Worshiping God in all Circumstances ... even a headache

You may think that the women that post on Stitches are just a random assortment of ladies, who write their random thoughts once a month, with no clear direction or message. Look a little closer. God is weaving a beautiful tapestry of lessons and stories. Often within a few days or weeks, there are multiple entries that follow a theme. That's not by accident, but by God's great design. He is speaking through this precious blog. I encourage you to subscribe, so you can see how God is speaking here.

I say that because I had a story to share about the need to worship God in all things, to focus our prayers on worshiping and praising the Almighty. Before I start writing, I go back and read previous posts. Thanks to this busy life of motherhood, I don't always read them the day they are posted. As I read, I realized my story is really just a furthering of a point January was just making in her post. We must have worship-centered prayers. But be warned, we have an enemy that does not want us to do this. The enemy is quite content for us to stay with our comfortable, need/request-centered prayers that truly can be focused on self rather than God.

Background: Since Sunday night, my oldest son has had a headache, a mean, painful, laughs at Tylenol and Motrin headache. I picked him up early from school Monday. He missed Tuesday and Wednesday. And now, Thursday, I am just waiting for the call from the nurse to ring. He has a history of migraines and severe sinus/allergy issues. The pediatrician thinks these are working together with this changing weather system to cause P1's headache. It has ranged in pain level from 2 to 8. Level 7/8 has him in tears and basically bed-ridden.

Tuesday night as P1 was trying to go to sleep and still struggling with the pain, I encouraged him in the most painful moments to stop and pray, worshiping God, thanking Him for all the blessings. P1 was quiet for a moment, as if he was doing just that, and then said, "I just can't. It makes it hurt more." I didn't address it but prayed over him and with him. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep.

Wednesday morning, he was determined to get to school. I hit him with the arsenal of medications. His headache was as a level 4. We loaded in the car. I decided to take him late because, honestly, the noise of the 6th grade trombone and tuba sectional would not have helped his headache. We took his sister on to preschool first, and as we headed to the middle school, P1 gripped his head and started crying ... level 7. He would not be going to school today.

As we drove home, I felt pressed to encourage him again to pray in praises and worship in the worst pain moments. He paused and again gave me the same answer, "I just can't. It makes it hurt worse." I knew if something is blocking him from praising God it needed to be bound up in the Name of Jesus and cast away. I started to say this to him but before I could say, "Jesus," P1 interrupted me. I tried three more times to instruct him in this and every time before the Name of Jesus could come out of my mouth, he interrupted me.

I raised my voice and said:
            [P1], I am not yelling at you. In the Name of Jesus Christ, I am binding you, evil spirit, and casting you away from [P1] and out of this car. God is our fortress or refuge. You have no strength or power here. You cannot prevent us from praising our Lord and Savior. Our God is a Mighty God and we are sheltered under His Wing.

P1 visibly relaxed. I sang a worship song the rest of the drive home. His headache did not miraculously go away, but that was not the point. He will, we will thank God in all circumstances. We will worship our God and praise His name. No one, nothing can stop us.

Psalm 91

English Standard Version (ESV)

My Refuge and My Fortress

91 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
² I will say^[a] to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”

³ For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
    and from the deadly pestilence.
⁴ He will cover you with his pinions,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
⁵ You will not fear the terror of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
    nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.

⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
⁸ You will only look with your eyes
    and see the recompense of the wicked.

⁹ Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—
    the Most High, who is my refuge^[b]—
¹⁰ no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
    no plague come near your tent.

¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways.
¹² On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.
¹³ You will tread on the lion and the adder;
    the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.

¹⁴ “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
    I will protect him, because he knows my name.
¹⁵ When he calls to me, I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble;
    I will rescue him and honor him.
¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2091&version=ESV

Passionate Prayer

A couple of months ago during the summer, one of our youth ministry associates (I think that's her title) asked me to master teach in the middle school youth on Sunday morning. Well, if you've met me, it probably won't surprise you that I love to be on stage and I love to talk… and both of those loves are easily fulfilled in teaching to our youth. So, of course, I accepted! And then I asked if there was a topic on which I should speak. Ooooo, I was hoping for something good and juicy… gossip, or drinking, or sex, drugs, and rock and roll! Ya know, a topic where I could whip out some good ol' fire and brimstone passed down from my Southern Baptist preacher grandfather. But when her text came back that my topic would be prayer, well, I was a little disappointed.

Ohhhhh, prayer. Ummmmmm, oh, okay. Prayer. Yeahhhhhhhh. Cool. Yeah, that's cool… cause you know, I like… pray… and stuff.

PRAYER?!?!?!

How was I supposed to teach middle school kids about prayer for 40 MINUTES?!?!

Well, I won't tell you the whole story in detail (although I am having to restrain myself from doing so because I do so lovvvvvve to tell overly detailed stories!), but in essence, I came up with something to teach that I'm pretty sure mainly just revealed that I knew very, very little about prayer.

But that started me doing some introspection… I was thinking: I am a good Christian. I love Jesus. I read my bible. But I just… don't pray. Well, I do the whole "pray continually" thing (and somedays that is as good as it's gonna get), but even on days where I have time, I don't sit down and pour out my heart to God.

What am I supposed to say? What am I supposed to ask for? Or not ask for? Am I asking for too much? Does it really, REALLY make a difference if I pray? Does God change His plans based on what I pray?

So, I found that the "formula" that I used to use in teaching reading tended to apply to other things as well: "If you want to learn how to read, then you have to start reading." And in this case, I said to myself, "If you want to learn how to pray, start praying."

I began by getting out a cute little lime green journal my mother bought me and I "agreed" to journal pray (lest my thoughts get lost in space as usual) for fifteen minutes every day after I get my sons down for their nap. I figured I could book fifteen-minutes for that. I just talked to Jesus… well, I wrote to Him in essentially what is letter form.

And about twenty or thirty days into that process, I realized that I was just chatting AT Him. There was very little two way communication happening because I was just writing away. So, I prayed one day that God would teach me… that He would transform me… that He would transform my prayers.

Wouldn't you know that at that very moment my phone lit up with an email from Lynn Q about one of the women wanting to make sure she was signed up for a her bible study… she wanted to make sure she was signed up for the Transforming Prayer study.

Well, that was all the hint that I needed. I immediately got on my phone and signed up for bible study as well.

And it was totally a game-changer for me. I learned that prayer is SO MUCH MORE than lists presented to God via Jesus.

Duh. You're probably thinking.

But it was sorta new for me.

After some teaching about moving away from Request-Based Prayer and into Worship-Based Prayer, we spent some time going around the little circle and praying "God, you are…" and then filling in the blank with one of His attributes. Beautiful. I start ALL of my prayers this way now.

And then I learned that prayer in the bible was almost always a group thing. The beginning Christian church: pretty much all they did was pray together. And so I started asking myself, when do we pray together? Pretty much there is a hurried little prayer at the end of Sunday School given by the teacher and oftentimes we say the phrase "Let's pray SO THAT we can be dismissed"! Eek- how that must hurt the heart of God! Or maybe we pray one prayer over a gigantic list of prayer requests that refer to everything including my brother's co-worker's sister's dog-walker who stubbed her toe last week on the job. And then we all agree to pray for the list during the week. Or there is the person that offers to pray and we all groan inwardly because we know that he will drone on for a solid five minutes.

These amazing ladies in my bible study taught me "new" things…

Group prayer isn't intended for us to go on "babbling on like the pagans", but to be short, focused prayers. (But feel free to ramble allllll you want at home when you are talking to Jesus!)

Pray for people who make a request right THEN! Don't wait for it to move on to someone else's request! If a woman expresses that she is estranged from her father… stop and pray for her! If another woman says that her husband has a job interview that could potentially change their lives… pray for her right then! Yes, it's different. Yes, some people might think you are a "Holy Roller" at first, but do it and you will start to be transformed by prayer. You will start to see how prayer CAN transform others as well!

Pray the scriptures: The women often said "Pray with an open Bible." We took Psalm 27 one evening and slightly reworded it into us speaking to God… I was a dribbly mess by the end of it cause it was so moving and powerful!

And my favorite is something my friends on Facebook or my blog followers might recognize… but for the sake of repetition helping us to remember:

"The antidote for spiritual lethargy or heaviness is to put on a garment of praise."

As I recently struggled back out of a deep, cavernous pit of apathy towards God, I can assuredly say that making a concerted effort to praise God in the morning before anyone else was up (including the sun) and then to praise Him all day long and then to praise Him at the end of the day… well, that is what put me back on track. In my prayers of praise, I was reminding myself of who God was and is and is to come.

Again, some of this (or all of this) might be so elementary to you guys… if so, then do what you can to bring the rest of us along! Start a prayer group in your home! Interrupt the long chain of prayer requests by offering to pray for one at a time! Walk up and pray for a sister struggling in the grocery store!

And for those women like me that have been indifferent and possibly unbelieving in the power of prayer, test drive a few of the things above, and you, too, will probably discover a life filled with a newfound passion for prayer!

All I can do

I have been burdened these last few weeks for a friend of mine and her family who received devastating news.  Their 4 year old daughter has been diagnosed with an aggressive, malignant, inoperable brain tumor.  And to add to that, just recently they found out that the only treatment the doctors have to offer will cause more damage than good.  I don't even know how to respond to news like that.  Since these friends are so far away, the only thing I have to offer them is my prayers.  To me, this doesn't seem like "enough."  But the Bibles tells us "the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." (James 5:16)  So I know that my prayers are making a difference!
I recently read an entry this friend posted on their blog that really speaks to the power of prayer and I wanted to share that with you.

I am the mother of a daughter with a brain tumor. No one would raise an eyebrow to find me hiding under the covers with a box of Kleenex and a bag of Oreos. And the day may come! Let’s not go counting chickens here. But, it isn’t my present reality. I walk around most of the time with a mindset similar to Pollyanna. I have looked for reasons to explain this seeming contradiction. Truth be told, we have known that something is “wrong” with our daughter for more than a year now. But, I think I may have stumbled upon the answer last night.
Many people have offered and extended practical support during this time. One dear lady delivered us a meal last night. I mean a MEAL! The amount of food will feed us two or three times. Her daughter had included a handmade card that communicated how earnestly the family was holding us in their hearts and prayers. While we stood in the driveway, holding all of this generosity in our arms, the mother continued to ask with a pleading look if there was something more that she could DO. Her eyes were moist with care. She shared about the weight that she carries regarding Natalie. She lies awake at night, praying, burdened with the heart that a mother feels when she brings to mind the suffering of a four year old. And, out of nowhere, I knew exactly what she is doing for me. She is carrying my heavy.
I do not walk around with a heart of despair. The reality is that I have seldom shed tears. (And, let me tell you, I can cry like a baby.) My heart is full of hope, my mind alive with the many ways that healing might come to Natalie. I envision her as a grown woman, vibrant and beautiful. I believe that this is the gift that God has given me for this season. I believe that he has taken my lump of burden and cut it just like a piece of apple pie, distributing it to the masses. A mother. A friend. A father. A cousin. And yes, a stranger. I am overcome.
So, if you have been called to carry this weight with us, allow me to look you straight in the eye and say with all my heart, “We could not do this without you. Thank you.”

So, my friends, even though we may not have situations such as this in our lives, our prayers make a difference - for the little things and the big things!  Don't fret that "all you can do" is pray.  That is the most you can do.  Prayer accomplishes things that we cannot imagine.  Prayer gets us through situations that seem impossible.  Why?  Because we serve a God that is bigger than all these things!  He is bigger than financial situations.  He is bigger than medical problems.  He is bigger than our parenting skills.  He is bigger than our children's stubbornness. 

So I challenge you this week - who needs your prayers?  Will you spend some time carrying someone else's burden to the foot of the cross?

www.ask.god

No, this is not an ad for a new website... although I can admit that there are some times that I wish that God's mind was categorized into a nice little search engine where I could just hop on my phone, type in my question, and get a list of little answers from which I could choose. And maybe even the answer I want could have a "Buy Now" button. And, of course, it would come with a coupon code, like GODROX or GODSAVS. Oh wow- free shipping?!?!?! Wow, isn't Jesus just so great!

But, seriously, as much as we often want the answers all lined up for us, there are so many reasons why we don't have this option, but one in particular stands out in my mind:

If we have all of the answers available, who's to say that we will choose the "right" one? I know that time and time again, I have thought... seriously, seriously thought... that I was making the "right" choice or praying the "right" prayer only to realize that it would have totally backfired on me later. You see, that's the rad thing about God... He can see the matrix. Like, He sees all of the years of the past that add up to the present and He sees all of the years of the future. And He knows which answer will lead "everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them". (Romans 8:28)

And what is extra awesome... so many times I ask God for things that I think are in alignment with what he wants... only to realize years down the road what a good thing it was that He didn't "answer" my prayer. But I think here is where I need to give some props to the Holy Spirit. You see, the Holy Spirit is a "translator" for us to God. And just like Romans says just a few verses earlier, "The Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father, who knows all hearts, knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will." (Romans 8:26-27)

So, here's the thing... it's kind of like an answer to what Courtney asked the other day, "What are you doing to make sure that you have a personal, unrehearsed prayer life?"

I think that knowing that God can see the matrix... knowing that He is making sure that everything that happens is for our good (even if it's for our good yearrrrrrs down the road)... and knowing that the Holy Spirit will take those prayers that were quite possibly out of alignment with God's own will and that he will "translate" them into a request that does align with God's will... well, all of that just gives you another level of freedom in prayer. The freedom to ask.god for whatever you think is in God's will.

So, this week... talk to God in your own voice. Stop and talk to Him while you are walking down the hallway of your house. Stop and talk to Him while you are trying to find an unbruised apple in that bunch you got from Sam's. Stop and talk to Him while you wait for that little cut from shaving that part on your ankle to stop bleeding (that's at least a good five minutes!).

And be cool with God. Be you with God. Cause He's better than any search engine you could find... He's got your back. And He's got your future.

www.AndThat'sPrettyAwesome.com

School Time, Prayer Time

Here in the Dallas area, we are just over a week away from a new school year. Stores are full of school supplies, clothes for the new year, tennis shoes to go with the dress code. Homes are full of mixed emotions: kindergarten parents cherishing their final moments before their little one goes off to elementary school--and the rest of us realizing that the time is here and we are ready to get back into a fall routine. (I'm kidding, sort of....) Kids, too, have mixed emotions--some are excited to see friends and meet their new teacher; others are worried that they won't have friends in their class or that their teacher won't be the one they wanted.

Wherever your family falls in the "ready for school" arena, there is one thing that I know I want to remember as we near the fall routine. I want to remember to pray. Starting now (and maybe some of you started this months ago), we should be praying for the class our child(ren) is in. We should be praying for the teachers and students who our children will encounter. We should be praying for the friends that they have, the curriculum they're taught, the principal leading them. No matter if you're in public school, private school, or even home-schooled, there are challenges that will come up this year, and those challenges should be covered in prayer.

I believe that schools are mission fields, and I want my children to be bold in Christ. It is so easy to get caught up in the task of learning what is deemed important, but I want my children to grow up knowing the most important thing above all else, and His name is Jesus.

Education matters to me. I taught middle school for five years, and I value our teachers immensely, so don't misunderstand me. I want my children to value their education, but I want them to value Jesus more....And so I pray. I pray for the situations they're in, the people they're around, and for them to be unafraid of the Truth--no matter the cost.

I know this task may seem daunting--there's so much that we can be praying for/about when it comes to our children. One way to make this a little easier is to pray with your child on the way to school (if you're able). Start their morning off with God on their minds. Bring their worries about bullies, tests, or even their haircut before the Lord in front of them. Speak praise for the good choices they've made. Ask God to bring Himself to their minds as they go throughout the day. Say a Scripture to have them focus on if there's a particular situation you know about. Stick a Bible verse in their lunch box along with your "I love you" note.

But no matter how you do it or when you do it, do it. Pray. Much difference is made for the Kingdom when we come before the Lord in prayer. Let Him be in charge of this school year--not schedules, programs, or homework. Jesus. He will carry you--and your children. After all, they're all His anyway. He will care for them--He already does.

Now what are you waiting for? Let's pray!

Prayer and Our Children

When my firstborn was about a year old, I remember being in a Bible study where the teacher talked about praying with your child/children. She suggested praying with each child before bed, and I remember some people feeling a bit awkward about praying out loud, where someone could actually hear them. If I recall, I was one of those people who felt a bit awkward, but I am a rule-follower, so I decided to give it a try--and it was truly life-changing. Because my daughter was so young, I didn't feel embarrassed or worried about what I would say. I just prayed. It quickly became a habit, and it is something that I still do over five years later. Over the years, I've prayed about future spouses, obedience issues, hurts, learning things, family relations--for now and the future, my children coming to know Jesus as Lord and Savior,...anything and everything that comes to mind on a given night. It has been a blessing for me, and I believe it is a blessing for the kids as well.

However, as they've gotten older (particularly with my six year old) I have discovered that I want them to have personal time with God--not just a time where Mom or Dad says a prayer. When my daughter was four or five, we started a prayer journal where she could write down (or have us write down) any prayer requests for herself or others. As God answers a prayer, we check it off--a visible symbol for her of how God answers our prayers. It's also been a way to explain how some things are answered quickly and others we wait for a long time. And, sometimes we've learned God doesn't answer the prayer like we thought He would and that's okay, too.

Another thing I've recently started doing is praying the ACTS prayer with my daughter. ACTS stands for Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, and Supplication. When we do this, we pray aloud together, taking turns going through each of the four categories. I have heard some of the sweetest prayers during these moments. I have heard my daughter begin to agree aloud in prayer as I've spoken, and I have heard the overflow of her heart as she speaks.

One more thing that occurred just this week was hearing my daughter quote Scripture as she prayed for the first time. I found her reading her Bible after a rough night, and I asked if she wanted to pray. She did, and, as she prayed, she specifically asked for exactly what she'd just been reading (that she would run in the path of God's commands). It was breathtaking to hear my kindergartner pray from God's Word.

I don't know where you are in your prayer life. I know so often I find that I've fallen short of where I want to be, but I also know that prayer changes things--and people. Maybe praying out loud scares you. Maybe you're not sure what to say. Jesus longs to be our friend, and He expects us to talk to Him as such. I'm not asking you to stand up in a room of thousands and pray (unless God calls you to), but I am asking you to consider praying with friends, your spouse, your children....I have seen that by praying with my children, they are already learning the importance of prayer. They will pray out loud at meals--even when we're with friends or family. They hear a siren and pray for the safety of those involved. They pray for their sick or hurt friends. It has already influenced their lives, and it has influenced mine as well.

God longs to hear from you, and your children long to learn from you. Will you talk to Him with them today?

Fear and Prayer Intertwined

Have you ever been overcome by seemingly irrational fears? Apprehension over something you will not be able to control, worry that events will go horribly wrong? All this with no evident reason, nothing rational to support your fear?

For the first time in my life (that I can remember, anyway), I was struck by such a baseless fear. It grew from a nameless emotion into something that gave me nightmares over the course of 2 or 3 months. Many would just label it "hormones." I was, after all, 7, 8 and 9 months pregnant during this period of time. And my fear was directly related to that status--I worried that something tragic would happen to my baby and/or me before or during the birthing process.

Before this baby arrived, I'd enjoyed three eventless, relatively easy pregnancies and deliveries. My 3 older children are absolute blessings. So my history gave no indication that something would go wrong with #4. And all prenatal visits showed a healthy baby growing inside. I felt great, the baby looked good, all seemed normal and well. And my friends tell me that I'm a pretty laid-back, confident, stable sort of gal. Yet, the fear came and stayed.

My (un)reasoning went something like this: what are the odds? I've had 3 perfect childbirth experiences. Can I really expect a fourth one just like those? I'm pushing 40 (docs call that AMA--advanced maternal age), I have friends struggling with difficult pregnancies (so I know what could happen), et cetera, et cetera.

I didn't tell anyone until the final week before delivering. And I only told one person--an older friend and colleague--to ask for prayer. Mostly for me to stop worrying! But also for the baby. I never even told my husband...I just kept it all in.

I could write another blog's-worth about the horrible theology I was practicing. Everything about it was wrong, as if circumstances were beyond God's control. And I knew I was thinking badly, every step of the way. Worse, we'd just spent the Christmas season walking through the Nativity story with our children. Fresh on my mind were the words of the angel Gabriel (to Zachariah and Mary) in which the first thing he says is, "Do not be afraid!"

And then God did something wonderful. Two days before my scheduled induction, a friend who had learned the name of the hospital where I planned to deliver, sent me a message (via facebook, where else?). She told me that during a visit to that same hospital, she walked the halls praying for me and my upcoming time there. Several other friends sent less specific notes that day mentioning their prayers for me.

I cried. Yeah, almost anything can make a pregnant woman do that. But these were tears of relief, thankfulness, amazement...that God would send me such specific messages of His care. He knew my worried heart, He heard my friend's prayer, and He prompted her to encourage me with a brief note affirming that my situation indeed was being put before the Father.

All together, in addition to my own prayer life (which included a lot of, "I know I'm being stupid, Lord; please forgive my lack of faith"), my heart and mind were easy on the actual day in question. I don't remember even thinking about possible problems until it was all over and I held my beautiful, healthy son in my arms.

If you find yourself thinking badly, knowing you are being irrational yet unable to stop, tell someone. Ask for help and prayer and comfort. Even if you feel silly admitting to your fears. I confessed mine to another friend, after the fact, only to learn that she also had feared the same thing for me and had been praying for weeks ahead of time. And though I was glad she had wisely not shared her feelings with me before, I was once again comforted by knowing that yet another friend had been praying for me.

So next time you pray for someone, tell her. You never know how that might encourage her heart. Your words may be the answer to her prayer.

PS. Oh, the irony: all along we were planning to name our baby Gabriel. Now he'll forever remind me to "fear not!"

Happy, Glorious New Year!!!

"Oh, Happy Day, Happy Day! You washed my sins away.

Oh, Happy Day, Happy Day! I'll never be the same.

What a Glorious day! What a Glorious day, cause You- have- set- me- free!

Oh, Happy Day! I'll never be the same!"

I love this song! I love singing this song. I love hearing my family sing this song. I love hearing my church family sing this song. I love watching one of our worship leaders when he leads this song. He can barely contain himself! I love the Savior who makes singing this song possible.

This New Year is a year to celebrate so much. So much glory, so much happiness. No matter what is going on around us, no one can take away our salvation. No one can take away the true joy of knowing we are set free. It is a happy day when we get it- Jesus saves us and sets us free. We need not live in bondage to anything or anyone.

Now, I have experienced pain, I had a really difficult year last year, and I am praying with all hope (Psalms 5:3) to see how GOD will resolve many of these issues as I type right now. So, I know that all of life cannot be filled with happy days. But, when life brings us a new year, can we maybe just look at possibilities?

Our family was praying over the New Year and our son prayed and thanked GOD for preparing us for the New Year. I stopped after the prayer and had one of those "Mom moments". I had never really thought of it like that. I had prayed for the upcoming year. I had asked for blessings, for favor, for opportunities for our family to serve, for our family to grow in relationship with GOD/each other/friends, I thought I had covered a lot. But, our son had thanked GOD that He had prepared and would continue to prepare us for the year ahead. GOD knows what is coming. He will not be caught off guard. We would not be either, if we remained close to the "author and perfecter of our faith".

We are free from fear, from impossible mountains (Mt 19:26) when we look to Jesus and focus on Him as the one who sets us free. This sets our minds free for possibilities. It sets us free to allow Jesus to grow our faith. It sets us free to allow Him to minister to us when we are in the midst of pain. I love reading the Psalms. David praises GOD when his heart hurts. That is maybe why I also love this song. No matter what day the world wants me, my husband, my kids, or my friends to have, I can claim a different day because I know it can be a glorious day since "He has set us free".

Freedom might not seem like it comes easily for all. I suggest reading the Psalms. Use a journal as you read. Rewrite any verse you especially feel GOD might be using in your life. Substitute your name. Post the verse in your kitchen, office, closet, bathroom, carry it in your pocket. Listen to music that encourages you. Freedom is yours. If you are in Christ, you do not have to beg for it, it is yours. Just claim it and seek it. But, you have to read, pray and apply. GOD gives to those who ask.

I pray you will make it a "Happy, Glorious" Year- because He will set you free and give you life this year!

Dear Father, thank you for Jesus who died to give us life, freedom, joy. I ask that we would dedicate ourselves to Your word, prayer and to a church community so we can make everyday a glorious day unto You!!! I love you!
jill

"But, You are a shield around me, O LORD;

You bestow glory on me and lift up my head."

Psalm 3:3

"In the morning, O LORD, You hear my voice;

in the morning I lay my requests before You

and wait in expectation."

Psalm 5:3

"Jesus looked at them and said,

'With man this is impossible,

but with GOD all things are possible.'"

Matthew 19:26

I will pray

Last night I watched a group of pre-k and kindergartners sing for a Cancer Support Group's Christmas party. The kids sang their hearts out, and they were so cute doing it. They sang a few Christmas songs and then they ended with a song that goes like this:

I will pray...in Jesus' name

And believe...things will change

I will pray...in Jesus' name

And believe...things will change

And I know God will hear me when I pray

So I won't worry or be afraid

I will pray...in Jesus' name

And believe...things will change

I will pray...I will pray...I will pray

When I heard those words last night, they served as a great reminder. When I pray, do I believe things will change? Or do I pray with doubt, thinking 'maybe God's just not up for this one...'? Do I worry? Am I afraid?

I also thought about who they were singing to: a cancer support group, people who have very likely had moments that might cause one to be afraid. I think of how I sang that same song this summer with some children who had very little, and yet they were willing to sing it wholeheartedly and trust the Truth.

You see, it is true. We don't have to worry or be afraid. Over and over in Scripture the Lord proclaims (through visions, angels, His people, Himself...), "Do not be afraid." God knows us completely, and He knew we'd be tempted to fear, so He was kind enough to remind us again and again that there is no reason for us to fear.

And if Him telling us repeatedly not to be afraid isn't enough, we can also take comfort in knowing that there's truth again in the words telling us God hears us when we pray. Psalm 66: 19 says, "But God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer." He does not always give us the answer we're asking for, but He hears us. We will very likely have moments in life that are unpleasant, possiby quite painful, but that does not mean God hasn't heard us. He is right there hurting with us knowing that in the end the things on this earth are only light and momentary troubles that achieve for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Things will change, whether the outcome is different than what we expected or not. I am thankful tonight to be reminded of a Mighty King who is in charge of it all. And so I will pray and believe things will change, and I will choose not to worry or be afraid. The Lord is good, far beyond what we can comprehend. Let's trust in His goodness.

Double Digit Trip

As I look toward the beginning of yet another school year, I reflect on this past summer. It has been one filled with great times and some difficult challenges. GOD has been present in all. I am especially reminded of one day when His presence taught a very special lesson to one of our precious daughters.
Our middle daughter (Yes. I said MIDDLE. Some people steer clear of this word, but our family embraces it. GOD placed her in this position and she wears it proudly. We say she is the only one in the family GOD has chosen to be both a little sister and an older sister! What a place of honor!) turned 10. Or as we call it, she hit the double digits! In our family this means you get to go on a trip with Mom- The Double Digit Trip. So we planned the trip, made all the necessary arrangements and took off for a great adventure. We were about 15 minutes from home when our car started making a funny sound. So we prayed and asked GOD to take care of us and the car. My daughter has great faith and we both prayed this prayer believing GOD would answer it. The noise stopped. Out trip continued. A few minutes later, we had a blow out. We easily pulled into a new large gas station. My wonderful husband was ready to come. However, we were in a hurry and ready to get on with our day, so I asked him to let me get someone to help us change our tire rather than wait for him to drive to meet us. Holding my daughter's hand, I looked at one man as his car neared ours . . . and he drove right on past us! Then another man drove past us! Then a man walked out holding a coke, I knew he would help us. Our tire was shredded and had marked all over my car. It was obvious we needed help and this tire change was going to take more than just me doing it! He got in his car and drove away. It was Saturday morning, these men were in shorts, where were they going?!!! What had happened to chivalry? My husband always helps change tires, jump start cars, etc. We are teaching our son to help others- especially ladies. (We will also teach our daughters to change tires.) I was shocked that no one would help us. Maybe my next blog will be on raising boys to be gentlemen. Back to the tire situation in a minute . . .



The goal of the Double Digit Trip is a fun time celebrating the child turning 10. We focus on the child's interests and go for it. It doesn't necessarily mean shopping, but spending time and hanging out. I did, though, want to buy my daughter a treat on this trip. She is not a kid who asks for things or even likes to shop. So, I truly wanted to surprise her with something. When I told her this the morning of the trip, she could not come up with one thing she wanted. I was a little sad, but hiding my disappointment, I told her we would find a gift that would mean something to her. I never knew how GOD would do this . . .



Frustrated and not wanting to wait for my husband to drive to help us, I asked my daughter to pray with me again. We thanked GOD for protecting us during the blowout. Then we asked GOD to send us someone to help us change the tire. We claimed it in the "Name of JESUS." Then I told her we were going to go inside the gas station store and ask someone to help us. As we came close to the door a young man pulled up in his work truck and began walking toward the door with us. I smiled and asked him if he would help us change a tire. I knew he would. He said yes. I asked my daughter if she knew what the logo on his truck and shirt meant. She said, "I have no idea what GoodYear means." I told her it is a tire company. The GOD of the Universe sent a man from a tire company to help us change our tire! We praised GOD together! We also told the wonderful young man that he had been prayed for and was an answer to our prayer. He refused payment, but we snuck some money in his shirt pocket as a reminder of GOD's provision. We also called his boss to tell him what a great employee he had.

Now all of this matters why? GOD gave our daughter a gift for her Double Digit Birthday. No, not the gift I had wanted to buy her that day, but a lasting gift. A gift that would matter to her. A gift that would remind her for the rest of her life of the presence of her Heavenly Father at all times in big and small ways.

GOD has shown up in my life in astouding ways that would amaze people and fill blog after blog. But He has also shown up in my life in quiet unassuming ways that are not grandiose (to others) and do not have wild or fun stories. But, He has always "shown up." He never leaves. He just wants permission to be present, to act, and to be on the throne of our life.



"I thank you GOD for giving our daughter this gift on her birthday. I ask that we all remember your presence is a daily gift to us. Let us know you more as we love you and live in your presence."

jill

"You will fill me with joy in your presence."

Psalm 16:11

"In the Name . . . "

Much of my life I have loved the idea of prayer. It has been my solace. I have run to my Father in pain (Job 19:25-27), laughed with my Friend who is closer than a brother in happiness (Proverbs 18:24, Philippians 1:3-6), sought out advice in seemingly hopeless situations (Proverbs 3 5:6), cherished moments of joy through prayers of praise to GOD Almighty (Psalms 34:1), or sat with the GOD of the Universe as I poured out the deepest pain my mother's heart could know (Psalm 27). Prayer has always "worked." It has not always caused GOD to behave as I requested, but when I approached the Father with a mind and heart that allowed Him to mold and transform me as He wished, wow . . . it really did something.

My prayers come in many forms- just ask my sweet family. I pray alone, with just my husband, just one child, just my three kids, as a family, or with friends. My prayers can be short or long. I used to sing a short prayer as I lifted each of my babies from his or her crib in the morning: "Good Morning, GOD! This is your day. I am your child. Show me your way." (Being the mom of a newborn, this was always just as much for me as it was for them!) I love to use Scripture when praying to the Lord. I also enjoy using a journal for my prayers. (It is convicting to see how egocentric my prayers are when I journal them!) Often when I pray, I try to follow certain formats (ACTS- adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication) or I try to limit my prayer time to just praise, and then later I will go back and have a second prayer time for other needs.

In our family, we always include our kids in prayer- since day 1. Moms, teach your kids to pray. If you fear praying out loud, start praying in front of your kids. GOD loves simple prayers (Matthew 6:7). I teach my girls at our church that "I love you, Jesus." is a complete prayer- and it is! Moms, praying for your children in front of them will change the trajectory of their lives! Go for it! My kids are even OK when I let a few tears slide down the side of my face!
What a blessing it is, too, when as a mom you can ask your child to join you in prayer and even to pray for you! We regularly share age appropriate prayer requests with our 3 kids and let them take the lead. They get to grow and develop a prayer relationship with their Heavenly FATHER. They also realize that prayer does not go through dad and mom, nor does it just happen when dad and mom are present and say it is time to pray.

I think a key element to prayer is praying in the name of JESUS. I have had several times in my life when all I could do was say, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus" over and over again. There is something about this name and all of the names that GOD uses to reveal Himself to us. Several verses in Scripture relating to this that I suggest reading are:
Psalm 20, 115:1
Psalm20:7 “. . . We trust in the name of the LORD our GOD.”
Proverbs 18:10 “The name of the LORD is a strong tower and the righteous run to it.”
Matthew 6:9 “This is how you should pray: “Our Father in heaven Holy is your name . . . “
John 14:13&14
Philippians 2:9 “Therefore GOD exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name.”
Isaiah 12:4 “Give thanks to the LORD, call on His name; make known among the nations what He has done, and proclaim that His name is exalted.”

When we pray in His name we get to know Him better. He reveals Himself to us more. Then we get to know His will more. All prayer should be aligned with GOD's will. This is hard, because we are one part of the conversation! So, we have a perfect FATHER listening to an imperfect child! Therefore, we must also listen. Several nights in a row I woke at 4:00am. My usual plan is to pray. This worked and I fell back to sleep three nights in a row. The fourth night I could not. Around 5:00am I realized, I was to "Be still and Know I am GOD" (Psalm 46:10). GOD wants to grow us and shape our hearts for relationship with Him. He cannot do this if we are always doing the talking. He wants to prepare us for a close abiding relationship, through the revelation of Himself as we pray in His name.

Prayer is and has been my security blanket. GOD has wrapped me in His presence through the relationship of prayer. I will by GOD's grace, and through much prayer, pass on this love of prayer to my children.

"FATHER, thank You for prayer. Thank You for JESUS and Salvation. Grow my heart into who I need to be for You. In the Name of JESUS I pray. I love You, Lord!"

jill

Balance

Luke 9:23 If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.

I like Kelly’s entry where it says, “We have started this blog to investigate the Jesus-life, to encourage, equip, and challenge other brothers and sisters in Christ as we journey together.”

One of my favorite songs is One Pure and Holy Passion:
"Give me one pure and holy passion,
Give me one magnificent obsession,
Jesus give me one glorious ambition for my life,
To know and follow hard after you.”

If this is your obsession, you may have noticed that the “Jesus-life” is not always a bed of roses.

As I thought and prayed about what to write about this week, I kept coming back to Balance. Over the past year or so, I have experienced some of the most incredible spiritual highs I have ever encountered, found myself in places I never imagined I would be experiencing God’s kingdom as a present reality. And then there have been extreme lows as I wrestled with God over areas of my life He wanted to reveal and challenge me to let go and live forgiven. So, what does all of this have to do with Balance?

Having grown up without seeing what a healthy relationship looks like, and finding myself at the end of a tumultuous dysfunctional long term relationship, I once asked my pastor at the time, how will I ever know what a healthy relationship looks or feels like? One way he explained is that a healthy relationship is one where there are not extreme highs and lows like a rollercoaster ride. Even though there may be bumps in the road, it should just ebb and flow.

Mirriam-Webster's online dictionary defines Balance as mental and emotional steadiness; physical equilibrium; a counterbalancing weight, force, or influence.

So, applying this to the spiritual life, that is what Balance looks like. God wants to take us to the mountain top, and we do have struggles in our life, but the Jesus-life is a steady flow that lets Jesus write His-story through our lives and provide the mental and emotional steadiness and the counterbalancing weight, force, or influence defined by Webster. I love how Mark Batterson talks about chasing the Holy Spirit in his book The Wild Goose Chase.

Have you ever felt like your life is turning into a tragedy? A spouse cheats on you. A boss unfairly fires you. Or someone hurts you in a way that seems beyond your ability to heal.

Listen, you still get to choose your attitude. And while you may not like the chapter of life you’re in, the final chapter has yet to be written…If you feel like you’re stuck in a tragedy, here’s my advice: give Jesus complete editorial control over your life. You have to quit trying to write your own story.

Romans 12:2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

Seeking spiritual balance starts with prayer, which is the foundation of the faithful life, of the calling to which we are called. Everybody does it differently. The same person does it differently at different times. What's important is that you find a way to do it, because it is the way that you ground yourself in the love of God, in the adoration of God, in the desire for God. Don't leave it out.

I Thessalonians 5:17... pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

If you need help getting started, a friend shared a 15-15-15 challenge to commit to 15 minutes of prayer and 15 minutes of Bible study every day for 15 days. You will probably find that 15 minutes isn’t enough and it will change your life.

To be continued…