I am Not Thankful...

A Happy and Healthy Thanksgiving to all!!!

This morning at exactly 6:16 AM I read the following:   

A five-year-old girl was asked to say the blessing at Thanksgiving dinner. She began by thanking God for all her friends, naming them one by one. Then she thanked God for Mommy, Daddy, Brother, Sister, Grandma, Grandpa, and all her aunts and uncles. Finally, she gave thanks for the turkey, the dressing, the fruit salad, the cranberry sauce, the pies, the cakes. Then she paused. After a long silence, the young girl looked up at her mother and asked, “If I thank God for the broccoli, won’t He know I’m lying?” And the point of the story that followed was that all of us have "broccoli" in our lives that is hard to give thanks for. Ain't that the truth!   1 Thessalonians 5:18 "In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you." God knows this, which is why we must look closely at His Word.  We are to give thanks "in" everything not "for" everything.   I am not thankful that Jorge's grandmother is in the hospital right now, or for her weak heart that makes breathing difficult.  But I am thankful that she is surrounded by loving family, that she is receiving excellent care, that she is comfortable, and that she knows Jesus. Big difference. I never said, "Thank You, Lord, that Jorge has skin cancer! Yippee!" But I did say over and over again, "Thank You that Jorge kept the appointment with the dermatologist because he really didn't want to go, and Thank You that it was caught early, and Thank You that You watch over even our tiniest cells..." Giving thanks opens our eyes to God's presence in our lives, and it strengthens our faith. No matter what "broccoli" you have going on, there is some aspect to be thankful for.  Think about it:) PRAYER: Dear Lord, We are thankful for You.  You are aware of every single thing that we are going through, and by encouraging us to be thankful, our faith is strengthened.  In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Suddenly~

Monday greetings~

Lessons from Peter's story cont...

Acts 12:1-4 "King Herod got it into his head to go after some of the church members...he arrested Peter—all this during Passover Week, mind you—and had him thrown in jail, putting four squads of four soldiers each to guard him. He was planning a public lynching after Passover."

Four squads of four soldiers were guarding Peter; that's 16 dudes for one man. Humanly speaking there was no way out!

Maybe today you don't see the out to your mess. You feel outnumbered and overwhelmed.

I HAVE A VERSE FOR YOU!

Acts 12:7 "Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists."

Suddenly, when Peter least expected it, BAM! an angel appears and the chains fell off. I LOVE THE BIBLE! When we pray, chains fall off. When we pray, even 16 soldiers can't stop us. When we pray, we get set free. When we pray, God will send an angel if necessary. When we pray God causes a "suddenly" and the problem that had you paralyzed and bound no longer exists!

Glory, glory, praise Him, and hallelujah!

Let me just refresh our memories, however, Verse 5, "All the time that Peter was under heavy guard in the jailhouse, the church prayed for him most strenuously."

Prayer is the precursor to your miracle!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We pray today because we need You & Your angels to break these shackles off of us. Shackles of disease, rebellion, hatred, poverty...ALL OF IT! In Jesus name, set us free! AMEN~

The Time to Pray is NOW!

Let's continue with Peter's story...

Acts 12:1-4 King Herod got it into his head to go after some of the church members...he arrested Peter—all this during Passover Week, mind you—and had him thrown in jail, putting four squads of four soldiers each to guard him. He was planning a public lynching after Passover.

Sometimes people get it into their head that they are going to go after us, and sometimes life just happens and we feel trapped. We feel like we are in a prison of fear or despair. And this verse clearly shows that just because we are Christian it doesn't mean we will live a trouble-free life.

Peter was a close friend and disciple of Jesus, and he was going to lynched for it. We do not get a pass just because Jesus is our friend.

Precious life-changing truth of the day: But because He is our friend, He will help the trouble pass.

Therefore, rather than waste time trying to figure out how God could allow this or that of the other thing to affect us, let's do what Peter's buddies did in verse five. The Message version of the Bible says, "All the time that Peter was under heavy guard in the jailhouse, the church prayed for him most strenuously."

They didn't hold a meeting to discuss strategy, they didn't wring their hands in worry, they prayed most strenuously right as the problem was taking place.

Precious life-changing truth of the day number two: The time to pray is now--not later.

CHOP CHOP!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We think about Peter today. He was about to celebrate Passover week when he got arrested. Sometimes stuff happens when we least expect it--sometimes even we are planning a party! But we know that You are aware of it all and always accept and welcome our harried, hustled, and strenuous prayers. We are listening for that knock at the door signaling that our miracle has arrived. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Somebody's Praying~

Greetings in the name of our mighty Lord!

I grew up singing a song called, "Somebody's Praying For Me," but I never fully appreciated it or understood in until I was an adult. And over the years these lyrics have come alive in my soul.

If you feel as though no one is praying for you, think again! I am:) Better yet, Romans 8:34 says, "Christ Jesus who died, who was raised to life, is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us." That means you and me, people! Jesus Himself is praying for us! Happy Dance time!

As we take a mini-break today from Peter's prison rescue, I want us all to read these lyrics and let them bless us.

Somebody's praying; I can feel it
Somebody's praying for me.

Mighty hands are guiding me
To protect me from what I can't see
Lord I believe, Lord I believe
That somebody's praying for me.

Angels are watching; I can feel it
Angels are watching over me.

There's many miles ahead till I get home
Still I'm safely kept before your throne
Cuz Lord I believe, Lord I believe
Your angels are watching over me.

Well, I've walked the barren wilderness
Where my pillow was a stone
And I've been through the darkest caverns
Where no light had ever shown.

But still I went on cuz there was someone
Who was down on their knees
And Lord I thank you for those people
Praying all this time for me.

Somebody's praying; I can feel it
Somebody's praying for me
Mighty hands are guiding me
To protect me from what I can't see.

Lord I believe, Lord I believe
Somebody's praying for me.

Somebody's praying for me.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that Jesus lives and breathes for us--always praying for us. We receive it. In Jesus' name, AMEN!

Gather Your Friends & Pray~

Monday greetings~

This week we will look at a passage of scripture that will encourage us mightily. It is filled with truths that will bless us while taking the pressure off that we somehow have to achieve a degree of spiritual perfection to warrant a miracle from God.

The Disciple Peter was in jail and miraculously freed when in Acts 12:8 an Angel rescues him. He goes to the house of Mary where, "Many people had gathered and were praying," for his freedom.

Acts 12:17 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!” “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel. But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place.

There are so many precious gems in this passage, and we will examine them all.

Precious truth of the day: "When someone you love is in a crisis, gather your pals and pray! Maybe, just maybe, while you are still praying, there will be a knock at the door!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for Your Word. It teaches, inspires, and brings hope. Bless us with peace, health, and joy. In Jesus' name we pray, AMEN

Mr. Right~

I am not sure who originally wrote this, but it's worth repeating. I sent this DEVO out October 6, 2011. Have a blessed day :)

1 Corinthians 13:13

Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

True story about Mark White when he was the governor of Texas:

Governor White and his wife were driving through the open Texas countryside one-day, out for a relaxing drive and talk. The couple happened to be around the area where Mrs. White grew up, and as they pulled into a gas station to fuel up and check out the car, Mark noticed a little nervousness with his wife. He didn’t say anything, but when the gas station attendant came out to their car, Mark began to notice what was really going on. Both his wife and the attendant looked surprised to see each other, and they acted with that awkwardness that two people have when they’ve been close in the past, but weren’t anymore.

Governor White pretended not to notice this. They finished at the gas station and continued back down the highway. The car fell silent and neither said a word. For a long time they remained silent, and all the while Mrs. White kept looking out the window, staring off out into the distance. Mark was considerate and patient with this silence, and he continued to drive in the silence. But after the silence had gone on for almost an hour, he interrupted, trying to break the silence.

“Honey, I couldn’t help but notice how you and that gas station attendant looked at each other. You were involved with each other at one point, weren’t you,” he asked?

“Well, yea,” She responded, quietly.

“Well, I guess I know how you feel. You were probably thinking about that and needed some space, right,” he continued?

“Yea,” she said again.

“I guess you were probably thinking about how different your two lives had become. I guess you were thinking that if you had married him, then you’d be the wife of a gas station attendant now, instead of my wife. Right,” he said?

“Well, No. Actually I was thinking that he’d be the governor now.”

 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, When I believe in my family and encourage them and love them with my words, there is so much potential. Help me to be the kind of person who speaks life into everyone I come in contact with. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Divine Inspiration~

Greetings :)

Nehemiah 7:5 "So my God put it into my heart to assemble the nobles, the officials and the common people for registration by families."

Nehemiah spoke those words above, and he credited God with inspiring him with finding a way to strengthen his beloved Jerusalem. He needed those on the outskirts to relocate to the holy city, and a census did the trick.

Our goals may be different from Nehemiah's, but isn't it great to know that God speaks to our hearts?

This is a life-changing truth. Maybe you can't get through to your child's or your husband's thick skull. And constantly trying will get you labeled a nag. But there's another way. We can ask God to do what He does best: Speak into the heart of those we love. When He does, great things happen!

I personally love the idea of getting some alone time with my Maker and asking Him to embrace my family--one by one--and speak beauty and wisdom and guidance into their hearts.

Let's pray!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for speaking into our hearts. We all give credit where credit is due, and we know that You are behind all Divine Inspiration. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Everlasting Love~

TGIF Greetings, all you beautiful, magnificent, and highly-blessed children of God!

Here is another blast from the past--January 9, 2013. It's highly reminiscent of a DEVO I wrote earlier this week, but (a) as I grow older I repeat myself a lot, and (b) this topic never grows old!

~~~~~

Last Friday night I took Jorge to see Les Misérables. He enjoyed a nice two-hour nap while I sat enthralled by the story. I will admit that dialogue in singing form takes a little getting used to, but the message in the film was inspiring. None of us would hesitate to make a sacrifice for one of our children, telling the truth at all cost is a noble pursuit, and being gracious to someone when they have been ungrateful is a powerful thing. But the one resounding theme that always gets me is LOVE. Sigh :)

There's a scene when Cosette and Marius see each other for the first time, and it's love at first sight. Immediately they know they want to be together forever, and I, well, I just thoroughly enjoyed the way they stared at each other.

Do you remember what it was like at the beginning of your relationship? Jorge and I would talk on the phone--the one connected to the wall--starting at midnight, and we would fall asleep talking nonsense and the phone would be off the hook all night. And then we would wake up and say, "Good morning. I missed you..." It was so silly, but it was love. More than once I recall my momma getting upset because there was drool on the phone.

I am still madly in love with my man, but let's be honest. The days of chewing each other's gum are long gone. But what if I told you that God has always been crazy about you, and He is as passionate now as He ever was?

Look at how God describes His love for us.

Isaiah 62:5 "As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, God rejoices over you."

Jeremiah 31:3 "I have loved you with an everlasting love."

Please let those verses above really sink into your soul.

God rejoices over us with the same zeal a bridegroom does over his bride on their wedding day, and it never wears off. IT'S EVERLASTING.

Are you having a rough day? A rough patch? A rough spell? The Maker of your soul loves you to infinity and beyond. He will take care of you. Never doubt it.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord,

We are so glad You rejoice over us. Not everybody does, and even when they do, it's not every single day of our lives. Sometimes relationships on earth are not so great, but how comforting to know that no matter what, we are passionately loved by You forever. Heal our hearts and comfort us with Your goodness. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

The Quality of Your Journey...

Ecclesiastes 4:12

By yourself you’re unprotected. With a friend you can face the worst.
Can you round up a third? A three-stranded rope isn’t easily snapped.

 

Today's DEVO is a blast from the past. January 13, 2013 to be exact.

Random Comment: "I'm as happy as a bird with a french fry."

Years ago I chaperoned an overnight field trip with Rayray's soccer team all the way to glorious Tampa Bay, also known as the Lightning Capital of the World!

The bus trip was a lot of fun--for her and her buddies. For me not so much. Since one never knows how far reaching ones words might be, I will follow my own advice and not leave a papertrail of info. Suffice to say that another chaperone on that trip sat next to me the entire time for the sole purpose of complaining--ABOUT EVERYTHING.

The bus smells, the girls are loud, the seats are uncomfortable, why can't we use the on-board bathroom?, the driver swerves too much, these snacks are stale...on and on it went for four torturous hours. When we finally arrived at our hotel, I was exhausted but also immensely relieved to know that each of the chaperones had been assigned a private room. Glory!

I thought about this story yesterday as my fabulous Pastor Bill made the following comment: The quality of your journey depends on the people you travel with.

Isn't that the gospel truth?

Those of us who are parents know the extreme importance of our kids having the right friends, and those of us who are married, were married, or want to get married, know the importance of settling down with the right person too. Why? Because the quality of your journey is at stake.

When one of my children started 6th grade, I noticed that one friend had made a noticeable transformation over the summer. Their mind was clearly on the opposite sex, and my child was still very much questioning the existence of Santa Claus. I did not want them hanging out because I could see where this was headed, and let's just say I was right. How do you navigate these waters without hurting your child or somene else's?

I asked God daily for that friendship to end. Does that sound mean? Read on. I asked for the friendship to end but for God to bring another more compatible soul to my child. As I look back to the margins of my prayer book where I made numerous scribbles about my concerns and worries, a beautiful picture of how God cares for my child emerged. Within two weeks of my pouring out my heart to God, this little friend basically left my kid in the dust for another crowd. At the same time, another friendship was already underway that turned out to be a fountain of bountiful blessings for both families all through middle school.

What has been the quality of your journey so far? How about for your kids? The good news is that we can ask God for His help when the road gets bumpy, dangerous, or lonely.

PRAYER:

Dear Lord, So much of the peace we enjoy comes from us and those we love being in the right relationships. A strain in that area brings so much heartache. Spare us, Lord! Help our children choose wisely. If they encounter the wrong crowd, change the crowd. And for those of us who feel stuck because of vows we took, thank You that we have hope in You. Turn any rocky relationship around so that we can live in joy and peace. And no matter how old we get, we could always use a good friend. Bless the friendships we already have, and help us open our hearts to new ones. In Jesus' name, AMEN~

God Rejoices Over Us~

Good afternoon, all you mightily-blessed and loved children of God!

"Love," has been on my mind a lot lately because everyday I get to see Rayray and her fiance all googly-eyed and sappy.  And a couple of days ago she suddenly jumped up and ran out the front door, scaring me half to death.  I followed her to see what was wrong and got there just in time to see her lean in and kiss Emilio, who did a quick drive-by on his way to the gym.

The first thing I thought of was that it's been a long long time since I got that excited to see Jorge.  And while we are being honest, it's been a while since he went out of his way to drive by the house so I could smooch with him on the way to wherever he was headed.  (Maybe he thinks I wouldn't come out?)

Nevertheless, look at what Isaiah says 62:5 "God will rejoice over you as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride."

This means He takes pure delight in us.  He loves spending time with us.  He never grows tired of us. We are perfectly beautiful in His eyes.  He just can't get enough of us.  It's one long perpetual honeymoon...

The very next time you become afraid of something, the next time you encounter a difficulty, before you do anything else, remind yourself that God rejoices over you.  That He loves You with an even better fierceness and passion than the love between young couples, and even better, His love never wanes. Never ever!

He will always always always go out of His way to show us His love--even to the point of doing something so amazingly radical as sending His son to die for us.  I have said it right here before that I love you guys.  I pray for each of you.  I would do almost anything to help you.  But give up Hormone?  NOPE!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You for Your mighty love for us.  We cling to that truth today, and we ask that You remind us of it whenever we are about to forget it.  In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Working-it-out Power~

TGIF Greetings~

Wednesday's DEVO struck a chord--a melodious one. Many of us finally realized that no one is the picture of perfection.

No such thing, perfection that is!

And it's not that we are happy that we're all in the same boat as much as that we are happy that Jesus is in the boat with us. There is a difference.

And it is a cause for celebration to realize that not one single soul on this earth can truly judge us or our smelly kids. There are those who will try, but they will never get away with it!

And in the midst of all this craziness we are told to consider it pure joy...

God knows that when reassess our problems--when we redefine them as situations that He can fully and totally handle--when we dig in our heels and declare that we aren't going anywhere until God blesses us--when we make up our mind that perseverance is a good and an invaluable life skill to possess--when we by faith fully accept this verse, Romans 8:28, "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them," then joy becomes possible.

Notice how it doesn't say, "Everything works together for our good," but rather, "GOD CAUSES everything to work together for our good."

God is active, alive, engaged, near by, hovering, loving, leading, protecting, providing, and causing that thing that you thought would nearly kill you to bless you instead.

Excuse me while I do my happy dance.

I'm back. We need to pray!

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We fully embrace Your promises and open our arms wide to receive You and Your working-it-out power! __________ could especially use Your power today. In Jesus' name, AMEN~