Sunday Blogvotional: Find Peace in an Overloaded Life

Do you feel overworked? Is each day a battle to accomplish left over duties and all of today’s “must do‘s“? Do some days feel like a rat race and the rat’s ahead.

This is not what God planned for us. We are created in his image. Can you see him running around like that? Peace. Just saying the word can make us feel better. It brings forth an image of serenity and tranquility like a lazy afternoon on the beach.

Peace is what the world needs more than anything else. What if we took a good look at our duties and made a list at the beginning of each week of what we must do and what we truthfully can eliminate. And then add in some fun things, the kind of things that make life enjoyable again. When you see it in black and white suddenly life isn’t so daunting anymore and needed peace can be restored to that area of our life.

Seek peace and pursue it.  Psalm 34:14b

Encouragement for the week: This is a busy time of the year and it's easy to get so lost in all the to-do's that you don't even enjoy the season.  Decide what has to be done, then eliminate a few things that don't.  Take time for yourself and your family to enjoy the season.  Usually the best times together are those where nothing much is planned.  Simple togetherness is peaceful.  

This week's blogvotional was submitted my Mumsy (my mom).

The Problem With "What if"

The other day I was praying about a situation and realized I'd been holding on to some "worry poison" as I like to call it.  Yep, I drank the poison which found a cozy little spot in my body to call home gradually oozing out its nastiness over time.  I know it doesn't make for a pretty picture but sometimes the truth isn't pretty.  Worry is poison and it does damage to, not only your spirit, but your body as well.

The particular worry poison I took this time came in the form of a "What if?" pill.  There I was again worrying about the future.  You've been there too, haven't you?  "What if this happens?"  What if I make a mistake?"

The logical person inside of me says: "Duh! It's dumb to worry about things that may not even happen."  Sadly, my body isn't always controlled by that logical person.  Instead the emotional person inside of me says "Ooh! Let's go on a roller coaster ride."  (Only it turns out there are no safety harnesses installed.)  I fall for this trick every time.   

As I was praying something profound occurred to me.  (True - it actually did.)  I pictured making my decision and then what would happen if a year down the road I discovered it was a mistake? What then? Would I pull that worry poison out of my body, display it before God and say "See, I was right to hold onto this!  You wanted me to let go of my fears but I knew better.  I knew I'd need this eventually. My fear in this has been completely justified."

Then I thought, what does this worry poison really gain me?  If my decision turns out not to be a mistake, then poison is taking up a place in my body that could be filled with Godly things (like love, joy, peace...).  And if the decision turns out to be a mistake?  Does it help me to be right?  Does it make the mistake go away?  Does it help to tell God "I told you so!"?  Does it make me more receptive to God's grace? No, it doesn't do anything for me but allow me some righteous (or unrighteous) indignation.

My take-away is this:  Do your best to make wise decisions.  Pray about them before you make them.  But once you make your decision, commit to it, and go forward in faith.  Believe firmly that no matter what happens, God is with you and will always be with you even if things don't turn out like you thought.  Holding on to the worry poison only trains your eyes to look for the failures instead of seeing how God graciously gets you through what is, in effect, the bumpy road called life. There's no upside to worry.  Free yourself and get rid of it.

Sunday Blogvotional: Honoring God With Your Life

If you were asked to come up with a list of words to honor God, you might come up with a few words like Loving, Generous, Compassionate, All Knowing, Powerful, Lord and Master. What if you couldn’t speak?  How would you express yourself to honor God? They say communication is 90% visual and 10% verbal.

God’s creation honors Him. The heavens declare and the skies proclaim... We are by far the greatest and most cherished part of His creation. In everything we do and everything we say, our lives should honor God. Can your family, friends and co-workers declare the glory of God by seeing how your life is lived? Are there parts of your life that don’t declare the glory of God?

With all of our strength we should live out loud the Glory of God. Our lives should declare how awesome, loving, forgiving, merciful and compassionate He really is and how much He loves and longs to be with his most cherished creation.

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

Psalm 19:1

Encouragement for the week: In some way each day this week, make a special effort to declare by your life’s example the glory of God to your family, friends, co-workers or anyone else you come in contact with. Let the glory of God shine through you!

This week's blogvotional contributed by James "the hubs".

21 Days of Blessings Challenge

In my latest Sunday blogvotional "See Your Blessings" I decided to challenge myself to write down 7 things each day for which I am thankful for or blessed with.  I'm doing this for two main reasons.  One is to open my eyes and see the blessings around me and the second is to create a habit of looking for and seeing those blessings. (They say it takes 21 days to create a habit.)

It's so easy to get caught up in our wants and desires.  We see more quickly what we don't have and what we still want that we become discontented.  I believe that by training ourselves to see the truth in how blessed we truly are - the more content we will be.  I would rather live a thankful and contented life than one of ungratefulness and discontentment.

I began my 21 days challenge in hopes of changing my outlook.  Before bed I have been writing out my 7 things.  At first this seemed pretty easy.  A few days into it, sadly, I started to struggle.  I can't write the same things every night.  That kind of defeats the purpose.  And I'm trying hard to stay away from the standard blessings (my family, Jesus, salvation).  The reason is because my goal is to look closely at my daily life and see the blessings I tend to overlook.

So as I struggled I realized that not thinking about my blessings until the end of the day was making it harder for me to see them (or remember them).  My new strategy is to consciously be on the lookout throughout the day for my blessings.  That way when I notice them, I can immediately give thanks for them.  The more I notice, the more thankful I'll become. The more thankful, the more grateful.  The more grateful, the more joyful.  And then I'm right back to receiving another huge blessing from God - a thankful, grateful, joyful, contented life.  Sounds good to me.

Join me on the challenge and let me know what you discover!

A Word From Lincoln

Below is the proclamation for Thanksgiving by Abraham Lincoln officially creating our nationally observed holiday.  In the 4th paragraph he calls on us to give thanks and praise to God as well as calling us to pray for those in need and for our country.  I love how the heart of the man shines through his words. His thoughts are never far from those in need nor from the One who meets those needs.

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.

In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union.

Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy.

It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the Unites States the Eighty-eighth.

By the President: Abraham Lincoln

Sunday Blogvotional: See Your Blessings

Do you feel blessed?  It’s easy to get caught up in the trap of feeling like life is handing you a raw deal.  But we need to be careful not to let our vision cloud out the truth.  The truth is that blessings are a constant.  They always exist around us, through us, and in us.  What changes is our perspective of them.  There’s the familiar saying that “one man’s trash is another man’s treasure”.  What you may see as an “unblessed” life someone else may see as a very “blessed” life.  The blessings are there - we just have to open our eyes and look.

"But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear.”

 Matthew 13:16

Encouragement of the week: Take a moment – open your eyes and see how God has blessed you.  Challenge yourself to come up with at least 7 today! Then try to do that each day this week.  Then try it for a total of 21 days.  They say it takes 21 days to form a habit.  Is there any better habit to have than thankfulness?

This is Thanksgiving week and the perfect time to jump-start our thankful attitudes. Join me as I challenge myself with creating a new, gratitude filled life for the next 21 days.

Perfect Faith

Have you ever noticed how some scriptures sound so absolute?  For example, the Bible says hope doesn't disappoint (Romans 5:5).  And yet who hasn't felt disappointment in something hoped for?  What about the scripture that says if you believe and not doubt you will have whatever you ask (Mark 11:23,24)?  I don't know about you but I've asked for many things I haven't received.  And then how about in James chapter 1, verses 6 and 7 which indicates that a man who doubts should not expect to receive anything.

These verses have always thrown me for a loop.  They sound like if you don't have perfect faith than your prayers won't be heard or answered.  So - we seem to be in a little bit of a pickle.  Either we have perfect faith or we don't receive anything.  Is that really what the Bible is saying?

I began to think that maybe the words "hope" and "belief" are meant to be taken in a more general sense.  I've always thought of them in a more specific context.  For example, if someone hopes in specifics like getting married someday, or for a well-paying job, or for a healing, they might be disappointed if those things don't happen.  But if the "hope" God is referring to is simply our hope in the salvation of God and the opportunity to spend eternity in Heaven then, of course, hope will not disappoint.  If "belief" simply means we believe that God is who He says He is and Jesus is His son, then maybe that's all the belief we need (and it's enough to move mountains).

In Mark chapter 9 we come across a man asking Jesus to heal his son.  He says to Jesus: "If you can do anything, take pity on us and help us." Jesus responds: "'If you can?' Everything is possible for one who believes."  The man, realizing his error then says: "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief."  What strikes me about this story is that even though the man clearly had his doubts (he lacked perfect faith) Jesus still healed his son.  It shows me that our faith doesn't heal people, God heals people.  Yes, faith is required but perfect faith isn't expected.  After all, Jesus was the only one who had perfect faith.

So I guess my personal take-away is this: If I ask for something in prayer and I don't receive it, I can no longer guilt myself into believing the lie that I didn't receive because my faith wasn't strong enough.  The truth is my faith is strong - it's just not perfect.  But then again, thankfully, God doesn't expect perfection out of me.

Sunday Blogvotional: Remembering God's Grace

Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of tribes of Israelites, to serve as a sign among you.  In the future, when your children ask you, “What do these stones mean?” tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord.  Joshua  4:5-7

In the Bible we see many instances where individuals and sometimes whole nations set up memorials or altars to remind them of the presence of the Lord.  More significantly – it was to remind them of how God worked in their lives. 

How do we remember those times God rescues us – pulls us out of the pit and sets us back on our feet again?  When God works magnificently in our lives do we thank Him and then forget a week later what He did for us.  How can we make sure we don’t forget and that we pass the truth of His graciousness on from generation to generation?  His efforts should not be done in vain or forgotten.

Encouragement for the week:  Has God rescued you? When God moves in your life – remember it!!  Although we can’t build huge stone altars out in our lawn, we can find other ways to keep God’s deliverance, graciousness and kindness in the front of our mind.  Think of a way that’s significant to you.

From Here To Eternity: A Glorious Transition

A college friend of mine is losing his earthly body today and gaining a fabulous new one in Heaven.  I'm incredibly excited for him for what is sure to be the most glorious day of his life and birthday into eternity.  Eagerly awaiting his arrival will be a sister, a mother, countless angels and his heavenly Father with open arms. 

His passing, of course, makes me sad and my heart breaks for his family but I can't help but think that his infectious smile will be larger than its ever been once he gets to his new home.  He touched everyone he met.  He had a huge heart and more love than most to give away.

I've been reading friends' comments on Facebook.  Everybody says the same thing.  They reference his smile, his attitude, his love for and his dedication to God.  I can't help but think, despite all the health struggles, this man has lived a blessed life.  A life lived in that peaceful spot of truly understanding God's gift of forgiveness is greater than all the pain and suffering of this world.  Below is one of his postings from Facebook a year ago. You can get a sense of my friend's heart and life. 

"'Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases'.(Ps. 103:1-3) Today is the 11th anniversary of my stem cell transplant for stage IV Non-Hodgkins lymphoma. I could go into all the treatments and share with you how difficult of a road it has been dealing with the horrible disease. But I am not going to do that. This day and everyday needs to be all about Jesus and how thankful I am for Him forgiving me for all my sins . That is why I chose this scripture. I am so thankful that I am forgiven. I reflect upon Christ and all the pain and suffering he went through to save me from my sins and not from cancer. My prayer is that we all don't forget His benefits."

I'm touched by the fact that his life was so clearly lived for God.  Not everyone can say that about their own life nor will it be said about them. There is, in my humble opinion, no better way to be remembered than for everyone to know your life centered around God. Well done, my friend.  Well done.  

Now I'm left to wonder:  If he has been the life of the party here on earth, what will he be like in Heaven?  We will miss you, Rick!

Sunday Blogvotional: The Guidance of a Loving Father

If you're like me, you recognize multiple areas within yourself that need improvement.  For an introspective person, it can be a bit overwhelming to discover all the areas which could be improved upon.  But what I think is so wonderful is that even if I never change, I know without a doubt that God loves me.  But it's that very love for me that leads Him to point out my flaws.  No, He's not trying to pick me apart with a fine tooth comb.  And He doesn't do this because I have to reach a certain level to meet His standards.  He does this because He wants the best for me.  He knows the good that I can do.  He knows the good that I can be.  He's simply trying to help me to reach my potential.  That's what a loving father does.

He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion.

Philippians 1:6 

Encouragement for the week:  Pick one of your flaws (yes, we all have them) and thank God for helping you recognize it.  Write down a few ways you can work on it this week.  Ask God for help.  Remember - it's like getting help from your best friend not your worst coach.  Love makes all the difference!

Sunday Blogvotional: Finding Peace

Have you ever been in this situation? The roads are icy and visibility is limited.  The little you can see reveals a whole lot of cars spun out on the side of the road.  Things seem pretty dim and scary but the driver sitting beside you is someone you completely trust. There's a long, icy road in front of you and you could be freaking out.  But you know you are safely in your driver's hands. You have peace in this because you're confident in his or her abilities to get you to your destination. 

Do you react differently when you go through the storms of life?  Do you freak out, worry, become tense because you don't trust the driver of your life?  Do the waves of your sea of life toss you around making you uneasy and taking away your peace?  Or do you trust the author of your life to get you through the storm and safely into the next chapter?

Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him, saying, "Lord, save us! We're going to drown!" He replied, "You of little faith, why are you so afraid?" Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.
Matthew 8:24-26

   
The apostles in the above passage were afraid because they didn't yet fully understand who Jesus was.  Peace comes from knowing God.  Knowing God comes from spending time with Him.  Read His truths - His promises. You will see His immense love for you and His control in every situation.  Talk to Him.  The closer you communicate with Him the more you will know the One who is your God, your Father, your Friend, your Protector, and your Comforter. 
  
Encouragement for the week:  It may be hard to let go of our fears and trust God completely. But the peace we have of trusting God far outweighs being consumed by fear.   Remember next time you start to worry - open His Word and talk to Him.  His peace will come to you.

Sunday Blogvotional: Be Still

It’s amazing how fast paced this world is. With cell phones and tablets bought and sold as if they were a gallon of milk. We have tools at our fingertips that connect us via phone, email, or social networks with all of our family, friends, and business contacts. These links are pulling at us to give them our utmost attention.

We link our personal, business and social lives in such a web that life becomes overwhelming and uncontrollable clutter. We can’t stop. We don’t want to miss out. Ironically, we end up neglecting our most important link, that which is with our heavenly father. These other links that tug at us become chains that make us slaves rather than a servant for the GREAT I AM. We need to quiet the clutter. Being still in God’s presence grants you access to who He is, was, and will ever be.    

Be still, and know that I am God;  Psalm 46:10

Encouragement for the week:  Take time each day to put the clutter away and spend quiet time with God. He will reveal himself to you in more deeper and satisfying ways than the world around us ever can.

Content contributed this week by "The Hubs" - James.

How Well Do We Trust God?

It's hard to learn to trust God when we don't give Him the opportunity to show His faithfulness.  How many times have you encountered a crisis, prayed to God for answers or help, then proceeded to deal with the problem on your own?  It's a very common problem that can lead to an even bigger problem. 

When we encounter a crisis and we're not grounded in our trust in God our fear and frustrations can take over and we react out of those emotions.  We get impatient for God to work.  We want our problem solved ASAP.  And as you may have noticed, God doesn't always time things the way we'd like Him to. So we try to solve our problems in our own time. 

All we really want is resolution and peace. And yes - sometimes when we take things into our own hands and get that quick resolution we think we feel peace.  But, the truth is, it's not peace we get - it's relief masquerading as peace.  True peace comes from waiting on God and trusting Him.

If we continue to respond to situations out of our impatience, over time our trust and faith in God diminishes.  Why? Because we haven't seen Him work in our lives for awhile.  He seems absent.  The problem isn't that He's absent - it's usually that we're impatient, we've ignored Him and we don't trust Him to work out the situation.

If we don't allow God the time and opportunity to work in our lives, how will we ever witness His faithfulness?  And if we don't see His faithfulness, how will we ever see and feel His loving hand upon us?  And that loving hand is where true peace comes from.

The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him and I am helped.  Psalm 28:7

We wait in hope for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in His holy name. Psalm 33:20,21

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10

Sunday Blogvotional: The Benefit of Trials

Nobody likes trials.  Pain is pain and nobody wants to go through it. Regardless of whether or not we want to have trials in our lives, they will inevitably come our way.  Sometimes they come in big hurricane sized storms and sometimes merely in the rain. 

Trials, however, do have their benefits.  Growth, for one, occurs when we experience the growing pains of trials.  And unless your goal is to stagnate in life and in your faith, growth is desired.  Trials also have the uncanny ability to reveal our true character and beliefs. 

John Ortberg says in his book "If You Want To Walk On Water, You've Got To Get Out Of The Boat", that our hearts our revealed and our character is forged when life doesn't go the way we planned.  He also says "It is in the act of facing the storm that you discover what lies inside you and decide what lies before you." 

Yes, trials can be painful but they can also be beneficial.  It's through them we discover who we truly are and how deep the well of our faith is.   Without them we have no way of truly knowing our strength in Christ. 

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  James 1:2-4

Encouragement for the week: When you go through a trial try to look past the present pain in order to see the future glory.  Even when it's hard to feel and remember this: God will never forsake you, hold tight to this truth and His glory will be revealed in you.

How Important Is It?

It's been said a few times in the course of human existence that "actions speak louder than words". I don't think anyone would debate the truthfulness of the statement.  It's pretty much a no-brainer.  For example, we know you can't simply tell someone you love them and that be enough.  You must show them you love them through your actions. You would also be hard-pressed to convince someone of someone else's dependability that never follows through on their promises.

But what happens when words aren't actually said but good intentions are made in the heart? What happens when those intentions are never followed through on?  Is the message the same? Let me give you an example.  The other day I was getting ready to pray.  Now - I have a prayer system that keeps me faithful to praying.  I'm not trying to toot my own horn.  Just trying to say I feel like I've made good progress in my prayer life.  But the other day it dawned on me that they are circumstances and/or people that require a little bit more than a simple toss onto my list.  They require a little extra prayer and fervency.

I thought I was doing good but the question occurred to me: "How important is it?"  I mean - I know people who are really going through some hard times.  Do I pray for them? Yes. Is that good to do? Yes.  But what about putting a little heart into my prayers?  Is my desire for God to work in their lives important enough for me to dedicate actual time (say more than a minute) praying for them? Do I want God to "kind of" affect their lives or do I want God to SUPERSIZE blessings in their lives?

Here's another example: I know of some people who dedicate themselves to praying faithfully for their child's future spouse.  So I ask myself the same question. How important is it?  Do I want to give my daughter an "advantage" when it comes to meeting her mate?  Of course, I do.  Is it important enough to pray for?  Absolutely.  Is it important enough to actually do and not just say.  I hope so.

All prayers are important.  It's just that I'm beginning to see a correlation between the type of prayer I pray and how important the prayer is to me.  My hope is that I'll learn to put more of my heart and effort into my prayers than just my words.

Sunday Blogvotional: Redirecting Our Worship

What is worship?  The dictionary describes it as: extravagant respect or admiration for or devotion to an object of esteem.  Of course we naturally relate the word "worship" with God.  But I wonder how worship actually plays out in our day to day lives.  What about all those things or people readily available and accepting of our worship?  How much time do we spend "worshiping" them? 

As a teenager - I assure you my "extravagant admiration" towards my favorite rock band was not a one day a week kind of action or emotion.  I, along with my fellow teeny-boppers ate, drank and slept all things relating to them.  You may think it's a silly comparison but ask yourself what you spend your time thinking about or doing?  How does that time compare with how much time you spend worshiping God? 

Of course "worship" isn't a word we often use to describe our other behaviors.   But maybe we should.  If we called worship what it was, maybe we'd have a better understanding of what we're doing.  Then we can redirect our worship back to the One who deserves it.

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.  Matthew 6:21

Encouragement for the week:  Give up something non-God-focusing today that you typically spend your time on.  Give that time back to God.

Sunday Blogvotional: Satan's Real Goal

When it comes to a spiritual battle many believe that Satan's whole goal is to "convert us" if you will.  To get us to turn away from God and to follow him.  Unfortunately this view causes many Christians to stop thinking of the devil as a threat because they're confident they'll never turn away from God.

The devil isn't dumb, though.  He knows some will never turn away from God but that doesn't mean he's not a threat. You see, he isn't necessarily trying to "turn" us.  He's trying to neutralize us.  All he has to do is distract us - to keep us caught up in the trials or joys of life that we forget our purpose. 

When we take our eyes off the real battle, he's essentially taken us out of the game.  One less warrior on the field keeping him from winning the next battle.  If he can render us ineffective Christians, he has more power and more freedom to influence the world as he sees fit.   

But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3

Encouragement for the week:  Pray everyday when you wake up that your eyes will be open to see how Satan is trying to distract you.  Pray against it.  You are not meant simply to exist - you have a purpose.  Don't let yourself be taken out of the fight. 

Praying For Your Spouse

I think for most of us married folk it's safe to say we love our spouse and want the best for them. But maybe, more often than we'd like to admit, we fail to pray for them on a consistent basis.

For years I was sporadic in praying for my husband. Once I finally found a praying plan that worked for me, I then incorporated praying for my husband into that system.  It's amazing how God works. With consistent prayer I began to see God working in my husband's life. Some things I could notice right away while others took more time.

Prayer is one of those things you have to pay attention to. Otherwise how will you notice when an answer comes your way? Praying consistently will help you be aware and notice the changes God is making through your prayer life.

For a lot of us the problem with praying is not that we don't have a desire to pray. Instead it's that we get overwhelmed and simply don't know where to begin.  Sometimes we just need a little bit of help and encouragement to get us started.  Below are a couple of 30 day prayer guides I created to help get you on your way to being a more consistent prayer warrior for your spouse. 

*30 Days of Prayer for your Wife (Click to get your free printable copy)

*30 Days of Prayer for your Husband (Click to get your free printable copy)

Mark Batterson said in The Circle Maker: "The greatest tragedy in life is the prayers that go unanswered because they go unasked."  We want to bless our spouses. There's no better way to begin doing that than with prayer.   I promise you that over time you WILL see the effects of your prayers on your spouse. Delaying to pray only delays the blessings.  So commit to start the flow of blessings now!

Sunday Blogvotional: Don't Be So Hard On the Doubter

So the other disciples told him, "We have seen the Lord!" But he said to them, "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it." A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" Then he said to Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." Thomas said to him, "My Lord and my God!" Then Jesus told him, "Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." John 20:25-29

Have you ever thought that when Jesus said to "Doubting Thomas", "Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." it meant Thomas would not have a blessed life and was suddenly the black sheep of the twelve?  If so, consider the passage differently.

There are many dedicated Christians who struggle with needing proof.  They constantly long for and need signs from God.  When Jesus spoke those words maybe He was simply explaining the difference between people who don't need proof and those that do.  One group is blessed by living a life of peaceful faith and acceptance while the other group often needs reassurance in what they believe (their peace is almost conditional). 

We are all wired differently with different personalities but this reality doesn't mean God prefers or values one group over the other.  We see this by the way Jesus interacted with Thomas.  Jesus didn't shun him or kick him out of the "twelve".  Jesus entered the room, reached out His hands and gave Thomas what he needed.  He showed Thomas His scars and then went a step further by inviting him to touch the scars as well.  These are not actions of a man who was annoyed by someone's need for proof but rather the actions of a man who loves.

Encouragement for the week:   God knows our personalities.  He knows what triggers our doubts.  He loves and values us whether we need "proof" or not.  He will always meet us where we are and help us get where He knows we can be.

It's Not Easy Being A Parent

As a parent we sometimes have to make tough decisions with regards to our children's wants.  In a child's eyes it's a simple "yes" or "no" question.  But in reality there's more to our answer than that.  We often have to evaluate the effect giving them what they want will have on not only them but on other family members as well.

If I give Johnny something, then don't I need to give Suzie and Bobby something as well?  Or what if giving Bobby what he wants means I'm actually encouraging him not to work for it on his own.  Just because I may have the ability to give freely doesn't necessarily mean I should.  Other factors may be in play.

Not too long ago I put myself in a child's position as I asked God for something.  What I was asking for didn't seem like that big of a deal.  But then I believe God put it on my heart that not everything is as it seems.  The decisions God makes in my life do have an affect on those (my brothers and sisters) around me.  I was reminded that God has the responsibility of caring for the good of all His children.  And sometimes that means our desires are either put on hold or simply won't happen.

Here's an example:  You pray and pray for God to help you get your dream job.  But what if you not getting your dream job leads you into another position - a position where you will actually reach more souls?  The result is better for God's whole family not just the happiness of one.

Sometimes the decisions God makes seems like He's being mean or that He doesn't care.  But if we look at it from His perspective we see that He sometimes has to make difficult choices.  Yes, sometimes we get our feelings hurt when the answer isn't what we want.  But if we can remember God's responsible for the whole and not just the parts, those decisions start to make a little more sense.  And then maybe we can be satisfied knowing our sacrifices (or the sacrifices made on our behalf) are helping make our family healthier and stronger.

Sunday Blogvotional: Giving is an Act of Trust

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on."  Matthew 12:41-44

When we look at this passage we tend to look at it as a lesson in giving.  But maybe it's also a lesson in trust.  In Biblical times widows and orphans were the ones who usually needed the most help.  They were generally uncared for.  The woman in this passage, being a widow, likely didn't know where her next meal was coming from or how long she'd be able to stay under her roof.  She was poor and by human standards had every right to hold onto what little money she had.  But she didn't.  She gave Him all she had (including her complete trust).  How many of us could do the same even when we have so much more?

Encouragement for the week:   Developing a good sense of trust sometimes requires practice - maybe even baby steps.  Find something you have a hard time trusting God with and try to let go. Even if you can only manage a piece of it for now.  The more pieces you let go, the more trust you'll have.

Growing A Prayer Warrior

It's that time of year again.  School is back in session.  Along with that realization comes many different emotions.  For instance - shock that the summer is already over (I don't even know how that happened), sad because my little baby isn't a baby anymore (3rd grade - wasn't she in preschool last year???) and excitement for what the new year brings.  The new school year represents new beginnings. 

You may have picked up from my blog that I'm an avid believer in praying.  I believe it makes a difference in people's lives and it's not simply conversation time with our Maker.  Over the years I tried many different praying plans and failed at a lot of them.  Finally I stumbled on one that works for me.  It's a 40 day plan.  You can read more about it here and here.  My hope is that in some way I can encourage, inspire, and spread the joy of praying with others.  Hopefully you're one of them.

But what about at home?  What about training my little one?  I believe by teaching my daughter to pray I will be creating a praying habit that she'll carry on into the future.  Remember - not all habits are bad.  When we're young we develop a habit of brushing our teeth, washing our hands, saying please and thank you.  None of those come naturally to young ones.  Why do we neglect habitizing (okay it's not a word but it sounds cool) them in the area of prayer.  This is one of the most valuable life tools that exist.  Teaching them to call on the name of the Lord for their battles and their needs and to praise God for all that He is will get your children through more struggles than you alone ever will.

I suggest teaching your children to go beyond the normal prayers before meals and at bedtime.  As I mentioned, it's a new school year which means a new set of classmates.  A perfect time to begin a new praying program.  One of the things I like to do with my daughter is to create a 30 day chart.  In each slot we put in the name or names (depending on how big the class is) of each of her classmates.  With extra slots we add her teacher, principal, staff, etc.

I believe that by teaching my daughter to pray for others now means it will come more naturally for her as she gets older.  I've found this method of praying for her classmates is particularly helpful when she encounters a problem with one of them.  She's learning that even though we may not always get along with somebody, God still loves them and still wants to bless them.  And through prayer we can send His blessings their way (and make the world a better place in the process).

Pray The Love of God on Them

The other day I sat down to write out my prayer list and got to thinking about each of the individuals.  I know the stories of some of them - what their struggles are at the moment.  But for others - sometimes they're on my list simply because they're friends or family.  They may not have a particular need or struggle at the moment.

Not everyone is currently experiencing a hardship (financial, physical, marital, emotional, spiritual, etc). And because of that we may tend to think there's no particular need to pray for them.  But as I thought about this I was struck by the realization of a universal desire. The truth is, whether we know it or not, we all want to feel the love of God.

Tell me - who wouldn't want to feel loved (I mean the kind of love that wraps you up and makes nothing else matter) from the God of all creation?  Sure - you might answer by saying those who don't have a relationship with God or don't care to have a relationship with God. But here is what I believe to be true.  Even those who are the most anti-God would be hard pressed to turn away that kind of love. 

We all want to be loved.  It's who we are - it's how God made us.  It's the kind of love that says "Don't worry, I got this.", that says "I value you to the nth degree.", or says "It's okay! Let me comfort you".  It's the kind of love that says (and actually means it) "I'd move Heaven and Earth to save you and you alone." 

We, humans, dilute the meaning of the word love.  But love from God is the truest, purest and most passionate kind of love there is.  Nothing on earth can even come close.  Who wouldn't want to feel that kind of love even if for just a moment in time?  So my point is this - we may not know people's earthly struggles to pray for but we can rest assured in knowing that everyone wants love.  I don't think there's a bigger blessing that exists for which we can pray.

Sunday Blogvotional: Watch and Pray

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”  Matthew 26:41

Jesus spoke these words to his disciples as he went off to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane.   These words aren’t simply an admonishment for them to stay awake and keep guard.  There was something on His mind.  He was sharing His own real struggle as well as giving them some advice. 

Even though He was fully God, He was also fully human.  At that moment Jesus understood far too well the temptations of the body – how our human emotions and physical exhaustion can interfere with our Spirit’s desire.  He was about to be arrested, tried and crucified. The human in him pleaded desperately for God to take away “this cup”.   He understood what it takes to overcome temptations -strengthening our Spirit by communing with God.  He spent the night in prayer and the Spirit in Him prevailed.  He committed His body and said: “Thy will be done.”  

If Jesus understood the necessity of prayer in order to combat temptations. We should heed His advice in fighting our own battles?  The more time we spend with God, the stronger we are and the easier it is to fight off temptations. 

Encouragement for the week:  Make a determined effort to take time to pray each day.  Prayer isn’t simply a tool of communication but a tool for strengthening our souls.

On My Heart

Do you ever have those moments when you feel like God is working in you?  The other night I had one of those moments.  I don't know exactly what to do with it or what His plan is but I'm sure He'll let me know when He's ready.

I was watching a segment on 60 Minutes with my husband.  The piece contained an interview with Bill Gates (Microsoft gazillionaire if you weren't sure who that was).  The story was about his desire and efforts to eliminate certain diseases from the world through advanced research and technology.  For example - creating machines to kill mosquitoes to rid Africa of malaria or creating refrigeration devices to hold antibiotics without the use of electricity (which is hard to come by in third world countries).

Although I was impressed with what the Gates Foundation is doing I was more struck by something Bill said. And it's been on my heart ever since.  He made reference to the fact that people in this country spend money on all sorts of frivolous things while people in other countries die because they don't have basics like medicine, clean water, or refrigeration.

I think his comment was meant more to explain his desire to use his money on something worthwhile than him making a statement about our selfish culture. But still I couldn't get away from the reality of what he said.  We want our excess regardless of whether we could make things better for someone else.

This is what I feel we say without actually saying it: "I see you need clean water and that you might die from some water-born bacteria.  I could help a little bit and probably with some friends we could help a lot.  But, I'm sorry.  I've got plans to go to a movie tonight and then after that I'm going to buy some new shoes.  Maybe next time when I get some extra extra money I can help."  

Please don't misunderstand.  I'm not writing this to make anyone feel guilty.  I'm simply sharing what's on my heart.  I don't know what to do with this anymore than, maybe, you do.  All I know is that if it's on my heart - chances are God is working in me. Where that leads remains to be seen.

Sunday Blogvotional: The Problem With Fear

It's natural for us to have fears but when we grab and hold onto them we open a door for the evil one to attack us.  What's worse is we give him the opportunity to attack us in the very areas we fear the most.  It's only logical - if you were intent on hurting someone, you'd attack their fears. 

If you fear death, the devil may attack you with constant thoughts of impending ailments.  If you fear losing all your money, you may become obsessed with holding onto it. If you fear losing your loved ones, he may attack you with paranoid thoughts.  In this process he gains a victory. We become immobilized by our worries.

To gain freedom from our fears, we have to first recognize what they are and then turn them over to God. Once we are free from the hold they have on us - the evil one is rendered ineffective.

For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba Father."  Romans 8:15

Encouragement for the week:  God doesn't want us to be in bondage.  He wants us to be free - to live a blessed life.  Ridding ourselves of our fears is hard to do on our own and God is more than happy to help.  Verbally hand them over to God every morning.  Eventually they will lose their hold on you. 

The Importance Of Intercessory Prayer

1 Timothy 2: 1  First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgiving, be made on behalf of all men...

Most of my life I'd heard the phrase "intercessory prayer".  I never really put much thought into what it meant other than it meant praying for other people.  Several years ago, however, I finally got a deeper picture of what interceding actually means.  I was taking a Bible study on the subject of prayer when intercessory prayer came up.  In the course of the discussion a light bulb came on (or more likely the Holy Spirit spoke to me).

A friend of mine was in the midst of a battle with cancer.  Although she believed God existed, she didn't have much of a relationship with him.  On top of that - her anger level at Him was extremely high.  In our Bible study discussion we talked about how God doesn't hear the prayers of the unrighteous.  My friend came to mind.  I wondered if God would hear her even if she tried to pray.  Had she, through her anger, muddled up the line of communication.  The definition of intercede is "to intervene between parties with a view to reconciling differences".  I sensed (from God) some intervening and reconciling needing to take place.  

And so I prayed for her with a new understanding of what that meant.  It was no longer just about asking God to heal her or to bless her.  It was about repairing a line of communication.  To use a simple analogy - I was like the telephone repairman fixing a downed line.  I may not have been an expert at intercessory prayer but it didn't matter.  During the time I spent praying for my friend, God let me know my prayers had been heard.  My friend was in good hands.

We are all called to be intercessors.  Our job is to fill in the gaps - to connect lost souls with God - to be a conduit helping with the flow of communication.  That's why it's so important to pray for those who are lost.  What are the chances they're praying for themselves?

God is amazing.  Even when there seems to be no way for a lost soul to connect with Him - He provides a way through the prayers of His children.  I think it's a great privilege to intercede on someone else's behalf.  I like to think others are doing the same for me. 

God Walks With Me

Modified from my archives

Have you ever thrown a temper tantrum?  I mean - as a grown up?  I have.  Maybe I didn't lie down and flail my arms and legs about and scream at the top of my lungs but I certainly gave plenty of attitude. I'm not proud to admit my occasional composure failures but I have to be honest. Life can be hard and downright unpleasant at times.  Sadly - I admit - I've resorted to childlike behavior in order to cope.
 
Thankfully, I grew up with a good foundation of who God is and what He's about. Even though I don't always understand Him or His ways of doing things, I still know that He loves me and He will never leave me.

I picture my life as a journey down a path. Fortunately, I am not walking down the path alone. My Lord and Savior walks with me. Most days are spent in peace. We walk along talking, making note of the splendor around us and taking in the blessings of life. But, as with all journeys, we encounter obstacles, speed bumps, detours, forks, or flat out collisions (whatever description seems to apply at the time). It's at one of those unpleasant obstacles where I might have a tantrum moment.  I picture myself crossing my arms, sitting down and stubbornly refusing to move forward. I'm not happy and I'm not going to get up! It's my silent protest. 

But here is the remarkable thing: God doesn't yell at me. He doesn't call me a crybaby and tell me to get up. He doesn't tell me I'm ungrateful and I'm lucky to get as far as I've gotten in life. He doesn't say, "Fine, you stay here. I'm going on without you."

I believe with all my heart God waits patiently for me to finish my tantrum so that we may proceed together. He'll wait however long it takes. I know my attitude disappoints Him (frankly, it disappoints me) but that doesn't mean He doesn't love me. It doesn't mean He wants to write me off and forget me.  His hand is always there ready and waiting for me to get over myself. When that moment finally arrives (when the hurt and anger have subsided enough for me to see truth again) I look up at my Savior who lovingly asks if I'm ready.  I answer "Yes." and take His outstretched hand. He helps me up and our journey begins again (together). 

I'm so thankful for God's loving patience. Knowing that God walks with me in my journey through life helps make each step easier to take.

Sunday Blogvotional: Stepping Out Of The Boat

True living means growing.  And growing means doing.  We can't grow in our Christian faith unless we take steps, take action.  When Peter got out of the boat and walked toward Jesus (albeit ever so briefly) the other apostles stayed in the boat where it was safe and secure.  Let's face it - how many of us will ever have the experience Peter had?  He took a step of faith.  And even with the reality of him sinking a few steps into his walk - his faith grew stronger than that of his fellow apostles. It's easy to stay in the boat - it's safer there.  But is that truly living or simply existing.   When we take steps of faith by acting on it - little by little our faith will grow.  If we don't put our faith in action, it will stop growing and it will eventually die. 

In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead. James 2:17

Encouragement for the week:  We need to exercise our faith day by day to keep it healthy.  Make a conscious effort to take a step today (even if it's small), then another tomorrow and another the day after that.  The more we "faith-ercize", the more spiritual stamina we'll have.

Finding God In Every Day: Picnic With God

It started out like most typical Saturdays at my house - a little bit of dilly-dallying around, a little HGTV, a little laundry and even a small craft project.  I was hanging up clothes when I remembered thinking earlier in the week that if it was nice out on Saturday, I’d take my daughter to the park.  It was nice out.  I looked at the clock and since it was almost noon decided we should go all-out and have a picnic too.  

I made up our lunches and we headed to the park by the lake.  We grabbed our picnic blanket and set up our lounging spot.  It was a surprisingly beautiful day.  I kicked off my shoes and sat there for a moment soaking in the experience.  My husband was thrilled with having an extra chance to fish.  My daughter was thrilled just to be outside with Mom and Dad.  And I was thrilled with the stolen moment away from the house – away from the to-do lists and stresses. 

This was simply a moment to enjoy life and to enjoy the beauty God created.  The lake was filled with contented geese and ducks (sadly for my husband, there were not many fish).  The mountains stood majestically in the background creating a frame of sorts for the lake.   Other families had the same idea and came to the park to spend time together (enjoying the gift of each other).  The sound of children laughing and playing filled the air and yet it didn’t interrupt the peace of the moment.

Thank you, Father, for helping me stop for a moment so that I could see you - take in the beauty you created and to enjoy the family you so richly blessed me with.  It's so easy to miss you in the rushes from here to there. The busyness of life prevents us from so many Godly things.  Thanks for helping stop and look for you.  My spirit was renewed.  I’m already thinking about our next picnic.

Sunday Blogvotional: Take Refuge In The Lord

The dictionary defines oppressed as: 1) subject to a burdensome or harsh exercise of authority or power; 2) to put down or weigh down. Ever feel that way? The better question is… Ever not feel that way? There are so many things that weigh us down - our jobs and responsibilities and, at times, our friends and family. With so many things dragging us down it’s easy to feel oppressed and then depressed.

Thankfully we have a Lord and Savior who wants to help. In accepting His sacrifice on our behalves, we've been given His Holy Spirit to comfort and direct us. Give your problems to Jesus. Lift them up to Him in prayer and lay them at his feet. HE WANTS YOU TO! Take comfort in knowing that the Great Comforter wants the best for you and is always working to that end. You never have to go through anything alone. Praise God!!!

The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.  Psalm 9:9

Encouragement for the week: Take time to unload your burdens to God. In prayer lay them at His feet. In His way, He will deal with them. Look for Him always.

***This week's blogvotional submitted by James (the hubs)

Never Again List

How many times do we say things like "I can't" simply because we don't have the strength to believe we don't have to do anything on our own?  How often do we forget that God always meets our needs even when it seems like He doesn't? How many times to we run to the corner and cower out of fear even when we've been told we are stronger than we think?  How often to we think we aren't wise or elegant enough to speak the truth even when we know God will give us the words and the wisdom on when to use them?  There are so many doubts that creep into our thoughts.  We know God's truth.  The trick is applying His truth to our lives for all time. Strengthening our faith and changing our thought patterns take practice (and repetition).  I came across this "Never Again List" and it seems like a really good place to start.

NEVER AGAIN will I confess “I can’t”, for “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” PHIL 4:13

NEVER AGAIN will I confess lack, for “my God shall supply all of my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” PHIL 4:19

NEVER AGAIN will confess fear, for “God has not given me the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” II TIM 1:7

NEVER AGAIN will I confess doubt and lack of faith, for “God has given to every man the measure of faith.” ROM 12:3

NEVER AGAIN will I confess weakness, for “The Lord is the strength of my life.” PSALM 27:1

NEVER AGAIN will I confess defeat, for “God always leads me to triumph in Christ Jesus.”  II COR 2:14

NEVER AGAIN will I confess lack of wisdom, for “Christ Jesus is made unto me wisdom from God.” I COR 1:30

NEVER AGAIN will I confess worries and frustrations, for I am “casting all my care upon Him who cares for me.” I PETER 5:7

NEVER AGAIN will I confess condemnation, for “There is therefore now no condemnation to them who are in Christ Jesus.” ROM 8:1

(author unknown) 

Sunday Blogvotional: God Does A Lot With A Little

"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?"  John 6:9

Imagine yourself as that young boy in the crowd of more than five thousand people.  The word gets out the leaders (apostles) are trying to see how much food is available in the crowd.  You say to yourself  "I don't have much.  I only have five loaves of bread and two fish.  Plenty for my family but definitely not enough for all these people."  You don't know how it can make a difference but you offer the small amount of food to the apostles anyway.

Then, you watched as the man, Jesus, blessed your offering.   Somehow, someway your tiny little insignificant gift was multiplied and fed every single person in the crowd. There was even an abundance left over.  You saw first hand what God could do with so little.  You'll never doubt the insignificance of your gifts again.

It may seem like the little we have can't possibly make a difference.  But when our offering comes from the heart (whether big or small), God blesses it and multiplies.  It's important to note that in this story the boy wasn't called to feed the people.  He was called to give and God fed the people.

Encouragement for the week:   What God does with our gifts, tithes and offerings is greater than the gifts themselves.  Never underestimate how far your gift will go. Give and let God use it to bless in the way only He can.

"There Is No Other Way"

I’m always leery when people say things like: "There is no other way." or “We don’t have a choice.” It seems to me when humans think there’s only one (usually desperate) solution to a problem then we’ve pretty much come to the place where the devil wants us.  One of the devil’s goals is to get us to act out of desperation.  If he can do that, he keeps us from acting on faith.  

The devil likes to get us to a point where we think (sometimes subconsciously) that God isn’t going to help us and we’ll have to handle things on our own.  Through our mostly blinded eyes we see only one course of action – one answer to our problem.  Ironically, we may even be able to admit that the course of action isn’t altogether desirable.  Our “only choice” may have some strings attached and yet we, through desperation, say “there’s no other way”.  We feel backed into a corner and make decisions accordingly.

Here’s my thought:  When the human mind conceives of only one possible solution, that’s usually the point where God says “Wait for it……wait for it.” and then poof something miraculous happens.  It’s in these moments that God puts the impossible into the proverbial hat and pulls out something completely amazing.  It’s the moment where human logic takes a back seat and God takes the wheel and drives home the point: When God is in the car, there is always a better alternative than what desperation would have you believe!!

I know all too well that waiting for God's alternative solution can be difficult but I firmly believe it's worth waiting for.  Reacting out of panic or desperation because we can't see any other plan usually causes more pain than good.  If we can remember not to jump out of the car, God has great things in store for us and will always get us to them at just the right time.

Sunday Blogvotional: What Road Is Your Goal?

Thank you Father, for talking about roads in your word. You've made it clear that the road of life we travel on is so very important. One road leads to destruction and the other leads to life eternal. So, maybe we should check our roadmap and consider which road we are on. Is our goal to reach heaven? Maybe we are just wandering aimlessly without a plan or goal? We must first have a destination in mind in order to get there.

There are many goals in life that we strive to attain like getting a college education, a good job, financial security, a happy marriage or maybe even some of us strive for fame and fortune. Some goals are more worthwhile than others yet it is important to have a goal. Without goals it’s most likely we will never reach our destination.

Our days are numbered and if heaven is our destination we have to make plans on how we will get there in the unknown days allotted to us. Will our life end on a side road where we got side-tracked? We could get stuck in the mud or lose our compass and end up lost. Where is your life taking you? Regardless of our goals, today is the day to reevaluate and check the best roadmap ever (the Bible) and see if we are on the straight and narrow road or aimlessly wandering on side streets that will never get us to the destination we desire.

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:13,14

Encouragement of the week: Reading the most interesting book in the world with the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide us will definitely lead us to the right destination. What can be better than that?

Special contribution this week by June (my "mumsy").

Sunday Blogvotional: Praise For Our Father

Today is Fathers' Day.  Here are some thoughts for our Heavenly Father:

Our God is an awesome god; He reigns from heaven and earth with wisdom, power and might; our God is an awesome god. Praise be to God the Father for the awesome way He works in our lives, the way He provides for our needs, for His creation and His plan for salvation. Praise be to Jesus for paying the ultimate price and bringing us into His kingdom and allowing us to be co-heirs. Praise be to the Holy Spirit who comforts and directs us and intercedes with the Father on our behalf with groans our words cannot express.

We are so truly blessed that we have a Father who cares so deeply for us.

Father, we thank you and praise you for your love, graciousness, patience, loving kindness and grace.  We wouldn't be who we are without you!

The Path Of Gratefulness

During the past several months praise has been the topic of choice between God and me.  Recently, He took me to the next natural step in our journey which led me from praise to gratefulness.

I've found that it's easy to say the words "I'm thankful for...." and fill in the blank.  But, unfortunately, saying the words doesn't necessarily mean they come from the heart.  Saying the words doesn't mean my attitude is right.  Have you ever had those moments where your heart said something completely different than your head? As believers it's easy to get caught up doing (or saying) what we're "supposed" to.  But sometimes our heart - our attitude doesn't really match up with our words.

I realized through this little lesson that silent discontentment is the same as verbal ungratefulness. When we're not satisfied, we're essentially ungrateful (whether spoken or not).  So why are so many of us plagued with discontentment?  Is it because we're constantly wanting something we don't have or continually waiting for something to happen?  Is it because we're almost always dreaming of the life we want to have instead of living and loving the life we do have?

Can we ever truly be happy when we find ourselves always in "want" mode?  Can we find joy and peace when we're always looking for or expecting something different?  I don't think we can.  I believe that if we change our mindset to be in "grateful" mode then gratefulness will take over our hearts. Joy and peace will take over our soul.

Funny how being grateful takes a conscious effort when complaining and discontentment come so easily.  It may not come naturally but I believe the efforts of training myself to be grateful will reap the rewards of a very contented life.  Each day I make a conscious effort to "open my eyes" and see my blessings.  Then I tell God I'm thankful for each of them.  He wants to hear the words of my grateful heart.  And, in truth, it's not so much to ask.

Sunday Blogvotional: Clay In His Hands

Ask any experienced potter and they will tell you that creating a great piece of pottery takes time.  Rarely is the finished product created without a few flops along the way.  The clay needs to be made smooth - more malleable otherwise it can't be worked with.  When the clay is hard, water must be added.  In the process of forming a piece of pottery, some sections of the clay may need extra massaging in order to get the right shape.  A dedicated potter keeps working until the piece is finished and is pleased with his creation.  

We see in scripture the analogy that God is the potter and we are the clay.  We, as clay pieces, are not always easy to work with.  Sometimes our attitudes dry us out and we get cracked.  Sometimes God uses a little water (the little rain of trials) to get us to the right texture so that He can mold us.  This may be uncomfortable to go through but in the end we will not be just a lump on the Artist's bench.  We will be lovingly and carefully molded into a beautiful and useful piece of art.  Just like a potter, God is dedicated.  He never stops working on us until He's made us what He wants us to be.

Yet, O LORD, you are our Father. We are the clay, you are the potter; we are all the work of your hand. Isaiah 64:8

Encouragement of the week:  Know this - that God loves us enough not to leave us where we are but to lead us to where (and who) He knows we can be.  Life can be difficult at times.  But in those hard times, God is using them to shape us into something beautiful.