Prayer Changes Things!

I went to our local YMCA this morning to get in a gentle walk on the treadmill before I got started with the rest of my day. You see, I haven’t been there for a while. I could tell my back was tight from not exercising. I knew I needed to get out of the house and get some fresh air. I woke up with a headache. And I immediately started to think of all the things that I “should” get done today.

From where I was walking, I could see the track up above on the second floor.

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Anna Landers, the columnist, is quoted as saying “When life’s problems seem overwhelming, look around and see what other people are coping with. You may consider yourself fortunate.”On this Thanksgiving Day, you might be struggling. It might be a slight annoyance. A sliver of sorts. Where a small remedy will likely be enough. Or you might be facing a fairly big decision. You are at a crossroads. Things have not really turned out like you had hoped. It lays heavy on your heart and mind. And just maybe, you are in the fight of your life. You have experienced an unspeakable loss. Tragedy has struck you and your family. Although your body is numb, your chest hurts and you can hardily chase a thought. You wonder how you got here. You wonder how you will ever get out.

When we think of only our own problems, we might……….. Read More…

It’s a rainy morning here. I just drove our two youngest children to school so they wouldn’t get wet and cold standing at the corner for the bus. I popped into our local small grocery store for things for dinner. The stores are getting noticeably busier with Thanksgiving just three days away now. I visited with my friends, the “bakery girls” and then went on my way. I didn’t know that God was going to “plant” one of His angels in the produce department. As I looked at my vegetable options, she smiled at me and said I could go around her if she was too slow. I assured her that it was no problem at all. That I wasn’t particularly fast this morning either. As she started to push her cart away, she turned back and smiled Read More…

The holidays are coming. Whether that fills us with joy or panic or both, they are still coming. It’s hard to belive that Thanksgiving is just next week. Soon, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will be here. And then, we’ll be looking forward to the New Year of 2008. It doesn’t seem possible.

The women’s ministry at my church has been studying a book by Elizabeth George called “Small Changes for a Better Life-Daily Steps to Living God’s Plan for You.” Although she is a new author to me, I bet she isn’t to many of you. She has sold more than 3 million copies of her books and is the author of “A Woman After God’s Own Heart”. She is a popular teacher and an inspirational speaker. We have been blessed by this resource.

It seemed a natural bend to use some of the concepts of her book and apply them to the holiday season. Sometimes all we need is a “small change” to improve our situation, change our outlook, get out of a rut or to simply find more joy in our day to day routines.

Although I rarely stay up late enough to catch David Letterman, I have to admit that I have been curious about his Top Ten List. It’s fun and it’s creative. We used that format to look at the how God might want to help us make “small changes” to make this holiday season better in all ways. As believers, we know that we are celebrating the birth of Christ, but somehow, in all the hoopla and excitement of the season, we get distracted and we get discouraged. And sometimes, we even give up. We don’t want that to happen this year.

May you be blessed and refreshed by our Top Ten……………… Read More…

Hello Friends-God continues to work on my heart in such amazing ways. He is truly showing me things that I have never really got before. I know He works like that. You can hear the same message over and over again, but until your Spirit is ready to take it in, it just doesn’t seem to make sense.

One of the most freeing messages that He has given me just this week is that I can CHOOSE to be happy regardless of what anyone else chooses, no matter how things “look” or Read More…

My last two mornings have been wonderfully personal and peaceful. I have started to use a new devotional called “The Busy Mom’s Devotional-10 minutes a week to a Life of Devotion”. Lisa Bergren is also the author of our “God Encounter-Experiencing the Power of Creative Prayer.”

Yesterday, God started me on a journey to “hold fast” as I looked at Isaiah 40:27-31 [+/-]Isaiah 40:27-31 [27]Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, "My way is hidden from the LORD, and my right is disregarded by my God"? [28]Have you not known? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. [29]He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. [30]Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; [31]but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
. I invite you right here and now to Read More…

Happy sunny day to each of you! I am almost GIDDY having all the kids in school. Last week, I took a walk to a local park in my neighborhood. I used to take my kids there all the time. I sat on a covered bench and looked around and listened. It was absolutely beautiful and calming. At that moment, God seemed to impress upon me…………..this is your sanctuary. Read More…

Chris gave me a little paper devotional from “The Upper Room”. I have seen them before, but it’s been a long time. I was really struck by the one that I read this morning. I wanted to share it in hopes that it would encourage you as much as it encouraged me.

Facing Goliath Read More…

This is the passage that God brought me to this weekend. I thought of all of you and I just have to share…………….. Read More…

Hi Friends-Sometimes God just hits me right between the eyes! I am having “one of those” kind of experiences. I am reading Joyce Meyer’s book entitled “The Power of Simple Prayer-How to Talk with God about Everything”. Well, I am cruising right along with the book. It’s a great read. I’m in chapter 12 called “Fourteen Hindrances to Answered Prayer”. Any guesses what #7 might be??? Yes, you guessed it………..WORRY!!!These are direct quotes from her book (starting on page 243)………….. Read More…

Hello Friends-I am barely awake this morning, but one of the things that I do pretty much first thing each day is to look at my daily calendars. The minute I read this one, I thought of all of you. Does anyone need a healing today? I do. This is from my flip calendar for words for God………………. The Lord Who Heals “God has the power and mercy to heal us physically, emotionally and spiritually. In fact, it is by Jesus’ wounds that we are healed from sin and death. There is no malady that is beyond His healing touch.” “When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake. Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet and pleaded earnestly with him………….”My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” So Jesus went with him. A large crowd followed and pressed around him. And a woman was there who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years. She had suffered a great deal under the care of many doctors and had spent all she had, yet instead of getting better she grew worse. Read More…

I wanted to share a few quotes in hopes that it will spur you on …………….. “The Discipline of confession helps the believer to grow into the ‘mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,’ “ (Ephesians 4:13) Read More…