Girlfriends

One of the very first prayers I asked my pastor to pray for me when he started the Starbucks Bible Study was for girlfriends. It seemed kind of silly at the time to be praying for friends. Not to be pompous, but I've never really had a hard time making friends. This season of my life was very different for me. I didn't want just any friends; I needed friends who would "get me". We prayed for a long time, but slowly it started building. 

My sweet husband is by far my very best friend and my soulmate, but there is an internal need for female companionship. Someone who can understand how you feel when you have an uncontrollable desire to cry and no heavenly idea why. 

I am sad to say that I have loved and lost many a dear girlfriend due to neglect on my part. Thankfully, though, my God of grace continues to bless me with the opportunity to start fresh. 

Certainly I will fail these new deep friends of mine, and they will fail me too, but it's all worth it. 

 "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:
If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up." (Ecc 4:9-10)

Reflection Question: How are you working to build meaningful friendships?

What is that Noise?

What do you do when you get in the car? When you get home? Even get to the office? If you're like me, you turn on the radio, the TV or call someone. Anything to fill up the silence! Why do we do that?

The very few times that I have heard the small sweet voice of God, in the back of my mind, it has always been when the world around me has been silent... and I have been listening. I must have my full concentration on Him. He demands my ALL if I want to hear from Him.

I'm not saying that the radio is bad. I'm not saying that the TV is bad in moderation. But if you ever want to hear from the Lord Almighty, the maker of heaven and earth, you need to turn off the noise and "be still and know that I am God." (Ps 46:10)


I like to meet Jesus with a cup of coffee, a Journal in hand ready to write down what I hear, and a Bible close at hand to bounce what I hear off of His word. He would Never contradict Himself, so if it doesn't match, it's not from Jesus. Sometimes when I meet Him, and ask to hear His voice, I do... and sometimes I don't... but every time I am obedient and take the time, He is glorified.

Jesus, Himself being in very nature God, took time to get to a quiet place to for time with God. “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35)

Reflection Question: Will you take time this day, this week to be still and know God?

Airing Dirty Laundry

I was at the laundromat recently cleaning some much overdue Army equipment that some mice thought they would take up residence in, about a year ago.  As I was trying to catch up on some reading, I noticed that the lady who oversees the laundromat was trying to fill up a map with each of the state quarters. Since I was doing laundry and had a pocketful of quarters, I offered her any of mine that she needed. Sure enough she found 2 or 3 she needed and was overly grateful!

Ms. Sonya, the "quarter lady", was listening to some music in Spanish- let me just say she is not Hispanic. I heard her telling another man that she doesn't actually speak Spanish, but the she felt like the Spirit was speaking to her soul when she listened to worship music in Spanish. She wanted to learn to speak the language, but she found it to be too confusing.  As I was folding and packing up my stuff, she walked over to me and I piped in saying that Spanish is actually much easier to learn than English.

We got to chatting a little more and I recommended that she sincerely pray about moving to a Spanish speaking country and following that call of the Spirit. Her eyes lit up. She had never thought of that before! She told me that once her daughter who is a sophomore in HS graduated, she had nothing else tying her to this area. She thanked me over and over again for bringing this idea to her and asked me to pray for her. As I left we embraced in a hug and I promised to pray for her and her for me. And just think, had I been too preoccupied or selfish to share a couple measly quarters that all spend the same to me no matter what state it has on them I could have missed out on this special opportunity to encourage.

“In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge:  Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage—with great patience and careful instruction.” (2 Tim 4:1-2)

I just know that all of you reading this will pray also for Ms. Sonya and her Spirit's calling.

Reflection Question: Are you listening in a way that you can encourage others?

When You Pray, Say...

I had the opportunity to teach my 5 year old son about the Lord’s Prayer recently. Every night before bed, together we say the Lord’s Prayer; one night I asked him if he knew what it meant. Well of course he didn't, so I went through line by line. Afterward, I realized how very much it had also taught ME!

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Like your daddy here on earth, God has given us life. He has given us sustainment to take care of our needs and we are made in his image. His name is sacred - very important.

Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
We need to work to do what God asks us to do like the Angels do in heaven.

Give us this day, our daily bread.
Everyday we need to read our Bible to feed our spirits.

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those, who trespass against us.
Please forgive us for the bad stuff we do, and we will forgive other people who are not nice or do bad stuff to us.

Lead us, not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
We ask God to help us not do bad things.

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever.
If we do all these things, we will go to heaven, God will make us strong, and he will be proud of us.

(Luke 11:1-4) (explanation mine)

Reflection Question: Are you following Jesus’ example of how to pray?