How Do I Know What to Pray?

Sometimes I don't even know what to pray. How do I know what the will of God is in a given situation? I know from Jesus' words that I don't have to be afraid to ask. I can trust that He has my best interests at heart. God is wanting to give me good things in my life and my children's lives. I wouldn't give my child a dirty rock instead of a tasty, hot, baked roll and I am just a messed up human, so shouldn't I expect God wants to do good to me and mine?

 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!"  ~Matthew 7:7-11

The dilemma is WHAT do I ask God to do?
Sometimes I seem to contradict myself and worry myself sick that I could be praying THE WRONG THING. How then in confusing circumstances do I know what to pray?
Do I pray for someone who is terminally ill to be healed? Someone who is clearly hurting and ready to go to heaven, or that God would be glorified and many come to Him because of that godly person's death and clear witness? Do I pray for better circumstances for my child when I see they are clearly hurting or or straying, or that whatever it takes they would be where they should be? I have come to the point in my prayer struggles that I feel can be persistent in praying what I think is the will of God, and make my requests to Him, like the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18, but I don't have to worry if I know His will perfectly, because.... 
He knows His own will! I can just pour my heart out to Him and He will work on changing me first. He can do exceedingly MORE than I ask! 

 
"Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." ~ Romans 8:26-28

At times I feel I should be like the woman in Jesus' parable that never stopped asking until she got her answer, at other times I feel I've pestered petitioned Him enough and I must keep giving the situation to Him every day if need be until it is resolved in His timing, and in His way. How many times have I looked back and said, "Thanks Lord, that You did NOT answer my prayer! Your way was so much better!" I can make my requests known to Him and rest, because He will guard my heart and mind and give me peace.

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?  ~Luke 18:1-8
  
"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." ~Philippians 4:6-7

If You Ever

If you ever need a friend. If you ever need a listening ear. If everyone else's lives seem perfect, 

you can talk to me. 

Or find a true friend, maybe an older person whom you trust to confide in, ask advice from. Talking to Jesus is best, but sometimes you just need a friend besides Jesus, or maybe that's being Jesus in the flesh and bones on earth to someone...being there for them in heartache. Nothing you could tell me about your family would shock me, because as a friend of mine said, "Satan doesn't need any new tricks, 

he just uses the same ones down through time."

Sometimes I wonder if that's why we don't have perfect families. We are supposed to be able to empathize with others. Jesus is our high priest, and the bible says: "For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are-yet was without sin." ~ Hebrews 4:15

So He sympathizes with us in our weakness and He knows we are far from perfect, and so our families are far from perfect. We shouldn't pretend we are perfect to our kids or the world. Who is going to reach out for encouragement if every one of us looks like we have it all together? We are to strive for personal holiness without becoming holier-than-thou. Thank You, Lord, for my imperfect world that makes me long for You even more. Thank You, that you allow daily turn-arounds.

"I will praise the Lord at all times;
my mouth will continually praise him." ~ Psalm 34:1

Dear Sweet Peas - Deer in the middle of the day

I saw deer in the middle of the hot, hot day. Maybe they needed water. It's been so dry and the branch in the woods drys up in the summer. (A branch is a small stream that branches from, or to a larger stream or creek as we say here.) I was having a hard day. 

I was sad. I said to your aunt Carla, "I think God sent the fawn to me." She said, "I was thinking the same thing."

I needed to see the fawn that particular day. God is good to me, but I don't know why. I'm thinking of Psalm 42 which starts: "As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God."
 And the Psalm ends: "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" See, He did send the fawn.

A fawn comes out of the woods and looks back toward the trees. 

I hear a snort and then...here comes Mommy.

She knows I'm there somewhere. She can hear a clicking from the shutter.

She thinks if she stomps I will move and she can see me.

"You can't see me on this side of the tree"

"Or this side."

Going back into the trees using the road.

One last look to try to see me.


"As the deer pants for streams of water,
    so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God.
    When can I go and meet with God? My tears have been my food
    day and night,
while people say to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”  These things I remember
    as I pour out my soul:
how I used to go to the house of God
    under the protection of the Mighty One
with shouts of joy and praise
    among the festive throng.

 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.

My soul is downcast within me;
    therefore I will remember you
from the land of the Jordan,
    the heights of Hermon —from Mount Mizar. Deep calls to deep
    in the roar of your waterfalls;
all your waves and breakers
    have swept over me.

 By day the Lord directs his love,
    at night his song is with me—
    a prayer to the God of my life.

 I say to God my Rock,
    “Why have you forgotten me?
Why must I go about mourning,
    oppressed by the enemy?”  My bones suffer mortal agony
    as my foes taunt me,
saying to me all day long,
    “Where is your God?”

 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 42

Decisions and God's Provision

Decisions and God's Provision, that rhymes. 

 I decided I should to do a blog post about some of my thoughts on my decision to work part-time or from home over the last few years, because I can get pretty wordy when I share what wise women have taught me and what I've seen the Lord work out for our family. I want to be an encouragement.

I have to say that there are times I feel very insecure when I hear of women making big paychecks and I have a job that would never support me if something happened to my husband. Also, I just recently gave up my photography business that brought in a little extra. But, I stand by my decision to work part time or from home over these last years. I can always second guess myself, but when I remember what we prayed about in the past and how God has provided and given me peace about those times, I know we've done what was best when we prayerfully made those choices. And I can't second guess what God has done. :) Life has never been perfectly calm and trouble free, but He didn't promise that. He pours His word into my scardy-cat heart with a sweetness I cannot deny. He watches over me with a precious Father's love that humbles and surprises me. I'm not worthy...but maybe I am! I'm a daughter of the King, after all.

I do not look down on women who work. I've been there. I know about those hard choices. I also understand about different seasons in our lives. I know there are women who feel they have no other options, or have no other options and must work. I have peeled my children off my legs and stuffed them though a doorway, both of us crying, so that I could make my escape to my job. I have finished college homework with a toddler hanging on my neck begging for my attention. I have worked full-time, I have worked part-time, stayed at home and babysat, sent children to public school and homeschooled one of my children. I have lived in a foreign country, I have lived in a trailer house with the floor falling in. I have shopped for groceries with so little cash in hand I didn't know how we'd feed the kids that week. Then I have had plenty. I have a home that was built with our own hands from the ground up. All that to say, I know what it's like to sacrifice a little so you can spend more time with your family and not be stretched to the limits of sanity with so much busy-ness. I wouldn't trade that for all the money in the world. 

Moms often just want a little peace, peace of mind. A shred of encouragement to keep going. So here's mine: I will never look back and say "Gee, I wish I'd seen less of my kids."  Or, "I'd give anything, even my relationship with my kids, if we'd had a better house earlier."
We all sacrifice something. What are we sacrificing? For us, it is/was income.

I also remind myself that there are seasons in our lives. Seasons that each have a different focus. Now I am trying to be more available to spend time my aging momma, and to be ready to spend time with grandbabies, and to encourage others who are in the shoes I've worn. 

Who know what the next season of my life will bring? 

Whatever it is, I know I can trust Him to bring me though it.

• "And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." - Phil 4:19 (I don't have to fear the future, or worry about money.)
  
• "These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." -John 16:33 (When family problems arise, or the world is looking scary, He is still in control, and I CAN trust Him.)
• "Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans."    -Proverbs 16:3 (When I second-guess our decision to homeschool or for me to mostly stay at home, I go back in my mind to where we started the journey and I have peace.)
• "It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he causes me to stand on the heights. He trains my hands for battle; my arms can bend a bow of bronze.You make your saving help my shield, and your right hand sustains me; your help has made me great.You provide a broad path for my feet, so that my ankles do not give way."  -Psalm 18:32-36 (As parents and spouses we are doing battle every day. He prepares, sustains, and strengthens me.)
• "For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." -2 Timothy 1:7 (Who doles out the fear? You know. The father of lies.)
  
• "Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." - Isaiah 41:10
• "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose". -Romans 8:28  (Even when we feel like failures in the world's eyes)
• "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen."  -Ephesians 3:20-21

When God Guides The Study

WOW! When God guides me to scripture after scripture relating the same subject, even though I wasn't studying that concept, or searching for it it makes me excited, wondering where this is going and what He's trying to show me. I had just read a chapter in a book titled Hard Saying of the Old Testament about Abraham and the demand from God that Abraham sacrifice his son. This is a passage in the bible that I have had struggles with over time and finally came to understand, though I still find it intriguing. I laid the book down, and soon after was searching an online concordance for "love", "unending" or "unending love", thinking nothing at all about what I'd just read.  The VERY first entry for "love" in the NKJ version of Bible Gateway's concordance is Genesis 22:2 and reads:

Then He said, “Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 

I thought that was interesting, what a coincidence... but what happened next gave me goose bumps. I put in "God's love" and found one of my favorite scriptures because I learned it in a song from a pastor friend. Micah 6:8. I clicked a link to see the verses in context and this is what I read:

 ⁷ "Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams,
      Ten thousand rivers of oil?
      Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression,
      The fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
       ⁸ He has shown you, O man, what is good;
      And what does the LORD require of you
      But to do justly,
      To love mercy,
      And to walk humbly with your God"

This passage is telling us that even IF we poured out rivers of oil or gave something precious, such as our children in sacrifice it is not pleasing to God. He NEVER required human sacrifice in the first place, only obedience. Also, CAN we do justly? On our own do we love mercy? Do we ever truly walk humbly? The answer is of course, a resounding, "NO." We cannot, we do not, and most of the time we'd rather not even try because we fail so miserably. Thank the Lord that He Himself was the sacrificial atonement in our place.

King James Bible 400th anniversary and William Tyndale

King James Version of the Bible is 400 years old this year! It was begun in 1604 and completed in 1611.

The King James wasn't the first English Bible, just the first "authorized" by the leader of the English Church, who was also the king, by the way. In 1525, William Tyndale, an English contemporary of Martin Luther, translated the New Testament. Tyndale was the first to translate large parts of the Bible into English, for normal laypersons. During  Tyndale's time the English language was scorned as a barbarous language of plowmen and commoners. If you could afford a copy of the scriptures it would most probably be in Latin. Some English translations had been made as far back as the seventh century, but Tyndale's was the first English translation directly using Hebrew and Greek texts. Tyndale's translation was the first printed Bible in English. John Wycliffe had translated the Bible 150 years before, but it was in Middle English, never printed on a printing press and never widely distributed because the press didn't exist yet.

In 1535, Tyndale was arrested by church authorities, and a year later strangled and burned at the stake. His crime? Publishing the scriptures of the New Testament in English.

The fifty-four independent scholars who created the King James Version of the bible in 1611 drew significantly on Tyndale's translations. One estimation suggests the New Testament in the King James Version is 83% Tyndale's, and the Old Testament 76% his.

The King James Version has helped form our language, given context to our literature, inspired our music, and for centuries was the one book a family owned and read before all others.

I personally love the New King James version because the old King James beautiful poetic language still comes through minus the thees, and thous. Also words like "speaketh" became "speaks"
The 130 translators of the NKJV believed in unyielding faithfulness to the original Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew texts including the Dead Sea Scrolls.


I got my info from:
The Story of The Bible
Wikipedia®
biblicalscholarship.com

Love

Love...We use the same word whether we mean how we feel about our family, our God, or chocolate. We know it's not the same thing, right?

Benji says: "Nanny, I love you so much my stomach hurts."

"Nanny, I love you a whole pile of frogs!"

"I love Nanny, she's my friend."

Oh, Benji Boy, I want you to love God that way. I want you to love God like He's your friend, and please Him, and raise up a new generation to love Him. That would make me the happiest, if you and all my grandchildren could grow up adored and taught by your families and raise up more just like you! What a blessing you are to your Nanny and Pappy!

Counting My Favorites

Some of my Favorites are.....

Little Grandsons and Animals...

New Baby Granddaughters and Buttery Soft Skin...

Perfect Roses...

The Color Blue, I love blue and old, Old Wood...

Mountains, the majesty, the enormity, the peace...

Miss Patty Dog and Snow...

My Kindhearted, Smart, Wonderful Kids...

My Honey's Hands and The Word...

A New Godly Generation...

Silhouettes of Bare, Leafless Trees...

All my favorites serve to remind me that I often say I must be one of HIS favorites, otherwise how, how, how, could HE forgive ME and cast my failings as far as the east is from the west and choose to remember them no more?? Actually, there's absolutely nothing that I can do to make myself acceptable to God. THAT is why He died in my place and raised from the dead to pay my penalty. 
I can never be good enough on my own.
The Lord God is who I owe gratitude for the blessings of each new day 
and every favorite that comes into my life.
You can be one of His favorites too.

Psalm 103:8-18

8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in love.

9 He will not always accuse,

nor will he harbor his anger forever;

10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve

or repay us according to our iniquities.

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,

so great is his love for those who fear him;

12 as far as the east is from the west,

so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

13 As a father has compassion on his children,

so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;

14 for he knows how we are formed,

he remembers that we are dust.

15 The life of mortals is like grass,

they flourish like a flower of the field;

16 the wind blows over it and it is gone,

and its place remembers it no more.

17 But from everlasting to everlasting

the LORD’s love is with those who fear him,

and his righteousness with their children’s children—

18 with those who keep his covenant

and remember to obey his precepts. 

Resurrection Cookies

These little cookies are a great way to get away from the Easter Bunny and teach your children the REAL story of Resurrection Sunday.

While you make them you could sing or listen to some of the many hymns or praise songs about Christ's death and resurrection. Worship with me.

The Lion And The Lamb
We Serve A Risen Savior
No Greater Love
Thank You For The Cross
On My Cross
How Deep The Father's Love For Us


If your family has nut allergies you could probably leave those out. I think I made these in the past without nuts.

Resurrection Cookies

• 1 c whole pecans
• 1 t vinegar
• 3 egg whites
• pinch salt
• 1 c sugar

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. (this in important - don't wait until you are halfway done with the recipe!) Place pecans in a zipper bag and let children beat them with a wooden spoon to break into small pieces. Explain that after Jesus was arrested
he was beaten by the Roman soldiers.

Read John 19:1-3

Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 vinegar into mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink.

Read John 19:28-30.

Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.

Read John 10:10-11.

Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl. Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.

Read Luke 23:27.

So far the ingredients are not very appetizing. Add 1 sugar. Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us He wants us to know and belong to Him.

Read Ps. 34:8 and John 3:16.

Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.

Read Isa.1:18 and John 3:1-3

Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered ookie sheet. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid.

Read Matt. 27:57-60.

Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door.Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed.

Read Matt. 27:65-66.

GO TO BED! Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight. Jesus' followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.

Read John 16:20 and 22.

On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow! On the first Easter Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty.

Read Matt. 28:1-9.

HE IS RISEN!

So Thankful

I can't tell you how thankful I am for caring friends and family who lifted up grandson, Benji, in prayer. Just knowing there were others praying gave me such peace of mind. It's hard being so far away from the kids and then not being there with them when this happened.

For those who don't know:

Benjamin is my 2-year-old grandson living with his parents in Germany. He fell quite hard on tile floors two different days, striking his head near his eye in exactly the same place. After the second mishap his mommy noticed that his eye on that side was slightly crossing, or wandering to the middle. They checked his vision, his pupils and after a long scream and cry he was playing and seemed fine. There was/is a small bruised place on his head, and he was complaining that light hurt his eye and is still rubbing it. They were advised by their family doctor to take him to the children's hospital where he and his mommy spent the night. (One more night to go for observation and testing.)

A doctor friend of Benji's other grandparents couldn't believe that they hadn't had a CT done yet, but after Benji's daddy spoke with the him on the phone, the doctor agreed that he does NOT need one. He said that if it happened in the US, they would have done a CT, but only because doctors are afraid of malpractice. Because Benjamin hasn't shown any lethargy, never lost consciousness, and his pupils are normal, he believes the CT is unnecessary.
He also said that the eye problem is probably because of local swelling that should go away within a few days.

The German eye specialist said the optic nerve looked fine. She said there was some bruising/trauma that she could see. She did not see the eye do it's wandering trick, but she also reassured them that it should go away in a few days. They are spending another night at the hospital, maybe another test in the morning, which is the middle of the night for us.

A little incident today made me feel my heavenly Father's care over this whole thing. First you have to know that last night I was listening to songs on the computer and found His Eye is on the Sparrow. Part of the words are, "His eye is on the sparrow and I know he watches me." That song comforted me and made me cry.

So back to today. My husband had to make a trip to Home Depot, so I went with him and was wandering around praying, thinking about Benjamin, and looking at plants. I walked over to where small bird baths are displayed. One little bird bath had two tiny cement birds perched on it's edge. When I peered into the bowl I could read what was written inside the rim.....
"His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me."

Goosebumps anyone? That kind of thing doesn't happen to me often,
but when it does, WOW!

Does God Owe Us Anything?

I look into the world and see so much evil and pain. I used to wonder how God could allow such things to happen. As I grew in understanding and truth from the Lord I came to realize that He doesn't owe us anything but His righteous wrath. If I examine my own heart, even on my best day, I'm thinking evil thoughts about someone. We live in a fallen world, which we chose from the beginning.

The Greatest Artist

All the leaves could turn brown and hang on the trees until spring buds pushed them off. Why is it necessary for them to lose their chlorophyll and change into the beautiful rainbow of color we see every fall? God set this tree painting extravaganza in motion with creation and we enjoy it every year.

When we try to paint or create anything beautiful, it is but a murky copy of what the Great Creator did and does.

If we allow Him the paintbrush of our lives He can paint joy where there was despair, a clean heart where there was guilt and hopelessness, love and forgiveness where there was bitterness and hate. Why wouldn't we want that?

Do You Pray in Jesus Name?

Five Virginia State Police Chaplains were forced to resign because they refused to pray generic prayers that omitted the name of Jesus.
The story from Canada Free Press

The former navy chaplain, Chaplain Gordon James Klingenschmitt's, who prayed in uniform:
Pray in Jesus Name

Light

It was barely morning. It was damp and extremely foggy. Not a day for jumping out of bed and walking around outside...until I saw the sun cutting eerily through the fog. I'm sure most people slept through it, so I wanted to share it. You can click the photos to make them bigger.




The sunlight was filtered by the heavy fog. It formed some weird halos,
and looked like the light was ripping through the trees.






The fog started clearing more. Then there was this wonderful orange sky



"You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created."
-Revelation 4:11

God's golden light.
We take the everyday miracle of light for granted.

There are some sunset photos I took in January here.