praise God for the Body of Christ who has supported them through John’s knee replacement and for healing God alone brings.
Prayers
- Praying healing for Curt’s eye and thanking the Holy Spirit for interceding on his behalf as he and Kathaleen meet with medical team.
- Healing prayer for M’s body.
- W’s request is that she does God’s will.
- Continued prayer for V’s son who is managing his cancer treatments and working full time.
- Please pray for God’s peace and comfort for L whose mother passed away last week.
- Please pray for K who is out of the country and is experiencing problems. God be with her, guide her, lead her back home.
- Praying for J’s brother K and his battle against cancer. Lord, bless K in his walk with Jesus.
- Prayer for Tamara who experiences severe headaches and has seen a neurologist. Please join her in praying for God to relieve the pain and reveal the root cause of the headaches.
- Healing prayer for J who suffered a stroke and is in rehab. Praising God for her successful surgery and for her son’s care.
- Please pray for my friend that is not (yet!) a Christian. I love sharing Jesus with her and she lets me pray for her, but she hasn’t accepted Jesus as her Savior. Holy Spirit, work in her heart and bring her closer to You!
- T asks us to pray for his sister – it is her birthday (Sunday). He wants her to be blessed with a joyful and delightful life ahead.
- Please pray for the empty apartments in our complex that good families will live there. May God continue to use V in ministry with her neighbors.
- Please pray for A and her daughter B – they have been separated for two months and mom wants her daughter back.
- Prayers for J’s health – may she be given wisdom, provision, and good health for every day she’s been given to live on earth.
- Prayers for my sister D and my friend C.
- Much needed prayer for A’s healing, peace, and comfort. Prayer for her husband who is her caregiver.
- Please pray for W’s niece who has been diagnosed with bilateral breast cancer. Pray she will get the care she needs and for wisdom for her medical team.
- Pray for Omaha and everyone dealing with the aftermath of the storm.
- Lord, give me the ability to prioritize things better to get things done and the ability to ask for help.
- Prayer for all the ill and for an end to domestic violence.
- Please pray for grace and patience while living with chronic pain.
- Please pray for our prodigals to return to the Father.
- Lord, I seek Your comfort this month – the one-year anniversary of my mom’s death, her birthday, and Mother’s day. We miss our parents a great deal and we look forward to seeing them again in heaven!
- Prayer N’s strength returns so she can attend church services again in person. She is grateful for her family’s support!
- Pray for my husband as we wait for his appointment to address medical issues. God is good as we lean on Him. God is helping us to trust in His perfect timing and to let go of control. It is hard to wait when it concerns our loved ones.
- Praying for restoration of family relationships.
- Lord, I lift up my family that has turned away from you. I pray they will encounter the strong love of Jesus, trust Him, and talk to Him.
- Prayer for S and C as their health declines – their daughter is living with them, caring for them. Prayers for the family as the navigate this time of life, leaning on God for His direction, healing, and provision.
- Comfort for J as she cares for her mom.
- Continued healing and comfort for J as she deals with heart issues – may the Lord continue to provide for her family and may He draw them all closer to Him during this difficult time.
- Prayer for K’s adult son who is in a dark place with consequences from past decisions, the recent death of his wife, and his disability. Prayers for him to find the right place to land where he can get the help he needs to live a healthy life.
- Praying for B’s friend and family with an unknown health crisis, trusting the Lord is in the midst of it, bringing His healing and peace.
THANK YOU FOR PRAYING FOR OUR CHURCH OFFICERS:
ELDERS: Doug Bernd, Michele Elledge, Ana Lucas-Garcia, Duncan McRayde, Keith Mathews, Shane Merrill, Trinidad Rivera, Jeff Steere, Robin Stuber, and Dennis Whitcher; Clerk Jeff Arkills.
DEACONS: Jeanne Breeding, Janet Doty, Edith Figueroa-Gonzalez, Larry Handy, Todd Hunziker, Randy & Robbie Johnson, Ginger McIlvanie, Jean McKitrick, Jim & Marilyn Noel, Jean Schiewe, Monte Schilperoort, Peggy Steere, Diane Williams, and Kathy Zeigler.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE: Linda Mathews, Carla Kupp, Ellen Bartelli, and Lyndal Davis.
PASTOR NOMINATING COMMITTEE: Ellen Bartelli, Doyle Ehl, Amy Klein, Todd Lincoln, Carolyn Mason, Amae Merrill, Mark Norman, Caroline Sundquist, and Gloria Valencia.
ELDERS: Doug Bernd, Michele Elledge, Ana Lucas-Garcia, Duncan McRayde, Keith Mathews, Shane Merrill, Trinidad Rivera, Jeff Steere, Robin Stuber, and Dennis Whitcher; Clerk Jeff Arkills.
DEACONS: Jeanne Breeding, Janet Doty, Edith Figueroa-Gonzalez, Larry Handy, Todd Hunziker, Randy & Robbie Johnson, Ginger McIlvanie, Jean McKitrick, Jim & Marilyn Noel, Jean Schiewe, Monte Schilperoort, Peggy Steere, Diane Williams, and Kathy Zeigler.
NOMINATING COMMITTEE: Linda Mathews, Carla Kupp, Ellen Bartelli, and Lyndal Davis.
PASTOR NOMINATING COMMITTEE: Ellen Bartelli, Doyle Ehl, Amy Klein, Todd Lincoln, Carolyn Mason, Amae Merrill, Mark Norman, Caroline Sundquist, and Gloria Valencia.
1 Corinthians 15.57 “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”