Keeping up...

These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.  Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.     Deuteronomy 6: 6-7 NIV

With eight children, laundry is a never ending chore for my daughter. We used to share a

"momism" that if we didn't get every single piece of laundry done on wash day, the leftover pieces would go to seed and the piles of laundry would grow to epic proportions even more quickly before we washed clothes again. And the same was true with dishes in the sink. LOL!

As I read this morning's verse, I thought about those large piles of laundry and dishes - perhaps because I just returned from spending two weeks with my daughter. 

Dishes and laundry are definitely everyday chores for her. But if she intends to keep her brood clean and well-fed, she has to keep up with those chores by doing a few loads of wash and a dishwasher full of dishes every day.

In the same way, we need to hide God's word in our hearts daily - it is a discipline for us if we want to stay spiritually clean and healthy. (Sometimes we treat it like a chore! )

We are responsible to help our children stay clean and spiritually healthy too. Impressing God's Word on them  is as routine  and needful an activity as doing dishes and laundry - at least it should be.
As we look around us, there are thousands of things to give thanks for each day. There are hundreds of little events, circumstances and opportunities to remind ourselves and our children of who our God is and what he has done for us. There are those difficult but needful "teaching moments" when we must correct them as our heavenly Father corrects us.

God needs to be at the forefront of our thoughts and minds every moment of every day. If not, sin piles up like dirty laundry or dishes. We begin to feel overwhelmed and unable to keep up. Our peace falls away and we begin to fret over the smallest stuff. Our relationships suffer and we begin to die inside, a little at a time.

Moses didn't make this suggestion to the children of Israel to hang a weight around their neck, but rather to help them to remain strong as they entered into a new land so they would never again become slaves to disbelief and disobedience. And that's still true for us today.

So how are you doing? Are you keeping up with your relationship with the Lord each day? Are  you helping your children to love and remember the things he has done so they will walk in his paths each day?

Open my eyes, Lord, and help me see you in a thousand new ways every day. Strengthen my relationship with you and help me to be that encourager and spiritual strength trainer for others around me. Amen.   

Have you read your Bible today?

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of
praise. Philippians 4:8 NLT


A wise Christian writing mentor once counselled her students to write a devotional every day - even if devotional writing wasn't their forte. She encouraged her class to use a traditional format with a scripture vers at the beginning, relevant thoughts or a story to illustrate the verse, with a challenge and a prayer to close it.

Her reasoning ?

• 1. It got her class to write something every day. Writing is like playing a piano - when you practice every day and apply the writing rules you are learning, your writing will improve over time. Practice DOES make perfect - or at least better.
• 2. It got them reading and thinking about the Scriptures each day to find something to write about. She believed that a writer who is a Christian should spend some daily time in Bible reading and prayer for direction for their writing.

I found some interesting statistics about Bible reading from a survey done in 2012 by the American Bible Society:

• 36% of Americans read the Bible less than once a year or never while 33% read the Bible once a week or more (American Bible Society, The State of the Bible 2012)
• The proportion who never read the Bible increased (from 21% in 1999 to 25% in 2011), while the proportion of adults who read the Bible only once or twice a year decreased over the past decade, from 16% in 1999 to 11% in 2011 (American Bible Society, The State of the Bible 2011)

Those are pretty sobering stats!

And truthfully, as I examined my Bible reading habits, I found that even though I was involved in ministry, my Bible reading habits left a lot to be desired. I knew my Bible pretty well since I've been a Christian for over 50 years. I read it as I studied to prepare weekly Bible lessons, or as I prepared to do some special speaking. And the two Bible-based novels I wrote demanded a lot of research. But I didn't sit down and just READ my Bible consistently.

Last year, I decided to take my writing mentor's advice. Each day, Monday through Friday, I tried to write a devotional based on Bible Gateway's verse of the day and to post it to my blog.

I found out she was right - it did help me to get back into the habit of writing each day and helped me to focus better on my other writing - I've almost finished my third bible novel!

But the biggest plus I've found is that it improved my relationship with the Lord. I had something fresh from him each day to focus on. So many times, the verse was exactly what I needed and it came back to me through the day like a song you can't get out of your head.

Writing about it for the blog forced me to stop and interact with the verse, discovering what it meant to me personally before I could write about it to encourage others. The daily devotional blog was as much for me as it was a ministry to others.

I encourage you to try it in a daily diary. You don't need to be a writer - just copy a scripture verse each day, then write a sentence or two about what it means to you and how it challenges you. Write a short prayer to conclude it.

It will help you keep your heart and mind on the Lord more each day and will make a difference in your life - God's word always does!

Snow shovels vs. snow plows

““Come to me, all you who are struggling hard and carrying heavy loads, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 CEB

For the last few years, DH (Dear Hubby) and I have both been struggling with back pain issues which means fairly regular visits to the chiropractor. I'm not sure what caused the issues, but usually a few treatments is usually all it takes to put things right again. Then the "tune-ups" start to keep things feeling pretty good.

But with snow-shoveling season here again in Central PA, I suppose there will soon be some problems again.

Isn't it good to know that whenever we struggle with heavy emotional and spiritual loads, we have One who will help us to carry them so we don't throw our backs' out trying to carry them ourselves?

We tend to carry these loads ourselves too often because

• 1. We are ashamed to admit we have a problem. My line used to be: "Well I'm a pastor's wife - I'm supposed to help others with their burdens and problems, but I'm not supposed to have problems - or at least I'm not supposed to show weakness."
• 2. We don't really believe that God will help us with it - maybe we've asked for God's help before and for some reason, he didn't answer us (at least not the way we thought he should). So why would he answer this time?
• 3 We don't feel worthy to ask for help - we somehow feel like we deserve whatever is happening to us and therefore, we shouldn't even ask for help.

But Jesus offers us this wonderful open invitation to come to him for help when we're struggling emotionally, physically and spiritually - regardless of whether we are worthy. We don't have to be strong. He may not remove the burdens we carry but he will be there to shoulder the lion's share of it so we don't get overburdened or weighted down by life's cares.

All we have to do is COME to him for help. It's like using a snow plow instead of just a shovel. LOL!
 
Thank you Lord for offering to help us bear our loads! Help us to accept your offer today. Amen.

Prayer and praise

““O give thanks to the Lord. Call upon His name. Let the people know what He has done.” 1 Chronicles 16:8 NLV

God has given us some very unlikely weapons to fight the spiritual battles we face each day. On the surface, they don't look like they would accomplish much since they are only made up of words. But God has ordained them - they do work and are very powerful.

Prayer is one. It loosens the power of God so he can fight for and with us against the hard things that come against us.Because of prayer, God is able to do the impossible to save us out of difficult situations. Other times, prayer changes us somehow so that even if the circumstances in our lives don't change, we do. We can bear them and we can trust God to work the situations out for our good.

The other weapon is prayer's twin: praise. Praise is an extremely personal weapon in that it always affects us at the heart level. When we praise, our attitudes change - despair becomes hope; fear turns into trust.

This morning I read the testimony of a trafficking victim who was herded into shipping containers with several other women. She lived this way for three years but she still was able to retain her faith. How? She learned to sing praise songs to God in her darkest hours. And she taught the other women to sing with her.

Another prisoner was kept chained in a tiny, dark cell. He said the only part of his body not in chains was his mouth. Yet, he kept his faith strong by singing songs of praise to God. Somehow, another inmate heard him through a small hole in the stone wall and learned to sing the songs of praise. By the time he was released, 8 inmates had learned to sing praises to the Lord.

What ever kind of "prison" we live in today, we have the weapon of praise to heal, sustain and encourage us. The good news is that as we vocalize our praises, others are healed, sustained and encouraged too.

Thank you Lord for the twin weapons of prayer and praise. Teach us to wield them well! Amen.

Pray WITH Me - Part 2

But I have pleaded in prayer for you, Simon, that your faith should not fail. Luke 22:32 a (NLT)

For almost 80 years, Moses Xie served Jesus in his homeland of China. He became a Christian at age 14 and attended North China Seminary in the 1940s. Soon he became a leader in the Chinese Evangelistic Association and an editor for several Chinese Christian magazines.

However, in 1956, he was imprisoned for his faith. .At one point during his imprisonment, the persecution was so bad, he tried to end his life. But God stopped him, telling him it wasn't his time yet and that His strength was being made perfect in weakness.

For another 23 years, he remained interred at the prison camp, growing in his relationship with God and ministering to all who came to visit him. He often asked his visitors to pray for him because he understood the importance and power of praying with others.

1. Moses Xie knew that when others prayed for him, they were reaping the benefits of prayer in their own lives. As they entered God's presence to pray, they would receive a blessing from that time spent in his presence. In turn, those blessings would encourage deeper personal growth and more time spent in prayer.

2. As people pray for the persecuted church and its members, God is able to speak to them and open doors for them to help in other ways - including through their finances and mission's ministry.

3. As people become dedicated to praying, they become intercessors, willing to do battle together with God to bring about his will in those areas of heavy persecution. They begin to pray WITH those who are being persecuted that God will save their enemies and bring many souls to himself and not just for the safety or personal needs of those being persecuted.

After his release from prison, Pastor Moses Xie continued to preach about Christ, and was arrested several more times. He became a mentor to many young people through his continuing ministry.

He passed away at age 93 on June 30, 2011, leaving a great legacy of faith to the people he served.

Lord may our lives grow strong because of time spent with you - to the point where we are open to your prompting to help others and to pray with them for the salvation of friends and family around them. Amen.

Pray WITH Me

My prayer is that light will flood your hearts and that you will understand the hope that was given to you when God chose you. Then you will discover the glorious blessings that will be yours together with all of God’s people. Ephesians 1:18 (CEV)

What is the difference between praying for people and praying with them? I never really thought much about it until I read an article about a persecuted Christian the other day.

When we pray for them, usually we're praying a personal prayer for that person. We are praying for God to work in their lives - for their health, their safety, and for God to meet their needs. We often ask God to deliver them from the circumstances in which they find themselves. But what we don't realize is that those circumstances might be the very things God is using to complete the bigger picture - to save their family, to bring about a deeper relationship or healing in their lives or to save many others.

When we pray with a person, we are uniting our hearts with theirs and asking God for the same things they are. For example, this persecuted Christian had spent many years in prison for his faith. But he always asked people to pray with him - that God would move in his land and use his persecution to bring many souls to Christ! He never asked people to pray for his personal protection or release from prison!

It's not wrong to pray for a person when they're going through difficult times. We've all been there - struggling and seeking a way out of the painful circumstances. But maybe we're missing the mark a bit because we fail to see what God sees in the situation.

I love Laura Story's song, Blessings. "What if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights Are Your mercies in disguise?"

Lord teach me to see things through your eyes and to pray with those who are in difficult circumstances for your will to be accomplished. Amen

Prayer warriors needed in the aftermath of Sandy

Never stop praying. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

As reports of Sandy's destruction begin to pour in, this verse seems appropriate.

Though we didn't suffer drastically from the hurricane, many of our sister churches and their pastors did. Church buildings along the coast suffered flood damage. Many of their members lost their homes and possessions due to the flooding and high winds.

One story in particular stands out - that of a pastor in NYC. Two weeks ago, he lost his father to cancer. Then while cleaning out a halfway house run by his father, the pastor was severely burned as a can of solvent exploded. He was undergoing skin grafts when Sandy hit. Their home was lost to flooding and fire as well as their two cars. Please remember to pray for this pastor, his wife and three children. I'm sure the losses of the past two weeks seem overwhelming. They will need the prayers of God's people to hold them up even though their world seems to be crumbling around them.

All we have to do is listen to the news for many other heartbreaking stories of loss and destruction from this storm to fuel our prayers. The needs seem overwhelming, but we serve a BIG God and prayer is the best weapon we have against these overwhelming circumstances.

Pray for those who've been affected and pray about what you can do to help!

As you hear of the needs in the aftermath of Sandy's destruction, make time to pray today!

The presence of prayer

“Be on your guard and stay awake. Your enemy, the devil, is like a roaring lion, sneaking around to find someone to attack. But you must resist the devil and stay strong in your faith. You know that all over the world the Lord’s followers are suffering just as you are.” 1 Peter 5:8-9 CEV

Can you imagine what it would be like to be imprisoned because of your faith in the Lord?

I recently read an interview of two Christian women who were jailed in a notorious foreign prison. One of the things that spoke to my heart was the fact that many people sent letters to these women to encourage them but the women never received the letters. Their captors read the letters, then taunt the women by refusing to let
them see the mail.

According to one of the women, even though they never saw the letters, they were encouraged because they knew many were praying for them. They knew that the Bible verses in those letters were being read by their enemies and were impacting the lives of their captors.

It would have been easy to succumb to discouragement and defeat, but the women were able to stay strong, because they sensed the very real presence of all these prayer warriors with them in their cells, holding them up and keeping them strong.

WOW! Prayer is so necessary and important - so much more than a bedtime ritual. Through prayer, those women actually felt the presence of other believers with them in their suffering. Now, that's powerful.

Prayer is a lifeline, a palpable presence, helping those who are suffering to stay strong in their faith.

Do you know someone in prison or who is suffering for their faith? Commit to pray for them today!

Spiritual "baby tickers"

"They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” Acts 16:31 NLT

A few weeks ago, I found out my daughter was pregnant with her eighth child. Through the wonders of technology, she had an ultrasound and found out it was another baby girl. Woohoo!

Once Allissa announced the news to family and friends, she put a "baby ticker" on her blog that shows what's going on with the baby's development each day from the beginning to the end of the pregnancy. I love visiting the blog to see just how much my newest granddaughter has grown. For example, based on Allissa's due date, today the little one is 21 weeks and 5 days old - with about 128 days to go until she makes her debut.

The ticker also tells me how much she has grown over the past few months and how she's developing. Today it said the baby weighs about a pound. Her eyelids, eyebrows and lips are in place and growing.

Wow! The closest thing we had to that when my children were developing in utero was a photo spread in Life Magazine. LOL!

As I look at the "baby ticker," I think about those Mothers who tell me they've been praying for years for one or more of their children to be "born again" into the Kingdom of God. It would be great if there was some kind of a spiritual "baby ticker" that we could look at each day to see the spiritual readiness of those we pray for. Because there isn't, we have no way of knowing how close they are to God's kingdom.

But we do have God's promises that he answers prayer. God's watching their "baby ticker" even though we might not be able to see it. He sees just how spiritually ready they are, how they are developing and what they need to be birthed into his kingdom. And he works each day through his Holy Spirit to ensure the safe delivery of those we witness to and pray for into his kingdom - even if we don't see the results yet.

Be encouraged - keep praying - don't give up!

Building trust through the little things in life

“So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised.” Hebrews 10:35-36 NLT

Several years ago, I was going through a dark place in my life. I felt emotionally drained and depressed, unsure if I would ever get out of such a deep pit of despair. My trust muscles were so atrophied at that point in my life, I had difficulty believing God could care about me, even though I had been a Christian for most of my life.

During that time, I had an appointment in a town about 40 miles from home. I arrived a little early, so I sat in my car, waiting and listening to a Christian radio station. They played a song I had never heard before, but the words brought a ray of hope into the darkness. I went into my appointment with a sense that I would make it through that current dark situation.

As I drove home that day, I tried to remember the words, the tune and the artist who sang the song. I thought maybe I could stop at the Christian bookstore on the way home and purchase the song. Nothing! I couldn't remember one word or even a bit of the tune. And I had no idea who sang it. The hope I had felt was snuffed out.

Because I was dealing with issues of trust during that time, it was important for me to see God's hand at work in my life. I needed to know that he cared for me in the darkness I faced. I prayed that he would somehow let me hear that song again, though I wasn't sure I'd know it if I heard it since I couldn't remember one thing about it.

But about 2 weeks later, parked in the same spot, waiting for another appointment, the station played the song again. Right away I knew it was the same song that had blessed me just 2 weeks before. So this time I grabbed some paper and wrote down the song title and artist - Never Alone by Damaris Carbaugh. It was such a little, but intensely personal, answer to prayer. It was one of many that the Lord used during that time of emotional healing to let me know he was there and he cared.

What a blessing that song has been to me in the years since that day. Its message still assures me I'm never alone, he's in my heart and will be my closest friend, no matter what kind of circumstances I find myself in - no matter how I feel - no matter how dark the way seems.

That answered prayer has helped to teach me to recognize God's care. He has been rebuilding my trust, brick by brick through the little answers to prayer - many of them seemingly insignificant to others, yet of vital importance to me to demonstrate his great love, patience and trustworthiness.

Thank you Father, for rebuilding my trust through the little things you do for me each day that show me how big your live really is! Amen.

It's a good day to pray

How often have you neglected to pray because you were having a good day?

Our good days are truly a blessing from God - but they are also an opportunity to pray for others who may not be having such good days. I belong to an online group of prayer warriors who are also writers. Each week there are prayer requests in our in-box as one or another of the group members goes through a difficulty.

But the neat thing is that not all of us have prayer requests at the same time. It kind of cycles around so that there are always a few of us who are feeling spiritually strong who can pray for those members who are having a rough time.

So next time you're having a good day - stop - and begin to pray for those around you who are going through trials.

After all, what comes around goes around. Wouldn't you like to know there are others praying for you when you need it?

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2 New Living Translation (NLT)

The Shepherd's Rest...

“If we live, we live for the Lord, and if we die, we die for the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to God.” Romans 14:8 CEB
There are times when all of us have to take a step back – when life becomes overwhelming and we need to take some time to regroup and recoup our spiritual resources. We need to sit back with the Lord and just let Him minister to us – to help us remember that we belong to him.

Last week, some dear friends offered us a “time out” by letting us stay in their cabin at a church campground in West Virginia. It seems like the Lord wanted us to rest as well because before we left for our trip, both my husband and I had to visit the chiropractor. We both were suffering from lower back pain which prevented us from doing a lot of hiking and other strenuous activities on our mini vacation. There was no Internet at the cabin so my time was spent relaxing, praying, reading and writing.

Retreating to a quiet place and spending time with the Lord helped to bring my life back into balance again, giving me the courage and motivation to go on. It helped me to refocus on the important things and to trust the Lord in the face of life’s changes and harder times looming on the horizon. I needed to be reminded that I belong to him and he cares for me.

Thank You Lord for that time spent with You and Your energizing, healing touch!

Shields Locked!

“You are my hiding place and my battle-covering. I put my hope in Your Word.” Psalm 119:114 NLV

I have a group of very dear friends whom I've never met face to face. We are actually all part of a Internet writing group, sharing our love of the writing craft, critiquing each other's work,

But over the past 5+ years that we have known each other, we have become a very close-knit bunch, sharing the ups and downs of life and especially praying for one another..

I'm not sure where it started, but during a particularly difficult time for one of the gals, another one closed her e-mail with the illustration of a line of ancient soldiers in battle, with their shields locked together. As long as the army advanced together, the arrows of the enemy couldn't get through their wall of shields and they would all protect each other.  She ended her e-mail of encouragement with the words, "shields locked."

Whenever one of us is going through a hard time, we can count on the others to pray.We lock our shields together and advance into the enemy's territory, protecting our vulnerable needy, sister behind the wall of shields as we advance her prayer request to God's throne.

It's more important than ever that we band together in prayer. If we try to go it alone during these difficult times, we may become fatigued, depressed and overcome by the trials of life. But if we align ourselves with others who can surround us in prayer when we are most vulnerable, we will be better able to get through the trials

If you're not part of a group that prays, begin to ask God to help you find a prayer partner or prayer support group. Join or start  a small group Bible Study where relationships can be built - including prayer relationships.

Remember that  friendships take time and care to cultivate, but as they grow and are nurtured, will offer solid, strong support. My online writers' group grew into the supportive group it is today through several online Bible studies where we chatted in real time. It didn't just happen over night.

Check to see if there is some kind of local organization in your community that is centered with prayer. We have a Christian Women's organization in my community that features monthly "prayer coffees." I've been attending them for two years now and have been watching the group gel together and become a strong support system  through prayer.

If needed, take advantage of  ministries that offer phone-in prayer lines. While they won't give you the support you need for long-term trials, they will help in the short-term. Speak to a pastor for help in finding prayer support.

We were never meant to fight life's battles alone! Prayer is the best weapon to fight against life's difficulties and is most effective when done with others. Shields Locked!

Thank you Lord, for friends who are willing to go with me into the battle through prayer and lock their shields around me when I need it! Amen.

Pressure cookers and pea soup

My dear brothers and sisters, always be more willing to listen than to speak. Keep control of your anger.” James 1:19 ERV

"Cloudy, rainy days are perfect for soup." Grandma gathered the ingredients for her prize-winning pea soup recipe. She decided to use her new pressure cooker that night to help the soup cook faster. She smiled to herself. "Oh yes, the family will eat well tonight!"

She checked the rubber sealing ring on the cooker before tightening the lid, then turned up the heat to build up pressure and tenderize the hard, dry peas. Then she left the kitchen to finish some mending.

Within a few minutes, she heard a loud crash in the kitchen. What a mess! The pressure cooker popped its top and pea soup dotted the walls, ceiling and floor. Right away, she knew what happened. Something blocked the steam vent, causing pressure to build up inside the pot with no escape.

Well, supper was a little late that day as Grandma cleaned up the mess and started again, this time using a regular soup pot. We might not have noticed, except that Grandma kept looking at the green polka dots on the ceiling and her new pressure cooker now resided in the attic.

Likewise, when we fail to vent our anger properly, it causes pressure to build up inside us. We may eventually blow up, spewing anger over everyone around us. Or, the pressure will build up to an unhealthy level, causing physical or emotional internal damage.

Today's verse offers sage advice on anger management.

Listen first - this gives you a little space/time to diffuse the emotions of your anger

- Listen to your emotional response to the anger. What triggered your anger? Is it in proportion to the offending event, person or problem or is it magnified out of proportion from past events that weren't dealt with properly?
- Listen to what the other person has to say. We may have made untrue assumptions about something they said or did that caused anger to build up.

Speak second - Take time to choose your words carefully if/when a response is needed

- Speak the truth in love
- Speak in "I" terms about how you feel and not "you" terms which can ignite further anger, hurt or retaliation in others.
- Talk about the problem with a counsellor or pastor first to gain an outside perspective if you are having difficulty.

Keep control of your anger - don't let it control you.

- channel it into a healthy activity
- use it as a healthy motivator - for example, an emotionally wounded person becoming a helper for other victims
- practice forgiveness. It doesn't let the offending person off the hook for their actions - but it does relieve you of the need for getting even.

Lord help me to properly vent my anger so that I don't hurt myself or those around me. Amen.

God is...

It's impossible to please God apart from faith. And why? Because anyone who wants to approach God must believe both that he exists and that he cares enough to respond to those who seek him. Hebrews 11:6MSG

"How do you convince an atheist that Jesus exists?" Two teens in my Sunday youth Bible class recently asked this question because they had a family friend who refused to believe there was a God.

Their question led to a discussion of the ways we know Christ is real:

• Personal experience - I know Christ exists because I had a real, up-close and personal experience with Him when I was a child, following an abusive experience.I knew Him as a big brother while growing up and I've known Him as a Father since I became an adult. I can't imagine living without Christ in my life because of all the times I 've sensed, known, felt His love and presence with me.
• The experiences of others - When I hear the testimonies of others, my faith is strengthened. In some cases, their stories help me to know I'm not alone - not the only one wh has ever felt a certain way. Other times, I am awed by the things God has done for them.There are simply to many valid experiences by others to say that God isn't real.
• Nature- the development of a baby in the womb and feeling it move for the first time. The Grand Canyon, The intricacies of a snowflake and the fact that there are no two alike. All I have to do is look around and I can see Him everywhere.
• Miracles - How a person with cancer becomes cancer-free and the doctors can't explain it. How a migratory bird finds its way thousands of miles to a seasonal nesting area for the first time, even though it's never been there. How situations line up just right for the perfect outcome, even though it looked impossible in the beginning. Even "coincidences" or God's little miracles incognito are evidences of his reality around us. I've seen too many "God-incidences" not to believe.
• Because the Bible says it's true.The Bible is a life-changing book. When a person sets out to disprove God by discrediting the Bible and ends up believing instead - wow! Now that's a powerful testimony of the truth of God's word and his existence.

While they cannot change their friend's mind, they can pray for him and live their lives so that he will see the reality of Christ in them - then trust God to do the rest.

Lord, help us to live every day so others will see your reality in us and believe! Amen.

Why bother to journal? Part 1

How quickly we forget!

As a young person, I never kept a diary – I’m not sure why, because I did enjoy writing. And now I wish I had because there were so many stories I wrote as a teenager and I’ve forgotten them all. There were also so many good things the Lord did for me back then, in spite of the bad things which happened to me as a child. Though I remember many of those good things, there are details I wish I could remember accurately.

But about 18 years ago when a respected counselor insisted I keep a journal as part of my healing process, I decided to try it. Now, looking back, I realize just how much it has meant to me over the years, as a healing tool, a worship tool and a memory aid.

Journaling as a healing tool

There were no “rules” for journaling except that I had to be honest, writing down everything I was thinking and feeling. At first I wrote tentatively, thinking about events rather than the feelings connected with those events.

But over time I noticed that I began to preface my journaling time with prayer that the Lord would unlock the secret places of my heart – those places I tried to hide from myself and especially from Him. I needed to know the roots of my depression, anger and pain so He could heal those damaged festering places of my heart.

Psalm 139 became a favorite of mine. There was no place I could hide from the light and knowledge of God. He taught me how to become vulnerable to Him and that vulnerability brought trust as I realized He handled those hurting places in my heart with care and love.

The writings showed that trend – though each entry started with pain and shame pouring onto the page, it ended with praise and jubilation. He saw the darkest parts of my heart and still cared! He saw my naked heart and still loved me!

Later, during some counseling training through Dr. Richard Dobbins at Emerge Ministries in Akron OH, I learned why this kind of journaling was so effective as a healing tool. .

Dr. Dobbins suggested to pour out our hearts to God – to basically pray until there are no tears left. Then as we felt the emptiness, he suggested to begin to listen to the voice of God and ask Him to help us reinterpret the painful parts of our lives. He called his model, “praying through.”

Journaling was a form of “praying through” the difficulties of life which helped me identify the feelings I hid inside for so long – a way to empty my heart onto paper.

The act of writing down those thoughts and feelings in a journal involved the additional sense of touch. I often found myself speaking the words as I wrote them with tears flowing down my face as I poured out my hurts, shame and fears.

Writing was slower than praying – which meant I had more time to feel what wrote. Since I had learned to bottle up my hurts and fears from an early age, I needed the extra time to really feel what was in my heart.

When my heart was empty, when all the words were out on the paper, there would be a lull – a silent empty time to regroup emotionally. During that time, I was able to listen to the Spirit of God.

Once again, journaling helped. As God spoke slowly and deliberately to my heart, I wrote down the impressions I felt from Him and the alternative ways to view my past. The message was loud and clear – what man meant for evil and to harm me, God had used to mold me into the unique, special person I was, a person with a message of life I could share with others.

As I reread the entries later, the powerful, overwhelming love and intimacy of those moments spent with God struck me. Being humble, empty and quiet before God allowed room for His Spirit to fill my heart with His healing love and by journaling them I had a permanent reminder of those moments to reinforce His truths when the doubts came!

Journaling has truly been a healing tool!

A frugal use of time

Hurry up and wait!

In the supermarket, the store manager had to cut back on cashiers due to the economy so now ten people are ahead of me. All of them are irritated, grumbling about the length of the line and how many "important" things they have to do after they leave the grocery store.

Meanwhile, the harried clerk tries everything she knows to do to ring up an item with a damaged bar code. After about five minutes, she gives up and calls the manager for a price check which takes another five minutes as the line grows longer.

Breathing a sigh of relief as the customer finally pays for her purchase and moves toward the exit, the poor cashier is faced with a red-faced, not-so-gentle-man whose clipped words and short manner let her know "she" is to blame for all the world's ills.

And so it goes as she muddles her way through the angry impatient line of customers. When I finally reach the register, the poor girl looks like she'd rather be anywhere else at the moment.

Standing in that line, I have a choice to make about the way I will spend my time. I could get angry, decide I really don't need the item in my hand and storm out of the store. I could join my fellow shoppers in complaining all the way to the register. Or I could redeem or "buy back" the time so it isn't wasted by a bad attitude or simple inactivity.

So what can I do during that waiting time?

1. Being a "fixer" I like to diffuse the growing tension in the line by chatting with my fellow customers. By observing those around me, I can usually find something that makes me smile or a compliment I can give. By turning the attention away from the "wait" to pleasanter topics, the people around me will often relax a bit, enough to prevent them from taking their irritation out on the cashier.

2. If you don't feel comfortable talking to others, you might carry a book with you or even a pocket Bible which you can pull out and read during the waiting time. It's also a great time to memorize a scripture verse. Not only does it get your mind off the wait, it will improve your attitude in general and help you keep spiritually "fit."

3. You can always use the time to pray. Since prayer is conversation with God, you can carry on a mental conversation with Him anywhere. Picture Him standing in line with you and begin talking to Him about any of the needs on your heart - both for yourself or others. Or pray for those in line. You may not know their needs, but He does.

4. Being a writer, I try to keep a pen and notepad with me. Waiting in a long line is a great place to jot down snippets of conversation I hear around me or ideas for a scene in a short story or novel. Who knows? The ire of the customers in line may spark an idea for a blog about anger management or things you can do while waiting in line. LOL!

5. Get organized. Waiting in a line is a great place to organize my life. I can make lists of things I need to do, develop plans to achieve goals, make a list of Christmas gifts I want to buy or make for the grandchildren, make a wish list of craft supplies I need and prioritize it - anything that might need to be organized.

Any of the suggestions above could end up fitting into category #1 as conversation starters or openings to witness about the love of Christ as you wait - definitely a great way to frugally "spend" your waiting time.

So as the lines increase all over town, how do you frugally spend your time? I'd love to hear your suggestions!

An unforgettable rendition of the Lord's Prayer

I saw this and just had to pass it on!


Have a blessed Weekend!

Practice makes a perfect pray-er

One of the best pieces of practical writing advice I ever received said, "If you want to be a good writer, you have to write something every day." It's good advice, but a little hard to follow since I sometimes sit down at my computer and stare at the screen thinking, "Okay - now what am I going to write?"

Another writing mentor suggested writing a daily devotional which is especially good because there are formulas and rules for writing a proper devotional. They are usually short and to the point with a Bible thought, a life application and a prayer. What a great way to start the day!

For me, I've found blogging works well as a practice tool (Sorry, I bet you didn't know you were all my guinea pigs as I hone my writing craft, did you? LOL!) I try to have a topic for each day of the week to jump start the creative juices, though I don't always use them.

Like today - on Fridays I was sharing some family history through old recipe books I found among my mom's stuff. However, today, another thought stood out to me as I read my Bible over a cuppa coffee.

It's the idea of practicing to become a good pray-er. Like a writer improves her skill by writing daily, a person who prays becomes a better pray-er by learning the how-tos and praying every day. Sounds like a no-brainer to me.

But the thing is, writing isn't easy. At times I agonize over just the "right" word to make a sentence clear and concise. I am working on my second novel which has almost 60,000 of those words in it so far. That's a lot of agony!

There are rules to good writing to catch and hold a reader's attention; to bring the reader full circle so they have seen the full 360 degrees of the topic the writer is addressing whether it's fiction or non-fiction. It takes time and skill to do that. Writer's don't just sit down at the computer and let the words flow out perfectly.

I never really thought about it much until I read it in my current morning devotional book Experiencing God Day-By-Day by Henry and Richard Blackaby. To become a good pray-er (a.k.a. an intercessor) is hard work that often requires agonizing over one lost soul. Considering the fact that there's several billion souls on earth, that's a lot of agony!

Effective praying takes time and laboring love. It's more than just a quick arrow prayer aimed heavenward. "God bless so and so today amen." It also involves relationship - a willingness on my part to learn to care about the person I'm praying for.

Paul wasn't kidding when he said the "effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man accomplishes much." But it takes time, willingness, commitment and love, to become that kind of effectual fervent pray-er.

Father help me care enough to invest the necessary love, time and energy into others in prayer. Teach me to be an effective, fervent pray-er! Amen.

Living, Breathing Prayer

This week's quote is:
"To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing"~ Martin Luther ~

"Okay, breathe," I told myself as another contraction tensed my abdominal muscles. Oh how I regretted not being able to take Lamaze classes! But at least I knew the basics - short shallow breaths during the worst of the pain, then deep breathing once the contraction subsided.

In the mid 1970's, proponents of natural childbirth and nursing were adamant they were the only ways to start a child's life. Being a first time mom, I wanted to do things "right." So even without formal Lamaze training, I concentrated on breathing to get through the birthing experience.

It really did work - by concentrating on the breathing process, my attention was diverted away from the pain. I had a tendency to hold my breath, enduring the pain until it passed, But as I practiced breathing through it, I was able to "do" something to take control of the pain, relax my body and occupy my mind until it passed.

Proper breathing became a lifeline, a necessity to managing the painful experiences of life - first childbirth, then later gall bladder attacks and even panic attacks during a time of emotional upheaval in my life.

In the same way, prayer has become a lifeline to help me through the painful or difficult times of life. Rather than just holding my breath and hanging on with a white-knuckled grip until God takes care of the situation, prayer helps me relax and relinquish control.

Prayer becomes an exercise in trust. As my relationship with Him grows deeper through prayer, I am able to trust Him more fully. I know He will take care of things - not just in my head, but at the core of my being. Even though I still have to walk through difficult places, He is my focus, not the situation. I can rest in His peace, knowing He will hold me until the crisis passes.

If you would like to join us on: Tuesday, March 6th
Visit "Sting My Heart" to read her take on the quote and to leave your link along with the other participants.