Heal Me, Lord!

As a disabled person of almost 4 years now, I often wonder why God does not fully heal me. I think of all I could do for Him if only I could move faster, endure longer, just be fully functional! I'm reading a classic book on prayer called "The Kneeling Christian". Chock full of encouraging words about prayer, I am so enjoying the time spent devouring it. As you might imagine, one of the chapters is about unanswered prayers or those that seem to go unanswered.

Perhaps God knows me too well. He knows I would just go back to old frazzled super busy me. Getting caught up in the business of life, the woman who had time for Him after her list was finished.

My communion with Him now is so much sweeter and yet, it is only natural that I'd like to be healed. The more I study, the more I know He is able. So, I don't know the why to this unanswered prayer which, for me, is just one of many and is not even my top prayer request.

Somehow, because of my disability, I am able to tell others what God has done in my life. It opens doors for his glory. A strange and wonderful mystery unfolds when you know, you just know that is by grace you make it through your day.

In this book it says "Is it not a comfort to know that we may bring more glory to God under something we are apt to regard as a hindrance or a handicap, than if the undesired thing was removed?" Just like St. Paul who asked for his thorn to be removed three times, his prayer was answered with "My grace is sufficient for thee: My power is make perfect in your weakness." 2 Corinthians 12:9.

Lord, I thank you for the grace to make it through the day. I thank you for healing me both now and in the future. You are all I need. Help me to glorify you today through my weakness. Amen.

Powerful Dependence?

Good morning to you! Obviously, I've not been updating lately I've just been busy with life. I'm excited about getting my cast off tomorrow and praying I'll get more "normal" use of this right leg.

Considering that it was completely without movement for so long, please know that I am profoundly thankful for what I do have! I have to remind myself of what a miracle I am. Only 3 years and 10 months ago i was told I'd be in a power chair forever. Not that being in a chair would have been all bad because there are some incredible people living life to the fullest in their chairs! For some reason, I've regained use that was not expected. I will never know why but I do know that because of my injury I have found a powerful dependence on Christ that I did not have before. Powerful Dependence is not an oxymoron for followers of Christ. It is however, counter cultural. So, in some crazy way, this whole thing has been an incredible blessing. Only God!

I wonder often to myself about how to get people to REALLY fall in love with Christ...not just go to church, utter goofy prayers, or say a prayer to keep themselves out of hell. There is no easy believism. Deceived is he who claims to be Christ's but shows no evidence of life change. Works and obedience do not save but a life changed by a living Christ alone shouts to an unbelieving world. What is my life shouting? Yours? Let's go shout.......

Father, may we be made completely aware of our disobedience. Break our hearts for others and show us how to disciple them. Shower us with your transforming power because we are so deceived. Forgive us for not following you. Thank you for your love for us even when we did not love you. You are amazing!

Col 3:12-17: 12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

Prayer- Just Do It!!

Like most prayer enthusiasts, I became profoundly interested in prayer after my car accident. While desperately seeking answers from God like "Why me?" or "How am I going to do this?" During that critical period, I distinctly remember feeling his presence and comfort. It was a true test of faith for me, a chance to live out what I had professed to believe. While my accident was certainly not a path I would have chosen, it has been an incredible life changing experience for me. It is hard to explain just how my heart has been slowly radically changed. This change has come through prayer and time reading and understanding this amazing treasure called the bible. He has opened my eyes and softened my heart to see and feel as he would in some small way.

As I've experienced life with other Christians, I've noticed how uneasy and inadequate we feel when we pray. Always hoping someone else will speak up and save us from that awkward moment! Prayer is just plain overwhelming for many of us. We don't know where to start in establishing a prayer life or the right words to say. We try hard but often miss the mark sounding like a kid in Santa's lap. In this fast paced culture, most of us give little priority to prayer time until we are hit with a crisis and our eyes see our need for an intercessor and savior.

What is prayer to you? I urge you to take the time to start making your prayer life priority. Without prayer, you cannot grow spiritually. If you aren't deepening your vertical relationship with Christ, you cannot overflow his grace into the lives of hose you so deeply care about. When you really come before God, not just with a list of requests for him to fill, but with a heart to know Him, your life will begin to radically change.


So, I write this to you just a few days before the National Day of Prayer which is this Thursday, May 7th. Check out their website to see how you can pray for our nation at this pivotal time in history.

Embracing the Sinful Child

Being now in the midst of parenting adult children and getting advice that has run the gamut, this blog post gave me reassurance and comfort. It is from Mark Gregston at Heartlight ministries....

"Parents across the country are faced every day with the challenge of older children who are living out choices that are far different from what the parents desired for them. The children don’t want to change, and are determined to continue along their chosen path.

Some may not understand the need for my encouragement to continue loving their offspring regardless of their actions, thinking it impossible to do anything else. But for others who are dealing with a rebellious and hateful older child, they know exactly what I am talking about. It’s all you can do to keep from ringing your child’s neck!

Suppose you learn your child is having an affair, or has been convicted of a crime? What about a child caught in a same-sex relationship, or a daughter who is pregnant out of wedlock. Maybe it is a child who is using drugs, or whose choices always seem to be the opposite of what you hoped for.

To embrace them in the midst of their disrespect, anger and rebellion can be difficult, yet to write off or shun the relationship as a result is a violation of what God would desire from parents. We still need to show them God’s love every day.

God calls us to love our offspring in the midst of their sin, so we can be there to offer guidance and speak the truth to them when they do come around to better thinking. That way, should they long for something different in their life, there is a path back to Him, an open door that offers a place of rest when they are ready.

I know what Scripture says about sin. And I know what lifestyle choices are counter to God’s plan. But I believe it is also a sin for us to turn our backs on a wayward child because of their sin. God has called us to be a part of our children’s adult lives, not to be their judge and jury, but to offer a relationship that would offer a glimpse of something that can ultimately only be found in God. We don’t have to like them in their sinful state, as much as we need to love them.

You may ask, “Where is the hope?” The hope is found in God, “being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6). God has not finished with your child, no matter how old he or she is! He will continue the work He started and He’ll often work through us parents. The challenge is to make sure we don’t get in His way.

Be a parent to children for as long as they are under your care. Set boundaries and enforce consequences. Be sure you know what you believe, and teach it to them when they are younger. But should they make poor choices as they get older, don’t reject them. And don’t allow their bad choices make you feel as though they have rejected you as well. Keep in touch and love them regardless, for God has placed them in your life, for the rest of your life, for a reason."

Never give up on your child. Christ did not give up on you....

Seeing Salvation in the Courtroom

Below is an article/blog post by a friend from high school days, Jim Johnston. Jim works for Lifeway as Director of their Threads young adult ministry. As a mom to young adults, I am painfully aware of how they are leaving the church because it seems of no relevance to them.

The Threads ministry describes itself on it's website in the FAQ'S section as:

"What is Threads exactly?

We hope it’s a movement that encourages churches to reach a generation of people who are largely outside the church. Many of these people are in the 18 to 34 age range, but all of them are people who have a different mindset about Christianity and what it should be. The core values for Threads are service, community, connection, and experience. We strongly believe God is blowing a fresh wind of His Spirit among people in their 20s and 30s. We just want to equip churches to join God where He is working among this generation." Check them out!!

Here's Jim's article:

Seeing Salvation in a Courtroom

by Jim Johnston on April 23, 2009

The last place you would expect to see a clear picture of salvation is in a criminal courtroom.

You hear the clinking of shackles and handcuffs as prisoners shuffle in and out. You hear sobs and pleas of those who have broken the law. You sit by the families of victims and you sense their anguish and desire for justice. The room is filled with a sense of hopelessness.

Yet, while standing in support of a friend earlier this week, I saw one of the clearest pictures God has ever shown me of our salvation in Jesus Christ.

I made it to the courtroom early and sat down in the back. Substance abuse offenders on probation were checking in with the judge for their weekly appointments. Most of them received a pat on the back from the judge for fulfilling their commitments to the court, attending treatment programs, obtaining their GEDs, and finding jobs. I watched as more than 30 people talked to the judge, received his blessing, returned to their seats in the courtroom, and waited until everyone else in the program had checked in.

But there was one young lady who had not fulfilled her responsibilities to the court. She hadn’t gotten a job after two years in the program and hadn’t paid her court costs and fines. She had a daughter who was less than two years old, and now she was going back to prison for the entire length of her original two-year sentence.

“I have no choice,” the judge said. “You have not done what is required by the court. I have given you plenty of time and plenty of chances. I’ll give you a couple of days to make arrangements for the care of your child. But I can’t help you any longer. I must enforce the requirements of this court.”

This young lady had no hope. She sobbed and nearly collapsed from the realization she was about to lose her freedom.

Then, something miraculous happened. A young man in the back of the room, who had checked in with the judge earlier and had been widely applauded for his efforts to clean up his life, stood up and asked to address the judge.

“She has made mistakes,” he said. “But she can be a great leader. It’s tough out there right now. It’s tough to find a job. I believe she can do this. I believe in her. Can you make an exception and give her another chance?”

The judge sat back in his chair. “Because this man has stood up for you, I’ll give you one more chance. You have 30 days to find a job.”

God, the Great I AM, has no choice but to judge us. He loves and created us, but He is perfect. He is justice personified. He is impartial. He can’t look on sin or evil. He must destroy it. He is the great Judge sitting at the bench considering our sins against Him. He has no recourse but to unleash His judgment on us.

Jesus Christ, the Son of God, never sinned, but He has walked a mile in our shoes. He knows it’s tough down here on Planet Earth. He understands the temptations and struggles we face. He knows sin. He has carried the weight of it on the cross. But He also knows us. He loves us and wants to save us. He wants to call us His friends. He wants us to lead, and He wants us to succeed. He is fully God and fully Man. He is our Intercessor, the One pleading to God on our behalf, asking that our slate be wiped clean because of His blood sacrifice on the cross.

Jesus Christ has stood up for me in the courtroom today. He has interceded for me with the Father. I am a sinner, I have accepted His gift of forgiveness, and I am grateful. He has given me new life.

He has given me freedom. Out of love and out of gratitude, I gladly take up His cross daily.

About the Author

Jim is the director of Young Adult Ministry at LifeWay Christian Resources. He has worked for the past 11 years in a variety of roles, ranging from marketing to publishing to Internet development. Before being called to full-time ministry, he worked as a reporter and editor at Alabama’s capital city daily newspaper, the Montgomery Advertiser, for 10 years. Prior to coming to LifeWay, he also worked as an adult-in-missions editor at the Brotherhood Commission in Memphis. Jim and his wife Tammy have been married for 23 years and have two sons, Spenser, 17, and Ethan, 10.

Josh Hamilton "I am Second"

Thank God for men like this and for this campaign! I have watched drugs decimate so many families and I wish more people would come forward to say that Jesus is the only drug that ever satisfies! Thank you Josh for sharing your heart!

Isaiah 58:11-

11 The Lord will guide you always;

he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land

and will strengthen your frame.

You will be like a well-watered garden,

like a spring whose waters never fail.

1st and 15: Verse 6

Scripture memorization has proved to be a discipline I'm not so good at!! At this point, I think I've learned that I get involved in too many things then don't do them all well. But, the beauty of it is He knows we want to know his word, and for that he rejoices!

So, today I was thinking of how so many of us who are "stuck" on the former things and not focusing on the new creation God has made us. We are a new creation so why do we "take back" the "stuff" we have surrendered?

He is making a way in the desert...do we not perceive it? Lord, by your mercy we ask that you give us eyes to see and ears to hear the plans you have for us! Pick a verse....

Isaiah 43: 18-19- “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. 19 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."

Philippians 3:13-14- Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do:forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus

1 Peter 1:22-23- Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth to a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart 23 since you have been born again not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God.