Friday, May 30, 2008

Truly Amazing Grace

I found this over at Mari's site. I was in tears and I hope you are moved by it as well.



Have a great weekend and be blessed Y'all!

Thursday, May 29, 2008

~*~ Thankful Thursday With JC ~*~

~*~Thankful Thursday with JC~*~ is a gratitude journal of sorts. Every evening I thank God for least seven things for that day. My way of thinking is that I will share seven of those things with you, my blessed and highly favored blog reader, on a weekly basis and invite you to share yours. Let’s face it by Thursday I’m are feeling a bit ragged around the edges and by Friday I am thanking God for getting me through another week! Well, my God desires praise, gratitude and honor every day of the week and it is my pleasure to give it to Him.

To understand some of the things I’m thankful for you need to know me a little better. When I reference family, I’m speaking of extended family, four siblings, two first cousins, their spouses, their children, and grandchildren. I am the last of five children. I had a brother who was 18 years my senior and a nephew who is 20 years my junior. Yes, I have known martial bliss and the heartbreak of martial demise with no children to be hurt in the process.

My employment is in education, as a director of a federal grant program that must be renewed every four years. This means we spend every third year of the grant writing a renewal proposal and the fourth year not knowing if we will have a job. I’ve learned that my security does not lie with my employer. The grant works with at risk youth in public middle and high schools that are capable of benefiting from post secondary education. I don’t work directly with these students; I have a staff that does a great job of mentoring and guiding them. I’m the one that juggles the budget and encourages my staff to keep on keeping on in the face of the many challenges that face anyone doing anything in public schools.

I am a founding director in a public charity named the Lifting You Up Foundation, Inc. This charity was founded to provide scholarships for at risk youth, particularly those who have lost a parent to death or coming out of the foster care system.

I promise future postings from me will not contain so much chatter about myself.

Father God,

I praise You for who You are... my protector and provider; the creator of all. I thank You that there are people who want to be the U. S. President or to serve in any other elected position for that matter. Lord, I honestly do not care for any of the candidates but Father I still believe that “In God We Trust” stamped on our money applies now more than ever. I know it does to me. I got to thinking about the upcoming elections when I attended several/many area Awards/Honors day programs this past week in area public high schools. At each we rose and said the “Pledge of Allegiance to the American Flag”. “One nation under God, with liberty and justice for all.” Well, Father, I’ve come to question the liberty and justice for all part but I am so very thankful that we are “one nation under God”. Father I ask You to make it clear to me how You want me to vote in November and not just me Father but every person that votes whether they profess Your Son or not. As I sat on those very hard folding chairs or gym bleachers for hours and listened as various scholarships were given to the seniors of 2008, I paid special attention to the representatives of the various branches of the military. Each one took his/her place behind the podium and announced proudly that we have a future whatever (Marine, Army, Navy & Air Force) in our midst. The young person’s name would be announce followed by cheers and clapping but Father in my heart I wanted to scream “NO” at the top of my lungs. “You are to young to make a decision like this!!” “Go to college first!!” but I didn’t. Where would we be as a nation if young men and women didn’t have the courage to step up and serve so Father I am truly thankful for those seniors of 2008 who are entering military service. As we honored those who served and are currently serving our country on Memorial Day, Lord I want to lift up those who WILL serve. Father you were with me there; you know who they are so just give them wisdom and discernment to know the right thing to do, how to do it and when. Keep a hedge of protection round about them and keep them safe. If any of them don’t know Your Son, I ask that You place someone in their path to lead them to a saving knowledge of Your Son, Jesus Christ. Father, I’m thankful that several of our program participants are graduating in the top 10 of their class. I’m thankful for my staff that works so hard to instill within these youth the knowledge and skills they need to be successful as they go to college. Father thank you for keeping me safe as I traveled this past week to the various schools and to my family Sunday. Father thank you for each of my family members (all of them), I am so blessed to be loved and appreciated by each of them. I pray Father that each of them from the oldest to the youngest know that I love them totally, completely and unconditionally. None of them has to write, call, email, visit or acknowledge me in their life for me to love them. Father even though I can’t imagine loving them more You love me more than I love them because You sent Your Son that I might have life and have in it in abundance. How Incredible You Are!!! Keep them safe and give them everything they need to be truly happy.

All these things I ask in the powerful and precious name of Jesus.

Amen

That is my seven for the past week. What are yours? JC

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

WORK OUT YOUR OWN SALVATION........

Props to Krissy for finding this video!



I had a couple of conversations last week that made me take a look at my relationship with Jesus. I don't think that all Christians should look just alike in our walk. We are all individuals, we think differently, learn differently, express ourselves differently. So why would Jesus have the same effect on each of us?

As I said to a Dear One, our relationship with Jesus is a Personal relationship. If I went to a fitness advisor and asked for a personal fitness plan, would my plan be the same as an eighteen year old's plan? NO! Because my plan would be designed for an out of shape 37 year old. Personal. Would it be any less Healthful for me as the eighteen year old's is for them? NO! Just what we each need personally.

Father God,

Thank You for desiring a Personal Relationship with me. Lord, help me not to look to the Christian on the right, or the Christian on the left, but to focus solely on You. Please Lord, help me not to judge my Faith and my walk based on Brothers and Sisters in Christ around me but to know that You are maturing me as is Your will. Father help me to desire to please ONLY YOU. Lord I don't want to walk through life trying to look like other Christians, but the follower of Christ that You want me to be.

Father, if You know the very number of hairs on my head, then you know my heart. Search me Oh Lord, and help me, through my personal relationship with Jesus, to become more Christ-like everyday! I love you Lord and I thank You for Your Faithfulness.

In Jesus Holy and Precious Name I Pray,

Amen.

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

TUESDAYS WITH TIZ



I am so excited that it is Tuesday once again!! It's time for Tuesday's with Tiz. I had to include the personal part of the email that she sent. To me it reveals her sweetness and her humbleness!

"PLEASE feel free to edit my writings. I write just like I talk!!!! And I have not been in an English class or a spelling class in over 50 years."

I feel the same way about what I write! And I wouldn't THINK of editing Tiz's writing because I think that what she writes is from her heart and of the Lord. But I did use spellcheck. She'll be happy to know that the only thing that popped up needing attention was the word "Tiz". Spell check obviously does not recognize her!


So, with no further ado.... TIZ!

"If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink" John 7:37


Father, I keep thinking about how pitiful the little plant in my office looked after going without water for a few days. I noticed it immediately when I came into my office. This little plant must have water!!!






















Bringing up my computer, checking emails, posting payments, even making myself a cup of latte, would just have to wait until this plant was watered.










Within a few minutes this little plant looked so happy!!!










Yes, Father, that is the way it is with me... if I have not drank of the Water of Your Word. I can be all out of sorts and go to Your Word, the fountain of Living Water, and within a few minutes my spirit is renewed and I am so happy. Your Princesses and your Peace Lilies both need their water!!!


Thank you, Father, for your faithfulness.

In Jesus name and for His sake,

Tiz

Monday, May 26, 2008

A Memorial Day Dedication Prayer, from the Mother of a Warrior

I contacted Joyce, of Mom is a Verb, to guest blog today's post. She is the wife to a retired military man, and the mother of soldiers. I realize that today is Memorial Day, a day to remember those who have FALLEN. I personally pray a hedge of protection over Joyce's sons, that we will not have to remember their service to our country.... that we will be memories ourselves before the Lord calls them Home.

BUT, this is why it is so vitally important to remember our Brave Men and Women who serve our Country through Military Service. These are people, who weighing the dangers faced them, Serve ANYWAY. Who heed the call, and dedicate their lives to our country. To James and his brother, I thank you Sirs. And to Joyce and her husband Bob, I offer you my respect for raising Warriors.

Now, I present to you Joyce and her Memorial Day Devotional and Prayer!





This week I was struck by Jacob’s final blessings at the end of the book of Genesis. Joseph comes to Jacob in Genesis 48 because he is told his father is sick. Jacob was still amazed at how God had used the evil Joseph’s brothers intended and turned it to good. Joseph became second only to Pharaoh, and Jacob, now living in Egypt gives final instructions. Jacob says, in verse 11, “I never expected to see your face, and behold, God has let me see your children as well." And Jacob blesses Joseph with: “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, The God who has been my Shepherd all my life to this day, The angel who has redeemed me from all evil, BLESS THE LADS, and may my name live on in them, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

God, You have been My Shepherd all my life to this day. Please bless the lads.

In Genesis 49:10 (Jacob is prophesying about Judah ) The scepter shall not depart from Judah , nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, UNTIL SHILOH COMES, and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples. He ties His foal to the vine, and His donkey’s colt to the choice vine; He washes His garments in wine, and His robes in the blood of grapes.

God, You have been My Shepherd all my life to this day. Please bless the lads. You promised that the scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between His feet, until Shiloh comes, and to Him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Jesus did come, and tied His foal to the vine, and His donkey’s colt to the choice vine.

We wait for His second coming, so until Shiloh comes, as Psalm 144 says, “Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; my loving kindness and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer; my shield and He in whom I take refuge…”

Only You, Lord, can give our soldiers faces of lions, and only You, Lord, can make them swift as gazelles. Only You, God, can equip them for war, and make them as it says in first Chronicles 12, “mighty men of valor…” “..who understand the times, with knowledge of what You would have the USA do. Make us always friends of Israel . Make our armies like the army of God. Your will be done.

If You can use them, Lord, to bring peace so that everyone in the Middle East can hear the Gospel that Your Son did come, as He promised, and died on the cross for the sins of the whole world, then, we thank You for the peace and that opportunity. But, if evil men continue to desire to enslave and hurt others, then please use our brave soldiers to hunt them down and destroy them. You know, O Lord, exactly where the bad men, like Osoma bin Ladin and his ilk are hiding. I pray that in Your perfect time, You expose them, and destroy them, and make it so obvious that it was from You.

In Jesus name.

Amen.



Saturday, May 24, 2008

Thursday, May 22, 2008

~*~ Thankful Thursdays with JC ~*~



I am blessed to have Jimmie Carol posting regularly for Thankful Thursdays with JC . If you asked me who she is, I would say a beloved friend, a giver of good hugs, and a fun lady. Let's see who SHE says that she is. Meet Jimmie Carol.....


~*~ I am a woman SMITTEN, totally and completely in love with the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Creator of all that is and all that will ever be.

~*~ I've learned that the One I serve is not unlike our earthly parents.

~*~ The more I delight in Him, the more I appreciate who He is. And the more I am truly thankful for all He does for me, the more he does.

~*~ I am not a scripture quoter. His Word is buried in my heart but not by book, chapter and verse.

~*~ He delights in me and He desires for His children to delight in Him. When we delight totally and completely in sweet surrender to His will and His way, He will take us on an amazing adventure.

~*~ He already knows what we need before we ask so I can just thank Him. I don't have a need he doesn't supply. Sometimes I don't even have to ask.


~*~

I am SO not a morning person so before I get out of bed, just after I realize that I've been given another day, this is how I start my morning:



Good morning Lord, this is a day that You have made and I'm going to rejoice and be glad in it!

Father, God, holy is Your name. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done in my life today just as it is in Heaven. Thank You for giving me everything I need today and thank You for forgiving my sins. Lord, I'll be faithful to forgive those that may offend me or hurt my feelings or in anyway sin against me. Lord, thank You for leading me away from temptation and keeping me far from evil for Yours is the Kingdom and the Power and the Honor and the Glory. You and You alone are worthy of my praise and my adoration. Thank You for your Son and Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for leading and guiding me through this day.



In Jesus' powerful and wonderful name,



Amen


BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD





Father God,


I sit still in this moment and wait for You. I have nothing in particular that I want to pray about, but I desire a quiet moment with You.






Lord, I thank You. For all the things that You have done for me, seen and unseen.






Thank You for the stillness of this moment and the comfort of Your presence.








Thank You for knowing my heart, for seeing all of the unspoken needs, the ones that I don't want to shatter this stillness with.








Thank You for Your forgiveness toward me for all of the ways that I have fallen short today.




Father God, I love You and I love this quiet moment that I am blessed to have with You. Thank you that I am allowed this fellowship with you through Your Son.
And in His name I pray,
Amen

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

A Prayer for Coping with Chronic Pain


Father God,

You knew today that I would ask this prayer before I did. Which means the need that I bring to the throne You were aware of as well. So for me, for the opportunity to abide in You through this need, I pray...

Father, in my mind, my fleshly mind, there seems to be a proper order to life, the way things should be. But this is not true of life and I know, through Jesus' own words, that there will be trials. Father, there is a young man in our family dealing with chronic pain. His pain radiates to those who love him for they feel his pain with him.

Father, just a touch....a mere breath....from You and he would not only be pain free, but healed. OF COURSE God this is what I ask for him. But Lord, if You are working in His life through this pain, then I pray Your will be done in his life. And OF COURSE I ask that it be accomplished quickly that he won't have to cope with the pain for very long. Because the flesh is weak....I am weak. It is hard to look past the now to the Eternal. To see that every ache here in the natural could carry a Blessing in the Eternal.

Father God, Healer, Comforter, I ask You to meet every need of his spirit, mind, and body. I pray that You give him the strength to endure and the Trust to abide in You. And Father God, I ask this for others who are dealing with Chronic Pain, and whose pain radiates to those who love them. I don't have to know a name, a face, or a circumstance because I believe that You know this already. I just lift them up before the throne today too. For "my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus."

In Jesus' Holy and Precious Name I pray,

Amen

Singing His Praises This Morning.....

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Hello, My Name Is Tiz, May I Take Your Order Lord?


I would like to introduce to you Tiz. She is a Wife, Mother, and Grandmother. But most importantly, she is a Servant of the Lord.

And I am blessed to say that she will be a contributor to Prayerfully Yours. Today marks the first posting of Tuesdays with Tiz. I hope that God manifests Himself to you through her words, as He does to me. God uses Tiz in my life so often. I believe it is because she desires so deeply TO BE used by God.

And now I will get out of the way, and let Tiz have the floor.

"But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles;they shall run, and not be weary;and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31


"Father, I want to be your server today - what could I serve you?"

"Tiz, I want you to bring me a big bowl of TRUST, a plate of UNDIVIDED ATTENTION, a tall glass of PRAISE, a side order of WORSHIP and a bowl of COMMITMENT. All your service is to be JOYFUL. PEACEFUL, PATIENT, and with a GOOD ATTITUDE. All courses are to originate direct from MY WORD (no TV preacher, no good books, no opinions - yours or someone else's) I want you to be the Chef, the server and the dish washer. And for dessert I want another big bowl of TRUST!!!!!"

I thought this sounded like an awfully big order until He reminded me of the PRICE HE HAD PAID FOR IT!!!!!! - then all I could do was thank HIM for choosing ME to be his server.

You notice he did not ask me to bring him an order of LOVE - guess he just wants me to TRUST Him as much as I love Him.

Tiz

Monday, May 19, 2008

I'm Not Praying for Patience, BUT....

Father God,

I need your help with this. Please Father God, I need to be able to be patient with him. I respect him, I want to bring honor to him, but.... you know Lord. It gets harder and harder to talk to him. Father, I think so much of the problem is me so please Lord, soften my heart. I am not asking You to change him, I am asking you to change ME. I need GRACE on this Father God. I want to be a good daughter, but I am just so impatient. Make it OK in my Spirit to listen and not be heard.

I love You Lord, my Heavenly Father who I KNOW hears me.

In Jesus' Holy and Precious Name,

Amen

Sunday, May 18, 2008

This is NOT a Mommy Blog. I repeat; This is NOT...

My seven year old son came up to me, all eyes.

"Momma, Daddy threw a movie away and it wasn't even broken."

"Really? What movie was it?"

"Harry and The Hendersons."

?????????

"Really Son? Why?"

"Because it used God's name in the Baddest way. And I don't even know what it said."


Father God,

Thank You for the stand that my Husband took for You. Thank You for the Witness that he made before his son. And thank You Lord, that my son "doesn't even know what they said." Thank You for that innocence and I pray that he is able to maintain it for as long as possible in this fallen world.

I pray that he grows into a man that would abhor hearing Your Name taken in vain, and that he would be bold in his own home one day. I pray for my future daughter in law, that she is being raised in the love and admonition of the Lord.

In Jesus' Holy and Precious Name I pray,

Amen

A Blog is Born

I walked into Church this morning spiritually whole, I thought, and limped out of the doors, broken.

Have you ever felt yourself SCOWLING at a preacher? I don't know if the scowl was on my face, but it was definitely in my spirit. I didn't LIKE all that he had to say this morning. I needed to hear it, but I didn't like it.

So, a BLOG is born.

This blog will not be a story blog, a Mommy blog, or a forum for the antics of my brain. This Blog is a prayer journal of sorts, a computer generated conversation between my Savior and I. Feel free to eaves drop, in fact I invite you to. Pray along if you like.

Prepare for offerings as simple as a child would make. And don't expect a lot of details, because the One that I am talking to knows what I am going to say before I do. I just don't have to explain much to Him.




Father God,

Thank You for the words that Pastor Wrenn spoke today. If he could see in my countenance that I wasn't happy, help him to forgive me and not feel judged by me. Continue to bless him Lord, that he will always speak the Truth of Christ.

Father God, I ask You to take the prayers on this Blog as an offering. May they be a sweet aroma to You, through Christ, and may they in turn be used to bless others.

Father God, I ask Your blessings on this Country, Our Leadership, and most especially our Service Men and Women. Thank You for the freedom I have to put my thoughts and feelings to this page.

In All things give thanks, and I do. I thank You for All and for desiring to be my ALL in ALL.

In Jesus' Precious and Holy Name, I pray.....

Amen


I brought my laptop to the front porch so that I could do this in a quiet place. As I finished, a hummingbird flew up to the feeder that is 3 feet from me and over my head. He drank from the feeder, swooped down eye level and 2 feet from me, and flew away when he heard my quick indrawn breath.

If the Holy Spirit could appear to Christ in the form of a Dove, could He manifest Himself to me in the form of a Hummingbird? Oh Lord, how I yearn to hear you say to me, "Here is my child, of whom I am well pleased."

Be Blessed Y'all.