We're Better Than That~

TGIF Greetings~

Thank you all so much for your kind words on yesterday's DEVO; I appreciate them! More importantly, I hope the message is deeply ingrained in all of us: GOD ANSWERS PRAYER!

And I know there are still some folks who struggle with praying for themselves, which is why I want you to consider what God took the time to include in the Bible about Jabez.

1 Chronicles 4:9 "Jabez was a better man than his brothers, a man of honor...."

If you read chapter four of 1 Chronicles, it is a list of the descendants of Judah, Etam, Kenaz, Caleb...pretty unremarkable stuff. But right in the middle of this list appears Jabez, his prayer, and God's personal analysis--Jabez was a man of honor.

Everyone else is just named, but Jabez is highlighted. When God highlights somethings--when something stands out--we should pay attention. Why would God say Jabez was a man of honor?

Because a man of honor realizes his need for God's intervention in his life. A foolish man doesn't realize this, and a prideful man won't admit it.

I am going to confidently say that none of is prideful or foolish. That means we are all honorable and better than we would be because we pray.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We offer You today our praise straight out of Pslam 116: "We love You! You answer our prayers. You pay attention to us, adn so we will pray to You as long as we live." In Jesus' name, AMEN~

No Greater Joy~

Today is Hormone’s birthday. I can not believe he is 26 YEARS OLD!!! I clearly remember a kind Jamaican nurse holding him up for me to see while they stitched me up from my C-section. That image is permanently engrained in my brain, and I am thankful for him. He is one of God’s greatest gifts in my life.

If we really like a gift that we’ve been given, we cherish it. And when we cherish that gift, we take really good care of it. Is there anything more valuable than a child? No matter what the age? As such I will share with you what I have shared with Hormone a million + times in the past: The greatest thing I can do to show you my love is to pray for you. And over the years I have had countless Jabez moments where I cried to God to bless him, to help him make wise decisions, to increase the number of good friends and decrease the miscreants, to protect him—especially while playing sports, to let no harm or danger come near him, physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual, and to keep him from suffering.

Has Hormone had a perfect life? NOPE—not even close. But as his mom I have such a profound and abiding peace because I accept by faith that every single thing that has come his way has been filtered through the heart of a loving God Who allowed it for the ultimate goal of blessing my son.

Let’s read that again: Every single thing that has come his way has been filtered through the heart of a loving God Who allowed it for the ultimate goal of blessing my son.

This doesn’t mean we will understand why some things happen. This doesn’t mean we have all the answers. What it does mean is that prayer is a powerful, effective tool that brings the glory of heaven down here on earth. It moves the hand of God in our lives and the lives of our families. It brings with it peace, confidence, joy, and hope.

And I want you all to know—especially you, my precious son—that the words of 3 John 1:4 are the reason why I am always so happy: “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We pray today for all of our children to walk in truth. When they fully understand Your love for them and Your desire to see them make wise choices, they will make the best choices and live a beautiful life in the process. In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

Grantor~

Greetings from rainy Miami~

There's just one little phrase left to our verse, and it is the most important one.

1 Chronicles 4:10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request. 

Someone once said that the value of prayer is that God answers it, and we see that it was true for Jabez.  

God is the great Answerer!  But allow me to ask a rhetorical question: Can God answer a prayer that has not been prayed?

There is so much emphasis in the Bible on asking, seeking, knocking, persevering, persisting, petitioning, etc...that we can only conclude that God desires a relationship with us that thrives through prayer.  Prayer is a lovely word for communication.  

The foundation for any great relationship is communication.  Think about your relationships.  They are either thriving because the communication is solid or frustrating you because there is mis-communication or a lack of understanding or even an atmosphere where you feel you can not speak freely.

How can we get to know God if we do not speak to Him?  How will we ever "be able to take in the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love. Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God,"

(Ephesians 3:18 THE MESSAGE) if we keep Him at a distance.  Not only does God desire for us to reach out to Him, we are the ones who need Him more than He needs us.  We forfeit peace, joy, and hope when we fail to plug into the One Who so freely gives us all these things and more.

Whatever ails you right now, take a moment to turn it over to Him in prayer.  Take a huge and bold step of faith and let us pray.

PRAYER: Dear God, Thank You that You answer prayers.  We don't know what holds us back sometimes from asking, but we come to You today with renewed hope that You are the Grantor of requests.  It's a powerful mystery why You would even listen to us, and maybe we don't fully understand how this all works.  But we do know Who You are, and You answer prayer.  You let the blessings flow when we put our trust in You.  You scoop us up in Your arms and cradle us when we need help.  You love us and love listening to us and love answering us.  Amen and Glory!

Pain Free~

1 Chronicles 4:10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.


Greetings all you Jabez scholars~


I love the Bible. It has eye-opening verses that were written from God to you and me so we can pray confidently.


When we ask God to bless us, and increase our sphere of influence by giving us wisdom, and invite His hand to guide and keep us from harm, it all works together like one big powerful and heavenly umbrella to shield us from pain. Could this mean that if we don't pray and don't ask for increase, and don't invite God's hand to be with us and keep us from harm that we will suffer needlessly?


All I know is that if given the option, I would rather pray than sit around waiting to find out. And I know there have been many many moments when I have seen the power of God clearly interfering in my life to take care of me and the ones I love.


Last Saturday Rayray asked her dad to iron the pockets on her pants. She was in a hurry, and between them they had the brilliant idea it would be more efficient to iron them while Rayray was wearing them. Everything started our fine, and then Jorge pushed the steam button. The hot and searing water penetrated the fabric and promptly left six perfectly round burn marks on Rayray's skin. She yelped, Jorge considered burning himself to show solidarity, and I applied the burn cream and gauze.


..."so that I will be free from pain."


Life is full of pain; God knows it. He also knows that when we pray to be spared and protected, we are spared and protected from a lot of junk. (What if Rayray had been wearing a blouse and had wanted the collar ironed?) No one will live their entire life pain free, but it is biblical to ask God to spare you unnecessary suffering.


Rayray's burns stung like crazy, but she is all better three days later and will make a full recovery. If only all pain lasted three days. Sigh~


I accept God at His word, and since I certainly do not want any extra pain coming my way, I intend to be as bold as Jabez and ask God to keep me from it.


Will you join me?


PRAYER: Dear Lord, Keep us from pain. Help us and our families make wise decisions. Wherever there is someone who could benefit from our experience, give them an ear to hear our words. Extend Your hand over us all like a mighty shade of protection. And deliver us from evil. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Keep Us From Harm~

Monday greetings:)


One of my favorite quotes goes like this: "Seven days without prayer makes one weak." But I know it does not apply to any of us; feel free to share it with the heathens in your life!


At this point we are all so familiar with Jabez and his awesome prayer that we should all be eager and ready to approach God wiht the same requests. Jabez did not hold back and we shouldn't either.

1 Chronicles 4:10 Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.


Last week we ended with a closer look at what it means to have God's hand with us. Today we look at Jabez's request to keep him from harm.


H-A-R-M--the possibilities are endless. Other versions of the Bible say "evil," or "trouble."


Frankly, I try not to watch the news too much because there's so much in it about harm, evil, and trouble; it's easy to lose our focus on Whose child we are. We can become downright paranoid, which would be a direct defiance of one of God's most beautiful encouragements. Philippians 4:8 "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."


God encourages us to fix our thoughts on the good stuff because dwelling too much on the bad stuff will drive us nuts. But what are we to do with the fact that harm actually does exist and in abundance? How can we think on the lovely and pure and right when so many things are unlovely and dirty and wrong wrong wrong?


The first step is to take a queue from Jabez and do what he did. Cry out to God to keep you and the ones you love from harm.


I just served six days on a jury for the trial of a man accused of sexually assaulting three different women during a massage. The details were graphic and troubling. I had difficulty sleeping just thinking about the allegations and my responsibility to do justice. All kinds of thoughts kept popping into my head about my daughters, sisters, friends, children I know, and just how vulnerable we can all be.


On the third night of tossing and turning, I had enough. I whispered to God Jabez's prayer word for word. I found great comfort in knowing that God understands there is evil in this world, that we humans are susceptible to all kinds of fears, and that He provides protection in response to our pleas.


PRAYER: Dear Lord, Keep us and our families from all harm. Thank You that Your hand is with us, and we are covered, protected, and shielded all the days of our lives. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

As If~

Isaiah 59:1 "Behold, the LORD'S hand is not so short that it cannot save; Nor is His ear so dull that it cannot hear."

Before we proceed, let's all take a moment to reflect.

Are you alive?

Did you make it?

Did you receive startling news and yet you survived?

Did you have a rough week but arrived at Friday nonetheless?

Then thank HIM!

"Thank you, dear Lord!"


Now, that verse above is one of my all-time favorites. It's an in-your-face assertion that does not hold back. If it weren't for all the sensitive people in the world, God might have even finished the verse with the words, "As if, honey child!"

You all know I like to break it down a La Macarena style. And if we do that what we get with this verse is a simple yet powerful fact: God's hand is more than enough to save you from whatever you need saving from.

The laundry list of requests just from this week alone include prayer for sick kids, broken hearts, spouses who need surgery, those looking for love, job issues, school concerns, relationship struggles...and honestly it would be overwhelming except for two truths: (1) I am not God and therefore I feel no pressure to act like it, and (2) God's hand is not too short--NEVER EVER NEVER!!!

Let that penetrate to your weary soul. Accept it at face value. Don't put any "excepts" after it. Live as though it's 100 accurate.

And the second part of that verse is important as well: God hears us when we pray.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that Your hand is PHENOMENAL. Save me from _________ and save the one or ones I love from _________. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

He's Got a Grip on You~

Thursday Salutations:)


..."Let Your hand be with me."


There are over 100 verses in the Bible that deal with the hand of God. There are two in particular that will help us better understand the implications of Jabez's request. Today we will look at one and tomorrow the other.


Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."


There's a contemporary version of the Bible called, The Message, and that version puts this verse in terms I think we can all better relate to: "Don’t panic. I’m with you. There’s no need to fear for I’m your God. I’ll give you strength. I’ll help you. I’ll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you."


This is one of those Bam! Bam! Bam! verses that clearly states what God wants us to understand and accept and receive like a balm for our weary hearts.


He knows life is hard and that we have a tendency to panic. Hence, the exhortation not to. Why? Because the Almighty God Creator and Host of the Heavenly Armies Himself is with us, and He's ours--ALL OF HIM. He gives us help, He gives us strength, and when we think we are going to crumble under the pressure or stress of life, He keeps us steady in His firm grip!


I needed to hear that. Excuse me for a moment while I pause from writing this DEVO and do a happy dance!!!


I'm back:)


What has you on the verge of panicking today? What fear is threatening to consume you? Where do you feel weak? Do you feel as though you are slipping and that it's all about to come crashing on you?


Hurry! Let's pray!


PRAYER: Dear Lord, Let Your hand be with us. When Your hand is with us we are calm, and strengthened. Thank You that You have a firm grip on us, and thank You that You will never let go. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Written, Engraved, Inscribed, & Tattooed~

Wednesday greetings:)

As we continue on our journey with Jabez, I pray your hearts will be greatly encouraged.

1 Chronicles 4:10
Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.
The third thing Jabez cried out for was for God's hand to be with him.

God's hand...what image does it conjure up in your mind?

Do you picture a strong, invincible, big, muscular hand? Think again and think even bigger! God's hand is so vast that all of His children's names are written on the palm.

Isaiah 49:16 "...I have written your names on the palm of my hand."

Other versions say "engraved," "inscribed," and even "tattooed."

Our names aren't going anywhere, and neither is God.

When we talk to Him through prayer it's more about our faith growing stronger than making sure He's around. We are the ones who struggle with doubt and fear, and prayer helps us overcome all that mess.

I dare you to cry out for God's hand every single day for a week. (But by all means, keep on praying after a week). And at the end of those seven days you will find yourself with a bolstered up faith--the kind of faith that can look a person in the eye and confidently say, "God' s hand is with you; go forth with joy!" After all the times I have said this, yelled this, and cried this, my own family would have disowned me by now if they hadn't experienced it for themselves.

Before we pray, think about these two questions: Can anyone erase you from God's palm? Is there anything or anyone bigger and stronger than our God?

I feel better already.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Let Your hand be with us! Let Your hand be with our families! You are awesome, and we are at peace in Your tender-loving care. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

More, More, More~

Greetings:)

I just spent six days on a jury, and it's good to be back. As the judge held up a folded copy of The Constitution to remind us of the foundation upon which this country's legal system was founded, I was moved by the enormous responsibility and privilege that comes with sitting on a jury. I repeatedly asked the Lord for the wisdom to make the right decision, and I fully believe justice was served. Amen!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday yet another one of you precious souls wrote to me to say that you sent your oldest child off to college. But rather than it being a time for tears, it was a time for rejoicing. You are happy that your son has found passion and are trusting his life to God.

You are confident, that just as your parents invested in you through loving you and teaching you, that your investment in your son will have a huge payoff. AMEN TO THAT!

And this is one of the points the Jabez Prayer makes: Ask God to bless you and increase your territory so you can enjoy a lifetime of good and solid communication with your child.

Several years ago one of my children was ticketed for speeding. It happened while they were at another friend's house. This child was so upset about it--worried about how I might react--that the friend's parent did a big no-no. They swept it under the rug and paid the ticket clinic behind my back.

Oh! Where do I begin?

Of course, these things have a way of coming out, and sure enough, when all these advertisements about traffic schools started coming in the mail, my spidey sense started tingling.

Before I could confront my child, said child was overwhelmed by guilt and spilled the beans. Somehow, not confessing was worse than confessing. It was a powerful learning moment because I realized the importance of asking God to always have my childrens' hearts turned toward Jorge and me and not anything or anyone else--even well-meaning adults.

And I also realized that if I was serious about having an ongoing powerful influence on my children, I better not blow the opportunities to lead by example. So, with my child in front of me, I called the mom who grossly overstepped her bounds. Rather than sever all ties with her, I spoke with her about how important it is for our kids to own up to their mistakes. How every mistake is an opportunity to learn something that will help in avoiding mistakes in the future, and most importantly, open communication in the smaller things will open the door to the bigger deeper conversations about life.

Let us pray.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, There are really only a handful of people that we love deeply, and these are the ones You want us intimately connected to all our lives. So again today we ask for more blessing and more increase. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

It's Never Too Late

Good morning:)

I trust you all had a lovely weekend.

Jabez, here we come...

One of you precious souls wrote back to me saying that the ship has sailed when it comes to the influence and impact you can have on your adult child. Said child is way past the age of 18 and doing whatever comes to mind with little to no regard to the careful upbringing you provided.

"Nonsense," I say! But only if you believe Jabez.

..."Bless me and enlarge my territory!

A prayer based on this verse might look like one I shared last week:

"Dear Lord, Give Mary wisdom. Her baby starts middle school this year and will face new challenges. May she always turn to Mary and trust her with all her hopes, dreams, fears, and temptations. May Mary's influence over her daughter grow stronger each and every day, and thank you for the fierce love between them. May her daughter only have honor for Mary and a desire to do what is right."

Isn't that phenomenal?

No matter where you are in your parenting journey, this is an encouraging verse that reminds us that it is never too late to ask God to increase the good you can do in your child's life.

Actually, it's never too late to ask God to increase the good we can do in the life of anyone we love.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Increase our territory. So many things compete to influence us. TV, cable, friends, magazines, radio, internet...But we desire that You would be our primary source of influence so that those within our reach would be positively impacted. In Jesus' name, AMEN~


Yenise~
With God all things are possible~
www.speedypalomino.com

I Want More

1 Chronicles 4:10
Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.

Some verses are just worth repeating, and this is one of them. We have patiently unraveled all that "bless me" entails, and we can finally get to "enlarge my territory."

Those words mean exactly what they say and then some. First, it is okay to ask God for financial blessings and material blessings, but let's not forget the guiding principal here: Before Jabez asked for an enlargement of his territory, he cried out for blessing, which first and foremost is a desire to be made holy by God Himself--to do things His way--to be a better person. It makes perfect sense to me that before we can handle the responsibility of having more, we need to know what do with it.

I am liking Jabez more and more because he understood what Spiderman has taught us all: "With great power comes great responsibility."

There is a verse that corroborates Spiderman's quote: "...From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." Luke 12:48

But, of course, I always like to take spiritual matters into consideration. Therefore, I think of Yenise's territory as being anything within my sphere of influence. Family, work, friends, church, the grocery store, the neighborhoods where I ride my bike...

"Enlarge my territory," means increase the positive impact I can have on folks.

For those of us parents and aspiring parents out there, wouldn't you love to be the person who has the greatest impact and influence on your kids?

Don't you want your territory enlarged to the degree that anybody else's pales in comparison?

How many times have we avoided a stupid mistake because we were thinking about something our parents taught us? Because their words were front and center in our mind?

None of us were perfect children--not even you "J," but I recall very vividly certain things I would not do because I knew my mom would not like it.

When your sphere of influence is large and powerful, it is effective.

But before you can influence someone, you have to earn their respect. And to earn someone's respect you have to be wise. And to be wise you have to ask God to bless you.

I love connecting the dots:)

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Enlarge our territories. Make us a powerful influence in the lives if our children and all other relationships. Thank You that You desire for us to make a positive impact in this world. In Jesus' name, Amen:)





Yenise~
With God all things are possible~
www.speedypalomino.com

Protect Us!

Good morning, all you beautiful and blessed children of God:)

Today we have arrived at part four of the definition of blessing:
To protect or guard from evil (usually used interjectionally).

I could not agree more!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

An exclamation point at the end of a sentence says that the words preceding it are intense and emotional.

"God bless you." Is not the same as. "God bless you!" Jabez had it right when he cried out to God saying, "Bless me and enlarge my territory!"

Yes, an exclamation point appears in the Bible. Does it matter? Does it make a difference?
2 Timothy 3:16 "Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth...correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way."

The truth is God has exclamations in His word because sometimes we need to pray with exclamations. Part of our training for living His way includes getting to know Him as the kind of Father Who responds to fervent cries for blessings of protection.

One of you precious folks grew up attending a church where everything was low key. Prayers were soft and barely above a whisper. No matter what the situation, one always prayed in hushed, quiet tones. And then one day an urgent matter arose where you lost your toddler at the mall and you did not have time for formalities. You yelled to Jesus for help so loud that everybody in Cuba heard you. And God, did in fact, come running with your wiley two year old in hand.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Protect us and our families from all danger and evil! In Jesus' name, Amen~

Yenise~
With God all things are possible~
www.speedypalomino.com

Divine Favor Fave

Monday morning greetings:)

The second definition of the word bless (as defined by dictionary.com) is:
to request of God the bestowal of divine favor on.

I love how those words sound--Divine Favor...

Dictionary.com provides an eye-opening explanation as we peel back the layers of this verse. "Favor" means "friendly or kind regard; good will; approval; liking; favoritism; to be partial to; prefer; to help; assist; to do a kindness for;endorsing; provided with advantages; specially priviledged."

What makes it divine is that God Himself does all those things for us. Jabez had it right; who wouldn't want advantages and preferential treatment from God?

I have a license plate tag that says, "Jesus loves you, but I'm His favorite." But the truth is we're all His favorites. Hebrews 4:16 invites every single person to "have confidence, and approach God's throne, where there is grace. There they will receive mercy and find grace to help them just when they need it."

In other words, God is waiting to show us preferential treatment;
like Jabez, all we have to do is approach God.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, thank You for inviting us to approach You. This means You are approachable! We need and ask for Your divine favor--for help, approval, assistance, and advantages. Especially in this area ____________. Jabez has been a powerful reminder that You grant requests, so grant ours. In Jesus' name, Amen~





Have a beautiful day~

Bless Me~

And finally we can say...TGIF:)

We know by now that Jabez cried out and the first thing he asked for was, "Oh, that you would bless me..."

BLESS ME!!!

What does this beautiful verb mean?

As always, the fine folks at dictionary.com have great, multiple definitions.

1. to make or pronounce holy.

2. to request of God the bestowal of divine favor on: Bless this house.

3. to bestow good of any kind upon: a nation blessed with peace.

4. to protect or guard from evil (usually used interjectionally): Bless you! Bless your innocent little heart!

I'll take all four, but first things first. God has the means and the power to make us holy, which means He call us unto Himself and helps us live the Christian lifestyle.

In essence, the very first thing Jabez cried out for was help to make him a better man. The Christian lifestyle is NOT characterized by perfection or trying to be perfect, but rather by a daily dependence on God through prayer whereby we admit that without His help we are not going to make it. We need Him to help us with our emotional stability and with our work ethic. We need His help to maximize our ability to love and love well. We need His help to walk in kindness, patience, forgiveness, gentleness, peace, and self-control.

Jabez was wise to acknowledge God as the source of blessing in his life, and we should too. It's easy to see how if each of us ask for God's blessing, those around us will automatically be blessed as well.

One day at work I had a particularly rough day when someone said something to me extremely offensive. Jesus Himself would have understood if I would have retaliated with judo chop to the neck. But then again, Jesus is the biggest source and provider of blessing in my life, so I backed down. Instead, I calmly (Evidence number one that God helps us make better decisions) stood up and said in the most regal of tones, "I give thee the gift of my immediate forgiveness." (Evidence number two that God helps us make better decisions and that sometimes He likes it when we speak with a British accent). I gathered my things, because the only recourse after this highly dramatic event was to leave for the day. Before I even got to the car, this person called me and profusely apologized. (Evidence number three that God helps us make better decisions and that when He blesses us with the ability to have the right response others are motivated to respond in a right manner as well).

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Bless us today; make us holy. Pour out Your spirit on us so we, our children and everyone we come in contact can live rightly. When we live according to Your ways, we make wise decisions that lead to life. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

I-Need-This-Now~

TGIAF--Thank God it's Almost Friday:)

I love it when a DEVO hits a nerve, and yesterday's was a doozy. Many of you were happy to see that not only is it okay to pray for yourself, but that God actually welcomes it and shows His approval by "granting the requests."

In honor of this awesome revelation let's examine the Jabez prayer.

1 Chronicles 4:10

Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request.

Jabez cried...

When the kids were in elementary school I made friends with another mom who was a nurse. One day she climbed onto a stool and started cleaning the ceiling fan blades. She lost her balance and fell backward and landed so awkwardly that she fractured both elbows. Yes, at the same time.

Picture this poor gal without the use of her arms for eight weeks. Picture both arms in casts up to the shoulders with a stick at the hip to keep them at an angle. Picture her needing help for EVERYTHING.

And when I think of her I think of Jabez, because on the day she fell no one was home and she cried out--loudly--for over an hour until a neighbor arrived.

Jabez's prayer was not some softly spoken, whispered, half-hearted request. It was an urgent, I-need-this-now petition. Time was of the essence!!!

God answers these kind of prayers. What do feel you feel the need to cry out for today?

And please note that Jabez cried out for more than one thing. Think of it as invitation to bring all your concerns before the Lord.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that You know we sometimes need to cry out for help, and thank You that You answer. Today I cry out for __________! In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Me, My, Me, Me, & Me~

Good morning, all you precious and blessed children of the Most-high God.

Last night one of Rayray's college buddies visited, and over the years I have really grown to love these kids, who like all of us, are trying to live their lives and figure out their purpose.  

So when I sensed the opportunity to get all Biblical, I flat out asked this young man if we could pray before he left.  I kind of chuckled when he automatically stood up and made the prayer circle formation. (He remembered all those times I would "politely" encourage them to say grace before eating.  Okay--maybe I did mention one or two stories of people who ate poisoned food but only the one who prayed was spared a cruel and agonizing death.  Rayraywould always say that I was indicting my own cooking).

Nevertheless, as we stood in our little circle, I asked what he wanted for himself and he said: "I do not feel comfortable asking for myself, but I would like for God to help my mom, dad, and brother."

I prayed for him instead.  It grieves me when people say to me that they don't feel right praying for themselves, and I hear it so often that it's time to set the record straight.  I am not sure where this notion that praying for oneself is somehow wrong or self-centered, but it's out there and it's capital "C" Crazy!

As always the Bible is our infallible guide for living, and it very clearly states--in more than one verse--that we can and should pray for ourselves.  The best verse, however, to drive this point home is found in 1 Chronicles 4:10, "Jabez called upon the God of Israel, saying, "'Oh that you would bless me and enlarge my border, and that your hand might be with me, and that you would keep me from harm so that it might not bring me pain!'"  And God granted what he asked."

This is such a fully-loaded verse, but notice the me, my, me, me, and me structure.  It was all about Jabez praying for himself.

And let's not overlook the very last part of the verse: AND GOD GRANTED WHAT HE ASKED.

Could it be that praying for ourselves is actually the best thing for our families?  That when we walk in peace and protection and joy and mental stability it has a way of positively impacting those around us?

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Your Word is clear that we can and should pray for ourselves.  And most importantly, You grant our requests.  We lift up our voices with Jabez's and pray that You would bless us and enlarge our borders.  We pray that Your hand would be with us--guiding us--and that You would keep us from harm.  In Jesus name, AMEN~

Selah~

I'm back, and I had a lovely Holiday. I have always said that it's not what you have but who you're with. And I found myself thanking God numerous times for the wonderful family He has given me, which this year, included a daughter-in-law, a boyfriend, and a new baby. More than once as we gathered to share a meal, play games, bury someone in the sand, or take a nap with a chubby baby, I literally had a "Selah" moment.

If you look at the end of several of the verses in the Psalms, many of them end with the word, "Selah." It means to pause for a moment.

While reading scripture there are so many life-changing truths that taking a moment to let them come alive in your soul will fill you with peace. Likewise, as we live our life and pause to enjoy the many blessings God has given us, it will fill our souls with joy and gratitude.

Honestly, next time I am having a rough day at work I will think about these two pictures and thank God that His goodness outweighs everything else in my life.

Psalm 63:3 "Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you!" SELAH!

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, We praise You for Your unfailing love, and we praise You for the many blessings we receive each and every day. Help us to always re-direct our thoughts to the good and the lovely. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Baby Eater.  Yes, that's the entire foot!

Hold me Close~

TGIF Greetings:)

One of my heroes of faith is a dear friend of mine who is an 80 year old woman.

We actually have several things in common, like a love for Christ and a never-ending concern for our families that keeps us in prayer.

And this precious soul has entered a unexpected season of life where she is sole caretaker for her four-year-old great-grandson.

When the call came that this little boy needed a place to call home, she looked up to heaven and asked God for the strength to do it. Why strength?  Because she already had the love and desire; at her age she needed the energy.

Imagine trying to raise an energetic pre-schooler who regularly goes in the backyard and yells out for his mom because he is sure she must be lost.  He does not grasp the fact that he has been abandoned.

Strong words, but true.  Seven months have passed and not a call or a visit or an anything from his mom or anyone else.

Yet talk to my friend and she will eagerly explain that her youth has been renewed.  That she has been given a purpose, and she will see it through.  That the adventure she is on, while sometimes difficult, is always filled to overflowing with love.  That a particular Bible verse has exploded with new meaning: Psalm 27:10 "Even if my father and mother abandon me, the LORD will hold me close."

God is holding this little boy close--through the loving arms of his great-grandma:)

How is God holding you close today? It may not be in a "traditional" way, but it is so, nonetheless. 

Prayer: Dear Lord, No matter what, You will find a way to make sure we are held. Open our eyes to see it, and give us grateful hearts.  In Jesus' name, Amen~

Let it Go~

Praise Him for the beauty of the earth!

Last night as I watched the sunset--I can never grow tired of seeing it--I remembered an awesome verse: Ephesians 4:26 "Do not let the sun go down on your anger."

God knows we get angry sometimes.  The key is to let it go.  When the sun goes down it takes the heat of the day with it, and that's what God wants us to do with the heat of anger--let it give way to the coolness of the night.  Besides, have you ever tried sleeping when it's hot?  It's uncomfortable!    

Anger has a way of growing if we let it sit or sleep with it.  Just ask Jorge about that time I very immaturely did not speak to him for three days over a fight that started out as, "Why did you forget the milk? You know how much I need my milk!"

So dumb; such a waste of energy.  Next time you see sun going down, remember to let any anger you may have go with it.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for the wisdom of the Word.  Help us to let go of our anger so that we can sleep well.  In Jesus' name, AMEN~