Adrenaline for Our Souls~

Happy Tuesday, dear and beautiful children of God~

 

I woke up this morning to the reminder that today is the one-year anniversary of the Boston bombing.  Somedays the bad news and suffering seem relentless.  And honestly, we do not have to turn on the national news to be reminded of all the junk in life; we’ve all gone through something or are currently in the midst of something.  Our struggles can be small or they can be big.  The point is they are real, and they cause upheaval in our lives.  How are we to cope?  It is not very practical to disengage from life, retreat to a room, cover our head with a lavender-scented pillow, snuggle under a blanket, and wait until the glory.    

 

Hebrews 12:2-3 “Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how He did it. Because He never lost sight of where He was headed - that exhilarating finish in and with God - He could put up with anything along the way: Cross, shame, whatever. And now He’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God. When you find yourselves flagging in your faith, go over that story again, item by item, that long litany of hostility He plowed through. That will shoot adrenaline into your souls!”

 

Part one: “Keep your eyes on Jesus!” 

 

We keep our eyes on Him by studying how He lived, and the most important thing He did was pray.

 

He prayed when He was alone, when He was with others, before He ate, before healing others, at His own baptism, in the morning, before walking on the water, and at the Lord’s supper.  He prayed over the little children, in the Garden before the betrayal, and once pulled an all nighter before choosing the 12 disciples.  While being nailed onto the cross He prayed, while suffering on the cross He prayed, and in His dying breath He prayed, “Father, into Your hands I entrust my spirit.”  In fact, He is still praying – right now – for you and for me.  Romans 8:34 “Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and He is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.”

 

In other words, it’s always a good time to pray – to have a little conversation with our Lord.  This is one of many aspects that “will shoot adrenaline into our souls!” 

 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We are excited to pray today.  By following Christ’s example, we are strengthening our faith.  We could all use a shot of adrenaline!  Help us plow through.  In His blessed and risen name we pray, AMEN~

Go Toward the Light~

Proverbs 3: 5-8 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to Him, and He will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”

I like having plants in my home, but I do not have a green thumb. On the contrary, I am the antithesis of a green thumb, which thesaurus.com says is a brown thumb. That’s funny!

Nevertheless, I have one plant in particular that is a fighter. This green leafy vine has dutifully sat on my windowsill for over a year in a parrot planter and survived my sporadic attention. I water it when I remember, and sometimes I’ll say something nice like, “Thank you for not dying.” Sometimes I am insensitive and will say, “I can’t believe you’re still here!” But I noticed something remarkable the other day that really grabbed my attention. The entire plant started leaning in one direction, so I turned it around to straighten it up, but it started leaning again. I finally figured out that it was sun-starved, and in an effort to revive itself – (because I am no help) – it was reaching toward the light.

Selah~ (Pause and think about that)

Some of us right now need health in our bodies and nourishment in our bones. We need peace in our hearts, and joy in our families. We need to skip all the detours, wrong turns, and dead ends. We need for our path to be straight, which mean it will be smooth and successful. The way to invite that into our lives is by doing what my little plant did: Go toward the Light.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We lean into You right now through prayer. We are the first to admit that You know it all and we don’t. We need Your guidance and wisdom. Shine Your light into our lives. In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

 

Make it Count for Something cont...

Greetings!

Proverbs 11:25 “…those who refresh others will themselves be refreshed.”

Thank you all so much for your kind concern for Lis; she is getting better every day J

The phrase – make it count for something – really struck a nerve.

Check out these thoughts:

• My dad left our family when I was young, and it was brutal. I never wanted my kids to feel like I did growing up, so I have made every effort to keep my marriage happy and together. I realize that I have made it my lifelong crusade to be a devoted husband and father. In that way, my dad’s abandoning me has counted for something. Truth is that when divorce/separation is off the table, it leaves more room for communication and commitment.
• Amen amen amen!
• I have struggled for many years with a sick child. There have many ups and downs and long periods in my life where the only reason I got out of bed was because my child needed me. As hard as it has been, I have realized that I am way more of an encouraging and faith-filled person now than ever before. I won’t hesitate to let someone struggling with a health issue know that I will pray for them, and you better believe I will do it when I say I will. And even though that counts for something, the way which this journey has really made an impact is on my child personally. She has eye-witnessed me growing in my faith and being bold in my prayers. So much so, that now she has started praying herself!
• Glory glory glory!

These are just two of the many comments that touched my heart. I hope they have touched yours as well and gotten you to think about ways in which your struggles can turn around and bless someone else.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We put our lives in Your capable hands and thank You that You redeem us – You make even the most difficult aspects of our lives count for something. In Jesus’name, AMEN~

Make it Count for Something~

Psalm 107:2 “Has the LORD redeemed you? Then speak out!”

 

This morning I heard a local radio DJ say, “The only thing I haven’t failed at is failure.” What a totally true statement! On January 4, 2001 I failed as a mom: I sent Hormone to school with appendicitis. He was complaining of a stomachache, and I told him it was probably just hunger and that he would feel better after he ate. A few hours later the school nurse called to say Hormone was in a lot of pain and would I please pick him up. As soon I pulled into the school I saw him walking toward me – doubled over – and then he vomited into the bushes. Instantly, I knew it was appendicitis and drove my screaming-at-the-top-of-his-lungs son straight to the hospital. They operated on him immediately, and upon completion, the surgeon loudly announced that Hormone’s appendix was twice the size of a boy’s his age. I did not know whether to be proud or mortified.

 

Suffice to say that from that moment until now I have said a thousand times, “I will never ever tell anyone not to go to the emergency room if they have a stomachache because it could be appendicitis.” The last time I said it was this past Friday, April 4, when my son called to say his lovely wife had a pain in her side that would not subside. And even though she was not screaming, she was uncomfortable. And even though she did not have every single symptom, I made them promise they would go to the hospital if the pain persisted. And for the one thousandth and one time, I reminded every one of that time I sent a boy to school with an appendix on the verge of rupturing...

 

Turns out Lis did have appendicitis, and Saturday morning they wheeled her in for surgery. It was quick, and for the glory of God Almighty, she did not have any adverse reactions, even though the nurse said that young women her age sometimes do not respond well to the anesthesia side effects. Blah blah blah…

 

And yesterday when she was released, she promptly announced that her weekend hospital stay was like a mini vacation and that she and Hormone had a lot of fun. Go figure!

 

I said of all that to say one word: REDEMPTION.

 

One definition out of the 10 plus that exist is to make it count for something.

 

Jorgie’s experience was unpleasant, to say the least, but since it happened and valuable lessons were learned, the way it counts for something is by using what was learned to help others. In other words, one good thing that came from all this is that my lovely daughter-in-love was attended to in a timely manner. AMEN!

 

Is there something difficult or heartbreaking about your past that you still think about?

 

Let’s ask our redeeming Lord to make it count for something.

 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Thank You that You can bring something good even out of the most negative experiences of our life. In Christ’s name we pray, AMEN~

Yenise~

With God all things are possible~

www.speedypalomino.com

 

 

 

He's Only a Prayer Away~

TGIF greetings J

 

Hebrews 11:6 “It’s impossible to please God apart from faith. 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.”

 

As I have thought about Bartimaeus for the last several days, I have been re-energized in my determination to pursue the Lord.  If a helpless, hopeless, blind man can go from begging to calling on Jesus, then I can make the effort too.  Bartimaeus heard Jesus was walking by and shouted, then he shouted even louder when others tried to shush him up, he also jumped up at the chance when Jesus invited him over, and finally, he did not mince words when asked what he wanted.  

 

What was the end result of all this?  He received an immediate, glorious answer and followed Jesus down the road.

 

It makes perfect sense to me to want to hang out with the One Who helps me so much.  And let’s not lose sight of an important truth: When we have an encounter with Christ, our lives dramatically improve. 

 

This blind beggar is actually a faith hero who is the perfect example of what the verse above means.  He did not doubt that Jesus could help him, or he wouldn’t have shouted so much and so loud, and when invited over he literally jumped at the chance.  Any hesitation on his part would have indicated doubt.  How could he have known so much about the Lord?  Jesus’ reputation preceded Him, and you and I have the wonderful Bible at our fingertips whenever we want to read about it and strengthen our faith.

 

Maybe some of us have been feeling a little like Bartimaeus did sitting on the side of that road—trapped by our circumstances without a clue as to when Jesus will show up.  The good news is He’s only a prayer away.

 

PRAYER: Dear Lord, Bartimaeus’ faith is inspiring.  What a beautiful example of what trusting in Jesus looks like.  Today we approach You believing that You are real and that You care enough to respond.  Help us believe.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN~

Let's Jump~

Good afternoon~

Mark 10:51 "Bartimaeus threw aside his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus."

All of Batimaeus' actions show he was eager to go to the Lord. He didn't casually stand up, or stretch his arms, or take a moment to fold his coat. He tossed the garment and jumped! Other versions say he leaped up, sprang up, and got on his feet at once! How could you not get excited about an invitation to pour out your troubles with the greatest Man Who ever lived?

And yet, I will be the first to admit that I haven't always been excited about going to Christ. Shame on me!!! We have been given the awesome privilege of direct access to the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth - the One Whom has all the power for everything we need - the One Whom according to Ephesians 3:20 "...is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine." He wants a vibrant relationship with little ole' us. He desires to lead us and bless us, and I, well, there have been days when I didn't even pray.

What? Yes, you read that right: There have been days when I didn't even pray.

Trying to raise my kids, however, really helped me prioritize my prayer life, and prayerless days are honestly a thing of the past. I love Him too much, and I need Him too much. Bartimaeus reminds us all that we should be excited and in a hurry to meet up with Jesus. He has stopped, is waiting for us, and ready to do something awesome! Let's jump!

Prayer: Dear Lord, We come to You today with our hearts open to receive Your love, goodness, guidance, and protection. Forgive us for those times when we were slow to come or didn't come at all. We must have temporarily forgotten Who You are: The Best of the Best! In Jesus' name, AMEN~

Jesus is Calling You Over~

A terrific Tuesday to all; here's a tongue twister to warm up our brains. Say it three times really fast--if you can!

Tom threw Tim three thumbtacks.

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

Mark 10: 49 Jesus stopped and said, “Call him!” They called the blind man and told him, “Cheer up! Get up! He’s calling you.”

At first, the crowd with Jesus had tried to shut Bartimaeus up when he called out to Christ. But as soon as Christ stopped and commanded that they call him, they became quite the little eager beavers. To their credit, they were obedient and fully embraced a role we should all strive for, which is to help others get excited about Christ.

Other versions of this verse say, "Take courage," "Take heart," "Be of good comfort," "Have confidence," and "Be of good cheer!"

Why? Because Jesus has stopped for you and is calling you over!

Amen amen amen!

Every single time we call on Christ, He stops, He listens, and invites us over. This is great news that we should be sharing with others. Every single person alive on this earth right now has something going on; it's called life. Imagine if we took the time to say to someone, " Take courage, take heart, be comforted, Jesus is ready to answer your call. Let me help you go to Him."

The best place to start is within our own walls. I have ventured out to encourage others because of all the practice I have had at home. There have been some situations where I found myself desperate on the sidelines of life - not knowing what to do - so I cried out to Him. When it became obvious in my life that Jesus answers prayers, I realized I could not keep this awesome revelation to myself. This is how this DEVO got started. I have lost track of all the beautiful things Christ has done for me and others through prayer, and I am so blessed to get to see the answers others are experiencing in their own lives. And while it is true that Bartimaeus was the one who received a mighty miracle that day, I know those who were there to witness it were super thrilled. Their faith tanks were filled that day. And that is exactly what happens to us when we help others - we become strengthened to fight our own battles when we see that Jesus is a Prayer-answerer!

Who do you know right now - maybe even in your home - who could use a little encouragement to seek Christ for a miracle? Be their cheerleader today and pray this prayer with them.

PRAYER: Dear Lord, We are confident today, of good cheer, and comforted because You love us and are here listening to us. We ask You to work this __________________________ out with Your incomparable power. Thank You, and in Your name we pray. AMEN~