My Morning Prayer

Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has contentions? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes?

Proverbs 23:29

Good morning, Lord Jesus!

I haven’t a clue what today will bring forth.  I know my plans:  get things ready for an afternoon cookout; go to church in a little while; rest once the company has filled their bellies and stayed as long as they wanted to; watch the Cowboys play football; order those free prints from Amazon; maybe make some mustard jars if the postman brings my promised delivery today. Depending on how these things go will determine if we attend church later tonight.

Those are my plans, Lord.  Do they line up with Your will for me?  Ordinary events.  How can You use me to make them EXTRAordinary, EXTRA special, EXTRA meaningful?  I’m listening.  I’m being still.

Please bless my time with my church family and my real family today.  I mean, they are all my real family.  May I not show favor to some and not all today is my desire.  May I not esteem one over another.  That hurts when that happens, Lord.  Please don’t let me hurt today is my prayer.

Are you talking to Me?

One night--literally, she was only there for one night--my sister Mary was in a hospice center. As the family was all gathered about, my other sister and her daughter discussed who would stay with Mary that night. Although I could hear every word said and was a mere three feet away, they talked as though I wasn’t.

This morning as I pondered my prayer life, I recalled this incident. Funny, isn't it, how our Lord uses common things to point us to Himself? He gently spoke to me about how I talk a lot--intending for Him to hear the conversation yet...yet I don't speak directly to Him.

Hmn, Stef. You mean you spoke at Him but not to Him? Seems like what we have here is a failure to communicate.

Okay, I see it, Lord. Although Your presence is always surrounding me, You still desire my undivided attention. Just as when my sister wanted me to hear her words, I wasn’t invited into the conversation. And when I'm not a part, I wind up being apart from talking with someone who can help.

As I continue learning, Father, thank You for these simple truths. I am to go to the Source for help in my times of need. Concentrating on You keeps my prayers from just being useless words that are bandied about in hopes of being responded to. May I be more direct instead of subtly hinting when I need answers is my prayer. Amen. +

Prayers gonna pray pray pray

Yesterday was check-up time with my Bible Study Group.  As prayer time began and it was my turn to submit my requests, I first asked if the gals had anything for me.  They kind of looked blankly at me and then I reminded them of how last week I had asked them to write me a prayer.  Realization came to some of their eyes as they suddenly remembered what they had been asked to do but hadn’t.  Well, except for two of the gals who weren’t there last week.  And Kristy.  But I’ll write more about her in a moment.

Saddened but hiding it in humor (my go-to fix) I declined the offer to share my requests since they hadn’t prayed for me last week.  “Why ask if you aren’t going to do your part,” I questioned, with a mock-offended tone and my hands held out in protest.  And then came the responses that made me ashamed of myself.  

“When I drive past your road, I say a prayer for you.  That’s when God brings you to my mind” said one gal, as she explained how writing just wasn’t her thing.  

Kristy--again, I’ll get to her later--smiled at me in camaraderie, because she had done her part.  And then, the sweet gal beside of me, pulls out a sheet of paper, handwritten, from the Book of Colossians, where she had been specifically praying for me as she wrote her conversation to the Lord about me but hadn’t finished it yet.  

Wow.

Did I mention I was humbled?  

Sigh.

Okay, let’s get to Kristy now.  I love this little lady!  She is one of the sweetest souls I have ever met and I weekly delight in how she is growing in the Lord and how her inner light blesses me and so many others.  For example, on Tuesday I received a message from her, with a prayer she had prepared for me from Ephesians 6:10-18.  I was so touched!  We talked back and forth for a few minutes and she let me know that she had received her note from me earlier in the day and how it had come and said what she needed at just the right time.  Don’t you just love when God works that out?!  Me too!

We all have our own ways of praying and lifting each other up.  Mine is mostly through writing while another’s is done through “drive-bys.”  Then there are those who just pray at specific and/or designated times.  Others will only do it when strongly impressed to.  But the kicker here is to pray.  When you can.  Where you can.  How you can.  As often as you can.  For you see, when we talk to Jesus about one another, we have an Advocate Who listens and is able to touch the needs addressed.  We have a Friend Who gives us His whole-hearted attention, whether that be for a minute, a moment, or more.  And the results of these conversations with our Lord can have lasting results and make changes not only in the one we are praying for but in us as we take the time to speak to Him.  

In conclusion, I timed myself yesterday as I was praying for my special person.  Less than three minutes was all it took.  Three minutes to devote to my friend as I mentioned her name to the Father as I prayed I Corinthians 13 over her.  Today I purpose to say that prayer again but pausing more as I consider where she is on her journey, where I wish she was, and how I am going to trust God to see that she completes her race.  I shall look at her paper I created and reflect on those verses throughout the day.  I shall ponder and pray because she is worth this to me.  

As you glance at the meme I posted today, I ask that you consider giving me three minutes of your time.  Repeat the words of scripture or use your own.  Can you imagine what God might do if a few of you lifted me up to Him with these words?  Ol’ Stef might finally get straightened out and be a vessel of glory and honor.  Now that would be something!

Are You Prepositioning Me?

“When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.”  (I Corinthians 13:11 KJV)

Yesterday, I wrote a blog about prayer and got some interesting feedback from it.  Some laughed, some questioned.  Others disputed, agreed, and discussed in great length what prayer means to them--and asked for clarification as to  just what it meant to me as well.

I’ve pondered it a lot.  A lot!  Here’s what I came up with just a few moments ago.  

Did you read the words on the created meme I wrote?  They say “When you pray, be sure you are talking to God and not at Him.”  In a brief description, I hopefully will clear that difference up for you.

Scenario 1.  You are at a Burger King drive-thru.  A voice you cannot see asks if s/he can take your order and you begin speaking of what you’d like.  You drive up to the window, pay your dues, and take your purchase.  It’s not until later, when you open your bag, that you realize something is missing.  Huh.  Did you not order correctly?  Did that cashier not hear you mention you wanted no pickles, not extra ones?  And where did these onions come from?!  Why is there no salt in the bag?  And where are the napkins??

Scenario Two.  You are at your doctor’s office.  After the initial greetings, you are asked why you are here.  In great detail, you explain to the physician what is wrong with you.  You proceed to list each and every ache, pain, concern, and tell of those things that “just don’t feel right.”  The doctor listens sympathetically, tries a few exercises or procedures to see if it is all in your head or if follow-up care is needed.  Your responses will either help the doc to determine if you need medicine, more tests, or psychiatric care.  Either way, the discussion you have with your personal physician is not just a one-way event.  A deep conversation takes place, even if it might be a little embarrassing when you discuss “that.”

Do you see the difference, friends?  In the first scenario, you are telling what you want.  You are expecting results and the outcome to be as you ordered, and honestly?  You could care less what the attendant’s opinion is.  By golly, if you want a milkshake and a cookie that’s not any of their business now is it?  You are listing your demands and expecting to get those demands satisfied.

On the contrary, in scenario two, you are looking for help.  Guidance.  Results that may come at a personal cost to you because you might have to do more than pop a pill or watch what you eat or exercise more.  You are putting your trust in one who has experience and education.  You are relying on this wisdom because the one you went to is trained to handle your situation and give you information that helps you to be better.

In conclusion, when you talk to God, what is your expected outcome?  When you pray to Him, what do you think happens?  Does He take your order and you go on your merry ol’ way or...or do you take some time-- maybe even making it an appointed time--to discuss with Him the matters on your heart?  Do you talk with Jesus and wait for His responses or are you too busy and just throw up ritualistic words, rote prayers, and forget about the situation after you have done your dutiful portion?  Do you go into detail with Him about those souls you just lifted up or just tell Him you want a hamburger and expect Him to make sure you “have it your way” without reminding Him that you don’t like ketchup and that your hot dog needs to be well-done, extra well-done?  

You know that expression “you get what you pay for”?  Let’s change it to “you get what you pray for” and see if our prayer lives don’t take on a new life of their own.  Let’s see if we want the faceless cook behind the counter making our meal (the one who knows nothing of our personal preferences) or if we prefer to go to someone like the waitstaff at JD’s Smokehouse, who really know what we mean when--without asking-- we say we want brisket but they know we specifically want the burnt ends.  Let’s see if the doctor at Urgent Care takes the minimum amount of time with us versus Sally, our regular doctor, who asks about that mole that we forgot to mention, who notices that our color is off, and often takes us by surprise and even asks about our kids and grandkids.

Relationship is what it’s all about.  If you don’t have one with God, how can you expect your prayers to go past the ceiling?  If you don’t talk to Him, with Him, and be prepared to listen to His answers, how can you honestly expect the Good Lord above to make that difference you desire?  Why should He bother with your half-hearted attempts when Jesus plainly told us we are to give all?  He did.  When He died on the cross for our sins, He gave all so that we wouldn’t be left hanging for our selves.

Let’s pray!

Dear Lord, this was another tough one to write.  May my words be tempered by Your grace as I endeavor to help folks to see that You are worth so much more than a cursory sentence or passing thought.  Ahh Lord:  how we need to grow up and stop expecting to be pacified by You and start doing some work on our own!  We have become so complacent and so spoiled that we often refuse to stand up on our own two feet and practice what we’ve been taught.  We expect You to take care of our friends but don’t want to be the instruments used to assist in their needs.  We want to tell others how awful another one’s circumstances are in hopes that they will take up the torch that was passed to us.

Father?  We ask amiss so often and then wonder why our prayers that took those whole ten seconds to mutter weren’t answered.  We want instant gratification and minimal effort on our parts to see that our desires are fulfilled.  We want You to handle things but don’t want to know the details or discuss with You the possible outcomes.  

We are wretched.  Entitled.  Selfish.  Self-serving.

And yet You love us.  You love us because You know we are human and that is how You created us to be.  To be?  Hmn:  that’s not quite right, is it, Lord?  Yes, You made us but...but You made us in Your image.  To be more like You.  To be Christlike in our actions and attitudes.  I shudder to think what my life would be like had Jesus been as cavalier with my pains and hurts as I am with the needs of others who ask me to help them!

Help me to grow up, Father.  To stop speaking like a child and to woman up and put those childish things away.  Contrary to popular belief, this world is not out there for me, does not revolve around me, and is not just sitting on its axis waiting to please me.  No, this world is Yours and we are just aliens, passing through, hoping to make it better before we go to our eternal home.  Hearers and doers of the Word we are called to be.  As my prayer life continues to evolve, may I be more earnest in it, as Jesus was when He spoke to You on my behalf, Lord God is my prayer, solemnly asked in His precious name.  Amen.

Get Your Boots On!

Dear beloved friends, before you go further into this blog today, I request--respectfully-- that you put your boots on.  Put on your sweaters too so that those feelings you wear on your sleeves won’t show, and buck up.  This one might hurt!  

Now, before you think (as I so often do) what gives me the right to preach to you when I am so needy myself, keep in mind this:  iron sharpens iron.  We are commanded by our Lord to encourage one another and, as Colossians 1:28 states:  “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”

Friends, it’s time to grow up.

My pastor has really been preaching some good messages lately and this past Sunday was no exception.  He spoke of how many children of God are still feasting on the milk of the Word and not often getting into the meat of it, the things to chew on, to sink our teeth into, and the need to digest more slowly, so that we get a different form of nourishment.  He also brought out in Colossians 1 that when the words ‘dear’ and ‘faithful’ are used that it implies a personal relationship that is based on the love of Christ.

That being said, dear and faithful friends, as I was reading Psalms just a bit ago, I came across the 77th one.  Sigh.  Yes, I thought of you.  And you.  And (gulp) of me too.  I’m preaching to the choir here today so let’s all be reprimanded together.  Misery loves company, right?

Seriously though--and here’s where you need to make sure your boots are laced and tightened--I get impatient with some of you.  I’m sure you do of me as well but since this is my blog, let’s focus on you for now and I’ll deal with me at the end.  

There’s this person I know whom it seems that each time I ask how s/he’s doing, the response is a negative one.  Without controlling my spiritual tongue as I’m wont to do--when this happened again just the other day--in exasperation I said to this soul, “One day I’m going to ask you how you are and you are going tell me something good!”  

Mortified, my Good Stef looked down with askance at Bad Stef here as I waited for the fluff to hit the fan.  What had I done?!  However, this kind soul said in response something to the effect that one day God would make it right either by healing or when death took place.  We smiled and agreed that what a great day that would be for either choice and I went on about my way, with Good Stef kicking me all the way and telling me to get control of myself better.

Now while I agree that some folks need more healing prayers than I offer up, many of us just want to whine, to pass the buck when we have been asked to pray for a situation or a person, and instead of doing so, we put this need on the prayer list in hopes that someone else will be faithful in fulfilling the request and we can say in all sincerity that we have done our Christian duty.  

Do we think this makes us look good?  Does this make others sorry for us?  Do we think it absolves us somehow of our duty?  Are we asking something of them that really needs to be taken care of by ourselves?  

Read with me these convicting verses from Psalm 77:1-3, please, dear friends:

I cried out to God with my voice—
To God with my voice;
And He gave ear to me.
In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord;
My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing;
My soul refused to be comforted.
I remembered God, and was troubled;
I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah

Do you notice who was doing all of the work?  “I” cried out with “my” voice.  “I” sought the Lord.  “My” hand was stretched out and “my” soul refused to be comforted.  “I” remembered God and “I” complained and it was “my” spirit that was overwhelmed.  Me.  My.  

Asaph went on in this Psalm to explain how he couldn’t sleep because he was troubled.  As he poured out his heart to God, his spirit was overwhelmed.  He then recalled the promises God had made and fulfilled and began praising Him instead of complaining to Him.  He realized Whom he was talking to and how many times God had done all of these wonders, and taken care of His children.  He recollected the ancient times when all seemed lost but God took care of it.

But the kicker here is that Asaph did it.  He didn’t go to his brother, his co-workers, his “person” that was always there.  Nope.  Asaph went to God for his own problems, distresses, and calamity.  I mean, Who better to tell it to than the One Who can handle it best?

Often I write a Bible verse and replace the pronouns used in it with my own name to personalize it and make it stand out more to me.  Today, may I ask that you do this with these verses above?  Please don’t misunderstand me and think that I don’t want to pray for you or don’t care about your issues.  I do!  And, I will willingly and fervently pray for you when you ask me to but… But please don’t ask me to do what you are supposed to be doing.  Please don’t ask me to pray for someone I don’t know when clearly you were the one who was burdened with this task.  For you see, if you pass it on to me, it won’t go anywhere.  There’s no connection like there is between you and the soul who asked for YOU to pray for him/her.

Do your thing, friends.  Pray first, second, and even third for the needs you have.  I can’t help you with them but Almighty God can.  He already knows what’s going on and the time you spend explaining to me all the details would be better spent by you and Him conversing, don’t you think?  Sure, I can listen, pat you on the shoulder, and even cry with you if that’s what you really need.  I can and will pray with you over circumstances but you--well, my friend, you’ve got to do your part.  Don’t ask me to do what has been asked of you unless it’s something I can really help you with.  Think about it:  how many times a day can God hear the same form request “Dear Lord, I ask You to bless so-and-so.  You know the need so here I am, beating You over the head with it because Sister Susie asked me to remember this one mentioned.  For more details, Father, check with Susie.”

Don’t you think He would rather personally hear from one who really knows what’s going on?  From the one who is troubled by this instead of the one who is only asking out of duty rather than love?  He’s not stupid.  Let’s not treat Him as such.  If He has the whole world in His hands--and I assure you, He does!--He’s not going to not bless or not help out in this situation because we didn’t get 152 people in on the prayer chain.  

In conclusion, how many times do you need to be told to do something?  Something you already do without even thinking about it, such as putting one foot in front of the other, blinking, or sighing?  Mmn hmn.  God by nature is love and He will take care of His children.  Let’s not pester Him with insincere prayers that probably don’t even go past the ceiling anyways, shall we?  It’s the sincere, fervent prayers of a righteous man that availeth much, remember?  Picture it like this:  you’re in a crowded stadium and all these voices are roaring about you but you cannot discern what is being said.  Murmurs.  Shouts.  Commands for you to do this or not do that but it’s all just ruckus because the only voice you are paying attention to is the one on your headset or when the coach is whispering in your ear when you are on the sideline talking with him and listening to his response.  Unlike the game “Gossip” where one whispers something to another and then that soul tells the next in line and so on and so forth until the message is all scrambled and may not even be the same as the one first presented, our God wants to hear from you.  It’s not that He can’t keep the facts straight, friends.  He can.  He’d just rather hear them from you, don’t you think, so there aren’t any misunderstandings.  Does that make sense?  Hope so!

Let’s pray!

Whew.  Lord?  That was a toughie to write.  I’m sure the feedback won’t be kind as I am questioned as to what sort of friend am I anyways who won’t pray for someone when asked to?  Sigh.

You and I know, Lord, that You’ve got this, that, and all the in-betweens and my input isn’t needed to tell You how to do Your job.  For it’s not a job to You, Father, is it?  How dare I tell You to bless this one, heal that one, and make things right for the ones who aren’t doing a thing to make Your will be done in their lives to begin with?  Why should I waste Your time with half-hearted (if even that much of my heart is involved) requests for people I don’t know about when You know the very hairs on their heads?  What makes my prayer so special anyways, Lord, that it would take precedence over another’s?  Do You have to get a certain amount in agreement that this prayer need should be prayed over before You will act upon it?  As if!

Why should I remind You of the need You are already fully aware of when folks ask that I pray for some nameless soul that they are burdened about?  I mean really, Lord:  if You know the need (and we all agree that You do), isn’t it just kind of disrespectful to bombard You with nameless facts and unnamed people just to...to...well, Lord:  I really don’t know what the purpose is of requests like that.

I know most folks are kinder than I am but when I pray to You, Lord, I want it to matter.  To pray for things that don’t concern me are truthfully none of my business and if that makes me appear to be heartless, then I will deal with that.  Hey!  Maybe it will even get folks to stop asking me fluff and leave me with more time to dwell on the what-so-evers instead!  Sounds like a win-win to me!

Thank You for hearing me and Your other kids when we cry out to You.  But also Lord, thank You for listening to us when we just want to chat, to tell You about our day, and to reflect about how great and wonderful You are.  I love You, Father God, and pray that this blog wasn’t too offensive to those who read it today.  I want us all to be ready when You come for us, not in our diapers and sucking on our bottles, but ready to walk down the aisle with our Groom Jesus as we head to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb where we will feast and not be spoon-fed!  Come soon, Lord?  May it be so!  In Jesus’ name I pray.  Amen!

It's me. Again. Standing in the need of prayer.

I know I have written on this theme before and sadly, being the vile soul that I wish I wasn’t, probably will again.  Oh Lord:  when will You deliver me from the body of this death?!

Dramatic much, Stef?

Sigh.  Unfortunately, yes.

Do you ever burrow things up inside of you, choosing not to deal with them at this time, and then a certain circumstance comes along and you see your chance.  Oh no:  not to deal with it.  Heaven forbid (ahem)!  No, you see your chance to take out your frustrations on an inanimate object, one that can’t talk back, or be seen face-to-face.  One that “doesn’t matter” because, realistically, what are the chances of you ever being in this soul’s aurora anyways?  This “inanimate object” can be argued with over the phone, accused to via “Live Chat” (even though faces aren’t shown, only the written words), or through emails.  Funny thing though:  these “inanimate objects” are really people.  People who feel, who have a job to do, and mostly, they are real.  Just because we can’t see them doesn’t lessen our responsibility to treat them with respect and dignity as we would should we truly be face-to-face.

There are three big issues in my life that I am grieved with right now.  Wanna know what they are?  Well you can’t.  No offense, but I don’t need unsolicited advice, fake understanding, nor helpful words of Scripture.  What I need is a good kick in the pants and I doubt any of you out there would be willing to step up and do that, now would you?  What about a good smack upside the head?  Ahh, I’m sure I could get quite a few volunteers for that!  

What about praying for me?  I’m talking about a real heart-to-heart with God, fervent words that let Him know that your pal Stef is really messing up right now and much as you’d like to fix her, you know that God is the only One Who can.  

So, would you seriously petition Him on my behalf?  Can you take a moment--or ten--to bring my name up to God Almighty and ask Him to step in and work this out in me?  For you see, if He doesn’t, if it’s left up to me to deal with, I’m liable to mess up.  Again.

This morning, I did just that.  Oh sure:  I told myself I was perfectly within my rights to be angry.  And I was!  But somehow--because of my Big 3 that I’m dealing with--I forgot neglected the rest of the verse.  You know the one I am talking about?  “Be angry and sin not”  (Ephesians 4:26).  And boy did I sin!  Boy did I let my righteous anger out!  I mean, after all, someone should make this mistake right, right?  It wasn’t my fault the company messed up so why should I have to suffer (choke) for this error and why should I have to be put out and not get my merchandise in the time frame that was promised to me?

Did you just throw up in your mouth a little, suddenly realizing that ol’ Stef surely could use a kick in the butt and a smack on the noggin and you may just be the right one to do it after all?  Sigh.  I certainly don’t blame you.  As noted, I hold myself in contempt.  You should too.

Now there may be a kind soul or two out there that might tell me to not be so hard on myself, to not feel so badly about getting irate over poor customer service, and/or to just apologize and ask God to forgive me and it’ll be okay.  “It happens to all of us sometimes, Stef!”  

But you see, it won’t.  I won’t be okay.  For when I lose control of myself, when I let my feelings take over my sense, and when I get to thinking that I deserve such and such regardless of who has to be put out to make it happen, I hurt Him.  I hurt my testimony which in turn reflects on Christ.  It makes a mockery of all He’s delivered me from and suffered for.  My ministry which I have sought so hard to make be one that honors Him could be lost in a flash, over one stupid item that in the grand scheme of things is...is dung.  Foolish.  Certainly not worth the time, effort, and now the great shame that I feel over it.

Okay, I’ve got some apologizing to do and you have some praying to do.  I mean it.  If this blog affects you in any positive way and you get any encouragement, motivation, or inspiration from it, then you owe it to me to make sure that it stays afloat and doesn’t sink because I took my eyes off of Jesus for a moment.  James 5:16 says:  

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another,

that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a

righteous man availeth much.

I’m doing my part.  I am confessing to you right now my sin of anger, readers.  Please do your part and now pray fervently for me.  I need to be healed.

Let’s pray now.

Dear Lord, how ashamed at myself I am right now.  I thought of keeping this to myself and keeping it between You, me, and the ones I will soon be writing to, but Lord?  Lord, I need some help.  I need others to hold me accountable for my actions.  I need friends to sharpen me.  I need to stop telling others how to live and focus on living the right way--Your way.  I slip way too easily, Lord, stumbling over little pebbles that get in my pathway.  

I am sorry, Father, for my actions and my lack of control.  I wanted to be mad at something, someone, anything other than dealing with what is really the issue here.  My Big 3, I call them, and You know what they are and how they are really what is bugging me and why I so carelessly took my angst out on others.  As I begin to send out my apology notes, I ask You to use my words this time to be kind instead of hateful.  Temper me and bring me back into fellowship with You, Father, so that I can move forward or so that I can at least know that it’s time to stop, to stop trying to force things to happen that just might not should be going on in the first place.

I ask these things in the name of Jesus.  May His name not suffer for my poor choices is my prayer.  Amen.

I've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'

"God bless America!"
"God have mercy on America!"
"Surely the Second Coming is near."
"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
"Don't judge."
"God loves everyone."
"When you've done all you can do, stand."

Oh, how my mind is buzzing this morning as I ponder the condition of my world--my world that has once again been invaded by the perverseness of souls who have been blinded to what is true, right, and pure. Last night, Charlotte's City Council voted for legislation that allows males to use female bathrooms and females to use male bathrooms. Transgenders and homosexuals pushed for this and guess what? They won. This "non-discrimination" ordinance now puts regulars Joes and Sallys at risk of their rights, their privacies being invaded because...

...because a few people chose to make a stand. A few people let their voices be heard. They used their platforms and demanded to be listened to. Their rights were being infringed upon and they weren't going to sit down and take it any longer.While some politicians quickly jumped on the bandwagon in support of this, a few others were opposed to it and vowed to fight to make sure this didn't become law.

As Steve and I heard this news right before bed last night, our souls were...not grieved. Not saddened. They were mad! Furious! Righteous indignation fueled our thoughts and we prayed--oh yes we prayed for these ones who made this possible. We prayed not for mercy for their souls. Un unh. We prayed for God to step in and destroy, to plague, to vindicate His children.

Let that seep in a moment. In case you ever thought Steve and I were just the "sweetest things" who could wish no harm on anyone, think again. Not only do we wish it, we actively pray for God to show Himself mighty and to put the force on them.

"Oh, you shouldn't judge people. They can't help the way they are."

I beg your pardon? Have they no will, no self-control, no self-respect? Have they no knowledge of Biblical truths? Have they never heard that while God is indeed a God of love, He also set His standards before the foundations of the world were laid? Did they ever read Genesis where one day, God had enough and destroyed those evil people in Sodom? And why was it again that Noah had to build an ark?

I am no politician and do not plan to get on a soapbox to explain my position on this. I have some friends who declare themselves to be homosexuals and while I love them, I fear for them. I fear they are so blinded by the lies of Satan that the truth of God's Word will not permeate their hearts before their final breath has been breathed. If they read these words of mine and are offended, I pray that they will repent of their willful mockery of my God's love and mercies.

For right now, I have a voice. I have a platform. And I am taking my stand. I will not turn a blind eye to this decision by elected officials near me. I will not vote for politicians who turn blinded eyes against such atrocities that I just wrote about. I will not pray for mercy for them but instead for judgment. I will not pray for God to bless America when Americans continue to sit by and let this happen. Stand up, friends! Don't wring your hands and wonder why this could be. Open your eyes, get up on your feet, use your voices, and speak. Look what happens when we try to not get involved, to mind our own business, and to pray for peace. Read in your Bibles how Jesus came not to bring peace but a sword. And when you pray? Pray fervently. Judge righteous judgment. Love your neighbor, of course, but love as Christ did. Love your neighbors enough to tell them the truth.

Take Time to be Holy

We sang this hymn yesterday before our closing prayer. Its words are so profound and I hope you will take a few moments to ponder them today as the Mondays surround you. Be calm in your souls is my advice for you today. heart emoticon

It was me!

As we continue our exploration with Mark 11:25--Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions--a couple of things are still standing out to me that I'd like to muddle through.  Got your boots on?  Great!  Join me now as I seek to make things more clear.

The other day, my grandson got very upset with my husband--and he wasn't even around!!  Turns out that the little guy wasn't feeling so great, he got a little whiny, and suddenly remembered that PawPaw had not put up the slide for the pool this summer.  Oh, was he furious!  It didn't matter that the pool had been taken down nearly a month ago, nor that it was explained way back when it was first set up that the slide wouldn't work out this time.  Nope.  My little bundle of emotion was beside himself and he was crushed and mad that the slide was not in the picture this year.

According to his Mama, he pouted, sulked, and even cried for nearly 30 minutes over this incident.  Guess he remembered he had something against his brother, huh--err, excuse me, his PawPaw, that is.  

Do you think this is what Jesus was referring to when He made the statement about forgiveness?  Hmn.  Being mad over a slide seems pretty ridiculous, doesn't it?  But hang on a minute.  When I ponder some of the things that have irked me, maybe they are even more petty than this.  How much time have I spent holding a grudge or refusing to let go of a debt that I felt was "owed to me" when in actuality, the account was never charged to begin with?  Some of this results from simple misunderstandings rather than true crimes committed against me.

Case in point:  this weekend we went away for Labor Day.  Long story short: don't ever be spontaneous and head to the beach when it's this time of the year AND when there is a race going on nearby.  The hotels were all filled for miles around Steve and I wound up driving all the way to Myrtle Beach and then on back to Columbia before we were able to find a place to stay.  There's a lot more to this story as far as insights into our verse but I may save them for another blog.  After our comedy of errors, we finally found a place to stay and then decided to spend the next day around Concord.  Finding a hotel with a business center in it was one of the things I especially wanted and we did.  We found one, checked in, and then quickly found out that they did not use Google Chrome on their systems so we checked back out within minutes.  

While looking at my credit card transactions online yesterday, I noticed we had been charged for three rooms when we only stayed in two.  I could surely recall the last one we stayed in 'cause we had specifically sought it out from staying there in December.  However, from the Saturday night fiasco, I thought the one we checked into and back out of was the one showing on my statement as processed rather than pending.  I gave it a day to see if it'd go away but no, it was still there this morning so I called to get it cleared up.  The lady on duty was quite nice and we chatted about what had gone on.  Long story short, she was going to look into it and call me back when she got the matter settled.  However, the more I pondered it and checked and rechecked again to make sure the mistake wasn't on my part, yeah:  you guessed it.  It was!  

What happened--other than my own goofiness--you might ask?  Well, to begin with, this hotel was the most expensive one we stayed at.  Obviously I wanted it to be the one taken off.  (Hello, Greed, my ol' friend.)  Next, it wasn't the "brand" we usually used so of course they had to have been the one to make the error.  Lastly, if I had really taken time to think about all of this clearly, I would have seen that this hotel was in Columbia not Concord, which is where the continuation of the fiasco of our weekend jaunt took place.

So, I called with shame on my face and tried to get the woman I had spoken with to tell her of my blunder. Well, wouldn't you know that the devil is not happy when we try to acknowledge our mistakes so he let me speak to a different gal and then had the absolute gall to have the phone cut off!  Grrrr.  But--instead of it making me mad--I called right back, wound up talking to the original lady who promised to apologize profusely to the other woman, and we took care of my boo boo.  We were laughing when it was all said and done and my head will keep this hotel chain in mind the next time Steve and I decide to be adventurous.

Do you see it, friends?  We mess up.  In our haste, we often make assumptions because we want to justify that we spent that much money.  We want to deny that we would make such a foolish choice when our defenses are down, and we just wanted a place to rest our weary heads and bodies.  Ahem.  I'm not just talking to the choir right now, am I?  Being tired, weary, frustrated, and feeling the need to just...to just...to just be "taken care of" --even though it may only be for one night--is no excuse to let our battle gear slide.  Do you not know by now that when we expose ourselves to temptation that that is when the devil is the craftiest, the most wily, and the most seductive?

Okay, let's wind this up.  Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.  Sometimes it's so much easier to look for someone else to blame for our mess ups than it is to face the fact that we invited them into our lives.  We cry that we were taken advantage of, that we were cheated, that we were wronged when the truth is right there in front of us.  It was me that initiated the fight, the quarrel, the misunderstanding.  Oh no, not always but sometimes, sometimes, girlfriends, we are just as much to blame.  Maybe even more.  So then, when we stand in front of God with our prayers and our pleas for absolution, we are confronted with our own guilt and if we are to have peace with God (and don't we all want that?) we must confess to Him that we too need to be forgiven.  The good thing?  He said He would!  He said He'd forgive us.  How about that?!  

In closing, we saw the movie "War Room" last night.  The premise of the story is that we need to talk more to God and let Him handle our battles.  The main character went from spending little pieces of time with God to spending hours in her prayer closet.  When she got real with Him, He did marvelous things in her--in her.  Yeah, He answered some great prayers on her behalf but the key point is that she was the one most in need.  Before she could finger point, she had to deal with her own life.  Like me, she found out there was plenty there to keep her in communication with God like never before.  Let's do that now, friends, as we humble ourselves and ask Him to cleanse us and heal our wounds.

Dear Lord God, how I am convicted once again that it's me who makes for most of the troubles in my life.  My lack of attention to details, my haste to get things done, and my forgetfulness of keeping my battle gear on often make up the majority of my anger issues.  I cannot count the number of times I have blamed others for things, gotten mad when they responded in hurtful ways, and then acted to You as though I was the wronged party.  Oh Lord:  how do You put up with me?

Sigh.

Lord?  Right now as I pray to You, many things vie for me to ask You but I cannot do this until I confess.  I am the one in need of prayer this moment, Lord. My hotheadedness, my impatience, my poor planning have all led me to make choices that have had repercussions and/or consequences that often I felt were unjust.  But I cannot in all honesty blame others for things that would have turned out so much differently had I first done my part.  First.  So, once again:  it's me, it's me, it's me Oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer.  Thank You for also standing, ready to help, to heal, and to forgive me.  Teach me the way of Jesus is my plea now and I ask these things in His precious name, Father.  Amen.