Every day when my daughter leaves to go to school she says, Pray for me!
Sometimes she even texts me during the day with the same message, Pray for me!
It all started when she started a new school and she was playing ball (which she loves) but she didn't really know any of the people at school so she was nervous. That led to me saying just Pray about it, which led to Pray for me!
Even though ball is over, for now, we still go through the same ritual.
Pray for me.
So I do, I pray that she has a good day, and continues to make new friends. I want her to like school, I loved school, it was all about social time for me, but school isn't what it used to be I guess.
When my son was young he cried every day when I took him to school. Up until probably 5th grade. He wasn't bullied or anything, he had friends but he just didn't want me to leave him at school. He told me once he was afraid I wouldn't come back to pick him up.
So, I prayed for him a lot too. Having kids is hard! They really keep you busy, praying and running to school when you forget them. Just kidding!
Now he's almost out of school and I think I pray more now.
Mostly I pray that they will know Jesus and trust him always. If they do that then everything else will take care of itself.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Wednesday nites
I suppose everyone knows that on Wednesday night, we have Bible study. We are studying Luke, and I know I've said it before but it is GREAT!
Last night was no different of course, but we were talking about how Jesus was delivering a man who couldn't speak from a demon. I had to ask, did the man know he was possessed by a demon and did the people around him know?
There are several places in Luke where he delivers people from demons and I have wondered that so last night I just got the courage up to actually ask?
Guess what?
He (the pastor) didn't know.
I have to say, I was waiting on one of those all knowing answers and I didn't get it.
The bible doesn't tell us any of that, we really don't know anything about the man except he was mute.
I guess that was the plan, don't give us all the answers so we can ask questions.
Another interesting tidbit I have learned is that the first person to recognize Jesus as God's son was a demon, and he was in a church.
That goes against all those scary movies I grew up seeing.
I wonder why God didn't just smite that demon back to you-know-where. Maybe because it gave the people around him a chance to see what he was about.
God is good!
All the time!
Last night was no different of course, but we were talking about how Jesus was delivering a man who couldn't speak from a demon. I had to ask, did the man know he was possessed by a demon and did the people around him know?
There are several places in Luke where he delivers people from demons and I have wondered that so last night I just got the courage up to actually ask?
Guess what?
He (the pastor) didn't know.
I have to say, I was waiting on one of those all knowing answers and I didn't get it.
The bible doesn't tell us any of that, we really don't know anything about the man except he was mute.
I guess that was the plan, don't give us all the answers so we can ask questions.
Another interesting tidbit I have learned is that the first person to recognize Jesus as God's son was a demon, and he was in a church.
That goes against all those scary movies I grew up seeing.
I wonder why God didn't just smite that demon back to you-know-where. Maybe because it gave the people around him a chance to see what he was about.
God is good!
All the time!
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Are you a Mary or a Martha?
Last night at Bible study, we went over the story of Mary and Martha.
Now I have probably heard that story so many times that I felt like there wasn't really anything else that I could possibly take away from it. You know, how you've heard something over and over and it just starts to lose its meaning.
I guess that's what happened when we read this story last night. It was past our usual dismissal time and just as the Pastor was adjourning for the night someone said you may as well go ahead and finish the chapter, so he did.
As we read it, I automatically associated myself with Martha. Now frankly, I keep myself busy, but I don't know that I really am a Martha, a lot of time I am Mary. But last night I kept thinking about how I struggle with certain things and in that respect I AM a Martha.
How many times are we doing something and say to ourselves well, if Ms. Know it all would do something then it would be easier for the rest of us.
What? You don't say that?
Anyway, it was like someone walked over and stepped right on my toes. The nerve, right?
I am sure that if Jesus was coming over for dinner I would want everything to be just right, but I would hope that it wouldn't take all of my focus.
But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried about many things. Only one thing is important. Mary has chosen the better thing, and it will never be taken away from her."
Luke 10:41,42
Mary chose the better thing. I want the better thing. Even though we still need Martha's in the world, we have to learn to balance "things" and the "one thing."
Now I have probably heard that story so many times that I felt like there wasn't really anything else that I could possibly take away from it. You know, how you've heard something over and over and it just starts to lose its meaning.
I guess that's what happened when we read this story last night. It was past our usual dismissal time and just as the Pastor was adjourning for the night someone said you may as well go ahead and finish the chapter, so he did.
As we read it, I automatically associated myself with Martha. Now frankly, I keep myself busy, but I don't know that I really am a Martha, a lot of time I am Mary. But last night I kept thinking about how I struggle with certain things and in that respect I AM a Martha.
How many times are we doing something and say to ourselves well, if Ms. Know it all would do something then it would be easier for the rest of us.
What? You don't say that?
Anyway, it was like someone walked over and stepped right on my toes. The nerve, right?
I am sure that if Jesus was coming over for dinner I would want everything to be just right, but I would hope that it wouldn't take all of my focus.
But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are worried about many things. Only one thing is important. Mary has chosen the better thing, and it will never be taken away from her."
Luke 10:41,42
Mary chose the better thing. I want the better thing. Even though we still need Martha's in the world, we have to learn to balance "things" and the "one thing."
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Trustworthy
Many people claim to be loyal,
but it is hard to find a trustworthy person.
Proverbs 20:6
Do you find this to be true?
Sometimes we are so focused on what other people think, that we may do something that could hurt someone else. Maybe it's not intentional, but when someone hurts you, it just plain hurts.
Some times people will put someone else done to help themselves to look better. The older I get the more I stay away from people who like to gossip. I am sure you know people like this, they can tell you something about everybody. I have to admit I usually just stand there and listen, but I wonder what would happen if I actually had the guts to say anything. I would imagine I wouldn't be too popular.
I suppose I am weak or maybe just plain scared. Let's face it, even when something may be the right thing to do, most of the time it is the hardest thing to do.
Even the birds in the sky
know the right times to do things.
The storks, doves, swifts, and thrushes
know when it is time to migrate.
But my people don't know
what the Lord wants them to do.
Jeremiah 8:7
but it is hard to find a trustworthy person.
Proverbs 20:6
Do you find this to be true?
Sometimes we are so focused on what other people think, that we may do something that could hurt someone else. Maybe it's not intentional, but when someone hurts you, it just plain hurts.
Some times people will put someone else done to help themselves to look better. The older I get the more I stay away from people who like to gossip. I am sure you know people like this, they can tell you something about everybody. I have to admit I usually just stand there and listen, but I wonder what would happen if I actually had the guts to say anything. I would imagine I wouldn't be too popular.
I suppose I am weak or maybe just plain scared. Let's face it, even when something may be the right thing to do, most of the time it is the hardest thing to do.
Even the birds in the sky
know the right times to do things.
The storks, doves, swifts, and thrushes
know when it is time to migrate.
But my people don't know
what the Lord wants them to do.
Jeremiah 8:7
Monday, March 22, 2010
Staying focused
Sometimes, in our every day lives, it is easy to get distracted away from what is really important. For example, I have teenagers and their lives can be pretty hectic. If I don't make us set aside time for us as a family, or just so that they get a break from activities, then we would be running around somewhere different every night.
And I will be honest, my kids don't do that much. School and sports, that is pretty much it. One sport per child even, yet we don't have a lot of time. As a matter of fact, because my kids do a lot of things with us (as a family), I have heard some not very nice comments about them.
This is where staying focused comes in. The world will tell us one thing when the bible tells us something completely different. If we could only teach kids that what people think of them is not near as important as what God is thinking then the world would be a better place.
The things you should want most is God's kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you.
Matthew 6:33
And I will be honest, my kids don't do that much. School and sports, that is pretty much it. One sport per child even, yet we don't have a lot of time. As a matter of fact, because my kids do a lot of things with us (as a family), I have heard some not very nice comments about them.
This is where staying focused comes in. The world will tell us one thing when the bible tells us something completely different. If we could only teach kids that what people think of them is not near as important as what God is thinking then the world would be a better place.
The things you should want most is God's kingdom and doing what God wants. Then all these other things you need will be given to you.
Matthew 6:33
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Helping others
Sometimes we see something that makes a real impression on us, something that moves us to make a difference for someone.
Last night we had a meeting at church and we were talking about different types of mission projects.
This Project really spoke to me. The Central Conference Pension Initiative, is set up to help Pastors and their spouses who live in other countries that have retired and have no support. Basically a retirement plan.
Unfortunately most of those countries don't have the funds in place to help them.
If you have a minute to look at the web site, I encourage you to do so. These people even though they struggle, daily, they still smile. They still have Joy, and they truly trust the Lord to provide for them.
I recently saw on a blog where a lady went to Africa with Compassion International. She talked about how it had changed her. She said something that I will never forget. She told the story of the man who started that organization. After he had come to Africa and seen terrible things, the person with him said, "Now that you have seen, what will you do?"
That is a powerful question isn't it.
Now that you have seen, what will you do?
Last night we had a meeting at church and we were talking about different types of mission projects.
This Project really spoke to me. The Central Conference Pension Initiative, is set up to help Pastors and their spouses who live in other countries that have retired and have no support. Basically a retirement plan.
Unfortunately most of those countries don't have the funds in place to help them.
If you have a minute to look at the web site, I encourage you to do so. These people even though they struggle, daily, they still smile. They still have Joy, and they truly trust the Lord to provide for them.
I recently saw on a blog where a lady went to Africa with Compassion International. She talked about how it had changed her. She said something that I will never forget. She told the story of the man who started that organization. After he had come to Africa and seen terrible things, the person with him said, "Now that you have seen, what will you do?"
That is a powerful question isn't it.
Now that you have seen, what will you do?
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Trusting
We talk so much about trust. We talk about how we trust our friends, we trust our spouses, and we trust our family members. I wonder why it is so easy for us to trust other people, yet we have a hard time really trusting God.
I mean, let's be honest. I know that someone has let you down at some point in your life. Be it a friend, or someone you cared for. Everyone has had something like that to happen, and while it's painful for us to think about, let's look at it from God's perspective.
The bible tells us that people will let us down. But God never will.
It's easy for us to trust God when things are going good, but as soon as something bad happens, fear takes over. We may feel that God has deserted us, or is punishing us for something we did wrong. Whatever the reason we feel let down. But God isn't letting us down, maybe this is when he's seeing how much we really trust him.
No job, depend on God.
No money, depend on God.
Alone, depend on God.
All that is easy to say when I am working, and have a family. But life is not perfect, even when it may seem like it. All families have problems of some kind. Everyone has worries, and we all feel alone at some point in our lives. But we have to seek God and trust him.
He can get us through whatever we are going through.
When I am afraid, I will trust you.
I praise God for his word.
I trust God, so I am not afraid.
What can human beings do to me? Psalm 56 3,4
I mean, let's be honest. I know that someone has let you down at some point in your life. Be it a friend, or someone you cared for. Everyone has had something like that to happen, and while it's painful for us to think about, let's look at it from God's perspective.
The bible tells us that people will let us down. But God never will.
It's easy for us to trust God when things are going good, but as soon as something bad happens, fear takes over. We may feel that God has deserted us, or is punishing us for something we did wrong. Whatever the reason we feel let down. But God isn't letting us down, maybe this is when he's seeing how much we really trust him.
No job, depend on God.
No money, depend on God.
Alone, depend on God.
All that is easy to say when I am working, and have a family. But life is not perfect, even when it may seem like it. All families have problems of some kind. Everyone has worries, and we all feel alone at some point in our lives. But we have to seek God and trust him.
He can get us through whatever we are going through.
When I am afraid, I will trust you.
I praise God for his word.
I trust God, so I am not afraid.
What can human beings do to me? Psalm 56 3,4
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