Tag: prayer

Faith, grief

Take These Do’s and Don’ts To Heart

Michele Kearns

Yes, we have more trouble in this world today thanks to Russia invading Ukraine.

It’s always been my mission to keep this blog joyful but address issues head-on. Jesus faced reality and we will too.

In keeping with my philosophy, we are addressing the Ukraine / Russia issue head-on.

Don’t

Spend your entire day watching the mainstream media or scrolling through YouTube channels. Get out and live your life. Periodically check the headlines on a news website and click on the links that pique your interest. This will help anxiety, depression, and blood pressure levels.

Go go on a panic buying spree. Just because Russia attached Ukraine does not mean you need to buy up all the toilet paper.

Panic but don’t be apathetic either. Panicking about the situation will do you no good and blowing the invasion off like it’s no big deal does no good either. Remember, therefore but for the grace of God go you and me. It could be America being attacked, or you could have been born in Ukraine or Russia.

Do

Exercise, you will benefit from the endorphin rush.

Add these YouTube channels to your list of sources for information so you are getting a different perspective than what mainstream media is telling you.

  • Pinball Prepardedness – Pinball’s wife is from Russia. Also, review past videos where Pinball breaks down how invading Ukraine is not logical. Obviously, Putin is not a logical person.
  • Inside Russia – I’ve heard Pinball talk about this channel but never watched it. I will start now.

Pray – Pray for Ukraine, Russia (we are called to pray for our enemies), and their leadership. Russia has no weapon in its arsenal that is greater than the power of prayer. The same is true of the weapons in our arsenal and the arsenal of any other country. Pray is and always will be greater than man’s weapons. Also, pray for God to grant wisdom to our President as well as other leaders around the world.

Speaking of prayer, keep an eye on Patriot Nurse’s YouTube channel. She has done live stream prayer sessions before, usually later in the night. I participated in streams where she lead us in praying for Kabul during the United State’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. Would not surprise me if she does prayer live streams this time too.

Read your Bible. Comfort and joy can be found in the Bible. Ask God to speak to you through His word and He will do so. There is no greater joy than to hear God speak.

Keep an eye on Taiwan and China. Don’t be so busy with Ukraine and Russia that you take your eyes off China wanting to take over Taiwan.

God of Hope

The God of Hope is faithful and has never nor will never change. There will be silver linings from this invasion, I do not know what they are or when they will appear but they are there if we open our eyes to seeing God working in mysterious ways

God bless you and God bless America, Ukraine, Taiwan, Russia, China, and all the other countries of the world.

Bio: Michele Kearns is the founder and HUG© (Hope Unites Globally) Award-Winner of JoyReturns. She shares her widowhood adventures hoping to inspire widows to move through grief and rebuild their lives. A graduate of Kent State University with a Bachelor’s degree in communications, she’s currently using those skills as a virtual contact center representative for a Fortune 100 company. She’s also managed call center teams, co-facilitated a grief support group, and helped small businesses with various writing assignments. Michele loves Jesus, books, history, music, chocolate, red roses, and golden retrievers. She is also the amateur photographer behind the blog OgleOhio.com.

40 Days of Prayer

Weekend Wisdom: Established by God

Michele Kearns

Author’s Note: For those of you new here, Weekend Wisdom is a series developed when I founded JoyReturns. The posts on weekends are poems, quotes, or scripture that will encourage you, make you think, or give you a good laugh.

Today’s Weekend Wisdom is taken from the Day 2 devotion of Draw the Circle, The 40 Day Prayer Challenge.

Bible Verse:

In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.

Proverbs 16:9 (ESV)

God is the Composer. Your life is His musical score.

God is the Artist. Your life is His canvas.

God is the Architect. Your life is His Blueprint.

God is the Writer. You are His book.

Mark Batterson – Draw the Circle, The 40 Day Prayer Challenge; Day 2 Established by God (pg 25)

May God speak to you today using this verse and/or the quote from Mark’s book.

Bio: Michele Kearns is the founder and HUG© (Hope Unites Globally) Award-Winner of JoyReturns. She shares her widowhood adventures hoping to inspire widows to move through grief and rebuild their lives. A graduate of Kent State University with a Bachelor’s degree in communications, she’s currently using those skills as a virtual logistics contact center representative for a Fortune 100 company. She’s also managed call center teams, co-facilitated a grief support group, and helped small businesses with various writing assignments. Michele is a bookworm, and a lover of history, music, chocolate, red roses, and golden retrievers. She is also the amateur photographer behind the blog OgleOhio.com

40 Days of Prayer

40 Days of Praying for Our Country: Introduction

Michele Kearns

This 40 Day prayer journey is based on Mark Batterson’s book Draw the Circle, The 40 Day Prayer Challenge.

I am writing out my prayers in the same spiral notebook I used for the 40 days of praying for Ohio. These prayers are based on the subject of that day’s devotion. There will be posts pertaining to the devotions and Weekend Wisdom will feature some quotes and Bible verses from Mark’s book.

It is Wednesday 23rd of September and I just started reading the introduction. These are the first two lines:

The forty-day prayer challenge is going to change your life. In fact, the next forty days have the potential to dramatically alter the rest of your life.

Mark Batterson – Draw the Circle, The 40 Day Prayer Challenge (pg 7)

The next 40 days could change the rest of our lives in many ways. How it will change our lives remains to be seen, which is all the more reason to pray for our country.

If you need another reason:

14 if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14 NIV

Our land needs massive healing.

So join me in praying for our country for the next 40 days. Posts relating to the daily devotions will probably be 1 day behind.

Author’s note: The post on grief and memories is still going to be published. I’ve been slightly under the weather the past week.

Bio: Michele Kearns is the founder and HUG© (Hope Unites Globally) Award-Winner of JoyReturns. She shares her widowhood adventures hoping to inspire widows to move through grief and rebuild their lives. A graduate of Kent State University with a Bachelor’s degree in communications, she’s currently using those skills as a virtual logistics contact center representative for a Fortune 100 company. She’s also managed call center teams, co-facilitated a grief support group, and helped small businesses with various writing assignments. Michele is a bookworm, and a lover of history, music, chocolate, red roses, and golden retrievers. She is also the amateur photographer behind the blog OgleOhio.com