Today, We PRAY...

"One of the great strengths of the United States is, although as I mentioned we have a very large Christian population, we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation, or a Jewish nation, or a Muslim nation,..we consider ourselves a nation of citizens, who are bound by ideals and a set of values..........and yet what we're seeing, in both countries," (speaking of Turkey), "is that promise of a secular country that is respectful of religious freedom, respectful of rule of law, respectful, upholding these values and being willing to stand up for them on the international stage....then I think we can have an extraordinary impact"

United States President Baraq Obama at Turkish Press conference.

One of my goals in writing this blog is to give glory and honor to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and to never dishonor the name of Jehovah my God.
I do not want to bring a political viewpoint or aroma into this blog unless it has some prevailing influence or impact on that said goal.

Today is our National Prayer Day here in the United States of America. This great nation was founded and thereafter built upon Christian principles and values drawn from the Word of God, the Bible. Our founding fathers quoted from and wrote their articles and declarations out of the teachings of this book.

Today you can read or listen (in the brief video clip below) to the words of our elected Commander In Chief and President stating that we are not just a Christian nation.


This literally means that the very foundation and footings that have upheld this great nation are now cracked and being hammered on.

What happens when the foundations of any structure get cracked and chipped? The erosion and destruction begin. All that has been built on that original secure and solid base will begin to crack and crumble and the very framework and skeleton that holds all together will fall.

Today we are called to pray. Many faiths and many religions will come together to pray to their deities.

PRAY for America! PRAY for this man, our elected leader. PRAY for God to bring change in him and those around him in the White House, and Senate, and halls of Congress. PRAY for those who are in our armed forces and military who serve and fight to protect these freedoms he speaks of.

I believe that God has not yet removed His hand that hovers over America. The shadow cast by that hand still grants blessings over this country that are taken for granted and unrecognized by many as to the Source from which they flow. There is still a VERY LARGE Christian population, as our own President mentioned, that recognizes God as the ultimate King, Creator and Ruler of this nation.

May we rise up.... and not be complacent, not be resigned, not be silent, no longer be only half way in, simply going through the motions, when it comes to where we stand on these issues, and what our foundational beliefs are.

Today, we can pray. Tomorrow we can pray, and every day after...we can pray. We are in a country where this is still our freedom to do so.

"…The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:16)

PRAY.

The foundation of our nation is showing cracks.

"If my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." ( II Chronicles 7:14)


KNOW...

God Reigns Still. He is in control.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

HOPE.

Always.

"For with God nothing shall be impossible." (Luke 1:37)

Blessings and Courage,

SHINE!!!

"The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned." (Isaiah 9:2)

"For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ." (II Corinthians 4:6)

"When Jesus spoke again to the people, He said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." (John 8:12)

"The LORD is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear?
The LORD is the stronghold of my life , of whom shall I be afraid?" (Psalm 27:1)

"Who is as the wise man? and who knoweth the interpretation of a thing? A man's wisdom maketh his face to shine, and the boldness of his face shall be changed." (Ecclesiastes 8:1)

"He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun." (Psalm 37:6)

What an amazing and awesome array of Scripture ...words spoken and ordained from the very mouth of Jehovah God. What is He saying? What inspiration and understanding can we draw from these passages?

God is Light. He shines forth...His power and glory penetrate the darkness.

In our physical world we experience this concept every morning when the sun rises, signalling an end to the night. The first light of dawn appears grey after the inky blackness of the midnight hours. Then comes the myriad of beautiful yellows, oranges and reds as the sunbeams pierce the grey and the skies change to blue.
We receive light from a flashlight beam in the dark corners of recessed places, or when we walk through the woods on a moonless night.
We can see where to walk in our homes by a candle's flame when we lose our electricity in a storm.

All of these are physical sources of illumination seen with physical eyes.

We know that it is impossible to produce this kind of light out of our bodies, just as well as we know that the light the above verses speak of is not that type of light.

I'm sure each of you has heard the phrase, "She has a smile that lights up the whole room when she walks in!" Now that may be a little closer to the concept we are looking for.

The words from II Corinthians 4:6 come the closest to explaining what God's changing grace does to us. "For God... made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God's glory displayed in the face of Christ."

We were once "sons of disobedience," a part of the darkness of this fallen world.
When we heard the Good News and believed that Christ came and died for us, and we accepted the Gospel message as our salvation, it was that glory that shone from the face of Christ that entered into our souls. Our spirits were eternally changed!!! The source of LIGHT in the spiritual kingdom....God Himself...entered into us. That glory is the light God wants to shine out from us.

"And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof." (Rev. 21:23)

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 5:14-16)



This is what a Christian should look like. Our spirits are to be bright shining lights giving hope and sight to those walking in the darkness of sin. Remember....where God is not, there is no light.

I urge you today to pause for just a moment, and seriously consider the amount of light you are giving off in your circle of acquaintances. Do the people who know you assume you are a Christian simply because you have a smile that lights up a room and you have a "sunny" personality? or....Do they know beyond a shadow of a doubt because they witness your love for Christ and get a megawatt view of that indwelling glory of the Holy Spirit? By your speech and the topics of your conversations, your attitudes and your opinions, your actions and your reactions, your anxieties or lack of them....do those around you receive illumination about living a life that fully trusts and rests in God's hands?

Let your little light shine! With the Power Source you have within you, you might be surprised! That little glory-light glow may just turn into a beam like a lighthouse strobe that pierces the darkness further and wider than you ever could have imagined.
Power up with God every day! Keep it burning brightly!

Blessings,

What Are You Praying For?

"Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." (James 1:17)

"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." (Mark 11:24)

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Matthew 7:7-11)

"Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss..." (James 4:3)

"And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, He heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him." (I John 5:,14,15)

In an earlier post, I quoted E. M. Bounds. The beginning of that quote stated, "The goal of prayer is the ear of God....."

Every time we speak audibly or silently to our Father, we are praying. Maybe it is just praise for something beautiful we have experienced with our senses.

A moving piece of music we have heard with our ears that has lifted our spirit and our mood....
A beautiful sunrise or sunset... a rainbow, a baby foal kicking up its heels across a meadow, something we have seen with our eyes....
A delicious food we have just tasted on our tongue and it is "a slice of heaven"...
The soft, smooth and fresh skin of a new baby, or the sweet kiss from the lips of the love of our life, something we have felt by our sense of touch...

Maybe it is a plea for strength and courage as we face a moment in our day where we experience our own lacking or a stab of fear...

Maybe it is a shout of gratitude for having achieved victory in a previous request that we had been quietly waiting on the Lord to see it done....

Maybe it is a long suffering, repeated petition for God to do something, to bring about results, to sew something up that has been torn, to tie up some loose ends that have been left hanging...

And maybe it is just a heartfelt, deeply cherished expression of love, telling our Abba how very much we treasure Him, and want Him to know our heart and soul's feelings that we cannot physically express to Him.

Whatever we are talking to God about, we always strive for His ear to be listening. We always want to be sure that our heart is in good standing before Him and that we are invited to come before Him and have His good pleasure to speak before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

How are your quality times with God?

When you approach Him to talk and share, are you believing that He is waiting and open to your heart's language? Is your conscience and spirit clear, knowing that your earthly relationships are acceptable and approvable in His all-seeing and all-knowing power? Is your heart shrouded with secret bitterness or sullied with hidden anger from your past that you really need to unload? Are your requests and desires being laid at His feet with HIS WILL and answers as your desire, and not your will and plans?

We are reminded by the disciple James that there are many times we ask, and do not receive, because we ask amiss. We are asking with the wrong motives, the wrong desires, even the wrong requests!

What are you praying for? Make sure that your true goal is for God to receive the glory in your answer, and for you to receive His good pleasure from your heart's position before Him as you ask. May we all seek to do a quality check on our soul as we get ready to have our daily intimate time with our Father.

Before I speak any words from my mouth, pouring out all the desires that come from my needs and walk here on this earth, may I scan my heart and see if there is anything that would displease or dishonor my Father and cause my requests to be "amiss."

Confess and be cleansed first. This should always be our greatest desire before we open our mouths to speak. His ear is open to those whose heart is perfect toward Him.
He hears and He answers His children. :-)

Set your heart straight. Pray with Confidence.

El Shaddai... The God you pray to is Almighty and All Sufficient.
He is unmoveable. He is unshakable. He is unchanging throughout the ages.
Nothing....NOTHING.....NOTHING is impossible for HIM.
Do you believe that?
May your heart's desires be answered.
Blessings,

a powerful video. Take 7 minutes to simply lift and praise His name. It may just change the rest of your day...

Sunday Musings

I just finished up a weekend of dogsitting a dachshund that I can only label a "Pistol Pete". He is the only dog I have ever dealt with in my years of rescue, working for a professional petsitting business, working for a professional kennel/boarding service, and my own petsitting jobs that I have totally NOT enjoyed. He is a nipper/biter. He got me for the second time this last visit. NO MORE SERVICE for this client!!! It's a little humiliating since he is my smallest client canine, and yet the most ferocious!!! {:-o

We will be finishing up our annual CAT testing for homeschool this week. Yes, it is dragging out. Can you tell it is not an enjoyable or relished experience in this home??? We'll celebrate when it's over.

Jonny went out and bought a laptop for himself this past Friday. That now brings the total of computers in our house to 6!!! Wow...not sure how I feel about that.
Katie has her own, which she custom built for herself, and she has a laptop that she also uses with her online studies. We have a family computer, really the "boy's computer" in the family room which is probably the oldest and seems to be getting slower by the month. I think this may have been a big reason that Jonny went out and bought a laptop for himself, since he does schoolwork on the computer now. He will be using it in our dining room, not his room... which he feels creates a safety zone of accountability and responsibility, as do his parents!

Kurt and I have a computer in our bedroom that was a gift from our kids on our 25th wedding anniversary. (Yes, they are generous children.) Kurt also has a laptop that his precious daughter bought for him when he went to Ohio because he had no access to do personal computer work and messaging when he was working there.
This seems like a lot of computer equipment in one house, but as much as this electronic age has developed, I guess it is convenient, considering how many people are "users." I know that colleges now require most students to have one upon entering their freshman year.

I am glad to say that we still only have one TV... very old, and closed away in an entertainment center except when it is in use for DVD use, Jeopardy, or the news, ...and yes, the Monday episodes of "24." I am attempting to watch as little TV as possible. It is a part of my "Developing Stronger Disciplines" 2009 goal for my life, as I reflect on one of my Year verses:

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." (Phil. 4:6-8)

This weekend we got to watch the first DVD made by Alex and Stephen Kendrick, the makers of Facing The Giants, and Fireproof. It is titled "Flywheel", and the storyline and plot are just as good as the other two movies these brothers have produced and directed. We really enjoyed it. Their movies are encouraging, edifying, and sometimes even tearjerkers. We are anxiously looking forward to their next movie. They are all glorifying to God.

We are anticipating Justin's final weeks with excitement and prayer as his graduation from Boot Camp is scheduled for Friday, May 22nd. We look forward to receiving a letter this week updating us about his Warrior Training, and the second table of Rifle Firing to see what he scored and how that will play into his future training experiences. Time is really starting to go by fast...

Enough musing about this week. It is Sunday!
Today is our Lord's Day. We desire and look forward to worshipping HIM with our church family. We are thankful for such a wonderful pastor and church home here in Charlotte.
Blessings!!

Strength Will Rise As We Wait Upon The Lord...

"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)

Today I am thinking of my oldest son, Justin. I know that his journey on Parris Island is rapidly coming to its destination. The young men in his platoon continue to train and prepare to face the CRUCIBLE, the culmination of all their skills and their final proving test for becoming a Marine. I have written Justin encouraging him once again to remember the Source of his strength as he enters into this final event. I know that he will.

He has been written week after week, with encouraging notes and verses to help keep him focused when he has been dead tired and weary to the bone.

And now this Recruit Mama writes him once more to cheer him on and say I believe fully that he will do well. I know that all he commits to God will be finished with success, as he does it with all his heart as unto the Lord.

I sent him my two favorite claimed promises for while he has endured this time in his life, and I printed out the words to the accompanying song on this post today.

As we walk through our own moments of our civilian, everyday lives in this broken world, with so much to drag us down and cause fear in our hearts, may we too, remember the promises in these verses I send to Justin again.

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)

"Lift up your eyes and look to the heavens, Who created all these? He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name. Because of his great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing...Do you not know?

Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;

but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint." (Isaiah 40:26, 28-31)

Are you finding yourself continuously walking through tough times? Do you hear yourself silently asking God Why?...or When? more often than you desire? Are there too many moments in your day where you feel like you are crumbling, and you fear reaching that breaking point if one more negative setback comes your way? Do you feel like you could be experiencing a real-life Crucible?

Take hold of Courage!!!

Go to THE ONE that you know will enable you to overcome!!

Turn to His words of promise and encouragement in the Psalms!

Be still and Wait... believing...He will hear your requests for strength.

You will conquer in due time, because you have the only ONE AND ONLY who will raise you up, bring you through, and SEE IT DONE.

Feel His Strength IN YOU... Your God is unshakable.

Remember the words of this song when you are down and out. Sing them out loud. Claim them before the enemy who would seek to defeat you! :-)

<

THERE IS A REASON...

For everything there is a reason...and a season.

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

I believe in a God who sent His only son
to walk upon this world and give His life for us
With blood and tears on a long, dark night
We know that He believed
That there is a reason
There is a reason....

He makes all things good
He makes all things good
There’s a time to live and a time to die
A time for wonder and to wonder why
'cause there is a reason
There is a reason. (There Is A Reason - lyrics)

"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven...He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end...I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him." (Ecclesiastes 1:1,11,14)

"For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people."(Hebrews 2:17)

"For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant." (Hebrews 9:15)

He makes all things good,

Make It Easy....

As I was driving down the boulevard yesterday evening returning home from a grocery run, I rolled up behind a car with a male driver and obviously another person in the front seat.
I couldn't see the head of that passenger on the right side, but I knew he or she was there, because the man was conversing non-stop with the passenger. As we sat at the loooong stop-light, I could see the man getting more and more animated and he seemed to be getting incensed. Whoever was the recipient of his ranting must not have gotten too many words in between his punctuated head jerking and building anger. It was painful to watch, because the more I witnessed of this 2 minute "exchange", the more I became convinced that the person in the passenger side must be a child. They never moved from their position for me to see even a hair on their head or a profile, a hand, anything. Finally as the man finished his "lecture" or whatever was going on, I saw his left arm come across the gap between the two front seats, and deliver a fist-punch to either the arm or face of the passenger. {I hope the arm!!. :-( .... }

I almost started weeping in the car, but the light was green, and he was moving on, and so I had to also. I shook my head in sadness, disgust, and shame, as a fellow parent, that so many times we all must not have handled situations with our children well, responding in angry words. In the heat of the moment, some even resorting to violence and abuse.

Did the child in the front seat do something terrible, talk back, show dishonor, disrespect the man's rules, get in trouble at school, steal from a store??? Did he "miss the mark" when it was a time he should have chosen differently?

Why did I witness that scene? Truly I wished I hadn't....but I did. I don't know if anyone else around that vehicle was even aware of what was going on, but this mama was, and it made me pause to think as I continued home.

I thank God that Kurt and I know the Lord our God. I thank God that we know we are broken and can only miss the mark as parents every day in every way, were it not for our Savior's grace to constantly renew us to do His will and His ways. I thank God that we had godly parents who even in their own brokenness still showed us to pursue God with all our might, and practice confession and experience forgiveness from our own merciful Father. I thank God that we know that we can be MORE than we could be, in the strength of Christ.....AND I thank God for beautiful children who have been merciful and gracious to their own parents, as we stumbled and fumbled in our walk to pursue godly parenting.

I thank God for all of this, and I say a prayer for that child and driver in the car in front of me yesterday, and for all home situations where abuse may be taking place.

God, Father...protect your little ones. Help us as parents, to pursue being honorable people, to make it easier for our children to honor us, as you have commanded them to do.
Lord, may we never be people that make it difficult and trying for our children to obey, for in this, we become enablers for them to stumble, and fall short of their efforts to obey YOU.

In my bible, there is a small piece of paper, that has been there so many years that I cannot even say how long ago I wrote it. I know my children were toddlers, because I do remember it was a time when we were living in our previous home. I placed it within those very pages for a reminder every time I was reading God's Word and seeking His message and counsel. It simply states:

"A GOOD MOTHER IS ONE WHO MAKES IT EASY FOR A CHILD TO BE GOOD."

I believe that this probably came from a Focus On The Family daily radio program, as I was a loyal and dedicated listener in those days. :-) Today I believe that this still applies as we continue to raise and "rear" our older children in the nurture and admonition of our Lord.
The more honorable we are as parents.... the easier it will be for our children to respect and love us, listen to what we are now saying from the sidelines, and eventually be our very good friends, as they leave home and naturally phase out of the "parent>child" relationship.

I hope this has made you stop and think today. Whether you are young parents with small ones, seasoned parents with teens, or empty-nesters with now adult children, possibly on the verge of "grandparenting years." Are you an honorable parent? Do you model and display the same grace and mercy to your children when they "miss the mark" as your heavenly Father does for you when you fall short?

Trust in the Lord. Seek daily, afresh every morning to be that honorable parent in the strength of Jesus Christ who makes it all possible.

Make it E A S Y for your kids to be good!!

Blessings and Success!

****a very popular song, directed more to dads, but still the message for all of us is..
the days are short, time is flying, a blink of the eye, and they are gone...
Be honorable in your calling of Parenting, Do it as unto the Lord.