Impressions

what is YOUR impression on those you meet today?

Heidi Viars

This morning, some parts of the paths were still ice-covered. As I was walking, I noticed how many leaves had left impressions in the hardened snow and ice.

Gentle impressions and their impact might not be noticed immediately.
However, over time, what they touch changes.

In what might seem hard and cold on the surface,
God can work miracles, for His glory and our good.

“Lord, teach us to be kind and gentle.
Impress Your love on our hearts and deep within our souls,
So that we can in turn touch those around us.
Help us leave impressions of Your gentleness.”

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones,
holy and beloved,
compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience,
Colossians 3:12
~
(Pictures and Prose by Heidi Viars, 2014)

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Hinton Abernathy…

(photo used by permission of Abernathy family)

(an acrostic prayer in memory)

Heavenly Father, we come in prayer and worship as we seek your comfort today.

Incline Your ear to us as we come to celebrate the life of Your good friend, Hinton Abernathy.

No other comfort will do, except the comfort of Your presence, for this family and these friends, Father.

Turn our thoughts to those memories of life and love as we remember Hinton today.

Over our grief, pour Your grace and sustain family and friends today, O God.

Never leave us alone, O Father. You have promised to always be with us, thank You.

Above all, Father, cause us to know with the surety of Your presence that Hinton is enjoying the rewards that You have for him in Your presence, today.

Beside us, over us, in us, Father, we sense Your comforting presence as we worship and pray, just now.

Enter into our worship and celebration of the life of this good man, O God.

Remove the dark of doubt and the darkness in the valley of the shadow of death that we feel we are in now, Father.

Negate our sense of loss with the knowledge that You are here and Your presence will see us though whatever comes.

Attune our hearts to the comfort we find in Your Word, dear Lord.

Tenderly guide us along the path that You have given each of us to walk today. We know You walk it with us, Father.

Hear us again, O Father, as we thank you for the goodness of this man and the encouragement and joy that he gave to each of us.

Yours is the kingdom, O God! Thanks You for allowing us to work in Your kingdom along side Hinton Abernathy.

In Jesus’ name and for his sake, we pray.  Amen!

The Path Continues…

Strong Savior…

(an acrostic prayer)

Strong Savior, merciful Father, defender of the weak and God of us all, we come to worship You!

Tarry here with us, Lord, as we seek to know You more and to be in Your presence today.

Remind us again, Savior, of what we have been save from and what we have been saved to.

Open us up to Your will for our lives, strong Savior. Help us to see You in the work of Your kingdom today.

Nudge us from our comfortable-ness into the arena where real people are really lost and show us how to lead them to You, our Savior!

Grant that Your Spirit would stir us, Your people, that we might show Your love and care to all those You give us to meet.

Send us from this place to see the homeless, the proud, the rich, the poor, the educated and the uneducated who need You more than breath itself.

Assuage our thirst with the water of Your spirit and satisfy our hunger with the meat of Your word.

Visit us, strong Savior, with the knowledge that You know us and yet You still choose to love and save us.

Intercede, O Savior, with the Father on our behalf, lest we perish. Remember us, dear Lord.

Overturn our pride and unbelief and make us useful to You in Your will, today, dear God.

Remember us when You come into Your kingdom, dear Savior!

In the name of our strong Savior, we pray.  Amen!

The Path Continues…

Sabbath Lord…

(an acrostic prayer)

Savior, Lord and Father of us all, we bow in prayer and worship. Thank You for meeting us here today.

Always You are waiting for us, Father. We come again on our Sabbath day to praise You.

Before this earth was formed and we were created, You, O Lord, were master and savior.

Begin in us a new realization of just who You are and who we are in Your will, Father.

Allow us to experience You again today as we worship.  May we see Your hand upon us, O God.

Take our lives and let them once again bring glory and honor to You, not only today but everyday that we live and in the influence that we leave when we die.

Hear our prayer, O Lord. As You lean toward us may we lean into You, dear God.

 

Lead us from the sinful ways we allow this world to be our chief influencer and lead us to allow You to be our only influence.

Open our eyes to see You more clearly, open our minds to know You more deeply and open our spirits to worship You more sincerely.

Return to Your rightful position, O Father, as lord of our lives and lord of us all, Your children.

Deepen our need for Your presence in our everyday lives, Father.  May we never forget that You are lord of all. 

In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

The Path Continues…

Walk Beside Me Awhile

Thanks to Christine for this beautiful remembrance