Category Archives: selahdailydevotions

ARE YOU OVER YOU?

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R U OVER U

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, which accused them before our God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. Revelations 12:10-11

Wow! Overcomers! Now datz what I’m talking about, huh?  Everybody knows how we Pentecostals just love stomping the dust mites out when we hear them ‘Over-comers’ scriptures, right? But, exactly who are the ‘Over-Comers’?

Some may think that they’re those sacred saints, having renounced sin and Satan, forsaking all their worldly goods pledged absolute loyalty and devotion to Christ. And that’s right! Others may have proclaimed this state based on their willingness to separate themselves from ungodly associates choosing rather to walk alone than stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of the scornful, thereby freeing themselves from all that would disrupt their hallowed union with Christ. (Ref. Psalm 1) And, perhaps, that too would be true?

Unfortunately, none of our self-righteous acts guarantee nor entitle us to Eternal Life. If you think that you’ve been good enough to pay your own way to Heaven, you’ve already blown it. The scriptures make this absolutely clear, i.e. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:”  Ephesians 2:8 

And on those rare occasions that Holy Ghost was able to get hold of enough of your flesh to do something right, I doubt if it would even come close to all the times that your fickle-flesh over-ruled your spirit, huh? 

But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isaiah 64:6)

May I submit, for your consideration, how few would be inclined to pursue this echelon of spirituality knowing in advance the real cost of this lofty attribute?

According to Revelations 2:10 “Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.” True Overcomers are the ones who  faithfully endure the suffering through trials and tribulations and yet persevere, committing their way to The Blood of The Cross, giving Glory to Jesus that they might know the fellowship of HIS suffering and the power of HIS Resurrection. These are THEY to whom the Lord will reward with a Crown of Life!

The good news is, Jesus The Christ has already triumphed over every obstacle that blocked our access to The Heavenly Father–in our stead. His sacrificial death justified us, exchanging HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS for our unrighteousness—once and for all!  Now, it’s up to you to accept this amazing gift of Grace! So, whatchawaiting4? C’mon nah, get over you! 

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

FAIL FORWARD!

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FAIL FORWARD

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. Jude 1:24-25

 

Isn’t is just annoying? I mean the constant bombarding your mind with intimidating thoughts to taint your perspective and sabotage your peace.  Satan, aka da devil,  knows fully well that he has absolutely no power to stop what God has planned for your future, yet,  he’s determined to strip us of the joy of our Salvation! Saints, regardless of his deceptive tactics, remember Satan is not God!  Since his first encounter with our foreparents, Adam and Eve, he’s become quite adept  in manipulating our thoughts to cause us to question the Faithfulness of God! How? Well, one of his favorite methods is to use our Memories!

Ever notice how the devil keeps bringing up your past mistakes and failures, reminding you of what you did and accusing you about what you should’ve done and didn’t? Oh Yeah!  Well, this morning I was reminded of something I heard many years ago ‘when the devil starts messing with your mind about your past, just remind him of his future!’

My Precious ones, we don’t have to tuck tail and squirm away in shame as if that’s the end of our story. We can remind the devil that what happened back then was just a chapter setting me up for future episodes of coming attractions! The Bible says, let the redeedmed of the  lord, tell their story! 

You have been authorized to speak The Word of God with confident assurance. You know, like James Brown, ‘SAY It loud! Say it proud! Failure ain’t Final!  In fact, because I AM the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus and  I’m not in this thing by myself, Christ in Me enables me to fall forward! (Ref. Colossians 1:27)

Take a stand! Let the devil know, ‘I am fully persuaded that whatever you’re planning to trip me up,  give it your best shot, just like it didn’t work the last time,  it won’t work this time either.(Ref. Isaiah 54:17)

My God  has ggggrrreeeaaaatt plans for me, for good and not for evil, and He swore by God-self, to bring me into an amazingly glorious future! And remember all that stuff you keep reminding me of, it’s covered, blotted out by the BLOOD!! I know it ain’t fair, it’s called ‘favor’! (Ref. Jeremiah 29:11)

“Oh, Devil, can we talk? I peeped in the back of the Book, and I know in the end, we win and you’re still a loser!

 #BAMM! FAIL FORWARD!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

DISCOURAGED BY THE WAY

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DISCOURAGED BY THE WAY

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

And they journeyed from Mount Hor by the way of the Red Sea, to compass the land of Edom and the soul of the people was much discouraged because of the way. Numbers 21:4
God had kept His promise to deliver His people out from under the gruesome bondage of their Egyptian captors. Time and time again, they saw The Mighty Hand of God’s miraculous power triumph over their enemies and now they were on the way to their prosperous place finally free to serve their God!

Yet, the very first time one of their enemies refused them passage through to the Promised Land, the people of God became so discouraged and began to murmur and complain. Some even had the nerve to accuse God of making promises that He couldn’t keep. IMAGINE DAT?

It’s amusing, how we tend to judge them so harshly! As if we would’ve handled the situation any differently, huh?. Hind sight is always 20/20. And in retrospect, given the way we’ve responded in our personal wilderness experiences, we probably can relate a whole lot more than we’d be willing to acknowledge in public. Really?

Nevertheless, we must admit that there are important lessons to be learned from the Israelites. Such as, don’t be deceived just because it appears that it’s taking too long to receive that thing God has promised. Be careful that you do not allow discouragement to cause you to murmur and complain about the way that God is leading you.

Don’t ever forget to be grateful for God’s provision while you’re  enroute to the promised land. And above all, never allow your past nor present circumstances to dictate your future.

While trouble might be on your itenerary, it’s not your destiny! Remember Job? (Ref. Job 23:10) Trust that God knows the way that you take! Not only is He your Guide but He’s also your Guard! 
 
DISCOURAGEMENT IS TOXIC. IF LEFT UNCONFINED,  IT WILL KILL THE FAITH OF A BELIEVER! #DIDJAHEARDAT? WELL..PRAIZ HIM ON THE WAY! #ijs

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

HOW MUCH I OWE?

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HOW MUCH I OWE

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits toward me? I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. Psalm 116:12-13

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. Romans 12:1-2

 

I’m not trying to start nuffin, BUT! Have you noticed that ‘hoof-n-mouth disease’ has reached pandemic proportions amongst so many church-folkes? #ijs

Perhaps that’s why other folk seem to so easily tell you what you should do in any given situation, ‘because if it were me, I’d _____!” Someone once said, unless you walk in another man’s shoes, you’ll never appreciate the depth and weight of each footprint. Okay, I just made that one up, k? However, the point is, unless you personally experience each moment in every episode of that person’s journey, (which is virtually impossible) not from the perspective of a spectator, but as the starring participant, you can sympathize but not really empathize with them!

Even more perplexing is how long we struggle with submission to the commandments of The Only Savior as Lord of our lives! Could it be that we can never fully understand the passion of Jesus that caused Him, after being shamelessly mocked, brutally beaten, scorned and scourged all night then jokedly crowned with thorns, to make His way up Golgotha’s Hill, carrying that Ol’ Rugged Cross where His hands and feet were nailed, crucified for what you and I would do? Didjaheardat? #braintilt!

Awemazingly, the scriptures reveal that it was the Heavenly Father’s pleasure to see Jesus endure every second of this crushing death. (Ref. Isaiah 53:10)

Ever since the Garden of Eden, there are somethings that God never intended us to know. Why? Because He loves us too much to jus sit back and allow the fatality of sin to run it’s course, separating us from Him eternally? But, but? I know, that makes no sense at all!

We forget that His Thoughts are infinitely higher than ours and His Way are beyond humanity’s limited capacity of understanding. (Ref. Isaiah 55:9) Astonishingly, Jesus agreed to this before the foundation of the world, and while we were yet sinners!  (Romans 5:8) The Life dying in order for the dead to live? WOW! That’s Grace, huh?

According to Romans 12:1-2, all that God expects for so great a Salvation is for us to live out everyday, blessed, trusting in Him, as beaming reflections of His Love and Glory to a lost and dying world! Unfortunately, yet still many reckon that more than they are willing to give! (Ref. Luke 18:18-24)

However, there’s a remnant of believers who’ve sold out for the sake of The Cross and are gratefully committed to sacrifice their all to see more souls come into The Glorious Kingdom of God!

What shall U render? Well…HOW MUCH DO U OWE? #countupthecost

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

ALWAYS & 4 EVER!

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ALWAYS AND 4 EVER

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

For the Lord GOD will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed. Isaiah 50:7

 

There’s never been a point, place or space in time where God is not! God IS and will ever BE—for He is ETERNALLY GOD! #didjaheardat?

To souls wearied and wounded from matriculating through the sporadic-tumultuous terrains of life, this  statement has proven to be the Source of great comfort and strength. At the same time, it’s the sting of predictable debilitating destruction and defeat against the insidious attacks to the forces of evil!

The primary mission of the Kingdom of darkness is to cause the people of God to abandon their hope and personal trust in The Eternal Father by any means necessary! Satan’s disciples strategically set up obstacles to ensnare believers with confusion, fear and doubt designed ultimately to contaminate their faith, causing them to re-evaluate the Reliability of trusting in an invisible, yet all emcompassing True and Living God!

Problem is, all too often, it’s the personal testimonies of triumphant victories down thru the years that continue to rigorously validate God’s Faithfulness, fueling the Believer’s Hope of Eternal Glory!

Finding ourselves knee-deep in the midst of this 21st Century Anti-Christ culture, there’s no shortage of opportunities to throw in the towel and tap-out on the Promises revealed in the Sacred Writ, resolving that they’re no longer relevant in this self-centered, self-righteous, intellectually astute, Hi-Tech, contemporal society!  

However, such thinking is only logical to those who have foolishly opted to avoid the reality of The Omnipresent Omnipotent God! Nothing ever happens that catches God off-guard. Hence, He is Alpha and Omega!  The Omniscient Creator, Sovereignly orchestrating the affairs of  humanity from eternity past, thru present into eternity future,  determined that His Purpose shall never be frustrated by the  inherent iniquity of flawed-fickled-fleshy-lust-filled mankind!

Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of his purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, he confirmed it with an oath. God did this so that, by two inchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of The Hope offered to us may be greatly encouraged. We have this Hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. Hebrews 6:17-19

 

Beloved, standing firmly on the Immutability of God’s Word, gives us the leverage to embrace every situation with confident assurance that we’ll never alone and God is always in control. Therefore, our Heavenly Father is always Present  to help, constantly undergirding our inabilities with His Infinite Excellence!

Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Remember, My child, when the odds are stacked against the righteous—GOD’S AT HIS BEST! FAITHFUL…ALWAYS AND FOREVER!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

 Ann Caffee

HE’S ALWAYS THERE

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HE'S ALWAYS THERE!

SELAH Daily Devotions!

I am with you always, even to the end of the age

Matthew 28:20 
 

One morning I received an email that took me back to an all too familiar place. As I read  on, I immediately realized that the lost sheep could very well had been me. Feel free to eavesdrop on the conversation,…
 
 “In the early 1980s I counseled a Christian young woman who was languishing in deep spiritual, mental and emotional torment. She wrote:
 
“Dear God, Where are you? How can you watch and not help me? I hurt so bad, and you don’t even care. If you cared you’d make it stop or let me die. I love you, but you seem so far away. I can’t hear you or feel you or see you, but I’m supposed to believe you’re here. Lord, I feel them and hear them. They are here. I know you’re real, God, but they are more real to me right now. Please make someone believe me, Lord. Why won’t you make it stop? Please, lord, please! If you love me you’ll let me die…A lost sheep”
 
I deal with many Christians who are filled with such confusion that their daily walk with Christ is unfulfilling and unproductive. When they try to pray, they begin thinking about a million things they should be doing. When they sit down to read the bible, they can’t concentrate. Whenever they have an opportunity to serve the Lord in some way, it comes up short by discouraging thoughts of self-doubt.
 
Having found freedom and deliverance, “the lost sheep” penned a response to her own prayer based on her new understanding of God’s provision in Christ.
 
“My dear lost sheep, You ask me where I am. My child, I am with you and I always will be. You are weak, but in me you are strong. I am so close that I feel everything you feel. Be crucified with me and I will live in you, and you shall live with me. I will direct you in paths of righteousness. My child, I love you and I will never forsake you, for you are truly mine…Love, God”
 
Saints, by The Grace of God, while I too have experienced the freedom of  being delivered from the tormenting trauma and enslavement to depression; however I will never everrrr forget to remember How Great A Salvation that The Lord wrought in my life!  
 
It’s incumbent upon us to remember, this is not heaven, the devil is still a liar and God’s Word is Truth! If the saints are feeling the heat of the devil’s wicked devises, can you imagine what he’s putting the unsaved through?

Saints, ask God to open the eyes of your heart that you may see who’s hurting around you. If the whole world’s coming out the closet, we certainly can’t afford to be closet Christians! We have an awesome responsibility and an obligation to be the Love, Compassion and Hope of Christ to a lost generation! You ought to tell one somebody that there is a Hope that’s out of this world…I mean, really?
 
His Name is Jesus and He’s Always There!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

IT’S A NEW DAY!

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IT'S A NEW DAY!

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth, Shall ye not know it?   I will even make a way in the wilderness, And rivers in the desert?  Isaiah 43:19

Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,” says the Lord of hosts. Zechariah 4:6

 
 

I still remember when I would curse the breaking forth of the morning. It only meant another day filled with excruciating pain, sadness, discouragement and disappointment–just like all the others. It is no stretch of the imagination to figure out who had perpetuated those thoughts, okay?  But that was B.C. (Before Christ came into my life)!!!!  But by The Grace of God, today I stand as a living testimony to reality of The New-Life-Giving Power of God! (2 Corinthians 5:17)
 
Yessirreee Bob, this old gurl’s gotta  new attitude!  Coming from an extremely negative environment, I thought that this was just the way of the world. However, once I accepted Jesus, I learned that God’s Salvation’s Benefit Package included a completely different attitude, faith!  Yeah Baby, this new faith attitude is the heritage of the saints, the children of God! 
 
Once you recognize that you’re really in a personal relationship with the True and Living God, it’s actually possible for you to embrace each day with  joy, hopeful anticipation and confident assurance that this is a great day because God made it! Seriously,  it’s a new day!
 
Before you open up your eyes or your feet hit the floor, you have the power to dictate your day.  You can say,‘Good Lord, it’s morning already or Good Morning, Lord’. You choose whether to approach your day with joyful celebration and gratitude for  another opportunity to experience God’s Glory, Grace and Praise for what He’s already done, is doing now and for what He is about to do or you can claim fear, discouragement and defeat by murmuring and complaining. 
 
Don’t get it twisted. Even as a disciple of Christ, everyday is not the same; however each day you’re becoming new as you grow in the Wisdom, Knowledge and the Grace of God! That’s right saints, the new you makes the decision to enjoy this wonderful gift of present by refusing to allow past sins, past failures, past wounds and past disappointments, to keep you from moving forward into this brand new day! Didjaheardat?
 
The Ol’ Saints used to sing, ‘Everyday with Jesus is sweeter than the day before!”  Don’t fool yourself, they lived through some very distressing times. Remember, The Great Depression!  Yet, amidst their adversity, they remained convinced that God was well able to keep them thru and to bring them out of anything that would unfold during a day!
 
When Jesus is your Shepherd, it doesn’t matter what happened yesterday.  God empowers each new day with new mercy, new grace and new faith to believe that today is the first day of the best of my life…because today is MY new day !

Soooooo, I decree and declare that Today, I have the mind of Christ! I believe that God is making a way out of no way, for me! Today, I believe that God is up to something that He’s never done before. Today, I expect to be strengthened, delivered and re-joyed! Today is another chance for me to do better and become more because today is another opportunity to get closer to Jesus!

Now if that doesn’t jumpstart your day, you better check your vitals and make sure you’re still living! OOOHHH GLORRRAAAAA!

HEY YALL, LIFE GOES BETTER WITH CHRIST! O HAPPY EVERYDAY!  IT’S A NEW DAY!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

SPIRITUAL SUCCESS

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SPIRITUAL SUCCESS

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it.For then, you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.  Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.  Joshua 1:8-9

 

Whaa Da?  I get it! In the midst of the myriad of prominent prolific pastors, poised preachas, pulpit pounding prosperity phophets, packed out padded pews, dazzling mood lighting and symphonic sound systems and praiz and worship leaders (auditioning for Stella Awards), its kinda easy to lose sight of what qualifies as true spiritual success! Can the courageous church say, Amen 3x!

 

Didjakno? Spiritual success is not measured according to perfection, fear, fainting, failures nor even wanting to give up.

It’s not measured according to how many scriptures you memorize or quote, your church affiliation, the number of zero’s on your tithe check, your designer labels, your zip code, what you drive, your last name or how many titles/degrees you have in front or behind your name!

Believe it or not, it’s not indigenous to your melodious prayers, swarming soul-stirring testimonies, how high you jump, or how fast you run around the church!

Spiritual success is the culmination of maneuvering your way thru the mine-fields of this life, maturing while mastering and maintaining the knowledge and power of being saved, sane and survival at the same time!

WOW! THAT’S SPIRITUAL SUCCESS–GOD’S WAY!  Now, WHO OR WHAT’S BLOCKING U?

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

 

UNDER THE INFLUENCE

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UNDER THE INFLUENCE 2

 

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to god must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.’ Hebrews 11:6

 

The other day I heard someone say something that I thought was quite profound, at least thought provoking. It was said that “we are swirling towards eternity at the speed of life!” History is being written every day. Memories are being made, every day. Lessons are being taught and learned, every day. Attitudes are being formed and developed, every day.

As I began to think about this, several questions flooded my mind. First, does God’s Presence influence your life? How has the Presence of God influenced your life? What impact has God’s Presence made in your circle of influence?

We love to sing the song, “Jesus you are the center of my joy, all that’s good and perfect comes from you; you’re the Heart of my contentment, Hope for all I do….” But when the music stops, how’s your walk?

The Bible does not merely ask us to have faith to believe that God does exist. But we must also believe that God is who He says He is, that God is with us and that God is for us. (Ref. Hebrew 11:6) Accordingly, if we desire to please The Lord we must walk out our lives under the influence of His Presence that we may exemplify our beliefs throughout the course of daily living.

Does your character reflect the Presence of God in your life? Does the influence of God’s Presence affect the choices that you make? Does your life style reflect the influence of God’s Presence?

We are living epistles (letters) and folk are reading our mail, every day! How is the Presence of God in you influencing your readers? Just a thought! #ijs (Ref. 2 Corinthians 3:1-3)

The Bible says, we are the salt of the earth. I believe that means that we ought to make someone who doesn’t know God, thirsty for a drink of The Living Waters. (Ref. Matthew 5:13-14) As Christians, our greatest desire should be to allow the influence of God’s Presence to be reflected on those around us so much so that it provokes them to envy  and thirst for The God that we worship and  ultimately seek to claim Him as their personal Savior and Lord! 

KEEP IT MOVING! LIVE EACH DAY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF GOD’S PRESENCE IN YOUR LIFE! 

SELAH! 

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee

SINGLE VISION

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SINGLE VISION

SELAH Daily Devotions!

 

The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!
(Matthew 6:22-23)

 

Have you seen that optical illusion photo of Jesus where you’re instructed to stare at the four dots continuously for about a minute, then look away to the light and watch the darkness evaporate revealing The Face of Jesus?

DID YOU SEE HIM YET… still too dark, huh?

Belief it or not, that’s a challenge for most believers? I mean, seriously! How can we be expected to focus on The Light of the World, when we are constantly encompassed and distracted by such gross darkness? As with most of the things Our Heavenly Father expects of us, it’s not always easy, yet if we make a conscious effort to disciple ourselves, it is possible!

We must stick  to the Living Word of Truth; not just on crisis days, but every day; as if our very lives depended upon it. And it does! Beloved, remember we’re strangers sojourning through this life on our way to a Glorious Family Reunion. (Ref. John 17:16) Jesus prayed to The Father that He would keep us in this world until He’s sent again to fully restore us to The Kingdom. Knowing fully well that we’d be hated by His enemies, just like He was while he walked this earth; Jesus asked The Father to put HIS Light in us to ensure that His followers would never be without His Presence. (Ref. John 17:15; Matthew 5:14)

The Apostle John wrote, “But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin. “ (1 John 1:7)

Remember, thou weary one, you are God’s Chosen! Despite the random patches of darkness, we are never abandoned. Jesus guaranteed that there will always be just enough light to guide us through these momentary afflictions! (Ref. Hebrew 13:5)

DON’T TRIP! STAY FOCUSED ON THE SON LIGHT! THAT’S RIGHT…SINGLE-VISION!

SELAH!

Pause, Ponder, Pray & Praiz!

Ann Caffee