Is any sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. James 5:14-15
Dear Heavenly Father:
Thank you once again for a day I have never seen before. Lord, I pray for the sick and the shut-in. I pray that you will comfort their hearts about
their life and health challenges. I pray that you will heal them so they can return taking care of themselves. But until you decided their outcome, I pray that you will send honest trustworthy people to help them. Amen.
I just got back from a five-day camping trip. My family and I decided to join a friend and her family at a local state park. I knew preparing for the mini-vacation would be a chore; since, I have been emotionally and physically tired for years. But a vacation of some sort was a high priority. So, when my friend told me that she and her family was going camping at Boyd Lake State Park, I reserved a camping spot for my family and me to join her and her family.
My friend was too excited to have us come with. She had made plans for us as a group to do this and that. She had made her trailer as the command central. She had even planned several of our meals (without consulting me). Her efforts were those of a true friend but her services were not totally needed. As you can see, my dearest and sweetest friend took it upon herself to make plans for everyone without consulting with anybody. And had the women of both families checked with each other about the trip perhaps hurt feelings could have been avoided.
My friend had failed to see I wanted some me time. I wanted to escape the demands of my demanding life. I wanted to sit and or lay in the comforts of cleanliness. I wanted to enjoy my trailer that has been for years a BIG source of disappointment in some mental capacity. But, nevertheless [sigh], the trailer belongs to me and mine and we love it despite of all the headaches it has given us. And we are always overjoyed to use it when it is not in the shop for months at a time because it was poorly made.
However, with all that was going on mentally, I had very little time to freely think about the direction of my life until now.
I got the below YouTube video from a fellow blogger and I thought I would share the powerful message with you:
Well, Lord, I have finally gotten up from the couch. Mostly because your spirit has urged me to write a pray.
But, Lord, I feel torn about what I should pray. There are so many life situations that need your help. So, again, I feel torn about what I should pray about. However the situation that seems to be heaviest on my heart is the spiritual and cancerous choice of Americans.
The choice to remove you from our country is drowning this wonderful nation in the pool of political correctness; thus, giving birth to spiritual chaos.
We have taken you out of everything! We have taken you out of our governmental institutions, our business, our schools, our churches, our homes, our children, our families and our daily actions. And because we have taken you out of everything we are now experiencing the following: high unemployment, high divorce rates, high rate of children born out-of-wedlock, high rates of child exploitation’s, extreme amounts of mental illness, and people having disregards for life.
Sadly, Lord, as we the American people bicker over small things such as who should or should not get married. Or should the NRA step in and help make stiffer laws for obtaining firearms! Or if a black man is making good or bad choices up on Capitol Hill! Lord, the country that I love is quickly falling into a perilous state.
Lord the catalyst for what is happening in America is our ease in removing you from our lives! It’s not the black man up on Capitol Hill! He’s just one man! It’s not Joe marrying Johnny or Susan marring Sally! And it’s certainly not mandating tougher gun laws! It was removing you!
Lord, the American people need to hear from you! We need to hear from the God that got this American party started. We’re a young nation. And we’re making our fair share of mistakes. But, Lord, the biggest mistake we have made thus far was removing you!
I’m praying for my country. I’m asking you for your mercy upon me and my country. I’m asking you God to show us how to repair our relationship with you. I’m asking you to forgive the arrogance of the American people. I’m praying that you will do a historical roll call in their minds and in their hearts. I’m asking Lord that they remember the blood that was shade for our freedoms; and how you fought along the men that were fighting for all to be freed men and women. I’m asking you to remind them that our ancestors came here to freely worship you. I’m asking you to remind them this country was born from a divine dream and supported and encouraged by spiritual God.
For George Santayana once wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” And in Numbers 14:26-38 people perished and wondered in the wilderness because they had lost faith in you and your abilities to create a new land for a people of promise. Lord, help the country that I love. Heal the heart of this country because America is a land of promise and we are a people of promise.
She is America’s oldest person and she is the second oldest person in the world. She was born May 23, 1899. I can only imagine the wisdom she has learned from life experiences. Her family is so blessed to have her among them! Happy birthday, Mrs. Talley! May you have many more!
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
Artist: Henry Lee Battle
Dear Lord:
Your word says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.” My prayer today is about what does it mean to trust in you? Or should I pray for answers to the following questions: How does a person trust in you Lord? Does this passage support our free will ? And how does it support common sense?
Lord my questions are not original (although I wish they were). But many before me have asked the same during moments of spiritual isolation. And, sadly, so many after me will pose the same question(s) during moments of uncertainty. So, Lord, again, I ask what does it mean to trust in you? Because sometimes Lord I’m afraid those that believe in you fail to know what it means to truly trust in you.
And for that reason Lord, I am asking that you help us to know what you mean in this passage. Help us to merge the wisdom of God with our instinct to spiritually and physically survive. Help us to refrain from blaming you when things don’t go as planned and according to our interpretation of your words. Help us to accept defeat as well as our victories during moments of spiritual growth. So, Lord, I ask again, help us to truly know what it means to trust in you. Amen.
Recently, I purchased a new Amish love story by Kelly Long. She’s a new author for me. But I needed something to read and enjoy during moments of downtime. And the title Lilly’s Wedding Quilt intrigued me. So it was plucked off the shelf and placed into my basket with great anticipation for a romantic adventure. But my limited vocabulary has made it hard for me to enjoy the book. As I reflect upon my frustrations in having to stop reading to look for the meanings of words I probably will never use I find my behavior childish. Honesty, I feel my juvenile outlook during reading this book keeps me stagnant in building my vocabulary. So to keep me interested in reading what seems to be a great novel I have decided to use the words I do not know on Vocabulary Mondays.
obtained,done,made,etc.,bystealth;secretorunauthorized; clandestine: a surreptitious glance.
actinginastealthyway.
obtainedbysubreption;subreptitious.
Word usage in “Lilly’s Wedding Quilt”: “She blinked her eyes, licking surreptitiously at a splat of rain that dripped past her mouth, then spoke the first thing that came to her mind.”
Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength. –Corrie Ten Boom
Artist: Henry Lee Battle
Lord, I am worried. And I am [sigh] not alone. I need for you to minister to my lowly spirit and those that feel the same as I do. Lord, we need to hear from you. Make your Holy presence known in giving us signs that everything is going to be alright. Lord, I’m not sure of the challenges my brothers and sisters in Christ are facing this morning but my challenges for today are: I have no money to meet the demands of my responsibilities and financial obligations. And adding to my list of worries last night the stove decided to join the refrigerator and go on the blink. And my efforts to secure financial stability and generational legacy seem fruitless. The feeling of defeat is hovering over my head as a continual reminder I am failing as a daughter, sister, mother, wife, and entrepreneur.
Please, Lord, keep the defeatist attitude away. Please help me and those that feel like me stay positive in the midst of life’s storms. Become our lighthouse and guide us safely to harbor oh Lord. Amen
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness
That most frightens us.
We ask ourselves
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small
Does not serve the world.
There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking
So that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine,
As children do.
We were born to make manifest
The glory of God that is within us.
It’s not just in some of us;
It’s in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we’re liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.
Black Women Have It Going On 