This month our church has been corporately reading this Amazing book called "The Daniel Dilemma" by Chris Hodges. It has recklessly convicted and inspired me all at the same time.
You see we live in a culture & season of broken individuals... we ALL are wrestling with who we are & if we are not grounded in who's we are we become lost, depressed and not able to navigate life at our full potential.

For me this means living an uncompromising life and as a parent... it means being able not just to teach it but to walk it out. It is not easy always being in a place where we want to worship, or completely trust God in a difficult situation or even not allowing all the worlds static (political, Hollywood, etc) to influence our thoughts and our behavior. However if we look at Daniels life nothing was so different for him and yet he never compromised in any area. He dealt with all of these issues and never compromised his LOVE for God even when it meant his life.

You see convictions are all about the choices we make before we are challenged.
What strengthens these convictions so that we can walk our Faith out are...
1. WORSHIP
2. GOD'S WORD
3. HOLINESS
4. FAMILY
5. LIFE
6. HUMILITY

I don't always get it right , but I get my courage & find sustainability by choosing to keep a Christ centered life. Don't let culture or society try to explain away what God says is true and the truth is that God will always use the tests in our lives to make our faith stronger. Nearly every moment of  our life is a test... allow it to navigate you to God and this is where you & I will live & walk in our FULL POTENTIAL!

One of my favorite things is gift wrapping more than giving the gift itself. I love making a gift look oh so pretty! Figures because  my love language is "Acts of Service" so the work behind the gift to me has always been more important than the gift itself. I always knew that I loved adding extra details that required a bit of work to a gift, or creating something like a meal was more important to me than the gift itself. What I didn't know was the why. Why was I this way? Until years ago I found a book called "The 5 Love Languages" by Gary Chapman.



It changed my life in a way that it allowed me to accept me just the way I am but also to really look at all the people around me and LOVE them just the way they need to be loved. It really is my go to book.

This past year and a half has been like none other. (since I became an adult..lol )
Most of you know that Damien suffered a heart attack. As if that wasn't scary & enough he than got very ill three months later. It took some time and baffled the Dr.s as to his blood loss, than with four blood transfusions later they diagnosed him with colon cancer.

Yup, you heard me right. WHAT?!!!! NO!!!!! That was my exact thoughts and feeling when the Dr. came out to tell us. Not what I expected at all! I was feeling pretty hopeful and thinking it could be a small polyp or lesion. That was until the Dr came in , so I naturally stood up. Than I knew right away this cant be good when he said "can you please have a sit". I remember one thought going through my head and that was "oh God no!" as he explained it was the so large and he believed the cancer to be late stage.

This was probably the worst moment in my life! And yet, in those moments I still believed to be Blessed!

Ok so now lets forward to three and a half months ago. Two biopsy's later I was told I had breast cancer in my left breast and that a mastectomy was in order. After shock and Damien's blood pressure getting so high that it landed him back in the hospital, we choose a second opinion. So glad we did this because they decided to cut deep and try to remove all the cancer first. And yet, in those moments I still believed to be Blessed!

It has been such a long road, our finances are a wreck with Damien not being able to work for 11 months. He just had to miss another month during the time of my surgery and he needs another surgery coming up soon to clear out an 90% block on an artery. And yet, in these moments I still believe to be Blessed!

Most days lately we have an empty refrigerator, trying to figure out where this Nipsco payment is coming from is never FUN, no Christmas gifts this year for our kids... And yet, in this moment I still believe to be Blessed!

How many times have you looked someone in the eyes and with all sincerity said "I will pray for you"! Every part of you in that moment meaning it.

See I have come to learn that my heart & my intentions are to very well pray for that individual.
However my mind is another thing...
I always admire people who can remember every name and prayer request that comes their way–but my memory stinks!!!

 When I see a sister or brother in Christ at Church and they ask me to pray for their father who is having heart surgery or their child who is suffering from drug addiction–well I want to be sure I actually remember to do it!

 Once you spend some time praying for another person, they become hard to forget; you just have to remember to actually pray for them! That’s where a prayer journal or list comes in.

 I also believe that writing is another form of worship–so when I’m putting pen to paper, I’m doing it for the glory of God. He is in my heart and mind the whole time I’m writing and nobody except Him and me are ever going to see what’s on that list (most likely) so it truly is all about Him.



1.) Intercessory Prayer- Prayer made on behalf of another. This is where you plead selflessly with God for the needs of others. But it is also much more than that.  Intercessory prayer takes place in the spiritual world where the battles for our own lives, our families, our friends and our nation are won or lost. It's prayer that "presses on" until we "apprehend" God's will in whatever situation we are facing. Often this is where you wake up in middle of the night crying out for the name or burden that was placed on your heart. I won't go on only because as long as you are open to being used by God, who, whom and how is different for each individual. Jesus is the Greatest Intercessor ...to be used in this way is to fall under the mantle (wrapped in God's authority) of Christ.

2.) Urgent Prayer- A fervent request. This can be an appeal to God on behalf of yourself or another. When you are ready to take on "The Full Armour of God"... Similar to supplication prayer but the situation is dire. In Psalms 70 we see one of these urgent prayers.  While it is not a long prayer, it is one that cuts to the heart of the matter and expresses David’s need for God’s quick intervention.

3.) General Prayer Request-  Supplication... is praying on behalf of yourself and others. The prayer of supplication is generally a request for the person praying. The Bible includes many prayers of supplication & many examples are found in the Psalms by David... He prayed for Mercy, Leading, Deliverance & Persecution many times.

4.) Prayer of Confession- Simply put...any and all sin is separation from God. We live our lives imperfectly by choice, but we are also loved by God in whose image we were created. We can remake ourselves toward that image by our confession before God and each other. The one thing that keeps us from filling out this area  and truly asking for forgiveness of any kind is usually pride. Nine times out of ten I have pride written front and center as a confession. Praise God for His Grace!

5.) Prayer of Dreams & Visions- Thank You Father...Your Word tells us that we don’t have to fret or be anxious for anything, for You know exactly what you are doing. The Bible reveals to us that dreams are one of the ways that God speaks to us. Although not all dreams are from God, many of the dreams people have are divinely given.  We must learn to better understand the meaning of dreams, so we can find clues to our destiny in God and help other people find theirs as well.
This is new to me, but I want to hear God in any way I can. Frankly the Faith I have that God answers prayers is the same Faith I have that He speaks to me , weather it be a vision or a dream. Acts 2:17

6.) Prayer of Salvation- We strive to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and as our hearts and minds are transformed by the presence of the Holy Spirit we are able to begin to love others as ourselves. So it's simple... Do we truly love God with all our hearts? Than we must love others to Salvation. After all, the gospel of Christ “is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes.
This section should be the one that is always completely filled and new each month! 

An excerpt from my journal this morning:
I feel so uninspired to write today. To create today. Do I really have anything to say? I read an amazing piece of writing yesterday and feel challenged to write more carefully like this author did. This morning I feel dull, uncreative and empty. Lord I ask for your presence today as I go about my day. Please show me how to be who you want me to be. Show me how to not feel the need to compare myself to others. Someday's I feel just like a child....... today I feel like a child but what gives me strength is knowing that Im yours my Precious Dear Heavenly Father. That I am significant and that you hear my cry.
Its very difficult for me to share this part of who I am with you all. After I wrote this I realized I know that I am not alone. So this is for all who read this today that feel uninspired and uncreative. I just wanted you to know that You are Not Alone !
Blessings, Norma Kennedy