I vividly remember a late July evening the summer our girls turned one. Each cradling a twin babe, my husband and I hurried toward a Sunday night church service when a rush of warm, forceful wind came out of nowhere and stopped us in our tracks. It swirled violently all around us, but as I tried to hold my girl closer, she pushed away in pure delight. She strained toward the invisible gust of air and tried to capture it, belly-laughing even as it caught her breath.
Mysteries abound here in the physical world, don’t they? Over time, science has illuminated some of them, sure, but to live a life of faith often calls us to embrace the mystery of our creator God.
Those who walked with Jesus when He walked the earth, who breathed the same air, got to look at Him face-to-face. They could reach out and touch Him as easily as I’m touching the keys of my laptop right now. And Nicodemus had the privilege of hearing God’s plan for salvation under the singular gaze of God in the flesh.
A Pharisee whose heart had not grown hard, Nicodemus was seeking to reconcile his knowledge of the Old Testament scriptures with the Messiah who stood before Him. He asked the same question so many of us have asked: How in the world can a fully grown human be born again? (John 3:4).
In the stillness of the night, Jesus’s answer was kind yet challenging to Nicodemus: “Do not be amazed that I told you that you must be born again. The wind blows where it pleases, and you hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit” (vv.7–8). In other words, if we can so easily accept the nature of the invisible wind created by God, there is room for understanding the work of the Holy Spirit.
The Father did not hold back in giving us His beloved Son, who lived, died, and continues to love as we never could, “so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Our limited minds want proof of a limitless love and the power of the Spirit to save. But the reality of something so momentous can’t be contained and explained. God’s love is a mystery that comes to life. It is a force of the natural and supernatural worlds, whispering and wooing us to open our eyes and our hearts to His unfathomable goodness (Psalm 34:8).
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91 thoughts on "The One and Only Son"
Amen
Growing up, when I was having a bad day or just needed to talk to God. I’d find a park and start swinging on the swings, so that I could feel the wind. For me growing up, still to this day, I feel closest to God in the wind. I can’t see the wind but I can feel it. The same as God I can’t see him, but I can feel Him. This devotion just brought back that memory, maybe just maybe in my adulthood I need to head to the park a little more often.
Amen
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Love this!
Wow this blows my mind. Lord Jesus, help me to understand all the more every day what it meant for you to come down to earth. You are God (in the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God (John 1v1) and yet you stepped down into darkness as the light of the world (the light shines in the darkness, by the darkness has not understood it (John 1v5). Lord I thank you that you did not want to leave this world in darkness, but that you loved it so much that you said you would carry our brokenness and suffer the consequence of sin (an atoning sacrifice)- death- only to triumph over it (raising the temple in three days!).
Father in heaven, this is the power of the cross that lives in all who believe in you. Father, I pray for all my sisters today, that they might know this power. In Jesus’s name, the name above all other names, amen.
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If we can so easily accept the nature of the invisible wind created by God, there is room for understanding the work of the Holy Spirit.
This study has brought me such peace. God’s love is as real and tangible as the wind
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It is so enlightening when thinking about how easy it is to believe in the wind although invisible….. that was my favorite relatable moment. In today’s world of things we can lose sight of believing. So blessed to be part of this community.
“Taste and see that the Lord is good….” HE’s SO good even when things don’t go as planned or hoped or takes a while. Coming to you early afternoon from one of our local coffee shops. (owned by a Christian). Please pray as I’m still not sleeping as well. I’ve had maybe one or two good days during this break. The last couple nights have been hard. Thankfully, I made myself sleeping as long as I could, and then I went for a run. Happy Thursday sweeties!!
Yes praying for you Mari. I’ve been struggling with sleep as well. Thank you for quoting that verse from the Psalms.
This study has been blessing me with your great insights and comments!
Was feeling especially hopeless regarding our prodigals, and received a God wink from a Charles Stanley sermon on the radio that I randomly switched on. He specifically addressed unsaved loved ones, and to not give up “asking, seeking, and knocking” in prayer for these unsaved. Asking, seeking, and knocking for all our prodigals and your requests.
Father God, please work powerfully in the lives of our SRT She’s prodigals/unsaved. Open their hearts, eyes and ears to Your gift of salvation through the blood of Jesus. Amen.
Update on our son’s friend diagnosed with stage 4 pancreatic cancer. He recently saw his doctor who said to keep doing what he’s doing (couple more rounds of chemo). My understanding is that in general it’s working well but at some point it will stop being so effective. They are keeping an eye on other potential treatments or drug trials. Please pray for his medical team/other potential treatments/drug trials and ESPECIALLY for God’s mighty healing hand. Also please pray for him and his family/friends and all who know him to come to/cling to Jesus through this deep valley.
Thank you so very much sweet ladies.
I heard that as well this morning, I listen to Charles Stanley every morning!
Praying hard for my prodigal as well
“Truly, truly, I say to you, we speak of what we know, and bear witness to what we have seen, but you do not receive our testimony” (John 3:11). This verse stopped me on my track today. Have you ever shared your testimony and not been received? Flat out rejection, and a chuckle. If this happened to our Lord, would this happen to us? Be assured it will. The Lord asked me to stop and counted the times when my testimony was not received. And which ones I remembered the most? “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God… and he cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).The sin of unbelief is connected closely with the lack of understanding. “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God” Hebrews 3:12. Spiritual blindness or lack of understanding comes from unbelief, “The god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel” (2 Corinthians 4:4), “They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart” (Ephesians 4:18). So who is the god of this world and where and who does he like to hang out with? Question these things. It is satan and his spirit is in the sons of disobedience (Ephesians 2:2), in the prideful people, the self-exalting ones, satan is rooted in pride (I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, I will make myself like the Most High) (Isaiah 14:13) Spiritual understanding isn’t achieved by knowledge or intellectual alone (Nicodemus is a religious scholar here) yet he is dumbfounded at what Jesus shared about the new birth. Wisdom does not automatically come with age either. “I said, ‘Age should speak; advanced years should teach wisdom.’
But it is the spirit in a person, the breath of the Almighty, that gives them understanding.
It is not only the old who are wise, nor the aged who understand what is right” (Job 32:7-9). Spiritual knowledge and understanding is not learnt, but revealed by His Spirit alone. This is amazing grace!! Tremendous grace. “The fear of the Lord — that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding” (Job 28:28). Wisdom comes from the right relationship with God, and not just human maturity. Human observation and intellect cannot reach God’s wisdom. The foundation of discernment comes from the fear of the Lord. May we walk constantly in the fear of the Lord, humbling ourselves, to act justly and to love mercy, doing what’s pleasing and right in the sight of our God (not culture or human’s expectations), all the days of our lives. May the Holy Spirit reveal to us deep understanding about things that “no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor heart of man imagined”. Update: my son did read two chapters of Genesis with me yesterday, after I put a small LED book light /clip on the bible to create some novelty. We sat together and read. I did not think it would happen. Thank you for your prayers. Be blessed dear sisters.
Good word. I had to read it a few times. The hardening of the heart, and under the god of the world. I just don’t want to push people more that way by bugging them about God when they aren’t open to hear it. Would it turn them more? Walk by the Spirit. Listen. Obey.
Good morning Shes, thank you for your prayers for my hip replacement surgery last week! Recovery is a mix. Pain is not always controlled but I’m just pushing forward! Praying for traveling grace and mercy and for prodigals❤️
Praying for your strong recovery.
Lovely reading with you ladies today!
Reading through today’s reading, I was struck by the fact that although I have gone to church nearly my whole life, I did not know the true context of John 3:16. The conversation as a whole between Jesus and Nicodemus is so encouraging to me, because it so clearly exalts Jesus’ patience and delight in our curiosities.
There is so much of the spiritual realm I cannot comprehend, and the faith each day to love the Lord brings me such joy.
Prayer requests:
– To have favor in my work and to be able to show up in a God honoring way and to share the love of Christ with those around me.
– Psoriasis is flaring up.
– Emotional comfort during a work transition.
– For peaceful sleep, I have been having stressful nightmares.
Chloe, I am praying right now.
I just prayed for you, Chloe. ♥️
Praying sister.
Keep repeating Psalm 4:8 while trying to fall asleep. ♥️
The ONE!
Thank you Father for sending Jesus for us, thank you for your perfect plan of redemption. May we not be so used to this amazing miracle that we miss it or we take it for granted. May we be overcome with gratitude every single day that you sent your ONE and only Son to save us from our sins so that we could have a true and loving relationship with our Father. Thank you that you give us the Spirit without measure. Thank you Jesus that you are at the right hand of God interceding for us. Thank you that you have given us The Believers Triumph! That you have revealed yourself to us, I pray Jesus for those walking around this dark world not knowing that they have a savior in heaven who loves them and wants to save them. I pray for those souls today Jesus, I pray that you would open their eyes to this amazing , beautiful love. Just as you came, and died, and rose … you will come again. May we be ready and waiting! Rescue us from this dark world Jesus! My heart longs for your return. Amen.
Yes, and a big AMEN!
And praying for requests as I see them!
@Chloe-prayed.
Im curious about if on the app, if every time you reply, you then have to go back to comments, and click back on that and scroll through again from the top, as on the laptop?! I know Leshua talked about the app being easier to reply a couple days ago. (thinking face emoji)
Yes unfortunately you have to do that on the app as well.
Thursday’s are my day to meet and study with a group of women. I love the way that God always melds my SRT studies, my women’s group studies and even my personal leisure readings together. Godly crossovers. Everything I’ve read today has me dwelling on how Jesus is the exact imprint of God. Talk about Mystery! I’m not equal to the task of explaining the mysteries of how Jesus upholds the universe by the word of his power or what it looked like to be the radiance of God’s glory but I do know and can share the truth and power of his love with others..
I agree, and love that you named it “Godly Crossovers!” I find that every day!!
Godly crossovers – Yes!!!
How sweet it is to get together :)
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Psalm 34:8 – “God’s love is a mystery that comes to life.”
This is such a powerful image and really struck me, Kara. Indeed, there is an infinite amount of things we do not understand as humans, yet having the ability to stretch beyond what we can see and have both Faith and Acceptance is what allows God into our hearts. Beautiful.
Yes, you are so right, it is a powerful statement!
There is enough of Jesus for all of us!
“John answered and said, “A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven. John 3:27
He must increase, but I must decrease.”
John 3:30
Oh how He loves us! ❤️❤️ His love is unfathomable to mankind. I use my own understanding of love and apply it to Jesus our Messiah, but my understanding of love is based on my own experiences, good and bad, and my own feelings. I’m so thankful that His love isn’t like our love. His love is unending, pure, unconditional, and uncompromising. No matter what I do, His love never changes.
Yes. It is so hard to fathom. We love people, but not even close to how God loves us.
What an encounter. A face to face meeting that changes everything. Our belief in Jesus, our Savior gives us new life. We are not condemned, but saved. We can walk with Him – he wants new life for everyone and He made a way for this to be so. Oh, how He loves us. Thanks be to God❤️
May those that are lost, deceived and hurting come to know Him. Praying for your requests, sisters.
Bob Bunn’s HRT devotional is well worth the read. “We’re all looking for answers. We’re all trying to figure out how the pieces fit together or if we even have all the pieces.” And more!
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Oh my goodness, there is SO much in these passages…!! I don’t know where to start! We had such a beautiful time at jail ministry yesterday. There are the regulars- some love God and cling to him in their awful trial. Some are putting it together little by little. One girl has been there for 2 years and has come, not come, come, back to anxiety and depression, then come to re-dedicate. Then- yesterday 3 new ones. They kinda had a somewhat wall or closed demeanor. Then I—sent to tell them the love of Jesus and the lesson of How to Hear from God. It is quite intimidating and I thought that as Jesus is trying to tell Nicodemus in one short meeting with him ALL the things that need to be said to make the impact he needed. How can we. Well, luckily it is not what I can say, I HAVE HIS Holy Spirit in me to guide me, prompt me, lead me, speak for me! I left though thinking…did I say it right, when I called for being RE-born…did I make it clear? Did I leave anyone without receiving Jesus yesterday?! One of the three said Yes, I already KNOW I have Jesus. The other said she thinks she does..(you get this a lot) (That’s a big one to get at the END of class, lol) But we did a re-dedication prayer to rekindle the fire and to pray a fresh and anew fire!! The third, well I don’t really know. But I know God brought her there yesterday!! And I and the others were planting and watering some seeds!
It is so hard because you have to have “present” yourself in a certain light to come into a pod like that. We serve the ones with more likelihood of condemnation sentencing…Prison. But when you accept Jesus, the old is gone, we are indeed RE-Born, and the Spirit comes in!! Those girls that have the light can BE different and represent what it means to walk in confidence in a Savior that Forgives EVERYTHING we have done, even them!! It is gone, as far as from the east to the west…Hallelujah!!
And we too, are like them, we have been convicted, yet Jesus gave us Mercy, and Grace. Redemption. Restoration! And He is still sanctifying every single one of His followers! We are all in the family! To share this fantastic, amazing knowledge! Wisdom! Oh to share him, but to bring them out of eternal death with a salvation prayer—it is something that gives the greatest joy. Loving on those that are unloved and lost.
I received a beautiful message from one that attended yesterday…Thank you for today, it is the first time I have broke down and cried in class!! I felt the Holy Spirit on me.
Thank you Jesus, it’s not about me…but being your hands and feet for your Glory!!
Let us be a light on a hill for you Jesus as we start another day! Let us pray fervently for the lost, and be eager to share you!! I pray for my nephew that is also in jail. He doesn’t know you Lord, but he is broken. He is realizing that we can’t control circumstances in our OWN will. In the Mighty Name of Jesus (song by Hope Darst!!—So Good), “I pray..calling on the power of Heaven, I PROCLAIM” He has ALL authority! We pray for our family! We pray against the enemy! He has no rights near our family!! Thank you Jesus, give me the right words to say (write) to him. I pray for all the She’s to witness for You!
Amen!!
Praying with you Rhonda for the seeds to grow with the ladies and praying for your nephew to see the light. I don’t know the right words around my family about faith and their salvation but I keep trying. My nephew is homeless and in and out of jail. Refuses to go to any kind of shelter or program but is very resourceful and has a dog. The police keep his things and he keeps getting his dog back. Hard to understand his brain, but he is surviving. So heart breaking.
Thanks for sharing! Your question at the end made me think of what someone just share before you that HRT says that we all are searching for the pieces or if we have them…I’m going to jump over there and read that. Praying for your nephew.
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Oh my. I feel like I am drinking from a fire hose reading your words today. I am in awe. How do you do this day in and day out, with a sore back? You are so strong. Joining in prayers that you (the light bearer of Christ) shine brighter in dark places, that their hesitation attitude and drop ins drop outs won’t discourage you. And for your nephew.❤️
Only God! And the many prayers from many people! God says they aren’t going to quit praying about that Rhonda’s back…I shall give her some reprieve…Heart!! :)
Thank you for praying for Christian!
Could you EVEN IMAGINE walking with Jesus?!?!
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Someday we will.
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Oh, how He loves us. ❤️
Prayers for all
“For God so loved the world…”
Every act that God has ever done, is for one reason – God loves us. Oh how great a love that is, one that was willing to sacrifice His only Son.
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God loves the world. He loves me. He loves you. He does not want anyone to perish, but wants everyone to come to repentance – including that person who is hard to live with, including the one who has made your life miserable, including the one that seems the most evil. (2 Peter 3:9)
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He did not come to condemn but to save.
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Praise God, He was so patient with me. He loved me enough to pursue me and to keep “running after me” when I constantly was running from Him.
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He doesn’t judge when we have questions, He teaches and gives understanding.
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Oh that the people of darkness would come into His marvelous light. That they would come to the God who loves them, the God who saves.
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Father God, may you soften the hearts of all those who do not know you, may You draw them to You with cords of love. Open their eyes, turn them from darkness to light – from the power of Satan to You Father so that they may receive forgiveness of sins. And Father, give me boldness and courage to be the light you have called me to be. In Jesus Name.
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Please pray for my two (prodigal) sons, Nicholas and Jonathan. This morning they leave for a 10 trip to Japan – safety and traveling mercies as they go.
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Song that comes to mind – The Goodness of God.
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Happy Thursday sweet She’s!
And again, in case you missed it – a loving welcome to all who are new here! ❤️
My son and his family just left for Japan yesterday! They too are prodigals. (He and his wife) I will pray for yours, please pray for mine.
Praying for your prodigals, Sharon and Rebecca. ❤️❤️
Joining in prayer for the prodigals and safe travels in Japan.
Praying for your prodigal sons and family members. Praying for safety on their trip to Japan. ❤️
Amen to your prayer Sharon.❤️ Praying for your son’s safety and return to Jesus. Please pray for my prodigal son, Benjamin.
In Jesus name! AMEN!
Will be praying Sharon and Rebecca for your sons.
I am praying for your prodigals. Also praying for mine.
Lord, I pray that you would soften the hearts of our children. I pray that they would realize their need for you and that they would come to have a saving knowledge of you. I pray that they would long to grow in wisdom and knowledge of you. Father God, we love you so much and want that for our children also. We want them to have a wonderful relationship with you. Let it be so.
In Jesus precious Name, Amen
Amen, Tricia. Praying for all the prodigals listed above, and my own unbelieving daughter.
Amen
Praying for your sons, the trip, and the prodigals in our families.
We cannot even begin to fathom the love of God. The last song my brother sang while in the hospital before he left this earth was, “The Love of God”. Visualize what the last verse is saying:
“Could we with ink the ocean fill
and were the skies of parchment made,
were ev’ry stalk on earth a quill
and ev’ry man a scribe by trade,
to write the love of God above
would drain the ocean dry;
nor could the scroll contain the whole,
tho’ stretched from sky to sky.
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure:
the saints’ and angels’ song!”
Praying your prayer for my prodigals and praying for all your prodigals as well as for safe travels to Japan.
Lord I need You. Amen
Amen.
John 3:35-36
“The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hands. The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.”
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Thankful today that I am no longer condemned to eternal death because I have been born into eternal life through belief in Jesus.
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MERCY – praying God will pour out His peace on you as you navigate homeschooling. Praying your son is a willing participant today.
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That is the part that stuck out to me as well. It is good to share the whole with people. He loves us so much to save us! It is indeed a choice. Not choosing Jesus is choosing.
Thank you KELLY. My sweet boy is like an energizer bunny (his mama is not lol) I have to make things extra interesting or he will distract when a neighbor cat comes by, and he wants to come out to pet.
Amen❤️
I’m going through tissues this morning, from the love shown in John 3:16-17 and 1 John 4:10 to the painful truth of John 3:36.
Praying for the lost, that their hearts and minds would be open to the truth and saving grace of Jesus.
1 John 4:10
In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
John 3:36
“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
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I love the song Reckless Love by Cory Asbury, written by Caleb Culver, Cory Asbury, Ran Jackson, 2017. The overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God …
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Thinking of never-ending, I searched for the proper definition of infinite and the first thing that popped up:
-limitless or endless in space, extent, or size; impossible to measure or calculate:
“the infinite mercy of God”
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And we can add limitless love, limitless grace … and so many more.
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Welcome, LEKESHA THOMAS, DOTTIE BAILEY
MERCY ❤️ love hearing about your bountiful and blooming plants! praying for your homeschooling (and resolution of the strike) and especially for your son, can you work the math into something he’s interested in, hobby, sports, etc?
CHERYL BLOW – love this man’s testimony! ❤️
MARGARET W ❤️
LEHUA K ❤️❤️❤️ good to see you!
SANDI ❤️
CEE GEE ❤️
“Limitless love, Limitless grace” ❤️
I love that song too..
The overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God …❤️
That song will be in my head and on my lips all day long. Thank you! ❤️
Blessings to you
Excellent highlights and song! Another that I haven’t heard in a long time. ❤
Impossible to measure or calculate! Yes and amen!
Great idea sister. Thank you for that suggestion. I am learning something new every day ❤️
“God’s love is a mystery that comes to life. It is a force of the natural and supernatural worlds, whispering and wooing us to open our eyes and our hearts to His unfathomable goodness (Psalm 34:8).” – Kara
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Psalm 34:8
Taste and see that the LORD is good.
Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him!
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O the Deep Deep Love of Jesus by Selah
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, vast unmeasured, boundless, free
Rolling as a mighty ocean, in its fullness over me
Underneath me, all around me, is the current of Thy love
Leading onward, leading homeward to Thy glorious rest above
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, spread His praise from shore to shore
How He loveth, ever loveth, changeth never, evermore
How He watches o’er His loved ones, died to call them all His own
How for them He intercedeth, watcheth o’er them from the throne
O the deep, deep love of Jesus, ’tis a heav’n of heav’ns to me
And it lifts me up to glory, for it lifts me up to Thee, yeah
And it lifts me up to glory
Songwriters: Todd A. Smith, Allan Hall, Nicol Smith, Dp.
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Love, hugs, and prayers! ❤
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I am returning to the church today where it all fell into place for me. Where I got to understand a lot more about Gods love and the gift of His One and only Son for and to us, and the presence of the Holy Spirit in us..
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Leaving shortly, so not much time to write, I will try and return later this afternoon..
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Praying you all well and sending you some love and hugs covered in prayers for a truly God blessed day.
Much love,
Tinaxx♥️
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P.s.
Helen Pennington, if you are reading, GOOD MORNING!♥️
Good morning!! What a small world this is! ♥️ Have a wonderful day x
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Have a blessed day Tina! ❤️
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