One Wish

I have been reading in Chronicles about Solomon.


Solomon was David's son and we all know that David had an amazing relationship with God.  Amazing in the sense that he was human like the rest of us, but he was constantly seeking God's will in his life.  In every aspect of his life also, I mean before he would go into battle he would ask God if it was the right thing to do.


I don't know about you, but I don't ask God's advice near enough.


Anyway, onto Solomon.


Solomon was made King after David because God had promised David that someone in his family would always rule Israel.  


God was pleased with Solomon, so he appeared to Solomon and said to him, "Ask for whatever you want me to give you."


I think I will let that sink in for a minute.


God, GOD, is telling Solomon to ask him for WHATEVER he wants.  


I would wager that isn't something God goes around asking lightly.  Can you just imagine, I mean really, be honest what would you say to something like that?  


Ummm, let's see.


Peace on earth.


No more sickness, or disease.


That everyone would know God.


Endless wealth.


Power.


I know, these aren't all things that we should be asking for but I bet somewhere, someone would ask for this and more.


But not Solomon, he was truly, truly, a good man.  He asked for wisdom and knowledge to lead his people in the right way.


Because God was so pleased with him, he told him he would have more wealth, and be more honor than any king before or after him.


I probably would have blown that all to pieces, but I am still learning.  And I really want to be like that so maybe I should take a tip from David and Solomon and seek God's will for EVERYTHING in my life.  All the stuff I struggle with, or maybe that I think I can handle on my own, anything that I do I should ask him first, if this is what he would have me do.


It worked for Solomon, so I think I should at least give it a try.

Still Going!

I have had a busy weekend, but I am still trying to stay on focus with my task of Thanksgiving prayers.  I have to admit there have been some sticky circumstances where I really wanted to talk to God about me, but I didn't do it.


I was thinking this was my opportunity to praise him in the storm.


So, I just kept on Thanking him, it was difficult sometimes, but I did it.  I left the problems with him for him to take care of, and I just praised him.


After all it he does say, In all things, give Thanks.

Staying Focused

When I decided to only pray Thanksgiving prayers, everything was going along pretty good. But of course, in comes the Devil, trying as hard as he can to make me focus on the problem and not the solution.


But I think I did really good, because even though things are not going perfect, I stuck with it.  


I had to change it up a little.  I thanked God for his promises of being a sovereign God, always in control even when it doesn't feel like it to us.


I thanked him for peace that can only come through trusting in him.


I was pretty much able to let God know that even in a difficult situation, he is Lord of all.


Amen.

The Experiment

Today marks day three of my little experiment.  Only praying prayers of Thanksgiving.


This morning I watched the news as they pulled Chilean miner #9 out of the mine.  He hugged his wife and his brother, then he fell to his knees in prayer.


I imagine that was one thankful prayer, what a mighty and awesome God that can deliver you from the depths of the earth.


Today I praised God for his miracles, for his strength, for his awesomeness, and mostly his love and mercy for us.


Amen!

Day Two

Today is the 2nd day of only Prayers of Thanksgiving!


Today I thanked God for kids who study, ears to hear, eyes to see, and legs to take me where I want to go.


Today I was reading another blog that said Thankful prayers shouldn't just be about our thanksgivings but about God's awesomeness.


I totally agree so I am definitely putting that into tomorrows prayers!!!


Peace!

Trying Something New!

This week I heard someone say that if for just one month, we would pray only prayers of Gratitude, we would be amazed at how it changes our attitudes.


So today was day one of my 30 day experiment.  


This morning I thanked God for all the people in my life and for all of my blessings.


Believe it or not, this was not as easy as you might think, while I was thanking him for one thing, it made me think of the help I need with something else going on in my life.


But I didn't give in.


I stuck to it, only Thanking!!!


Today being the first day wasn't too hard, I hope I don't fall to the pressure over the next 29 days!


I will let you know how it goes.

What gets you through it?

When bad things happen to you, what helps you get through?


Is it your church family?     Your faith?    Help from family and friends?  What makes things easier to deal with?  


For me it is definitely my church and my faith, and especially my friends.  We have had a trying week with my mother being sick, and it can definitely take a toll on your mental health if you don't have some kind of outlet it is very easy to feel sorry for yourself, and also feel like you are the only one who is going through anything like this.


But you are not alone.  Even if there are no other people around who you think can help you. 


You always have the Lord.  I don't know about you, but I pray A LOT!!!  Especially when I feel alone.  It is amazing to me that God loves me so much that he cares about the piddly stuff that I am going through, when there are people going through way worse things than I am.  


I don't know about you but that makes me feel pretty special.  That even little old, lowly me, has God's ear and he really listens to what I have to say.  


Knowing that helps me get through almost any difficult situation.  Even the dentist!!

"I say this because I know what I am planning for you," says the Lord.  "I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you.  I will give you hope and a good future.  Then you will call my name.  You will come to me and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will search for me.  And when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me!"

Jeremiah 29:11-13

Answers

We may not always get the answers we want when we pray, but we do get an answer.  Whether we are satisfied with the answer we get is irrelevant.  We do get an answer that is what we need to keep in mind. 

God always hears our prayers.  We just have to be patient.  (That is what is so hard for us.)

Keep praying!!!

Prayer for today

Today I want to pray for strength to get through difficult situations.  Peace to calm me, compassion to see the needs in others and respond.  


Please pray for Bobby's family, he passed away yesterday.  Pray that they feel God's love surrounding them during this difficult time.


Please pray for Ruby who isn't feeling well.  Pray for kids who are going on to bigger things with school being over for them.  Pray they will make good choices, and seek God's wisdom first.


Pray for all the lonely people who just want someone to talk to, and if you know of someone who might need reaching out to, that you would take the initiative and reach out.

Pray for flooding victims

If it weren't for the internet, I don't think I would realize how bad the flooding really is in Tennessee.  I hope you will pray for the people who have lost their homes and their jobs.  

If you are able, give to the Red Cross, if not Pray.

God Lives Under the Bed

 I received this in an email today, and I thought it was worth sharing.
Thanks Rhonda.


GOD LIVES UNDER THE BED

 I envy Kevin. My brother, Kevin, thinks God lives under his bed. At least that's what I heard him say one night.


 He was praying out loud in his dark bedroom, and I stopped to listen, 'Are you there, God?' he said. 'Where are you? Oh, I see. Under the bed...'


 I giggled softly and tiptoed off to my own room. Kevin's unique perspectives are often a source of amusement. But that night something else lingered long after the humor.  I realized for the first time the very different world Kevin lives in.


 He was born 30 years ago, mentally disabled as a result of difficulties during labor. Apart from his size (he's 6-foot-2), there are few ways in which he is an adult.


 He reasons and communicates with the capabilities of a 7-year-old, and he always will. He will probably always believe that God lives under his bed, that Santa Claus is the one who fills the space under our tree every Christmas and that airplanes stay up in the sky because angels carry them.

 I remember wondering if Kevin realizes he is different. Is he ever dissatisfied with his monotonous life?

 Up before dawn each day, off to work at a workshop for the disabled, home to walk our cocker spaniel, return to eat his favorite macaroni-and-cheese for dinner, and later to bed.


 The only variation in the entire scheme is laundry, when he hovers excitedly over the washing machine like a mother with her newborn child.


 He does not seem dissatisfied.

 He lopes out to the bus every morning at 7:05, eager for a day of simple work.

 He wrings his hands excitedly while the water boils on the stove before dinner, and he stays up late twice a week to gather our dirty laundry for his next day's laundry chores.


 And Saturdays - oh, the bliss of Saturdays! That's the day my Dad takes Kevin to the airport to have a soft drink, watch the planes land, and speculate loudly on the destination of each passenger inside. 'That one's goin' to Chi-car-go! ' Kevin shouts as he claps his hands.


 His anticipation is so great he can hardly sleep on Friday nights.


 And so goes his world of daily rituals and weekend field trips.


 He doesn't know what it means to be discontent.


 His life is simple.


 He will never know the entanglements of wealth of power, and he does not care what brand of clothing he wears or what kind of food he eats. His needs have always been met, and he never worries that one day they may not be.


 His hands are diligent. Kevin is never so happy as when he is working. When he unloads the dishwasher or vacuums the carpet, his heart is completely in it.

 He does not shrink from a job when it is begun, and he does not leave a job until it is finished. But when his tasks are done, Kevin knows how to relax.

 He is not obsessed with his work or the work of others. His heart is pure.


 He still believes everyone tells the truth, promises must be kept, and when you are wrong, you apologize instead of argue.

 Free from pride and unconcerned with appearances, Kevin is not afraid to cry when he is hurt, angry or sorry. He is always transparent, always sincere. And he trusts God.

 Not confined by intellectual reasoning, when he comes to Christ, he comes as a child.. Kevin seems to know God - to really be friends with Him in a way that is difficult for an 'educated' person to grasp. God seems like his closest companion.

 In my moments of doubt and frustrations with my Christianity, I envy the security Kevin has in his simple faith.

 It is then that I am most willing to admit that he has some divine knowledge that rises above my mortal questions.

 It is then I realize that perhaps he is not the one with the handicap. I am. My obligations, my fear, my pride, my circumstances - they all become disabilities when I do not trust them to God's care.


 Who knows if Kevin comprehends things I can never learn? After all, he has spent his whole life in that kind of innocence, praying after dark and soaking up the goodness and love of God.

 And one day, when the mysteries of heaven are opened, and we are all amazed at how close God really is to our hearts, I'll realize that God heard the simple prayers of a boy who believed that God lived under his bed.

 Kevin won't be surprised at all!

 When you receive this, say a prayer. That's all you have to do. There is nothing attached. This is powerful.

 

Reasons we Pray

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.

Praying for Our Kids

As parents, we struggle so much with what is the best thing for our children.  Or at least I do anyway.  

Because it is such a struggle, I do a lot of praying for them.  I pray that they will grow into strong, compassionate people.  I pray they make good choices throughout the day.  I just pray for them constantly for everything you can possibly imagine.  

And even though I trust the Lord, and I know he knows best, it's very hard for me to let go of worrying about my kids.  So with that I want to add them to my list today.  It's very difficult growing up in society today.  A lot of pressure, and not a lot of role models I guess.

JC
CC
Lem-recently had surgery

I hope you have a great weekend and while I may not post over the weekend (Family time.)  I will definitely continue to pray.