Pray with an Alert Mind

Romans 12:2

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is.

Romans 12:2

Lamentations 3:37

Can anything happen without the Lord's permission?

Lamentations 3:37

Micah 6:8

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

Colossians 4:2

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

Lord, you know that I struggle with this. When I pray my mind seems to wander all over the place. I do have a "want to" which I know you can use. Maybe journaling is the solution. Writing down my prayers seems to help me to stay more focused. I think I need to be making sure that I am journaling daily. I have become rather lax about it of late. I think I need a separate prayer journal that doesn't get published. That way I can be more open and honest about my thoughts. What do you think about that Lord? Or do I just need to utilize this one more fully? Thank you for showing me this need and giving me a solution. Please help me as I figure out how to put this into practice. I love you Jesus! In your name I pray, Amen.

Keeping My Head in the Clouds

Romans 12:2

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is.

Romans 12:2

Lamentations 3:37

Can anything happen without the Lord's permission?

Lamentations 3:37

Micah 6:8

No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.

Micah 6:8

Colossians 3:1-4

Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory.

Lord, it's so cool that we were talking about keeping our thoughts on heaven just last night. Then this morning these are the verses I was assigned to read. You are so amazing Lord! I love how you work these things out. I love how you speak to me through your Word. 

It's also cool how you call it "the realities of heaven". We tend to think of heaven as something yet to be...not quite real yet. But it is already real and we will get to live there for all eternity if we know and follow you! Please help me to think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. In Jesus Name, Amen

It All Starts in the Mind

This week's memory verses:

Romans 12:2

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect His will really is.

Romans 12:2

Lamentations 3:37

Can anything happen without the Lord's permission?

Lamentations 3:37

James 1:14-15

Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.

Lord, I thank you for verses like this that expose the source of temptation. It all starts in the mind. Satan likes to use temptation to fascinate and then assassinate! Lord, I can't battle temptation on my own. I need you to change my mind - the way I think - according to your truth, then right behavior will follow. Please show me when I'm listening to any other voice besides yours. I want to only do what you want me to do. 

Lord, I want to saturate myself with your Word! I want to read and memorize and think on it to the point that it leaks out of me and encourages others! Not only will it encourage others, but it will change me. It will transform me into a new person. It will change the way I think. It will allow me to live the way you want me to and have victory over sin.

Lord, I praise you for giving us your Word!! I praise you for how you are helping me to memorize my verses. Please help me to continue to be disciplined in this practice. I love you SO much!! In Jesus' Powerful Name I pray. Amen!

Romans 12:2

Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do and you will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is.

Ephesians 5:15-17

This week's memory verses:

Romans 8:12-14

So, dear brothers and sisters you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit, you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live. For all who are let by the Spirit of God are children of God.

Romans 8:12-14

Isaiah 1:18

"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool."

Isaiah 1:18 (NASB)

So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do.

Ephesians 5:15-17

Lord, please help me to be careful how I live. Help me to live like those who are wise. Show me how to make the most of each and every opportunity because these are evil days. Train me to not act thoughtlessly, but to understand what you want me to do.

In Jesus' Name,

Amen

Where do I Fit in?

This week's memory verses:

Romans 8:12-14

So, dear brothers and sisters you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit, you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live. For all who are let by the Spirit of God are children of God.

Romans 8:12-14

Isaiah 1:18

"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool."

Isaiah 1:18 (NASB)

Ephesians 4

He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.

Ephesians 4:16

Lord, since we stopped working in the Resource Room I'm kind of feeling like maybe that season of service is over for us. Are we to just rest for a time, or is there another place that you want us to plug into? Do you want us to continue to serve as a couple or do you have separate areas of service in mind for us?

I thank you for putting us into such a wonderful family of believers. I'm so blessed to be a part of this church. I pray that you would bless Pastor Danny. Please help his leg to heal from his injury. I pray that you would speak to him from your word so that he can teach us. I pray that you would give us the body ears to hear what you give Danny to teach us. 

In Jesus' Name,

Amen

Lord, I am Coming!

This week's memory verses:

Romans 8:12-14

So, dear brothers and sisters you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit, you turn from it and its evil deeds, you will live. For all who are let by the Spirit of God are children of God.

Romans 8:12-14

Isaiah 1:18

"Come now, and let us reason together," says the Lord. "Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool."

Isaiah 1:18 (NASB)

Psalm 42

As the deer longs for springs of water, so I long for you, O God. I thirst for God, the living God. When can I go and stand before him?

Psalm 42:1-2

Lord, my soul praises you! Because of what Jesus did on the cross I get to come to you anytime and all the time.

My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me." and my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."

Psalm 27:8

I'm so glad that I get to have a relationship with the living God! You interact with me when I make a habit of talking to you. When all I did was read my Bible so I could check it off my schedule and "played" Christian, my soul missed out on meeting with the living God. It was a one way relationship where I was doing pretty much all of the talking but I rarely stopped to hear what you had to say.

Lord, truly nothing in this world can satisfy the longings, deep thirsts and cravings of my soul. You are the only one who can do that. Spending time in your presence either alone or with one or two or a whole group of other believers is better than the most fun or relaxing earthly experience I can think of. I always come away refreshed, refocused and ready to again face the world with you leading and guiding me.

I thank you, Lord, for what you are teaching me. Please continue to show me how to live this life you have given me! I belong to you, Jesus Christ, body, mind and soul!

Amen

Come and Talk With Me

This week's memory verses:
Psalm 27:8
My heart has heard You say, "Come and talk with Me," and my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."
Psalm 27:8

Psalm 77:1
I cry out to God without holding back.
Psalm 77:1

The one thing I ask of the LORD -- the thing I seek most -- is to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, delighting in the LORD's perfections and meditating in his Temple.
Psalm 27:4

Lord, I want to live in your house (your presence) all the days of my life. I want to delight in your perfections and meditate in your Temple. Lord, I am your Temple. I can delight in your perfections and meditate in your Temple by memorizing your Word and thinking about it.

Lord, I also want to learn how to do temple maintenance rather than baggage maintenance. Help me learn to come to you and tell you everything I am feeling instead of holding it in and stuffing it down. Or even worse, running to tell a friend or posting it on Facebook.

Lord, you want me to share ALL my feelings with you, the good, the bad and the ugly, just as I would with a trusted friend. Indeed, YOU are my most trusted friend!! You will never leave me or share any of my secrets. You can't be infected by my ugly attitudes and thoughts about other people the way a human can. You want to help me get all that disgusting nastiness out so that I can be free. I praise you for that!

My heart has heard you say, "Come and talk with me." My heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."
Psalm 27:8

Don't Copy the Behavior and Customs of this World

This week's memory verses:
Psalm 27:8
My heart has heard You say, "Come and talk with Me," and my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."
Psalm 27:8

Psalm 77:1
I cry out to God without holding back.
Psalm 77:1

Romans 12

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice - the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romand 12:1-2

Since the dog bite, it seems that everyone has an opinion about what I should do. People are telling me that I should ask the dog's owners to help with my medical bills and that their homeowners insurance should cover this. Christian friends who I love and respect are encouraging me to "lawyer up". I just haven't felt right about any of this. It might be mostly because I feel responsible for what happened. But I also think that you put this check in my spirit, Lord. These verses seem to confirm that.

I have given myself to you as a living sacrifice. I'm thinking that you have taken me up on that quite literally.

To "lawyer up" and insist that the owners help pay my medical bills would be following the behavior and customs of this world. I worry about what that would speak to these people. I want to speak Christ's love and forgiveness to them. Besides, you have already provided the money to pay for this and you will provide for all the rest of our needs.

I see this as a potential opportunity to share the gospel with a family who seems to need the good news. Lord, please continue to use me as you see fit to share the your love and forgiveness to a lost and dying world. Lord, I would love to get to share the gospel with the people who own the dog that bit me. Please show me how to proceed from here.
Amen

Oh, yes! By way of update:
I had to go back to the ER yesterday for another IV antibiotic. But the good news is that the swelling is going down and the nurse said that it looks like it is doing better. Praise God! I'm getting to leave the dressings off so that it can start to scab up. Yay! I just have to keep my dog from trying to "clean" it for me. Hehe! 

Got Bitten by a Dog

WARNING: If you are squeamish, don't look at these pictures.

I was bitten by a neighbor's dog this past Saturday while walking home from my run. This particular dog is quite aggressive and I usually give her a wide berth even though she is in a fenced yard. The fence is not adequate for her and she has gotten out of it before.

The kids who live there had made her go into their house when they saw me walking by. But they didn't close the door. I stooped down and moved one of the fence slats back into place and was about to fix another when the dog attacked me. I didn't even see her coming.

I believe that I was in shock at first. The kids helped me get back up and then walked me home which wasn't far. By the time I got home I was sobbing and bleeding a lot and said, "I need to go to the hospital." Praise God that my husband was home. He dropped what he was doing, grabbed a paper towel and an old bath towel for me and then hustled me off to the closest ER.

They got me in pretty quickly and got me cleaned up. They took X-rays to make sure there were no breaks or fractures in my bones. All clear there. We were having trouble getting in touch with the dog's owner. So the hospital filed a report with Animal Services.

As you can see in the pictures, they only put one stitch in each of the deepest wounds. They didn't want to put more because of the risk of infection. I got a tetanus shot and was sent home with a script for antibiotics.

Last night the dog's owner dropped off these lovely flowers. She keeps on apologizing even though I keep telling her that it wasn't her fault.

She had told me on the phone yesterday that the dog had puppies inside the house that she was protecting. I didn't blame the dog at all and even less so after hearing that. I had suspected that she had pups. The owner also told me that they are building a privacy fence for the back yard and will keep that dog in the back from now on. The dog is going to have to be in isolation for 10 days, I'm guessing her pups which are still nursing will have to go with her.

When I got up this morning, my arm hurt just to move my fingers. My hand was/is swollen and red which hadn't been the case before. So when I called to set up an appointment to get the stitches removed with my regular doctor, I talked to a nurse who told me to go back to the ER.

My sweet, long suffering husband got permission to leave work and take me back to the ER. When we were ushered back the same male nurse who had cleaned me up on Saturday said, "Oh, you're BACK?" Then the same doctor, who incidentally looked like Ariana Grande, treated me. 

She confirmed that my arm is infected and took the stitches back out. She said that at this point they were just a bacteria magnet. Then she squeezed as much of the infection out of the wounds as she could. I told her that if I were a person who cussed, I would have been cussing at that moment. She had the nurse give me a pain pill when she was done. Next they took blood work and then after getting the results from that, got me set up with IV antibiotics. 

They told me that I need to come back again tomorrow to have more IV antibiotics. Each time I have to go back to the ER it's another $250. Uuuugh! We have the money, praise God, thanks to our tax return. But my husband had planned to use it for other purposes.

Now, my struggle is that I'm angry at myself for being so foolish and messing with that fence when I should have just kept on walking. I'm trying to tell myself things like, "Maybe I saved a child from getting attacked." But I'm still quite frustrated with myself even though I know:

Can anything happen without the Lord's permission?
Lamentations 3:37

Yesterday I was thinking that maybe God allowed me to get bitten by that dog so that I can develop a friendship with the owner and maybe even share the gospel with her. That would certainly help me to feel less aggravated with myself over this. In fact that would make it all worth it! I am praying that the Lord would open those doors as he sees fit. I would love for any of you who feel led to join me in prayer for this!

Triumph Over Sin

This week's memory verses:
Psalm 27:8
My heart has heard You say, "Come and talk with Me," and my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."
Psalm 27:8

Psalm 77:1
I cry out to God without holding back.
Psalm 77:1

Romans 5

For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
Romans 5:17

I am SO thankful for this astonishing gift from God!! I can live in triumph over sin! I don't have to live in Romans 7:18-24 anymore! I can do more than just survive; I can THRIVE!

So how am I able to do this? By realizing that all my sin begins in my mind. When I start to recognize the voices that are clamoring for my attention, then I can learn to stop listening to the wrong voices and tune in to Jesus' voice instead. Those other voices are usually my sinful nature or messengers from the enemy. All they bring is death. Jesus' voice ALWAYS brings life and peace.

So dear brothers and sisters you have no obligation whatsoever to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you keep on following it, you will perish. But if through the power of the Holy Spirit, you turn from it and it's evil deeds, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
Romans 8:12-14

Exploring a David Dump

My posts may go through a bit of a change for a little while. I am attending an 8 week workshop called, "I'm Stuck, But I Want to be Free" or as we call it on our Salt and Light group, "Freedom Workshop". Last night was the first session. I will be learning, among other things, how to recognize when I am having conversations with myself (do you ever do that?) and instead converse with God. I will also be following a specified Bible reading plan and memorizing scriptures. I would love to have you join me as I go on this adventure.

*all memory verses and scripture will be in NLT unless otherwise stated.
This week's memory verses:
Psalm 27:8
My heart has heard You say, "Come and talk with Me," and my heart responds, "Lord, I am coming."
Psalm 27:8

Psalm 77:1
I cry out to God without holding back.
Psalm 77:1

One of my first assignments is to read Romans 4 and Psalm 140. For this post I'm going to focus on Psalm 140. My task was to read the psalm and write in the margin of my Bible the emotion that is coming through to me from the words. But first let me explain what a David Dump is. Basically it was David crying out to God without holding back. God wants us to do the same thing so let's learn from how David did it.

Psalm 140

For the choir director: A psalm of David.

1 O Lord, rescue me from evil people.
    Protect me from those who are violent,                            fear
2 those who plot evil in their hearts
    and stir up trouble all day long.                                         hurt
3 Their tongues sting like a snake;
    the venom of a viper drips from their lips. Interlude

4 O Lord, keep me out of the hands of the wicked.
    Protect me from those who are violent,
    for they are plotting against me.
5 The proud have set a trap to catch me;                               feeling trapped
    they have stretched out a net;
    they have placed traps all along the way. Interlude

6 I said to the Lord, “You are my God!”                                   relief
    Listen, O Lord, to my cries for mercy!               
7 O Sovereign Lord, the strong one who rescued me,
    you protected me on the day of battle.                              safe
8 Lord, do not let evil people have their way.
    Do not let their evil schemes succeed,                              defensive
    or they will become proud. Interlude

9 Let my enemies be destroyed                                                 anger
    by the very evil they have planned for me.
10 Let burning coals fall down on their heads.
    Let them be thrown into the fire                                           vengeful
    or into watery pits from which they can’t escape.
11 Don’t let liars prosper here in our land.
    Cause great disasters to fall on the violent.

12 But I know the Lord will help those they persecute;
    he will give justice to the poor.                                           vindicated
13 Surely righteous people are praising your name;
    the godly will live in your presence.

New Living Translation (NLT)

Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

I love that David starts to feel positive emotions but still has negative ones to purge. So he doesn't stop till all the negative emotions are out. When I David Dump I need to keep telling God all my negative feelings until I get them all out. It is only when I get all of them out that I will start to feel peace.

Lord, thank you for showing me this. I pray that next time I have these kind of negative emotions due to someone hurting me, I will run to YOU with it instead of running to the phone or Facebook. Help me to run to the throne not the phone!

Amen

Bridegroom of Blood

This week's memory verse:
Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!
Luke 1:45

Exodus 4:18-31

At a lodging place on the way, the LORD met Moses and was about to kill him. But Zipporah took a flint knife, cut off her son's foreskin and touched Moses feet with it.
Exodus 4:24-25

What in the world made Zipporah think to do this?? The LORD must have told them that was why he was going to kill Moses. I'm guessing that Moses was already circumcised but had obviously neglected to do this for his son. Maybe his wife didn't want it done? That seems possible because of the way she referred to circumcision by calling Moses a bridegroom of blood. It sounds like she saw it as a detestable practice.

There is a lesson here for me as a wife. I need to support my husband's decisions no matter how unappealing they may seem to me. I can certainly express my opinions but the final decision is still his. For some reason this seems to be even harder to do when the matter concerns our children.

Lord please forgive me for the times when I have insisted on having my way over my husband's. Please help me to learn to trust him more fully, because ultimately I am putting my trust in YOU. You are the one who has placed my husband in authority over me. 
Amen

Slow of Speech and Tongue

This week's memory verse:
Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!
Luke 1:45

Exodus 4:1-17

Moses said to the Lord, "Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.
The Lord said to him, "Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go, I will help you speak and will teach you what to say." Exodus 4:10-12

LORD, how many times have I tried to use Moses' excuses to not tell others about you? If you are leading me to share then you will give me the words and help me speak.

Please forgive me for the times that I have been slow of speech and tongue. Help me to not worry about what people will think of me but to be bold to speak your words.
Amen

Why the trials, Lord?

This week's memory verse:
Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!
Luke 1:45

Exodus 3

The Lord said, "I have indeed seen the misery of my people in Egypt. I have heard them crying out because of their slave drivers, and I am concerned about their suffering."
Exodus 3:7

God is not blind to the suffering of his people. He sees and is concerned. He wants to bring us into a land of plenty, but doesn't promise that the journey there will be free of trials and hardship. The trials and hardship will forge us into holy vessels that he can use to bring others to himself.

Lord, it suddenly occurred to me that even though we go through all these trials on earth, we humans can never be perfect this side of heaven. So why make us go through them? Why not just let us coast through till we get to heaven?

I'm thinking that there are a few reasons. First, and foremost, you will not let us remain in our sin. Yes, we are covered by the blood once we accept your gift of repentance. But we still slip and fall. The trials help to clear the gunk that is still in our hearts and causes us to fall.

Second, once we truly understand what you did for us, we want to be more like you. The only way to do that is by going through the trials.

Third, we can't be used to lead others to you unless we have some resemblance to you.

I'm sure there are other reasons, but these are the ones that you have shown me at this time.

Lord, I praise you for the trials that I go through here on earth. I don't enjoy or look forward to them. But please help me to embrace them knowing that you are concerned and want to use it all for my best good and to draw others to yourself.
Amen