Restore Issue 01: March 2022

Restore Issue No. 01 | Pray and Celebrate | March 2022

In This Issue Borrowed Prayers

Celebrating Others

Prayers to use when you don't know what to say

Ten simple things we can do for big relational impact

What's Inside From My Heart to Yours Page 3

Borrowed Prayers Pages 4-5

John 15:1-5 Printable Page 6

Pruning Power Pages 7-8

Ten Ways to Celebrate Others Page 9

What's New on the Podcast Page 10

Copyright © 2022, ABF Communications, LLC ~ P.O. Box 1804, Queen Creek AZ 85142 Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERATIONAL VERSION. © Copyright 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

All articles written by Andrea Fortenberry, unless otherwise noted.

from my heart to yours Welcome to the first issue of Restore! I am so excited to present this labor of love to you.

Recently someone asked me how I know God is speaking to me. I responded that it's usually through His Word, through the encouragement of someone else, or through hints He leaves sprinkled throughout my life in various ways.

That's exactly how this idea for Restore Magazine came to be.

I attended a workshop a few months ago through my literary agent where she talked about how to create a mini-magazine. It reminded me that in high school, I had the dream to have my own magazine. Around this time, I prayed and asked God how I can reach more people in a more meaningful way.

And what do you know? He told me to go for it, so, here we are!

I'm so thankful you're reading this inaugural issue and pray that it blesses you.

This month's theme is Pray and Celebrate, my two words for the year. The past few years, God has given me one word to focus on, but this year it's two. I'm excited to see how they unfold throughout 2022.

xoxo,

Andrea

Borrowed Prayers Prayers to use when you don't know what to say

The Serenity Prayer

*Print these out and carry them with you or share them with a friend

By Reinhold Neibuhr God, grant me the Serenity To accept the things I cannot change Courage to change the things I can, And Wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time, Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardship as the pathway to peace.

Taking, as He did, this sinful world as it is, Not as I would have it.

Trusting that He will make all things right if I surrender to His will.

That I may be reasonably happy in this life, And supremely happy with Him forever in the next.

Amen.

Peace Prayer

By St. Francis of Assisi Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

Christ In Me

By St. Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me, Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me, Christ on my right, Christ on my left, Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit down, Christ when I arise, Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me, Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me, Christ in every eye that sees me, Christ in every ear that hears me.

Psalm 33:20-22 We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield.

In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name.

May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you.

1 Samuel 1:1-2 Hannah's Prayer My heart rejoices in the LORD; in the LORD my horn is lifted high.

My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.

There is no one holy like the LORD; there is no one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.

The Prayer of Jabez 1 Chronicles 4:10 Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my territory!

Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.

Lamentations 3:19-26 remember myyou affliction my wandering, Prayers Ito use when don'tand know what to say the bitterness and the gall.

I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.

Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope.

Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."

The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

The Lord's Prayer Matthew 6:9-13

A Perspective Prayer

By James Bryan Smith I am one in whom Christ dwells and delights.

I live in the strong and unshakeable kingdom of God, the kingdom is not in trouble and neither am I.

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us today our daily bread.

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.

I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.

Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine.

Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

John 15:1-5

Pruning Power I recently spent a morning at my town’s new botanical garden. It happened almost by accident, as I had planned to visit a larger botanical garden in Phoenix but remembered about the local one and how it would save me from a long drive.

Earlier that morning, as part of my homework for Kelly Minter’s new study, Encountering God, we were to mediate on John 15:1-5.

After I walked the garden, I found a bench in the sunlight near the water. I sat there for more than two hours, writing in my prayer journal and reading. All the while, one of the gardeners worked nearby. I smiled, said hello and noticed him moving throughout the surrounding rose bushes, but didn’t pay careful attention to what he was doing.

Eventually, he moved on to another part of the garden and I didn’t see him again.

At a stopping point in my book, I looked down at my feet and just inches away was a pile of pruned roses and rose branches. The leaves of the roses were wilted and crispy, having seen better days.

My mind instantly turned to the verses I had meditated upon earlier that morning. I looked around and there were actually three piles of such roses and branches cut from different bushes.

The bushes now looked plain and bare, with no flowers on their branches. But the gardener knew what he was doing.

I looked behind me and saw more mature bushes, full of beautiful roses. What a beautiful picture of God's work in our lives!

Pruning now will result in many blooms later.

I felt God comfort my heart, as I have felt some pruning in my life recently. Things I thought would have happened by now seem to have been cut, with no sign of when they will grow or bloom.

But now, I trust that flowers are coming in God's timing. Praise be to God!

Ten Ways to Celebrate Others Simple things we can do for big relational impact

1. Stock up on dollar store cards and stamps. Send one out every week.

2. Show up. Attend her party. Go to her kids’ events.

Support her business. Bring her dinner when she’s sick.

Bring her chocolate when she’s sad.

3. Drop a surprise on the doorstep.

4. Share their posts or give them a shoutout on social media.

5. Organize a get-together with friends to honor a milestone, big or small.

6. Call on birthdays.

7. Pray for their success.

8. Leave a note on their windshield.

9. Ask how you can help.

10. Offer praise and encouragement: “I believe in you.”

“I’m proud of you.”

“I’m grateful to have you in my life.”

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Recent Episodes

Recent Reviews God sees what we are doing, no matter how deep we are in the trenches. I'm thankful for the kind and powerful insights Andrea shares every week.

Every mom will benefit from hearing this podcast!

I love how Andrea and her guests help imperfect moms like me, no matter how old our kiddos get. This "9" especially loved her convo with Amy Wicks on the Enneagram for Moms.

via Apple Podcasts

Each episode gives me confidence that I will survive this thing called Motherhood!

Andrea shares practical tips and real-life application with such love and grace. She only brings on guests that are an inspiration to us, her audience.

A must listen!