Posts

Prayers that Pack a Punch

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  The artwork above is by Charlotte, NC artist Anne Neilson. Four friends of mine are on a mission trip in Puerto Rico. Each morning I have lifted their names to the Lord in various capacities.  The prayer I sent them this morning is a prayer I want to pray over each of you readers as well. Lord, in the powerful name of Jesus, I pray for the people reading this devotional to experience an unexpected blessing today. Fill these people with the Holy Spirit and may each word they speak over others touch the hearts of those people in a way that makes them long for a deeper relationship with You. Please place a hedge of protection around them wherever they travel today and bring a smile to their faces as they remember You are with them. May they make friendships that are empowered by the Holy Spirit and used to make an impact for Your kingdom. Whisper into their ears how deeply they are loved by You.  Thank You for Jesus in whose name I ask these prayers. Amen For we are God's ...
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He's The Real Deal

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The magnolia tree in bloom!   Along with the Mama Boo quotes of: "Lawsie, lawsie."  "It's not of eternal value." "Pray it, don't say it." ... is one that I find myself saying when God shows up in an indisputable way: "He's the real deal!" The day I wrote "The Void" entry was June 16th.  After writing, I continued in my quiet time with the Lord.  Opening John Eldredge's devotional book Restorati0n Year  to that date, I was blown away by the follow up to what I had written... "Love Jesus. Let Him be himself with you.  Every day,  allow his life to fill yours... .You'll find it hard to receive his life in any great measure if you, as the branch, keep running off on your own, leaving the Vine behind in order to do life as you please... If you are not drawing your life from Jesus, it means you are trying to draw it from some other source. I'll guarantee you that it's not working...If you want to experience t...
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The Void

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Let's celebrate. One of our sons recommended a TV series for us called "Heartland".  He said he thought I could handle it for the most part, but there certainly would be "cowboy brawls" that would send me running out of the room.  When on the run recently my husband said, "You know it's going up okay. Just stay." I explained the issues was the hurt it puts in my heart and then the nightmares that causes me to have. Here is one problem we have with this Canadian series.  There are currently 269 episodes and a new season coming this fall.  We will certainly be dead before we make it through all these even with our binge watching. The acting is phenomenal, the scenario spectacular and western wear costuming intriguing. It's one of those shows that leaves you praying for the characters.  But here's my problem.  The storyline so far has a Jesus VOID that leaves me feeling empty. So far the characters have been seen through some tragic times, but...
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Follow the Leader

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Father/son enjoying the examples of leadership the scouting life provides. Did you ever play the childhood game of "Follow the Leader" where a person is selected to lead the class around an area and the others mimic the direction and motions of the leader? Have you followed the flag of a tour guide, totally trusting the direction you are being taken? Maybe just this week you have clicked on YouTube and followed a DIY instruction video. If you ever played sports you certainly followed the instructions of the coach if you wanted to remain on the team.  Add to that if you or a loved one has been in the military it's all about following the commanding officer. We are quick to trust a total stranger to guide us, pilot the plane we are on, captain the ship we take out to sea, but often we are slow to open our heavenly Father's guidebook and sit listening for his instructions. The One who created us did so with a specific plan for our life in place. It's a good plan with...
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"Switch"

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  A switch isn't something you wanted when I was a child. This grandson had been saving his money knowing that on his 13th birthday the new Nintendo Switch game console (honestly, I had to Google to find out how to even define the device) was coming out.  He had shared earlier that all he wanted for his birthday was $ and for me to take him shopping. My husband drove us to the city and I was searching, Target, Best Buy and Walmart on my phone to see if the thing was in stock.  Every site in store and online said, "Sold out." Dreading the disappointment to possibly come on this special birthday I said, "Let's pray and ask the Lord to guide us to the right place if this is what He wants for  you."  I'm thinking...It's probably NOT. Never had I ever been in a "GameStop" store. It was definitely foreign territory.  The lines were long. People had obviously lined up early to get their hands on this new video game gismo. My husband and I stood in...
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Lost or Left

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This group of friends gathered at Shiloh for a 13th birthday celebration for one of our grandsons. At one point in the midst of the party   our daughter realized she had lost her phone. She couldn't remember where she had left it. She had searched inside the house and out.  We went to an area in the yard where I'd seen her taking pictures with the phone and I said,  "Let me call your phone."  Reaching in my left skirt pocket I pulled out HER phone!  My phone was in my right pocket.   She hadn't left it anywhere. It was truly lost.  Lawsie, lawsie!  We had a good chuckle. Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid...for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you.  He will not leave you nor forsake you. Deuteronomy 31:6 Day 37 of The Passion Code  made a very good point differentiating between something being lost and something being left. "One of the most misquoted verses in all the Bible is found in Revelation ...
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Pretending

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We had an unexpected Saturday alone at Shiloh.  I said, " Let's pretend we are vacationing on the lake like all these people around us.  And let's pretend we are dating so we won't say grumpy things." One load of laundry was done and two more loads put in.  A delicious brunch had been devoured and the dishwasher starter.  Groceries had been purchased and put away when I remembered my morning "vacation" declaration. Looking at the clock I said, 'We need to hurry up and start our vacation day, it's already 1:30. Pretend vacations  can be tough to carry through, but we did manage a low key afternoon and evening.   Radio station Life 90.5 FM from Wilmington, NC posted this quote on Facebook. "Faith is't a fake smile plastered over a broken heart. It's not saying, 'I'm fine,' when you're anything but.  True faith doesn't ignore the storm-it clings to Jesus in the middle of it.   Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego didn...
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