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More Original Piano Pieces – Digital Sheet Music

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Hello, Friends!

I am excited to share my seventh original piano piece, It Was Always You, with all of you!

In two previous posts, I shared the information about my first three pieces. This post will include all seven! They are all available from musicnotes.com, priced at $5.99.

I hope you’ll consider adding these pieces to your sheet music collection!

  1. Here is the newest piece: It Was Always You Click here to purchase
It Was Always You

2. Learning to Leap Click here to purchase

Learning to Leap

3. Radiant Once Again Click here to purchase

Radiant Once Again

4. Beginnings Click here to purchase

Beginnings

Below are the first three pieces that were available:

5. Return to the Promise Click here to purchase (transcribed by mysheetmusictranscriptions.com)

Return to the Promise

6. Glimpses of Light Click here to purchase (transcribed by SteveAhomusic.com)

Glimpses of Light

7. Hope Restored Click here to purchase (transcribed by SteveAhoMusic.com)

Hope Restored

Your Faith is Something Else

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One day we will all stand before God. I secretly hope that when I have the beyond-words experience of standing in His presence, He will tell me my faith was something else.

Okay, not so much a secret anymore, but allow me to tell you why that phrase appeals to me.

The account of the Canaanite woman who approached Jesus to heal her demon-possessed daughter is found in Matthew 15:21-28. 

She cried out for Jesus to help her, and His disciples urged Him to send her away. This is when Jesus reminded them that God had sent Him to take care of the lost sheep of Israel first. 

The Canaanite woman could have felt ignored and given up. Instead, she knelt before Jesus and again asked for help. This time, He responded directly to her with a reminder that the Israelites were to take precedence. He said, “It’s not right to take bread out of children’s mouths and throw it to dogs.” This comment would likely be perceived as an insult in today’s context. However, He was using this example to explain the priorities of His ministry, and the Greek word He used for a dog was not a derogatory term. And remember, this is Jesus we are talking about; insulting her would not be His intent. In verse 27 (ESV), she quickly remarked, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” And Jesus’ reply? “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” Scripture tells us her daughter was healed at that instant. 

Using the word ‘great’ to characterize the Canaanite woman’s faith is high praise from Jesus! Countless Bible versions of this passage use that same adjective. Still, I will always be enthralled by the Message version’s wording for this particular account: “Oh, woman, your faith is something else.” 

How did the Canaanite woman’s faith attain the ‘something else’ label? Even though Jesus did not immediately acknowledge or answer her request, she stayed focused on what she knew: that Jesus was a healer who had performed miracles for numerous people. She did not allow doubt, social norms, or onlookers’ reactions to prevent her from confidently and boldly begging Jesus to attend to her non-Israelite daughter. The Canaanite woman set a powerful example of staying strong in her faith while pressing for recognition and resolution for her suffering daughter.

There are reasons God does not answer all of our pleas right away. God loves us so much that He has a masterfully-designed plan for each of our lives that teaches us to become more Christlike. Sometimes those life lessons require a wait. It is up to us to decide how our faith will be affected by waiting. With His help, we can learn to wait well.

I aspire to live out a great faith like the Canaanite woman did. A faith that trusts there is a growth opportunity attached to the wait. A faith that persists and perseveres. A faith that God will specifically describe as “something else” when I someday stand before Him. I acknowledge that intentional prayer and work are required before I earn that compliment. Today is the perfect day to begin.

Quick Word of Encouragement

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I’m a little out of my comfort zone, but this is my attempt at a “vlog.” 😉😊

It’s a quick encouraging message that I hope you can relate to and have experienced in your life.

As always, let me know if you were encouraged. I would love to hear from you!

God bless you, friends!

Quick Word of Encouragement

Post 3 of 3: Praying through Galatians 5 and 6 with your spouse

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When it comes to marriage, I firmly believe praying for each other (and with each other) plays a vital part in strengthening the husband-wife bond!

The following prayers can be prayed as a couple or separately. I hope that you and your spouse will be blessed and encouraged through these prayers based on the book of Galatians!

Here is a link to the PDF of the following prayers.

Prayer #1 based on Galatians 5:1, 4-5, 7-8,13-18, 22-26

Dear Lord, we praise You for Your Holy Spirit. May we recognize the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives and the incomparable freedom that a relationship with You promises. Please help us to realize that attempts to justify ourselves through legalism prevent Your grace from doing its beautiful work in our lives.

Lord, help us be vigilant in preventing anyone from hindering our obedience to You. We pray that the freedom we have in You compels us to serve others humbly and never as an excuse to make selfish choices that reflect poorly on You. We pray that we will never interfere with anyone else’s desire to live according to Your will. May we consistently follow Your command to love our neighbors as ourselves. May we be sure to pursue Your wisdom when we are in a situation where we do not know how to express that love in a Christlike manner.

Lord, we want to be led by Your Holy Spirit and walk confidently on the path You have laid out for us. There are numerous temptations in the world. We need Your help to discern between desires of the flesh and desires of the Spirit. Set our hearts on pleasing You and realizing the effects of choosing the flesh over Your Holy Spirit. Enable us to strive to display the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. May we always give You the glory when others see Your Spirit in our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer #2 based on Galatians 6: 1-2, 9-10, 14-15, 18

Dear Lord, we praise You for the gift of forgiveness offered to all Your children. Equip us with appropriate words and actions that will gently influence our brothers and sisters in Christ to repent of sin and reconcile with You. Empower us to inspire others to trust us to share their burdens. Please help us be confidantes, encouragers, and exhorters who honor Your name in all our interactions with others. Give us Your strength to diligently pursue holiness and avoid temptation. Please help us make wise decisions to steer clear of places and people that could lure us into sinful thoughts and behavior. Increase our desire to become more like You.

We pray that You will develop the character trait of perseverance in both of us. Lord, help us be steadfast in displaying it, especially when sorrow and difficulty cause us to become weary. May we be on the lookout for opportunities to do good works in obedience to Your will. Sometimes, our good works will not produce the response we are hoping for, and frustration may start to set in. In those moments, please reenergize us, Lord. Give us a fresh outpouring of Your Spirit. We pray that we can be depended upon to treat others in a loving, Christlike manner despite any adverse reactions we may receive.

Lord, may we only ever boast about the life-changing power of Your love and salvation, for nothing we do on our own achieves anything lasting. May our spirits be saturated and strengthened by Your amazing grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Post 2 of 3: Praying through Galatians 3 and 4 with your spouse

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When it comes to marriage, I firmly believe praying for each other (and with each other) plays a vital part in strengthening the husband-wife bond!

The following prayers can be prayed as a couple or separately. I hope that you and your spouse will be blessed and encouraged through these prayers based on the book of Galatians!

Here is a link to the PDF of the following prayers.

Prayer #1 based on Galatians 3: 1-3, 5, 10-14, 23-29

Dear Lord, we praise You for being a miracle-working God. Broaden our belief in who You are and what You can do. Let our confidence in the gospel be unwavering, especially in challenging times. May we be known as people who continually exalt You. Help us always be thankful that You died for us and redeemed us from the requirements of the law. Remind us that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit is not something we earn – it is a gift of grace directly from You.

May we be eternally grateful for Your sacrifice on the cross and for making a close, personal relationship with You possible. Your Word reminds us that Your Law provided protection, but when Christ came, He made it possible to be saved from punishment because we place our trust in Him. I pray that we will trust Your guidance as You show us the path to avoid temptation and sin. May we clearly discern Your voice and have the wisdom to respond obediently.

Thank You for being a promise-keeping God. Your Word affirms that we are one in Christ regardless of differences. Please give us the ability to see people through Your eyes and enable us to act with dignity, sincerity, and respect toward everyone we encounter. May people catch a glimpse of You in us as we help our family hold firmly to the truth that all Your children are precious in Your sight. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer #2 based on Galatians 4: 3-7, 9-14

Lord, we thank You for being our Heavenly Father. May we fully embrace the sacred magnitude of being known as Your child. Remind us that freedom is only found in You and prevent us from embarking on a futile search for any substitute. Fill us with a genuine appreciation for the generous gift of Your redemption. May gratitude naturally exude from us and assist in creating an atmosphere in which people praise Your name openly. Thank You for sending Your Holy Spirit to reside in our hearts.

Lord, we pray we will enjoy a renewed thankfulness for no longer being a slave to rules and regulations. Please generously impart Your wisdom to us as we navigate our faith journey. Grant us Your insight when worldly temptations entice us. Help us to rely on Your lead as we make decisions. May we always strive to honor You with our choices. May we rest confidently in our relationship with You.

Bestow on us a natural tendency to display Your life-changing love to everyone we meet. Disclose to us the physical and spiritual needs of people around us and the numerous ways we can be Your hands and feet in each situation. Help us be obedient to Your call and refresh us with Your strength and fortitude when we are fatigued. Sustain us and spur us on. Bless our efforts and allow others to recognize an authentic representation of You through our words and actions. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Praying Through Galatians 1 and 2 with Your Spouse

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When it comes to marriage, I firmly believe praying for each other (and with each other) plays a vital part in strengthening the husband-wife bond!

The following prayers can be prayed as a couple or separately. I hope that you and your spouse will be blessed and encouraged through these prayers based on the book of Galatians!

Here is a link to the PDF of the following prayers.

Prayer #1 Based on 1: 6-17, 22-24

Dear Lord, we praise You for being the Way, the Truth, and the Life. In a world moving further away from the truth, may we refuse to allow our faith to falter or fade. Place in us a sincere longing to make You known. Help us display the unmatched hope found in living for You. Embolden us to consistently convey the meaning of the gospel through our words and actions. Please help us be concerned only with Your approval and unfazed by the opinions of others.

Lord, show us witnessing opportunities and help us to be passionate about telling others about Your love. Enlighten us and provide Your divine revelation as we strive to become more devoted and dedicated to You. As our faith in You deepens, may we powerfully sense Your presence. Thank You for lovingly forgiving our transgressions. Reassure us that You do not define us or anyone else by sins we have committed. Inspire us to cling tightly to the identity You have given us.

Draw us continually closer to You. Reveal how we can proclaim the incomparable power and peace found in having a relationship with You. We pray that others will see Your light shining through in how we conduct ourselves. Broaden our influence and expand our impact as we live lives that courageously honor You. Lord, may our lives inspire many people to learn more about You, become more like You, and follow You fearlessly. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer #2 Based on Galatians 2: 4-5, 10, 16, 19-21

Dear Lord, we are so grateful that You gave Your life for all of us. Guard our hearts against falling into the bondage of sin. May we be genuinely thankful for the freedom You offer in a life lived for You. Let our generosity toward others be an admirable example for our family and friends to follow.

We pray to become progressively more sensitive to the promptings of Your Holy Spirit. Enable us to discern Your voice above all others. When we hear and acknowledge You, compel us to respond with immediate obedience.

Your Word clearly states that justification comes by faith and not works. Remind us that Your grace is a gift that You offer to all of us. It is our choice to accept it or not. We cannot earn grace by accumulating works or by checking items off a list. May we be completely confident that we are justified in Your sight simply because of our faith in You. Please help us spread that message to others.

May we be alert to opportunities to share our faith openly with a hurting world. Reveal how we can be ambassadors for the freedom we gain when we put our trust in You. Help us grasp the life-changing impact we will have on others when we choose to live for You and love others in a Christlike manner. May we continue to be aware of and amazed by Your extravagant grace. Empower us to offer it to others generously. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayers for Your Children (2 of 3)

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Friends, I would like to share some prayers with you.

  1. A prayer for parents of adult children.
  2. Three prayers for adult children based on Colossians 1-3.

As a mom of four children who are all in their twenties, there are some specific things that I pray about for them. The first prayer below covers some of those…the desire to be there for my children, but to not interfere. It’s a fine line, isn’t it? I’ve crossed it, straddled it, and avoided it etc. at various times. 😀

The next three prayers are based on Colossians 1-3. Of course, these can be prayed for your children no matter their ages, but they are geared toward a little bit older age group.

I have also included printables…so please feel free to download, print, post etc. these prayers and/or share them. Thank you!

Prayer for Parents of Adult Children

Dear Lord, please give me the wisdom to know how much and when to offer assistance to my adult children. Help me discover ways to express and demonstrate that they can call on me for advice and support and that they can also count on me to know when to step back, even when there is potential for them to fail. Stop me from picking up pieces from situations they are assigned to learn from. Please do not allow me to interfere in their maturation process. May they always know that I trust them, pray for them, cheer for them, and love them dearly.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer for Adult Children Based on Colossians 1-3

Dear Lord, I pray that my children will seek Your wisdom in their lives diligently. May they consistently pursue and display that wisdom in their decisions. Strengthen them with Your power. Please help them to be bold and confident in their faith. Reassure them that with Your help, they can endure and even thrive when they face challenging circumstances. I pray their actions and words will radiate joy to everyone they encounter. Deliver them from the darkness of sins that have led them astray, and instill in them the desire to walk in Your glorious light. May the forgiveness and redemption You have granted them be an inspiration to others. In Jesus’ name, Amen. (Based on Colossians 1:9-14)

Dear Lord, I pray you will remind my children of Your presence and Your faithfulness through every obstacle and hardship they will undoubtedly face. Inspire their hearts to be firmly rooted in their faith. May Your Word saturate their minds, give them clear discernment, and prepare them to guard against deceptive teachings. Reveal Yourself to them and grant them an overflowing thankfulness to You for Your countless blessings.

Help my children see that You are all they truly need. Give them the courage to walk the path You have set before them. In Jesus’ name, Amen. (Based on Colossians 2:6-10)

Dear Lord, help my children focus on You above all else. Teach them to filter their thoughts through Your grace, mercy, and love. As Your Word says, may they “put to death” anything that belongs to “their earthly nature” and rid themselves of “anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language.” Give them the desire to lead truthful lives, potentially influencing others to know more about You. May their characters be defined by compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, and may forgiveness come naturally. Lord, I pray the love of Christ will be evident in all that they say and do. In Jesus’ name, Amen. (Based on 3:1-14)

***For printables of the prayers: Click here

 

 

Far Beyond Our Comprehension

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God doesn’t think like us. (Thank God😉)

8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts. Isaiah 55:8-9 (ESV)

His ways and thoughts are far beyond our comprehension. Sometimes that can be frustrating and cause us to wonder, “What in the world is going on in my life right now?” But it’s good to remember that His love for us is far beyond our comprehension also – which means even when we don’t understand His ways, His deep love for us guarantees He is doing what is best for us. 

Sometimes what God says is best doesn’t make sense in our human way of thinking, but if I know one thing, it’s that God knows what He is doing. 

Let’s choose to trust Him more and more each day.

Prayers For Your Children (1 of 3)

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Friends, I would like to share some prayers with you.

  1. A prayer for parents of adult children.
  2. Three prayers for adult children based on Romans 12.

As a mom of four children who are all in their twenties, there are some specific things that I pray about. The first prayer below covers those…the desire to be there for my children, but to not interfere. It’s a fine line, isn’t it? I’ve crossed it, straddled it, and avoided it etc. at various times.😀

The next three prayers found below are based on Romans 12, which is a passage that summarizes how to live a Christ-like life, which is something my husband and I long for regarding our kids. Of course, these can be prayed for your children no matter their ages, but they are geared toward a little bit older age group.

I have also included printables…so please feel free to download, print, post etc. these prayers and/or share them. Thank you!

Prayer for Parents of Adult Children

Dear Lord, please give me the wisdom to know how much and when to offer assistance to my adult children. Help me discover ways to express and demonstrate that they can call on me for advice and support and that they can also count on me to know when to step back, even when there is potential for them to fail. Stop me from picking up pieces from situations they are assigned to learn from. Please do not allow me to interfere in their maturation process. May they always know that I trust them, pray for them, cheer for them, and love them dearly.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayers for Adult Children Based on Romans 12

Dear Lord, inspire them to become transformed by You. Help them to grow in their relationship with You consistently. Enlighten them as they strive to understand Your will. May they be unwavering in their belief in You and remain undeterred by worldly influences. Move them to live out their faith boldly. May they realize the incredible worth You have placed in all people as they humbly serve others in Your name. Thank You for the wonderful talents and unique personality traits You have given them. Give them a longing to use those talents and traits to demonstrate Your character confidently. In Jesus’ name, Amen. (Based on Romans 12:2-8)

Dear Lord, may they understand the meaning of Your genuine love. I pray they will reject the world’s definition of love and truth and instead diligently cling to all that is good. May they show love and respect in all they say and do. Equip them with a servant’s heart as they enthusiastically represent Your characteristics to all those they encounter. May they be hopeful and faithful in praying for Your blessing to be upon everyone – even those who have hurt them. Empower them to empathize when people are hurting.  Please give them the ability to bring harmony to divisive situations. In Jesus’ name, Amen. (Based on Romans 12:9-16)

Dear Lord, teach them to treat people with grace and humility consistently. Give them a desire to be honorable when dealing with others. May they realize how necessary it is to have a teachable spirit, which will spur them on to pursue Your wisdom and apply it. May they radiate Christlike peace even when they are taken advantage of, and may they depend on You to make everything right, instead of defaulting to the natural response of repaying evil for evil. Instruct them how to model generosity in even the most challenging of circumstances. Aid them in displaying Your love to a hurting world. In Jesus’ name, Amen. (Based on Romans 12:17-21)

***For printables of the prayers: Click here