AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) in Our World

AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) is an organization well known for its “Twelve Steps” and “Twelve Traditions.” Those who attend AA meetings learn the “Steps” through rote memorization as it is customary for someone in the group meeting to read the Steps aloud every meeting. Ideally these steps will be taught, supervised and practiced through the member’s relationship with a sponsor. Peer support is generally offered and available in the thematic group discussion that follows the presentation of a Step, reading from the “Big Book,” or a Daily Reflection. Seven of the twelve “Steps” (presented later in this document) make reference to “God” or a “Higher Power.” There are meetings that may be centered on Christian worship, Scripture, Spirituality, or other religious practices.

Twelve Step Programs
Originally proposed by Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) as a method of recovery from alcoholism, the “Twelve Steps” were first published in the 1939 book written by Bill Wilson and Dr Bob Smith, titled “Alcoholics Anonymous: The Story of How More Than One Hundred Men Have Recovered From Alcoholism.” Other “Twelve-Step to Recovery” groups adopt and adapt the AA “Twelve Steps” as guiding principles. The Twelve Step Program contains a set of guiding principles outlining a course of action for recovery from addiction, compulsion or other behavioral problems.

As summarized by the American Psychological Association, the process involves the following:

admitting that one cannot control one’s alcoholism, addiction or compulsion;

recognizing a higher power that can give strength;

examining past errors with the help of a sponsor (experienced member);

making amends for these errors;

learning to live a new life with a new code of behavior; and

helping others who suffer from the same alcoholism, addictions or compulsions.

VandenBos, Gary R. (2007). APA dictionary of psychology (1st ed.). American Psychological Association. Washington, D.C.
Twelve Step Rap
performed by SantaMonica Sam

Here are the original “Twelve Steps to Recovery” as published by AA (Alcoholics Anonymous):

We admitted we were powerless over alcohol, that our lives had become unmanageable.
Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.
Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God, as we understood Him.
Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.
Admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.
Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.
Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.
Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
Continued to take personal inventory, and when we were wrong, promptly admitted it.
Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.
Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Visitation Celebration
for the Community.
Modern Song Focus on Contemporary Church Artists
performing hymns of traditional foundation.
Everyone is Welcome!

Visitation Celebration Introduction:
Angelic Prophecy Brings Us Blessed Rewards!

Visitation Celebration Scripture:
Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the LORD; my strength is exalted in my God. 1 Sam. 2:1.
He gives the barren woman a home, making her the joyous mother of children. Praise the LORD! Ps. 113:9.
Love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honor. Rom. 12:10.

When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Luke 1:41-2.

Here I am Lord.
Dan Schutte
performed by John Michael Talbot

Prayer: Blessed God, who danced in our hearts, filling us with the knowledge of your presence: let your proclamation sing forth from us as it sang from the lips of Hannah and Elizabeth, announcing the coming of your promise and the fulfillment of your desire. Amen.

Mary Visits Elizabeth
Dance Performance

Prayer: Blessed are you, God of glory and majesty, for you announced the coming of your Son, who brings joy and gladness to this waiting world. Receive our prayers offered in the confidence that you are present, working to answer the needs of your people.
Grant that we may hasten to every town and home with the good news of your promise, O God, and proclaim the greatness of your name through our commitment to your peace. Amen.

Holy is His Name (Magnificat).
performed by Melissa Maricich

Prayer: Blessed God, who invited us to be handmaids of your creative power: Bless us as you blessed Hannah, Elizabeth, and Mary, filling our barren hearts with your fertile word, nurturing faith within us, sustaining us as we ripen with hope, until your desire calls us to the time of labor, and we give birth to your incarnate love. Amen.

Ave Maria
Michal Lorenc

We are all stewards spreading the Word of Jesus’ blessings for His people.
Picnic Fellowship Activities for the Entire Family!

Of course lively discussion and activities will be available!
Perhaps you may prefer to sit and visit!
Please Contact Us with Special Requests!

Message from Pastor, Spirit of Peace:
I appreciate the presence of everyone who did attend our
“Memorial Day Service in the Park.”
It is a Busy Weekend; Saturday in the Community Garden, Making Plans for Our June Activies, Visiting the Homebound, Helping Others Plan a Meaningful Memorial Weekend Activity, Preparing for Sunday Service in the Park, and Now, Remembering Those Who Gave It All So We May Live to Celebrate Freedom, then preparing for the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, which we will celebrate tomorrow.
This All Follows Our Memorable Mother’s Day Activity and Our Valley Days Celebration.

Thank You! Thank You Many Times! A Pastor cannot Carry This Alone! May the Father, Son and Holy Spirit Bless You in Your Heart and Minds, and Give You Strength to Pull Through!
Peace and Joy! Pastors Michael and Cathy Hanus. Spirit of Peace.

I am Already There
LoneStar

He called her on the road
From a lonely cold hotel room
Just to hear her say I love you one more time
But when he heard the sound
Of the kids laughing in the background
He had to wipe away a tear from his eye
A little voice came on the phone
Said “Daddy when you coming home”
He said the first thing that came to his mind.

Remembering a Memorial Day Message from another Pastor:

By Rev. J. Thomas Shelley, STS, Pastor
Zion (Shaffer’s) United Lutheran Church © 1999

On Memorial Day of last year I found myself doing something which I had never done before; indeed, something which at one time I could not even have conceived of doing: conducting a service of worship.

Memorial Day has been largely abandoned to Veteran’s groups conducting military services in a few larger cemeteries. The response of the Church has been either to ignore the day altogether, or to so drape it in red, white, and blue that the nation–and not the Triune God–becomes the object of devotion and worship. It was probably because of the excesses of the latter that I found myself among the former–among those who ignored the day.

But years of passing by a cemetery on the way to worship time and again have had a profound effect upon me. “I believe in…the communion of saints”, always (to use Luther’s phrase) “most certainly true” has become more than just words in a Creed; but a constant, discernible presence of the faithful departed of every age.

So also have years of coming increasingly frequently to the Lord’s table had a profound effect upon me. The communion of saints is not found in a cemetery, but in, with, and under the Presence of the Living Christ; who is Himself present in, with, and under the bread and wine of the Holy Communion. We meet and greet the saints at the table of their Lord.

Yet it was reading a children’s book on the patriotic holidays that stirred me to action; for it was only then that I discovered that in the years just following the Civil War the day was observed by holding church services (which were filled) and not by going to stores (which were closed). Now–as with so many customs of our culture–Memorial Day’s observance has been almost entirely reversed. And in that reversal the day’s original and highest meaning has been lost.

So it was that on Memorial Day of 1998 a small congregation assembled to hear the Word and share the Supper and to enter the hallowed ground of the cemetery for concluding prayers by a Civil War veteran’s grave.

Much to my surprise, it was one of the most moving services of the year. I was at first struck that the first folks to arrive were some of our oldest and very faithful women, some of whom began to attend to the Altar, even though, for some, it was not “their month.”

The Altar, since the earliest days of Christianity, has most often been constructed to resemble a sarcophagus, that is, an above ground burial vault. In the first centuries, services were held on the vaults of martyrs. The attention given to the Altar seemed very much like the attention given to the Civil War casualties’ graves in Columbus, Mississippi, that began the Memorial Day customs of “decorating” the monuments of the fallen; and, on a yet deeper level, the faithful love shown by the women of the disciples who “came to the tomb early…”

It is so blessed to obey God’s command to teach our children diligently–to instruct them in the meaning of each feast that we keep. For God spoke through Moses concerning the Passover: This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord, throughout your generations you shall observe it as an ordinance forever…And when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ you shall say, ‘It is the sacrifice of Lord’s passover.”

And God later spoke through St. Paul concerning the greater Passover and the greater Deliverer:

Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast.

As we keep the memorial of our Passover–our passing from Death to Life through the death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ–as we keep the feast, we are assured of the Presence of the Risen Christ. And we are doubly assured of His presence as we instruct our children on the feast; for then His final Beatitude is given to us:

Make disciples of all nations…teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of time.

So let us keep the feast–hallow the day– and share the blessing! This holy Easter day; this holy Eastertide; this Memorial Day.

– Rev. J. Thomas Shelley, STS, Pastor
Zion (Shaffer’s) United Lutheran Church

Baal Centurion Capernaum Celebration
for the Community.
Modern Song Focus on Contemporary Church Artists
performing hymns of traditional foundation.
Everyone is Welcome!

Baal Centurion Capernaum Celebration Introduction:
We know the Story of Jesus and the Centurion. Another Christian Faith has modified its formal prayer in its communion service to copy the Centurion’s acclamation of faith and humility. Jesus appears surprised in the faith of the Centurion. The Centurion’s faith in Jesus’ ability to heal is well placed.
Baal is an extraordinary lesson in faith in the Lord. Elijah is squarely behind his belief that the Lord will act on his sacrifice. This will demonstrate who is the real God to the people. God intervenes and does not let Elijah or His people down.
Our Psalm 96 is squarely behind belief in the Lord. We all need to be there.
Paul’s letter to the Galatians warns them that they better stay squarely behind their belief in, and respect for, God.

Christ is Our Cornerstone
translated by John Chandler (1837).
performed by Hillsong

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
But wholly trust in Jesus name.

Baal Centurion Capernaum Celebration Scripture:
Then the fire of the LORD fell. 1 Kings 18:38.
Ascribe to the LORD glory and strength. Ps. 96:7.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Gal. 1:3.
Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. Luke 7:6-7.
Prayer: Beckoning Lord God, as you moved in the lives of Elijah and Elisha, move in our lives, inviting us to journey to unknown territory, to listen for your voice, and to speak your prophetic word in a world that does not want to hear. empowered by your Spirit, grant us the courage we need to journey, trust, listen, speak, and accept your commission to be your faithful servant people. Amen.

This is the Day
Isaac Watts (1712).
performed by Children’s Choir.

Prayer: As you heard the prayer of Isaac and Rebekah, O God, and guided them in the way of your love, so listen now to those who call upon you.
Hear our prayers that we may love you with our whole being and willingly share the concerns of our neighbors. Amen.

Good Christian Friends Rejoice
John Mason Neale.
performed by PFC-UCC

Prayer: O God, living Lord, you are the author of faith. engrave on our hearts the gospel message revealed in Jesus Christ and brought near to us by your Holy Spirit, that we may attest to this faith in lives that are pleasing to you. Amen.

Lord, Dismiss Us with Thy blessing,
Fill Our Hearts with Joy and Peace.
John Fawcett (1786).
Tune: Sicilian Mariners (piano).

We are all stewards spreading the Word of Jesus’ blessings for His people.
Picnic Fellowship Activities for the Entire Family!

Of course lively discussion and activities will be available!
Perhaps you may prefer to sit and visit!
Please Contact Us with Special Requests!

The people in Valley can benefit from a Community Garden.

Of course the garden provides sustinence for the body when its produce is harvested. Nourishment from plant species in the garden provides almost everything needed in a balanced diet no matter what stage of life the recipient is in. Vegetables of all sorts make great snacks and a foundation for daily meals. Squashes and gourds raised in greater numbers than anticipated can be used for fall harvest decorations.

Here in Valley Nebraska, Golden Living is generous in providing the community with two of three raised beds within its property adjoining the Rogert Park. Great location!

Early Season Garden Raised Beds

Here we see a member of the community practicing his talent in gardening, preparing, weeding and turning the soil.

We are sure that as the year progresses, we will learn a lot about gardening in the community.

Garden Song   David Mallett – performed by Martie Reynolds and the Saint Matthews Nursery School

Garden Song

Inch by inch, row by row
Gonna make this garden grow
All it takes is a rake and a hoe
And a piece of fertile ground.

And inch by inch, and row by row
Someone bless these seeds I sow
Someone warm them from below
Till the rain comes tumblin’ down.

Are you interested in participating in our Community Garden?  Please bring your wishes, plans, talents and energy to our meetings in support of the Community Garden!

Pastors Michael and Cathy Hanus.

SpiritofPeace.us  spirit.peace@outlook.com

Box 245 Valley, NE 68064.  Phone: 402-541-7019

Trinity Sunday Valley Days Memorial Celebration
for the Community.
Modern Song Focus on Contemporary Church Artists
performing hymns of traditional foundation.
Everyone is Welcome!

Trinity Sunday Valley Days Celebration Introduction:

Spirit of Peace is a missional community of believers serving Gods kingdom in ways that we hope will bring people together, enjoy one another’s company, accomplish great things in the community and in the process be pleasing to Him.

Amazing Grace
John Newton (1779).

performed by Susan Boyle
http://www.hymnary.org/text/amazing_grace_how_sweet_the_sound

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
’Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my Shield and Portion be,
As long as life endures.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
Will be forever mine.
When we’ve been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We’ve no less days to sing God’s praise
Than when we’d first begun.

Keeping with and Celebrating Trinity Sunday …
Prayer: I Believe in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Trinity Sunday Valley Days Celebration Scripture:
Does not wisdom call and does not understanding raise her voice? Prov. 8:1.
O LORD, our Sovereign, how majestic is your name in all the earth! Ps. 8:1.
Since we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Rom. 5:1.
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth. John 16:13.

Prayer: Dear Lord God of delight, you Wisdom sings your Word
at the crossroads where humanity and divinity meet.
Invite us into your joyful being where you know and are known in each beginning,
in all sustenance, in every redemption,
that we may manifest your unity in the diverse ministries you entrust to us,
truly reflecting your triune majesty in the faith that acts,
in the hope that does not disappoint, and in the love that endures. Amen.

O Come O Come Emmanuel
John Mason Neale (1851).

Traditional Choir
http://www.hymnary.org/text/o_come_o_come_emmanuel_and_ransom

Oh, come, oh, come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, our Wisdom from on high,
Who ordered all things mightily;
To us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, oh, come, our Lord of might,
Who to your tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times gave holy law,
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come O Rod of Jesse’s stem,
From ev’ry foe deliver them
That trust your mighty pow’r to save;
Bring them in vict’ry through the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, O Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, our Dayspring from on high,
And cheer us by your drawing nigh,
Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
And death’s dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Oh, come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Oh, bid our sad divisions cease,
And be yourself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Prayer: Holy, holy, holy God, in calling forth creation from the void,
revealing yourself in human flesh, and pouring forth your wisdom to guide us,
you manifest your concern for your whole universe.,
You invite us, as your people, to gather the world’s needs into our hearts
and bring them before you.
Holy, holy, holy God, fill us with strength and courage,
with discernment and compassion,
that we may be your instruments of justice and love in this world,
that it may be on earth as it is in heaven. Amen.

Welcome Holy Spirit
Mark Condon

Welcome Holy Spirit
We are in Your presence
Fill us with Your power
Live inside of me

You’re the Living Water
Never drying Fountain
Comforter and Counselor
Take complete control

Fill us with Your power
Live inside of me.

Prayer: Dear Lord God of heaven and earth,
before the foundation of the universe and the beginning of time,
you are the triune God: the Author of creation,
the eternal Word of salvation, and the life-giving Spirit of wisdom.
Guide us to all truth by your Spirit,
that we may proclaim all that Christ revealed
and rejoice in the glory he shared with us.
Glory and praise to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen.

We are all stewards spreading the Word of Jesus’ blessings for His people.
Picnic Fellowship Activities for the Entire Family!

Of course lively discussion and activities will be available!
Perhaps you may prefer to sit and visit!
Please Contact Us with Special Requests!

FREE VALLEY DAYS THREE DAY COMMUNITY EVENTS

Everyone is Welcome! Come as You Are!

Sponsored by Spirit of Peace, Valley, NE

– Valley Days Saturday, May 21, 2016 from 1 pm to 7 pm or so

FREE Activities: Airplanes, Rockets Science

Modest Lunch and Snack Prices

Where: Valley City Park Spirit Tents

400 West Gardiner Street Valley, NE 68064

– Valley Days Sunday, May 22, 2016 from 11 am to 1 pm or so

Schedule: 11:00 Devotion 12:00 *Potluck Lunch and

Family Activity FUN!

*Potluck is voluntary.

Where: Valley Vets Memorial

227 North Spruce Street Valley, NE 68064

Price: Activities Free! (sweet!) Thank you!

Questions?: Please contact Pastors Michael or Cathy Hanus

Interested in VOLUNTEERING?

Spirit.Peace@outlook.com 402-541-7019

https://blog.peacelcmc.org

RSVP assists Planning Purposes!

EventBrite Tickets / RSVP information

Pentecost Celebration
for the Community.
Modern Song Focus on Contemporary Church Artists
performing hymns of traditional foundation.
Everyone is Welcome!

Introduction:
At Pentecost we celebrate the coming of the Spirit that Jesus promised and Father God using the Spirit to pour out blessings upon us.
Psalm 104 glorifies God as Creator.
In Romans we have a lot of reference to the Spirit. We can draw the inference that enslaved is not good and being a child of God is excellent.
John tells us that believers have formed a relationship with Christ. Not only does Christ form a special relationship with believers but He leaves to prepare a special place.

Veni Sanctus Spiritus
John Mason Neale translated from Latin

Scripture:
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Acts 2:21.
I will sing to the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. Ps. 104:33.
For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. Rom. 8:14.
Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? John 14:10.
All to Jesus I Surrender

All to Jesus I surrender, All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him, In His presence daily live.

Prayer: Dear Holy Lord God, you spoke the world into being.
Pour your Spirit to the ends of the earth,
that your children may return from exile
as citizens of your commonwealth,
and our divisions may be healed
by your word of love and righteousness. Amen.

Bless the Lord O My Soul 10000 Reasons
Matt Redman
performed by Shirin George

Prayer: Empowering God, you gave the church
the abiding presence of your Holy Spirit.
Look upon your church today and hear our petitions.
Grant that, gathered and directed by your Spirit,
we may confess Christ as Lord
and combine our diverse gifts with a singular passion
to continue his mission in this world
until we join in your eternal praise. Amen.

Kum Ba Yah, My Lord
African American Spiritual
performed by the Seekers

Prayer: Dear Living Lord God, you have created all that is.
Send forth your Spirit to renew and restore us,
that we may proclaim your good news
in ways and words that all will understand and believe. Amen.
We are all stewards spreading the Word of Jesus’ blessings for His people.
Picnic Fellowship Activities for the Entire Family!

Of course lively discussion and activities will be available!
Perhaps you may prefer to sit and visit!
Please Contact Us with Special Requests!

Keep Climbing!

Challenges in life are not easy to master. There is usually something about it that will give us pause for “second thoughts.” It may appear easier to succumb to failure than to give it a “big push.” When we have a buddy “watching our back,” we can hear the words of encouragement and muster the energy and strength to get back on track. Sometimes we may have no one else there except Jesus. Pray to the Lord. You will receive your reply. It may not be what you anticipated, but that will be OK. It is worth the realization to be able to say, “Jesus has my back (and there is no turning back)!”

No Turning Back
Brandon Heath

I have decided.
I called out His name.
I’m following Jesus now and
He knows the way.

Richard needed a push, and he got one. He was rock climbing with his friend Kevin who was the belayer (the one who secures the rope). Exhausted and ready to quit, Richard asked Kevin to lower him to the ground. But Kevin urged him on, saying he had come too far to quit. Dangling in midair, Richard decided to keep trying. Amazingly, he was able to reconnect with the rock and complete the climb because of his friend’s encouragement.

Prayer for Strength: “May Thy rich grace impart Strength to my fainting heart, My zeal inspire! As Thou hast died for me, Oh may my love to Thee Pure, warm, and changeless be, A living fire!” – Martin Luther.

In the early church, followers of Jesus encouraged one another to continue to follow their Lord and to show compassion. In a culture riddled with immorality, they passionately appealed to one another to live pure lives. Rom. 12:1; 1 Thess. 4:1. Believers encouraged one another daily, as God prompted them to do so. Acts 13:15. They urged each other to intercede for the body (Rom. 15:30), to help people stay connected to the church (Heb. 10:25), and to love more and more. 1 Thess. 4:10.

Through His death and resurrection, Jesus has connected us to one another. Therefore, we have the responsibility and privilege with God’s enablement to encourage fellow believers to finish the climb of trusting and obeying Him. – Marvin Williams. Daily Bread.

When was the last time you needed to urge someone to keep following Jesus? Who has encouraged you or stirred you to pursue holiness, to keep praying, or to enlarge your love for Jesus and others?

Encourage one another and build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Paul commended the Thessalonian Christians for being “a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia.” 1 Thess. 1:7. In today’s reading, Paul urges them to continue to live lives that “Please God.” 1 Thess. 4:1. As believers, our desire should be to “live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way.” Col. 1:10.

As Pastor teaches, so we learn. As we remember Jesus and His Love for us, let us remember our mothers all throughout the year.

Not Forgotten
I will not forget you! Isaiah 49:15.

At her mother’s 50th birthday celebration with hundreds of people present, firstborn daughter Kukua recounted what her mother had done for her. Kukua remembered times were hard and funds were scarce in the home. Kukua’s single mother deprived herself of personal comfort, selling her precious jewelry and other possessions in order to put Kukua through high school. With tears in her eyes, Kukua said that no matter how difficult things were, her mother never abandoned her or her siblings.

God compares His love for His people with a mother’s love for her child. The people of Israel felt abandoned by God during their exile. The Israelites complain, “The Lord has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me.” Is. 49:14. The Lord replies, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” Is. 49:15.

Thank You, Lord, that I am Yours Forever.
When we are distressed or disillusioned, we may feel abandoned by society, family, and friends, but God does not abandon us. It is a great encouragement that the Lord says, “I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” (Is. 49:16) to indicate how much He knows and protects us. Even if people forsake us, God will never forsake His own. – Lawrence Darmani. Daily Bread.

Thank You, Lord, that I am Yours forever. I’m thankful that I won’t have to walk through any experience alone.

God never forgets us. Amen.

Isn’t She Lovely
Stevie Wonder

The love of a mother for her newborn child serves as a powerful symbol of God’s love for us. Life has its inevitable painful surprises and upsets, and we can sometimes be tempted to doubt the goodness, protection, and provision of the God who has redeemed us. But as this wonderful Bible passage shows, our heavenly Father could no more forget about us than a nursing mother can turn her back on her child. The example of faithful parental care can serve as a reminder of God’s never-ending love.