Pictures of Benny

Here are some recent pictures of Benny.



Benny "chillin'"

Benny's new pillow

We are in LOVE!

We are in love! We welcomed a new member into our family Friday night. Below are pictures of my MIL's Collie, Benny (Ben as she calls him). She is moving into a retirement center and can no longer keep him. The LAST thing this family needed was yet another animal. We already have 2 dogs, 1 cat, 3 hermit crabs...and of course 3 kids. My my husband and I had decided to bring him home just until we found an excellent home for him. Well, shortly after he came home, all of us fell madly in love with him. There's no way I'd give him to anyone. Well, except my MIL if she was ever able to have him again.

I've never met such a sweet and gentle dog. He does the cutest thing. Whenever I pet, scratch, love on him or if he just lays down and relaxes, he let's out this low, long grown. It's TOO CUTE! I'm sure I will have many Benny stories to share :)

Benny the morning after he came home. Notice the 'not so thrilled' Lexie sneaking in to get in the picture too :) .

Benny taking a nap with Zachary's blanket 

14 Years Together!

Last week, on May 17th, Jason and I celebrated 14 years of marriage. We've actually been together longer than my parents were married! That blows my mind. We celebrated by spending some time at the Opryland Hotel. We had such a beautiful view from our room. It looked over the Cascades which is like an indoor tropical forrest, complete with waterfalls and birds. We enjoyed breakfast on our balcony, which was like having breakfast in paradise. The only down side was it all had to end. I feel so blessed to have a husband that loves me every bit as much, if not more, than the day we were married. I know I love him more and more every day. "Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves" Romans 12:10

Baptisim

Boy, has it been a long time since I posted! Let's see, what has happened since I last posted.... Well I was baptized on April 3rd. It was an amazing experience, to say the least! What made it even more special was the fact that it was the first time I had seen Leigha since we had our falling out 2 years ago. It was very fitting that this day would be our first meeting . Since we started talking again, we agreed that we needed to make God first in our friendship. Marking this day with our first meeting was just perfect. She showed up at my house (I was still in jammies and my hair was in curlers because, as usual, I was running late...haha) complete with gifts. She had crocheted a cross for me, in purple and white (we both share a favorite color, purple), gave me a cross that says God Loves You with an attached poem (I'll post the poem below), a pendant that is a heart with a cross in the middle with a card that quoted 2 Corinthians 9:8, and a greeting card. I was very touched. I'm afraid I didn't show it as well as I should have because I was really excited and nervous. We then rode out to the church with my mom following us. She and my mom sat with the kids while I went "backstage" to get ready. Satan tried to interfere at the last minute. Both Bro. Rob and I forgot our clothes! LOL. He borrowed some and I was able to wear a robe. When I was standing there with Bro. Rob, waiting for the choir to finish, I could feel Jesus standing there next to me. It was such an intense feeling, I had to stop and concentrate on my breathing or I would have fainted. I will never, for as long as I live, forget that moment. Pam was also there with me. She had been on stage, singing in the choir, as she normally does every Sunday. I was able to catch her attention and wave to her, just to let her know I had made it. Shortly after, she left the choir and joined me at the baptismal. It was very fitting that she was there since she had brought me to the church and has been instrumental in my walk to the Lord. I'll never forget walking into the water and looking up at Pam. She was looking up, but had her eyes closed and was clearly in prayer and praise. A light was shining on her in such a way that it made me think God was there, praising her. It's really hard to put into words, but it was very moving. At the end of the service, I joined our church. I about ran out of my chair, up to Bro. Rob, during alter call. I hadn't even bothered to dry my hair either. I must have looked a mess! After service, Leigha joined me at our Sunday School. Normally, it's a fun class to be in. This time though, a father who had recently lost is 17 year old daughter in a car accident spoke. The way the class came together in support was also very moving. I couldn't wait to leave there and go hug my kids. Here is the poem that came with the cross that Leigha gave me: The Cross A symbol of my faith That strengthens me each day As I by God's grace Walk the narrow way. You see God's own Son He gave His life for me And took my debt of sin To a place Called Calvary. I owe him my life And all I'll ever be All He asks is that I'll let Him live through me. So I run the race Empowered by His grace And give Him all the glory As I look into His face. JESUS is LORD! "As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Matthew 3:16-17

Happy Easter!

I wanted to wish everyone a Happy Easter. I hope your family had a wonderful day.

Blessing,
Alli

Because I live, you will live also - John 14:19

Beauty From Ashes

As I've mentioned before, I am doing 2 Beth Moore Bible studies. In Breaking Free this week, one of the things we talked about was the story of Amnon and Tamar, 2 Samuel Chapter 13. She then has us imagine something really beautiful relating to the story. I wanted to share it here.

Imagine Tamar: grief-stricken, sobbing, ashes on her head. Her body in a heap on the cold floor. Soot covers her beautiful face and smears the rich colors of her torn robe. Her outward appearance echoes the cavernous darkness in her soul. Hopelessness and death well up in her. She is nothing but a tomb.

The door of her room slowly creaks open. A stream of cloudy sunlight pours through the door. A figure of a man takes form within it. Not Absalom. No, she would recognize Absalom anywhere. Her heart jumps with sickening terror; then the figure steps through the door and His visage becomes clear. Tamar has never seen Him before, yet He looks so familiar. Not frightening. And she should be frightened. No man should be entering her chamber. She should run, but she cannot seem to move.

She glances down at the hands that seem paralyzed on her lap, her palms covered with ash. She suddenly becomes shamefully aware of her appearance. Wretchedness sears her heart. She is certain her violated estate is obvious. She despises herself.

"Tamar," the man speaks gently, and with warm familiarity.

Her heart sobs, "She is dead!" A slave of shame has taken her place.

He approaches and takes her face in His hands. No one has ever done that before. The overwhelming intimacy turns her face crimson, not with shame but with vulnerability. His thumbs sweep over her cheeks and wipe the tears from her face. As He takes His hands from her face and places them on her head, her throat aches with fresh cries as she sees the filth on His hands. Her filth. He draws back His hands and she senses something on her head. Perhaps in His mercy He has hooded her disgrace.

The man offers her His hands, still covered with soot, and she takes them. Suddenly she is standing. Trembling. He leads her to the brass mirror hung on the wall. She turns her face away. He lifts her chin. She gives the mirror only a glance. Her heart is startled. She begins to stare. Her face is no longer streaked with dirt. Her cheeks are blushed with beauty; her eyes are clear and bright. A crown sits on her head, and a veil flows from its jewels to her shoulders. Her torn coat is gone. A garmet of find white linen graces her neck and adorns her frame. The King's daughter, pure and undefiled. Beauty from ashes.

We're Joining The Church :)

I had gotten up Sunday morning thinking that we would not be going to church since my husband and I had stayed up late the night before, talking. After I remembered that I could attend the 10:15 service I thought we might try that. Then I felt badly because the kids wouldn’t get their Sunday school and neither would I. I suddenly found myself getting ready for church. It was like something in me…hmmm I wonder who that was… took over and made the decision for me. I’m so glad we went. The thought of missing any part of church left me with a very uncomfortable feeling.

I missed the first 20 minutes of the sermon, but was able to catch that on the webcast last night. The link is in the title of this blog. Pam’s husband delivered the sermon since Pastor Rob in on vacation. It was a wonderful sermon that really dealt with the basics. It was titled “It’s About Worship” He listed several things that “it’s” not about and then listed what it is about…Worship. At the end of the sermon, a song was sung that really got to me. The lyrics are:

Jesus draw me close, closer Lord to you.
Let the world around me fade away

Jesus draw me close, closer Lord to you.
For I desire to worship and obey.

I’m still singing it today. The thought of voice lessons keeps coming into my head too!!

I talked with a gentleman from the church today to find out what is required to join the church. There’s really nothing to it…yay. So on April 3rd, the kids and I will be joining The Donelson Fellowship. I feel so excited about that. I thought that I would have to visit many churches to find the right place for us, but I honestly don’t see the point. I was called to this church through homeschooling, then bible study and now worship service and Sunday school. It seems very clear to me that we belong at this church. Although, it just dawned on me, I might need to find out specifics of the free will Baptist faith.

A single rebuke does more for a person of understanding than a hundred lashes on the back of a fool. – Proverbs 17:10 (NLT)

Hearts Broken By Betrayal

Last night’s Bible study was very enlightening for me. Ever since I accepted Christ into my life, a lot of issues that I thought I had dealt with in the past have resurfaced. Obviously it’s the work of Satan. That knowledge helps, but dealing with the pain still hurts. There are very few people on this earth that I trust with all my heart. I could count them all on one hand and still have plenty of fingers left over. I was betrayed by someone who I thought was my friend. The hurt was so intense (mind you this was not the first time I had been betrayed by people) that I made a conscious decision to shut myself off from the world….and I did. After I thought I was “over it”, I tried putting myself out there, but emotionally, I was still shut off. I now realize that I hurt people that were trying to come into my life, one person, especially, who tried over and over to get close to me. People would try to develop relationships with me and I thought that I was trying to, too. I now know I wasn’t, not really. You can’t develop a relationship with someone when your heart is behind lock-and-key.

When I spoke about this last night at Bible study (and I spoke a lot!), it really hit it home for me. I had done the work in the study guide earlier yesterday, but speaking about it made me realize how much damage I had done to myself. Actually, it was pointed out to me that it was Satan’s work, not mine. So I realize how much damage I let Satan do to me. What a thing to realize!! So now I need to let the Lord work on “binding up” my broken heart and trust enough in Him, to fully trust people again.

The video with Beth Moore last night was very powerful. She spoke about the empty spaces that are inside us. We spend so much time looking for satisfaction from food, possessions, money, clothes etc…. We attend church, join the choir, teach Sunday School, everything a “good” Christian does, but something inside us is still not satisfied (but we’d never admit it to anyone!). She used a visual demonstration that was nothing short of brilliant. She had 2 glasses that were shaped in a way where there was a narrow area followed by a wide “bubble” area, narrow, wide etc…. First was the food. She packed in some cheetos, saying” don’t you wish that we could just eat whatever we want (this was followed by “may there never be a chicken breast in heaven” ROFL)?” Then she put in some toy cars representing the material positions we crave, followed by clothes and money. After she had packed this glass full, you could see that there were all these empty spaces in between everything she put in there. Then she sites John 4:10:

10Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you Living Water.

”Then she filled up the other glass with “Living Water”. You could see, there were no empty spaces in the glass with the Living Water. She said “God creates empty places inside us that only he can fill. He is the only one not intimidated by the depth and length of my need.” It was very powerful!

“Answer me when I call to you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer.” Psalm 4:1

Bible Study Can Be Hard!

Well I spent today doing my Breaking Free study. I don’t know why I found it so hard, but I did. We’re working on “Binding Up the Brokenhearted”. Her definition of Binding Up is:

“The original word for bind up is chavash meaning…to bind on, wrap around; bind up as a wound, bandage, cover, envelope, enclose.” Strong’s Dictionary adds a very visual definition to the same word: to compress.., to stop.”

The first exercise she gives you, she lists several verses, which are:

Genesis 16:1-13

Genesis 39:11-23

Ruth 1:3-18

2 Samuel 12:15-25

Now, you’re supposed to look up the circumstances that caused the broken hearts and then list how God bound up their hearts. Well I had a really hard time finding any kind of healing or “compression” at first. After getting really frustrated for a while, I was able to find where the heart could stop hurting in the first two. After I read on in Ruth, I was able to see how her heart might have stopped hurting many years later. Now as far as David goes (in 2 Samuel), that really stumped me. I know that he later went on to have another son, Soloman/Jedidah, but is that really “binding up” his broken heart? I know, from my standpoint as a mother, having another child would not “bind up” my heart. It may add some joy to my life, but my heart would still be broken after the loss of a child. Just typing the words make my heart skip a beat.

What really bothered me more than anything is what she said afterwards. She said:

“..one of His greatest priorities is binding up the brokenhearted. Now that we’ve had a chance to see the consistency of God’s loving and tender heart toward the emotionally injured or devastated….”

In all but 1 of these verses, I don’t see that! Am I missing something? Am I being too judgmental? I see some tender heart from Him, but nothing that makes me think “wow, He’s so compassionate”. Setting Joseph free, giving Naomi a husband that would love her (instead of Ruth) and she could love, sparing David’s son’s life (this bothers me more than anything. What did his son do to deserve this? It was David who sinned, not his son)….that is something I would see as a loving and tender heart. God, please forgive me for this, but I don’t see it. Lord, please help me see what I’m supposed to see!

I think what bothers me most is I’m being told what I should feel (or at least it’s implied) and I don’t feel it. It makes me doubt myself as a Christian. If I’m not seeing what she says I’m supposed to see, then have I made Him into something He’s not? So it’s been a very frustrating day, for sure. Very depressing. I KNOW He is out there. I had the Holy Spirit come to me and if you’ve ever experienced that, you can NOT deny His existence. Is my faith being tested or am I (more likely) just making a huge mountain out of a molehill? UGH!

I moved on to the 2^nd day which deals with “Hearts Broken in Childhood”. You can figure out, on your own, what that covers specifically. It did offer some healing for me….knowing that God never intended anything bad to happen.

Tomorrow is our BF study night. I am really looking forward to that, hoping that I can feel better about things.

“We must realize that it is NOT Satan who defeats us; it is OUR openness to him!”… Francis Frangipane, The Three Battlegrounds

All About Sunday

I really enjoyed yesterday’s visit to the church. I had watched a web broadcast last Friday so I’d have an idea of what to expect. I noticed that the music was not what I was used to, from when I was a child. The choir at my grandfather’s church wore gowns and sang hymns. I was surprised to see that this church had a band as opposed to an organ. The band was made up of electric guitars; I believe an acoustic guitar and drums! I honestly didn’t know how I was going to feel about it. I loved it. I had always said that I would love to visit a black church because they seem like they have a ball. It wasn’t quite like that, but you couldn’t keep from moving when they were playing. I’ve been listening to a lot of Jeremy Camp and Casting Crowns. It was similar to that.

Pastor Rob spoke about death. This has been a topic that I’ve never really had to deal with, fortunately. It has also worried me quite a bit. Several things he said really stood out to me (if you'd like to view the entire sermon, click on the title and it will take you to the print version online). He explained that death is a reality and it’s the last enemy we will ever face. BUT...death is a phase not a finality. He sited several verses from the Bible where Jesus talks about people “falling asleep”.

“This sickness will not end in death” John 11:4
“Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I will now go wake him up”

He even had a slide show of the very site of Lazarus’s resurrection and talked about it being Holy land.

He also explained how the Bible mentions that it’s ok for us to grieve for the loss of a loved one, but, as Christians, we are not to excessively grieve since we know that if they were Christians, they are not truly dead. I wanted to ask him what are we “allowed” to feel if we know they were not Christians.

I love that there was this little “worksheet” on the back of the program. It was fill in the blank. I thought that was so cool.

The Sunday school class was hysterical. Everyone joked, ate and joked some more. I joined in this particular one because it was Pam’s. I was actually supposed to go to a Faith Builders class since that was more for my age group. Next Sunday, I will attend that one. Poor Pam, I feel like I follow her around like a little puppy dog sometimes. When we did finally get down to business, we discussed how we can find out what God’s purpose is for us. There were 3 things we are to do:

1. Listen to what the word of God says.
2. Ask questions about what He says.
3. Ask God to make it clear what our purpose is

Then the leader said something that I thought was really important and something that I had not thought to do. He said that after we do all of these things, it’s important to sit and “shut-up”. We need to sit in His presence and stop talking so we can hear what he has to say to us. We are often so buys asking Him for this, asking Him for that. When are we supposed to actually hear Him?! I plan on putting this into practice. Although, I have no idea when I can find 10 -1 5 minutes out of the day where I know I won’t be bothered.

He also suggested (or maybe someone else did) that we memorize Psalm 37. YIKES! I just looked at it. It’s long! It’s good though.

The kids Sunday school went well too. Jillian has a list of verses she needs to memorize through May. She has already memorized her fist verse which is:

If you love me, keep my commandments. Jon 14:15

She also got a study guide from the clear learning system. It contains a CD with verse too. I plan to listen to it with her this afternoon.

Zachary didn’t bring anything home with him. Not sure if he was supposed to or not. He did say that they discussed how “we should treat our family like strangers”. I think it was probably stated that we should treat our family members like we do strangers. He got the point though. He understood that we can often treat our family members badly, but yet we are often so nice to people we don’t even know. He said he even asked why it is that we do that. Both the kids really enjoyed themselves.

Katie enjoyed herself as well. I didn’t think they would be teaching 2 and 3 year olds about Jesus, but they are! They learned that Jesus is alive because when his friends went to the tomb, he was not there. There’s a song that we’re to sing with them, to the tune of “Where Is Thumbkin?”. It goes:

Where is Jesus?
Where is Jesus
He’s not here.
He’s not here.

See, the Tomb is empty.
See, the Tomb is empty.
He’s Alive!
He’s Alive!

We’re also supposed to repeat throughout the day/week “Jesus Is Alive!” It’s called a “Heartprint” which is a main Bible concept or truth that they want to imprint upon the child heart. Cool huh?

We all definitely enjoyed ourselves and can’t wait to go to Bible study on Wednesday night.


Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Psalm 37:7

Praise to The Lord!

I received the best news yesterday. A dear friend of mine underwent her 2nd lung biopsy (in 1 week) on Friday. Her doctor called her on Saturday to let her know there was nothing to worry about!! The mass is called a " Hilanized granluoma" which was probably left over from a previous infection. What wonderful news. Praise all to Him!!

We're Going To Church!

This morning was spent paying bills, which was no fun. I haven't had a chance to read any scripture yet and I definitely can feel the void. I'm so excited about this Sunday. I've decided that we're going to attend church at the church we've been going to for the bible studies. I really felt, Wednesday, that The Lord was working on me heavily. At our evening bible study, everyone was so welcoming. Ladies went out of their way to welcome me and let me know they were glad I came. Then I heard several conversations (some directed at me, some I heard passing by), talking about how wonderful the services are there and especially how wonderful Pastor Rob is. At one point I wanted to look up and say "ok, I get it!" LOL. Then you add in Zachary's enthusiasm over the bible study, how could we not go? I worry so much over my son. His attitude is getting worse, along with his disrespect towards his father and I. He is so angry all the time. I can only pray that he will accept The Lord and He will be able to bring out the wonderful goodness that is in him. I am concerned about church clothes for the kids. Zachary has slacks and nice sweaters, so that's not a problem. They are all in dire need of shoes, both every day shoes and now church shoes. Jillian has a nice skirt, but nothing to go with it. I'm not sure what Katie has to be honest. Our check this week was very low (perfect timing eh?) so I'm not sure exactly how to pull this off. I just read this verse from Joshua 1:9. It gave me a very strong, peaceful feeling. Like a relief from my worry.... Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. --Joshua 1:0

Wonderful Wednesday

Yesterday was a wonderful day, spiritually. We had our bs/hs meeting (the kids are "schooled" in science and art while the moms have bible study). I look forward to this meeting from the moment I leave until I get to come back. Afterwards we all went out to lunch and then took the kids to a indoor play place that has a specific homeschoolers time. We were able to come home for about an hour and a half before leaving for bible study. The grown-ups are studying Beth Moore's Breaking Free. I've heard that this study has changed lives. In our homeschool bible study we're studying Living Free as well. She has a way of throwing me for a loop, for sure. Zachary really enjoyed his bible study which is a true blessing. In fact, he just told me that he doesn't think he can wait until next week to go back...Praise The Lord! He's really excited to learn the bible verses (Yay!) Jillian was exhuasted after bible study. Even though she took a little nap after we got home in the afternoon, it wasn't enough. When we got home, she couldn't stop crying. Even though she slept in, she's already in a mood this morning. So I will have to be careful on Wednesday's when we have both meetings.

Our homeschool bible study leader gave me a wonderful gift for the kids. It's a book written by the Pastor at the church, Pastor Ron Morgan. It's called "Tiny Talks, A book of Devotions for Young Children". She knew I had been looking for something to introduce the kids to The Lord. What a wonderful gift! She has been a huge blessing in my life.

As I was sitting here trying to think of what verse I wanted to end this post with, I started searching my Bible. I have the New Living Translation, but have several devotionals that are NIV. I expected different translations to change a few words here and there, but was stunned to see how one verse can take on so many different meanings. Granted, overall they mean the same, but if you really take the time to study them, they can take on different meanings. So I will end this with 3 different versions of Colossians 4:2.

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart (NLT)
Devote yourselves to prayer being watchful and thankful (NIV)
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving (KJV)

"Play Dough" recipe

I thought I’d share this. It’s been a huge hit around here. Warning, this makes A LOT of “playdough”, but can be easily scaled:

3 cups of flour
1 ½ cups of salt
3 cups of water
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
1 tablespoon of cream of tartar (found in the spice section of the grocery store)
1 pkg unsweetened drink mix (ala Kool-Aid)


Step 1:
Put all of the ingredients together in the saucepan.

Step 2:
Mix together all of the ingredients

Step 3:
Cook over medium heat until the dough starts forming a ball (this will be like the biggest batch of scrambled eggs you’ve ever made!)

Step 4:
Remove from heat and let the dough cool until you can handle it comfortably.

Step 5:
Knead the play dough until it is smooth and even.

Store the playdough in a plastic bag or air tight container. If it ever starts to dry out (it is more stable than the store bought stuff), just add a little water, knead again and it’s good as new. The color can be pretty dull so you may want to add some food coloring (unless your child is allergic of course) to brighten it up. I’ve noticed that my local Food Lion is carrying “hot” food coloring. So you can make your dough neon pink, neon, green…blue…yellow.

This is also a great way to teach kids basic kitchen skills.

Prayer Beads

This is a devotional from my Women of Faith Daily Devotional book (click on the "Prayer Beads title to view the book at amazon.com). It is writen by Luci Swindoll. She talks about her "prayer beads". I thought it was absolutely beautiful. It is found on February 24th....

"We all have different ways of remembering for what or for whom we should pray. Some of us Make lists, others keep a journal. Some hang notes on the bathroom mirror or refrigerator door. I have beads. Sound unusual? Maybe it is, but it works for me.

Then years ago Marilyn's daughter, Beth, introduced me to the idea of stringing together beads of different sizes, shapes, colors, and textures -- each a reminder to pray for something or someone. During the time I was negotiationg to buy my house, I added a little square wodden bead. Beads of different colors and shapes symbolize different people for me. I even have a bead with holes and rough edges...for problems I'm praying about.

From time to time I change beads. I remember a beautiful white one, almost like a marble, representing my friend who had a terminal illness. I prayed tat the Lord would giver her a quiet spirit as she trusted him with the outcome. When she passed away I saved the bead in a small treasure box. It is a sweet and personal remembrance now.
Scripture tells us to pray without ceasing, and in my desire to do that, I take my string of beads with me everywhere -- trains, planes and automobiles! I'm so grateful the Lord has given me this beautiful, creative reminder to hold in my hands as I pray...and remember.

Heavenly Father, thank you for reminders to pray for the people and things that matter to you and to me. How grateful I am that you hear my prayers with a tender, attentive heart. Amen."

Life's Daily Struggles

It seems every day that I struggle with worry. I worry about getting everything "right". I worry about devoting enough time to God, to my family,to my daily responsibilities (schooling the girls, schooling myself, exercising, chores etc...), and to myself. It seems one, or more, or all don't get the required attention needed. I know it's all in His hands, but then I worry about how much I place on Him. It seems silly, but I worry about abusing His love and asking for too much help. I thrive on organization, but, at the same time, am really poor at organizing things. I would love to have someone like Super Nanny come in, show me how to do everything right and then leave and let me do it (haha). This is something I have been praying about. Maybe I've been praying for the wrong thing?

"but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength..." Isaiah 40:31

Meaningful Prayer

A friend of mine quoted a prayer from the book of Ephesians that I wanted to share.

*In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who* is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory. Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers: that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding* being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come. And He put all things under His feet, and gave Him to be head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. Ephesians 1:13-23