FAMILY LIFE at Desert Springs - a place where we can share the heart of our church family; prayers, praises and important announcements.  Be sure to check-in often to see what is happening. If you have a prayer request or praise, please submit by contacting me, Laura Keener, Frontline Director at Desert Springs....760-568-3646 or lkeener@desertspringsfamily.org.

Life is interesting, isn’t it? Changes come at any age, time, or season of life - and usually when we least expect it. All I know to do is:

PRAY, TRUST, CLAIM and CLING to His promises:

Don’t worry about anything; but in everything through prayer and petition make your requests known to God with thanksgiving.  And the peace of God, which passes all understanding will guard your heart and mind in Him.  Philippians 4:6-7

Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-29

The Lord Himself goes before you and will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Deuteronomy 31:8

Let us then approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:16

This is the confidence we have in Him. Whatever we ask, according to His will, He hears us. And if He hears what we have asked Him for, then we know that we have what we asked for.     

1 John 5:14

That's it, either I believe God and His word or not. I do and with all my heart will continue to believe and praise Him. For He is God and I am not.

Laura   

PRAYING FOR OUR BROTHERS & SISTERS IN CHRIST

Health, Wisdom, Strength - 

"And pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:18

Bill & Muriel Beers * Marlene Black  
Lucy Brooks * Rick & Kathy Diedrich * Gayle Ehler   
Betty Hyta * Fred Keener * Serena Williams son-in-law Steven

FAMILY LIFE at Desert Springs - a place where we can share the heart of our church family; prayers, praises and important announcements.  Be sure to check-in often to see what is happening. If you have a prayer request or praise, please submit by contacting me, Laura Keener, Frontline Director at Desert Springs....760-568-3646 or lkeener@desertspringsfamily.org.

Life, like nature, unfolds in seasons. As this fall season approaches, I find myself already thinking about "family dynamics" who is going to have Thanksgiving Dinner this year? Me, our daughter, son?  What about Christmas Eve and Christmas plans?  Family, distant relatives... well, to say it gently, sometimes are difficult.  Let’s face it, family gatherings can be stressful due to differences of opinion, opposing political views, an unending to-do list, and all the traveling our modern families have to do to see each other. Finances are strained.

So before this busy fall season begins, let's lift up our families (in all their messiness) to our heavenly Father, who loves us all and is the author of our peace. Pray we can be loving, kind, patient and generous. Pray for wisdom and let our actions reveal the love of Jesus. 

Blessings & Happy Autumn!

Laura Keener, Frontline Director

PRAYING FOR OUR BROTHERS & SISTERS IN CHRIST

Health, Wisdom, Strength - 

"And pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:18

Bill & Muriel Beers * Marlene Black  
Lucy Brooks * Rick & Kathy Diedrich * Gayle Ehler   
Bob Horn * Betty Hyta * Fred Keener 
Serena Williams son-in-law Steven

FAMILY LIFE at Desert Springs - a place where we can share the heart of our church family; prayers, praises and important announcements.  Be sure to check-in often to see what is happening. If you have a prayer request or praise, please submit by contacting me, Laura Keener, Frontline Director at Desert Springs....760-568-3646 or lkeener@desertspringsfamily.org.

Have you been there? Have you had situations arise that have caught you completely off guard? Have you questioned God’s faithfulness? Have you wondered if He even hears your prayers?

I have.

And it’s okay.

It’s okay with Him. He can handle my questions. He can handle my doubts. He can handle my worries and fears.

Because He is God.

Lean on what you know to be true.

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His faithful love endures forever. Psalm 107:1

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23 

Surely God is my help; the Lord is the one who sustains me. Psalm 54:4 

Declare God’s best for your life.

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. {Romans 8:28}

PRAYING FOR OUR BROTHERS & SISTERS IN CHRIST

Health, Wisdom, Strength - 

"And pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:18

Ed Burns * Bill & Muriel Beers * Marlene Black  
Lucy Brooks * Rick & Kathy Diedrich * Gayle Ehler   
Bob Horn * Betty Hyta * Fred Keener  * Gary St. Angelo
Serena Williams son-in-law Steven

FAMILY LIFE at Desert Springs - a place where we can share the heart of our church family; prayers, praises and important announcements.  Be sure to check-in often to see what is happening. If you have a prayer request or praise, please submit by contacting me, Laura Keener, Frontline Director at Desert Springs....760-568-3646 or lkeener@desertspringsfamily.org.

Why are we called to encourage? In Hebrews 3:13, we are told to “encourage one another daily.” Then, in 1 Thessalonians 5:11, it says, “encourage one another and build one another up.” We also learn in Proverbs 12:25 that, “Anxiety weighs down the heart, but a kind word cheers it up.”

Are we doing all we can to share God’s love with our brothers and sisters?

Just think about it for a second - we’re good people, right? We open doors for strangers, smile at dirty, oil-changing men at the service station and we even cleaned up a little after the potluck last Sunday. But, what we must ask ourselves is are we giving it all we got, or are we just doing the bare minimum by being polite and personable while keeping our hands clean at the same time. We invite you to spend some quiet time with God. Ask Him to shine His light on new ways for you to share His love. Ask Him to give you the strength to pursue the doors He is opening in your life and to give you the tools and passion needed to reach out in His name and truly make an impact for the Kingdom.

Who has God called us to encourage?

While many of us feel a strong need to encourage the people we love, it’s somewhat a little harder to reach out to those whom we don’t really care for. Let’s be honest - how many times have you encouraged someone who has been downright rude to you, or someone that you believe is on the wrong path in life? I mean, really, how easy is it to overlook the elderly person who is taking too long at the supermarket or the hateful neighbor who just loves to complain about your dogs or the homeless man who you pass every day on your way to work? However, in Matthew 7: 1-29 it says, “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” We must be willing to look outside of our box, forgive as God has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32), and reach out beyond our comfort zone to reach those who may need a little extra attention.

Excerpt from blog by Gini a@ DaySpring

PRAYING FOR OUR BROTHERS & SISTERS IN CHRIST

Health, Wisdom, Strength - 

"And pray in the spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints." Ephesians 6:18

Ed Burns * Bill & Muriel Beers * Marlene Black  
Lucy Brooks * Rick & Kathy Diedrich   
Bob Horn * Betty Hyta * Fred Keener  
Serena Williams & her son-in-law Steven