Monthly Archives: June 2013

Able?

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Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. (Matthew 14:22, NIV)

Had the crowd drained his energy? Did his nearest and dearest frustrate him, try His patience? Maybe. But after prayer time with His Father, Jesus was ready for the impossible.

Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake.When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. (Matthew 14:25-26)

Note these two things. Jesus walked on water and His nearest and dearest did not recognize Him.

Then make a note of this. Like Jesus, when we spend time with the Father, we will have courage and strength beyond our own abilities. We will be able to do things we never did before. We will look different because we have been in the presence of God. Count on it

Prayer-Lord thank you for strength beyond ourselves. Amen

No Quit Week

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Every strike brings me closer to the next home run.” — Babe Ruth

“Believers, look up-take courage. The angels are nearer than you think.” — Billy Graham

“Never give up, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn.” — Harriet Beecher Stowe

“For I shall yet praise him.” More prayer, more exercise of faith, more patient waiting, and the result will be blessing, abundant blessing. Thus I have found it many hundreds of times, and therefore I continually say to myself, “Hope thou in God.” —George Mueller

“Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably themselves will not be realized. Make big plans. Aim high in hope and work. Remembering that a noble, logical diagram once recorded will not die.” — Daniel H. Burnham

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God. (Psalm 43:5, NIV)

Prayer- Oh Father God, when we forget our strength in you, remind us swiftly so that we do not  give up. In Christ, Amen

Are You a Bully?

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All of us are in charge somewhere, aren’t we, even if it’s only our own household?  Maybe we are head of the PTA or the local Bridge Club. Perhaps we run the local 4-H group or lead a large political party, even a country.

Would we like people to curse us, write disparaging things about us, revile us in public or slander our best work? No, we would not. However, we freely denounce other leaders. They may coach our child’s hockey or be the mayor of our town or even the President of our country. No matter. We voice our highly negative personal opinions for all to hear, then we wonder why our children are bullies.

God has a different plan.

I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. (1 Timothy 2:1-4, NIV)

Prayer- Lord, may our mouths adjust to your Godly goals for others.

Destress Your Mess

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  • Delegate as much as you fairly can.
  • Concentrate on one thing at a time. (No folding laundry, making lunches and texting all at once.)
  • Spend at least one day out of seven electronics free. Yes, this includes TV, cell phones and more.
  • Meet your own, God –given expectations, not those of others.
  • Plan a bit. Keep a list of what you have to do.
  • Share your stress mess with a sympathetic friend.

Cock-a-Leekie To You!

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Do you know . . .

  1. What is Cock-a-Leekie and what is in it?
  2. What is in Haggis?
  3. Have you ever eaten a Cloutie? What is it made of?
  4. Is a Tweed Kettle made of copper or iron?

The answers . . .

Cock-a-Leekie is chicken soup sweetened with prunes.

Haggis is made of sheep’s’ pluck (?!), heart, lights and liver, suet, oatmeal and seasonings.

Cloutie is a sweet, spicy boiled pudding.

A Tweed Kettle is made of neither copper nor iron, but poached salmon.

According to my informant, only a Scotsman would know the answers to these questions.

Accordingly, only a Christian would know the true joy of following the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ. That means we should be able to explain it to someone else.

You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace (Isaiah 55:11-12a, NIV)

Prayer-Lord God, thank you for the joy of knowing You and Your salvation available only in Christ. Amen.

Wonder Women

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My friends and I, all of a ‘delicate age’, constantly joke about our age and its consequences.

“I am Wonder Woman,” says one. “I wonder what happened to the phone. I wonder where I put my check book and most of all; I wonder how I got this extra 20 pounds.”

“It’s the air here,” quips another. “We breathe in calories and exhale bone density.”

Since we live in a retirement community, we notice aging more than some. We regularly see ambulances; hear of friends in poor health and others who pass on. It’s just part of life. We’ve learned to lighten the burden a bit by joking about it.

King Solomon said this:

What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.  (Ecclesiastes 1:9, NIV)

Maybe you aren’t experiencing aging issues yet. However, instead of wondering why this or that is happening to us, we can laugh in the midst of it. We might as well. It makes the journey easier.

Prayer-Father God, help us to laugh in the midst of everything because You have done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. Amen. (from Psalm 126:3)

Prayer Manual

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1. If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. (John 15:7, AMP)

Abide means to live or reside in a place while vitally means crucially or extremely or indispensably and united means to be combined or made into one. It is the result of the union of two or more persons or things.

While we want to be one with Christ, abiding in Him, none of us surely expect Christ to change to be like us. Nope. We are the ones who will change to be more like Him. That means we will pray for things that He would stand for. We won’t be praying disaster down on an enemy or for a big win at the casino, right?

So then, this is number two in the Manual for Answers to Prayer.

2. If you live in Me [abide vitally united to Me] and My words remain in you and continue to live in your hearts, ask whatever you will, and it shall be done for you. (John 15:7, AMP)

Prayer- Now God we offer up these petitions –