First day home

First days home after a trip are always a little challenging. So many little things that need to be done - going through stacks of mail, unloading the car, and trying to get a handle on the home routines. Today was a little different as one of my good friends was having major surgery today. One of her other friends (who loves and cares about Jeanette as much as I do) called off and on to see what if anything I had heard. While I can't say I was worrying exactly, as the hours dragged by with no word, it did make me a little nervous. Fortunately, she is now out of surgery and it seems as though while it was a difficult surgery, apparently the doctor is pleased with the results. Now, I'll be praying for a swift recovery.

Interesting Morning - Hurricanes and Dove Hunting

I woke up early and started my day checking on Hurricane Gustav. I think you can see visibly the power of prayer - Gustav did not progress to a Category 4, it looks to be coming in southwest of New Orleans which may very well spare the city. I know that storm conditions will get worse during the next couple of hours, but after listening to the weather reporters, things were better than expected.

We're sleeping in the RV for a few days because our water bed mattress has finally had one too many leaks - so I enjoyed the sunrise from my RV front window. The cloud banks have a curve to them - after checking the images from the TV, yes we are seeing some of the moisture clouds from the hurricane. No wind, but definitely fingers of clouds from moisture that the hurricane is pulling in.

In looking at the pond, I can't help but hope we do get some good rain. The pond is low, not unusual for this time of year. It would be nice to get enough rain (over several days . . . ) to raise the level three or four feet.

Today is the first day of dove season. As I sat out with the dogs, I could hear the shots all around me. Sigh . . . I've been feeding a lot of doves this summer. I even had an obvious juvenile white winged dove at the feeder in the last few days. I came in when I heard the shot gun pellets hitting my metal roof . . .

Another blessing . . . the morning air was cool. Fall is coming!

Prayer Requests

As one marches through life's journey through time, the road leads us many places. We can't stop the march, we pass minute to minute, day to day, month to month, and year to year. While my memory of where I put something in the last day or two may be quite unreliable, I have many childhood memories. It is hard for me to realize that those memories are of life in the 1950's.
I'm the same person, I still look at the world through the same eyes, I still enjoy many of the same things. I still have a sense of adventure - wanting to see new things, meet new people, go new places. But . . . reality . . . I AM getting older. I don't move as fast, I get tired easily, my knees periodically protest my activities.

But as I go along with this journey through time, I've watched good things, bad things, sad things, happy things - life is a mix of sweet, sour, salty, bitter events going on around us.

RIght now, I've got several friends and family who are going through rough patches in time - cancer, hospital stays, respiratory or cardiac issues, early Alzenheimers, difficulties with grown children, money problems and just the routine issues of getting old.

Two close friends are in the hospital today, another close friend lost her uncle last night after losing her mom a couple of months ago, two other friends have recently been diagnosed with cancer, . . .

We're scheduled to leave town in the morning. I won't be here to give moral support up close and personal to the friends in the hospitals and their families. This grieves me a little. But I have called and emailed others who would want to know, and I have included requests for their prayers. I will try to keep up with how both of these friends are doing. I am grateful for how easy it is to get in touch with people with cell phones no matter where we are traveling in the States.

I am so glad that God, our Father, cares for us. I am so glad we can go before Him and bring Him our concerns, our worry, our anxiety, and our fears. I know that in his own amazing way, each one of these people will feel His presence in their lives.

I suspect that many of you have things going on in your life, or in the lives of your friends and family. So . . . as you finish reading this blog, send up a request to God to be active in all the lives represented by the readers here. Know that as you are praying for people here, others are praying for you and your difficulties, illnesses, and life challenges.

When you finish, remember Phillipians 4 Rejoice in the Lord aways, I will say it again, Rejoice! . . . Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. . . And the God of peace will be with you.

I am praying in special ways for my friends tonight - and I'm praying for you that this Phillipians scripture will come alive for you when you read it today, and that God will meet your special needs in a very special way.

Peace!

Intercessory Prayer

While I'm at home, I like to get together with my friends, catch up on what they are doing, and just enjoy spending time with them. Over the last few days, I've gotten to spend some extended time with friends I don't always get to spend much time with in my short time frames at home. My friends are diverse - some from my current church family, some who have been part of my church family in the past, some from school days, some from Girl Scouts. But in my get togethers over the last few days, there has been a common thread. As I visit with each friend, I found that I could better pray for them after our visit. I knew more what is going on in their life now. And unfailingly, there were issues that need God's special touch. I found myself repeating the phrase: "Hum, now I know better how to pray for you."

I've read two books, Maxie Dunham's Workbook of Intercessory Prayer, and The Workbook of Living Prayer that have helped me in my prayer life. One I did as part of my devotional time, the other I taught at Ladies' Bible Class several years back. The study on intercessory prayer was powerful and compelling. I even got compulsive . . . if I don't pray about it, God can't answer. I've rejected that theme inpart because it puts too much pressure on me, and it gives me the possibility of taking credit for what is really God's work. I learned to pray regularly for people, but I don't feel called right now to pray for anyone every single day. Sometimes as part of my meditation and prayer time, some one's name comes up in my mind, and I do take time to pray for them. I also regularly make a written list of people around me - family, friends, neighbors, etc and pray specifically for the needs that I know about. The written list helps me focus my thoughts about what I want to pray for each one. It also gives me a history to look back through later and see how God has worked in their lives to answer those prayers.

But the people I've been around the last few days have not been on that list. I will take time this week to pray specifically for each of the needs that I could see.

I looked up the word intercessory at Dictionary.com.

Intercessory: Entreaty in favor of another, especially a prayer or petition to God in behalf of another.

Intercede: to act or interpose in behalf of someone in difficulty or trouble, as by pleading or petition: to intercede with the governor for a condemned man.

I think intercessory prayer does a number of things. First of all, when you take time to talk to people, asking about what is going on in their lives right now, they know that you care about them. When they share things that are concerning them with you, it takes some of their burden and allows you to share it with them - making it lighter. Sometimes, God uses those times so that you can share an insight or another way of looking at the problem. Sometimes, all you need to say may be: "Wow, that sounds like a painful thing to be going through." Or perhaps, "that is a difficult thing . . . anyone would be having problems with that."

But human problems don't always have immediate solutions. Human illnesses may stump doctors or have no permanent cures. I believe that God exists, that he cares what happens to us, and that he is still active here on earth. Therefore, prayer is important. Yes, God knows everything before we ask, but Jesus tells us: "Ask and ye shall receive, knock and the door shall be opened, seek and ye shall find." Medical science cannot explain it and is divided over the studies, but there are scientific studies that have shown that patients that are prayed for have statistically better outcomes than those who were not prayed for. (Correction: "Surveys have shown that millions of Americans routinely pray when they are ill or when someone they know is. A growing body of evidence has found that religious people tend to be healthier than average, and that people who pray when they are ill are likely to fare better than those who do not. Many researchers think religious belief and practice can help people by providing social support and fostering positive emotions, which may produce beneficial responses by the body." Rob Stein - Washington Post ) I can't explain it, but I've had difficult times in my life when people were praying for me. As the crisis ended, I could feel it somehow when the prayers tapered off, and it was time for me to walk less assisted.

Will I know and actually see the answers to the prayers I will make this week? Possibly not. But I know that in some mysterious way, my prayers will make a difference in the lives of these friends.

"Night School"

Periodically I have a night where I just don't sleep well. Or at least it feels like I don't. Last night was one of those nights. I went to bed and was just slightly uncomfortable - my stomach wasn't upset . . . but it was not happy either. While I was probably more asleep than awake, I was not completely asleep either.

Some years back one of my Christian friends referred to nights like this as "night school." I have several things and people in my life that have important prayer needs right now - and their names kept going through my mind. Usually I don't try to pray about important things right before I go to sleep, because it gets my mind churning. I find myself worrying about what I'm praying about rather than releasing it. And, yes, perhaps some of these "worries" contributed to my sleeplessness last night.

But last night, after I had mentally gone through the list of people in my life that I'm praying for, I fell asleep. So perhaps that was God's way of "reminding" me to bring my worries and anxieties to him.

Prayer time

I try to spend time on a regular basis in prayer. I wish I could say that I spent quality time in prayer every day. Sometime it is so . . . . but I'm still working on consistency. And I have several prayer styles. Sometimes, it is a quick prayer right before I go to bed. I've learned that bedtime is NOT a good time for praying for things you are worried about. For me, it just puts my mind on them and part of my brain churns rather then letting them go. Evening prayer time is better for thanksgiving and praise.

My best prayer time is in the mornings out on my porch. I've begun to treasure that time. I generally take a cup of tea or coffee and something that looks like breakfast. I sit in my iron chair with the iron ottoman to prop my feet up. I listen and watch for birds. I read a passage from the One Year Bible. I generally have at least one other devotional or meditation book. And I have a journal. I've gone through quite a few. Each journal book clocks a different period of time. I just finished one that I started in March.

To match my personality, my journal entries are eclectic. Lately, I've been jotting down the birds I see along with the devotional thoughts that "spoke" to me. And, I write my prayers. I suspect I should tell my children and husband never to read my journals , because some of the prayer thoughts concerning other people are private, personal secrets. And then again, they are a written history of how God has answered my prayers over time. I pray for my family, I pray for my friends. I pray for my congregation, for world events. I pray for our daily needs, our financial security. I believe in praying specifically.

The Workbook on Intercessory Prayer by Maxie Dunnam stressed the importance of praying for each other with the thought that God can't answer what we don't ask. While it was a great study on prayer, I found myself becoming compulsive in my prayers. I felt a big burden on my shoulders. If I did not pray for it, if I did not pray hard enough about it, if I did not have enough faith . . . . was I letting someone down?

The first year my friend, Debbie, was fighting cancer, I prayed every day for her healing. I pleaded with God. I gave him what I thought were very good reasons why he should heal her. My nephew, Blake, was in Iraq as a Marine. I had a prayer litany that I said for each of them every night as I went to sleep. Blake is back from Iraq, safe in all the ways I prayed. There are even miracle stories - his vehicle hitting a land mine - and no one was hurt or killed. He could feel the prayer shields around him, protecting him in that far away place. Debbie is still fighting cancer. Somewhere along the way, God gave me a sense of peace about Debbie. I can't explain it. I still pray for her, regularly, intensely . . . but not every day.

A group of us pray regularly with Debbie. One of the ladies has commented that God will hear and answer these sweet prayers we are offering to him. We pray before each chemo session. Each of us brings a different perspective - the doctors, her physical comfort, her peace of mind, strength for her family, as well as for complete healing. While Debbie is still fighting cancer, she is still alive, still strong, and still vibrant. Two years ago, she came very close to death. I believe that the continuous prayers for her were answered, she is still alive and so much stronger than she was this time two years ago. She has lived life fully, travelling the world with her husband, enjoying her children these last two years. She will tell you of how God has been with her and given her strength and courage.

As I contemplate and meditate, I know that I do not have the same world view as God. I do not have His wisdom. I can not see what He sees. This time last year, we were worried about my father-in-law. I emailed our preacher, Roger, to get Gene on the church's prayer list. I will never forget his reply: "praying for God's perfect will." While last year, Gene seemed near death, this year he has stablized and is so much better than last year.

While my job is to pray, and to pray without ceasing, it is NOT my job to second guess whether my prayers are "good enough," whether I have enough faith, whether I am righteous enough, etc. God knows what we need before we ever ask. But our prayers of petition are an acknowledgement of who is in control of this world.

During these years I have told my friend that what is supposed to happen will happen. While it may sound fatalistic, this concept gives me a lot of peace. I am acting as a prayer warrier in a battle whose ultimate victory is already assured. God already knows the end of the story. I believe that it will in some way be a victory. While bad things can happen to good people, I also believe that God is still in control of this world and active in it. I don't know what God's perfect will is for my friend, for my family, or even for myself. But I know that God hears my prayers and answers them in a way far better than anything I could dream. How do I know this? Is it simply blind faith on my part? I don't think so. Over the last 35 years, I have seen God work out many seemingly impossible situations. Because God is working in the hearts of men, some prayers take longer to answer than others. But the end result is worth waiting for.

Life Musings

Henry's dad, Gene, is in the hospital right now. At 85 (almost 86), things can happen very quickly. While he had slowed down a lot over the last couple of years - he and Evelyn have been able to stay in their home, drive to church on Sundays, and maintain independent living. Three weeks ago, Gene was in the hospital for gall bladder and pancreas issues. Saturday he was admitted to the Cardiac Care Unit. We have both heart issues and kidney issues at this point. Most of our news has not been good. But as I have encouraged others to do: I want to list the things I am grateful for.

1. We have excellent doctors - we have confidence that they are competent and that they are trying to do everything that they can for Gene.

2. The nursing staff have been helpful, friendly, and are taking very good care of Gene.

3. Debra encouraged me to get started with Curves and work on my weight this year. I have the energy to do the things I need to do here.

4. Our preacher, Roger, sent me an email yesterday - his prayer: the perfect will of God for Gene. What more could I ask of God, but for his perfect, wise divine plan for Gene to unfold?

5. Gene was alert and much like his old self tonight. I even got him to crack a smile and chuckle a couple of times.

Life is uncertain - we will enjoy the time we are getting to spend with the family up here - and we will be grateful for the days that we can talk with Gene and spend time with him.

Hurricane Rita - Thankfulness

At this point the worst of Hurricane Rita has passed. I am grateful that it entered land in less populated areas. Even the damage in Port Arthur and Beaumont seems to minimal considering the size and strength of the storm. At the present time, there are no reported deaths.

I believe that many people prayed to God to minimize loss of life and property damage before Rita hit land. And I believe that God answered those prayers.

My scripture today:

"May God be gracious to us and bless and make his face shine upon us, that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among nations."

God was gracious, we had ample warning, people evacuated, and the storm hit in a way that there was minimal loss of life and minimal property damage. May God be praised for this welcome outcome.

God's Power - Hurricane Rita

I've been using the One Year Bible as a source for personal devotions. Whereas I may not read from it every day, it is a part of my routine. I have been amazed at how sometimes the scriptures I see fit what is going on in the world around me and how they give me inspiration for prayer.

Yesterday as Hurricane Rita built in power over the Gulf my scripture was from Psalm 65. The verse that caught my attention and that I included as part of my prayer said:

You answer us with awesome deeds of righteousness . . . . .
who stilled the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, and the turmoil of the nations.

I prayed that God would stillk the roaring waves of the hurricane driven seas.

While the hurricane grew in power to one of the strongest Category 5 storms on record, it moved over cooler waters. Wind speed went from 175 mph now to 140 mph (Thursday at 11:00 p.m.) God has also sent a cold front that is redirecting the storm away from the most densely populated areas. While I am sure that there will be property damage and some loss of life, I am praying tonight using vs 7 as my scripture base:

Lord God of Heaven, still the roaring of the seas, the roaring of the waves. Please minimize the both the property loss and the loss of life from this storm.

Musings

We have visited London in the last few years. It is a beautiful city, filled with life. The terrorist activities there today remind us that our world is no longer predictable. While it is very true that each of us is only given one day at a time to live, we go through our days as though we are going to live forever. We are proud of our ability to plan for the future, store up retirement savings, and find new adventures in living. But death is always a part of life. Whether from disease, accidents, natural disasters, or human malevolence, we have a limited lifespan. God is the master of my fate - not a terrorist! In Ps 139, "All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."

Human history tells us that there have been many dark periods in history. I grew up in the Cold War - with food and supplies stockpiled in the buildings in downtown Amarillo. The yellow triangles marked where to go for shelter in case of a nuclear attack. Looking back, diving under the school desk would not have protected us from a nuclear blast, but we practiced it in drills anyway. London has had dark days before - the German blitzkrieg during World War II was a horrible time of death and destruction. Much of historic London was lost to the bombs. The strife over Northern Ireland and the terrorist activity took its toll. But I rejoice that so many of these historical conflicts did subside and peace returned. I truly believe that this struggle with these seemingly religious fanatics will have an end. Anger and hatred are tiring emotions constantly requiring feeding. As a destructive summer storm comes in with a roar, there is always an end to the turbulence. Summer storms may come in quickly and leave quickly. Other times they linger and have several waves of thunder, rain, wind, and occasionally hail. But after the storm, the air has been washed clean, the sun shines brighter, and sometimes, a rainbow fills the sky.

I am really a simple person. I do not understand the need to kill people that I don't know. I certainly do not understand what drives someone to kill themselves in this process. People who have hope for the future do not do such things - only people in great despair.

Somehow, a solution must be found for the disparity between the super rich and the very poor. We must also learn to appreciate the differences in the cultures around the world. In the long run, only God can bring peace back into our world. So tonight my prayer:

Lord, please provide comfort and sympathy to those who are grieving in London. Bring healing to the injured and strength for the families as they nurse their loved ones back to health. Give the people in London the courage to go about their normal activities in spite of this tragedy. Touch the hearts of the men who are sowing these seeds of hatred. Touch the hearts of the young men who are following the teachings of hatred. Bring peace and prosperity to the troubled parts of our world.