Prayer Challenge: Conclusion

Today I end my Prayer Challenge Posts.  I've been struggling with how to end them.  I find that when I am struggling for a topic if I will just go outside and do something I love (play in the dirt) my writer's block is eventually lifted.

I'm closing out the Prayer Challenge on Good Friday.

It is done.

Three big words.

I'm leaving you with this.  You are my prayer.  I don't know your name or your location or your language but you are my prayer.

I pray for you to have peace and calm.  I pray for your heart to be open and giving.  I pray for you to know that you are loved even when you think you have no one in your corner.

You always do.



I'm not one of those people who thumps a Bible when I want to win a debate.  I'm not much for putting people on a guilt trip because of their lives.  I don't believe in judging a person on their beliefs.  But through my little blog I have you and I feel like its just part of my calling to tell you how amazing God has been to me.

When I didn't believe....He believed me.

When I hated him.....He loved me.

When I ran from him....He chased me down.

When I was lonely....He was my best friend.

When I was lost....He pulled me closer.

When I was losing my direction.....He navigated.

He's never failed me once.  I could say he had but I would be lying.  In every heartbreaking event of my life He has held me tight and gave me breath to move forward.



Chris Tomlin said --- Our God is Greater/Our God is Stronger/God you are higher/Than any other

He's exactly right.

If you haven't yet....I challenge you to get to know God for yourself.  He's a cool dude with a big heart who makes the most beautiful flowers grow out of ashes and rubble.



Happy Easter...He lives.

Prayer Challenge: Luxuries in Disguise!

Yesterday I spent my day doing wonderful, luxurious things like....spring cleaning.

What?

Seriously!  That is luxurious!

You know why?

Because I have a home to clean.

Because I have a new and glorious season to enjoy.

Because I have two small children who made a joke of my cleaning just hours after it was completed.

Because I have a husband who makes piles of things (clothes mainly).

Because I have the ability to work my bones and muscles to do tasks.

Because I have a dog that sheds and loves me unconditionally.

Because of grace my cleaning wasn't really a task but a little gift that so many others do not have.  As I cleaned I thought about a mom who lost her baby.  While I folded my children's clothes my heart broke for her.  She would probably love to trade places with me right now.  While I wiped down counters I thought of people who don't have water readily available to use.  Doing the floors I thought of those whose floors are dirt.  While using antimicrobials I thought of those who cannot even get a vaccination for a disease we haven't seen or worried about in ages.  While sorting my husband's piles I thought of a widow, maybe my own age whose husband never made it home from Iraq or Afghanistan.

Little bits of grace all around me while I rid my house of dust bunnies.

Thank God for the things you don't find luxurious (like cleaning, filling up the tank, a trip to the urgent care for an after-hours visit).  They are tiny bits of grace bestowed on you.  Thank Him.

Prayer Challenge: This Day

One of the hymns I remember knowing the longest is one you may know too...

Here it is in in it's entirety:

1. This is the day, this is the day 
that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made; 
we will rejoice, we will rejoice 
and be glad in it, and be glad in it. 
This is the day that the Lord has made; 
we will rejoice and be glad in it. 
This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made. 

2. This is the day, this is the day 
when he rose again, when he rose again; 
we will rejoice, we will rejoice
and be glad in it, and be glad in it. 
This is the day when he rose again; 
we will rejoice and be glad in it. 
This is the day, this is the day when he rose again. 

3. This is the day, this is the day 
when the Spirit came, when the Spirit came; 
we will rejoice, we will rejoice 
and be glad in it, and be glad in it. 
This is the day when the Spirit came; 
we will rejoice and be glad in it. 
This is the day, this is the day when the Spirit came.

I ask you today to set your prayer on the words and meaning of this song.  Every day we live is a gift.  The days when we are at the rock bottom, the days where we are indifferent, and the days where we are so excited that we cannot stand ourselves....all true and wonderful gifts.

I don't know where you are today but I hope this song and the prayer you find in your own heart will find you rejoicing and being glad in it.

Prayer Challenge: Holy Week

Yesterday, for Christians, was Palm Sunday.  It marks the beginning of the last week of Jesus' life as a man and leads up to his death and resurrection (Easter).  Many Christian churches celebrate by having palm leaves available to their congregants and at some point either the whole crowd or just the kids wave them.  I have memories of Palm Sunday that include toddlers smacking those around them with the palms, being tickled on the neck by a palm thanks to the jokester behind you, covering yourself in as many as possible and deeming it camo.  Fun times...

I was thinking, yesterday, about how things we see as insignificant are so amazingly important.

Kind of like a palm leaf.

If I didn't have Palm Sunday I wouldn't feel anything towards a piece of the plant that conducts photosynthesis.  It would be like any other leaf to me...basically nothing.  BUT because its what the people who regarded Jesus Christ in high favor waved at him on the day he came into the city in which he would die it means so much more than just being a leaf.

The same goes for the donkey that Jesus used to enter Jersusalem on.  It was a donkey not a horse or a camel or elephant or anything grand.  Just an old "heehaw" that it so common place to myself that I rarely ever regard them.  They do work...they protect....the bite. I'm not in awe over a donkey.

But my Messiah made the donkey so much more than a standard farm tool.

God takes small things and makes big impacts with them.  I can imagine right now He's making ripples in your life and waiting for you to take notice.  Perhaps, you have noticed and are trying to figure out what your next step will be.

Today (and this week) I challenge you to be much more aware of the small things you see as non details and give them a second look. There could be a whole world of newness in the itty bitty overlooked parts of our daily lives.

Pray for God to help you see them and help you react and act with them in the way that is meant.

Prayer Challenge

You are so lucky.

You aren't blessed if you have a nice house or car....that's just some great things that have happened to you.  You've been able to provide for yourself, way to go!  Don't confuse those with blessings.

Are you looking at me cockeyed?

Today isn't necessarily a prayer challenge as much as a look at your life challenge.

Let's read the most prolific sermon performed by Jesus Christ.....The Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

The Beatitudes

2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Do not confuse your materials for blessings.

Do not confuse your state of health as a blessing.

You are blessed when you are feeling low, mourning, quiet and not fighting or boasting, you are blessed when you seek for justice for those who need it most, you are blessed when you give mercy to those who have hurt you and wronged you, you are blessed when you love endlessly for those around you known and unknown.

You are blessed when you realize that words of anger and bitterness and actions of evil are not the correct way to make situations better.  You are blessed when people turn against you for acting with all these characteristics.  You are blessed when people hurt you for doing the work you were put on this earth to do in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Not once did Jesus Christ say you were blessed if you had a money, a big house, an expensive car, the priciest clothes, the best health report card, an education from a top school, that group of friends, or winning the lottery.

Blessings aren't the easiest things because of the human condition - but man are they something to work for.

Prayer Challenge

Today...

Pray for God to use you to show His good.

It is a simple prayer but a powerful one.

Make an impact today.

Small things create large changes!

Prayer Challenge 3.17

In honor of St. Patrick's Day, here is a prayer for you.  Pray it today and share it with your family and friends.

The Prayer of St. Patrick

May the strength of God

pilot us,

May the wisdom of God

instruct us,

May the hand of God

protect us,

May the word of God

direct us --

May thy salvation, O Lord,

Be always ours

this day and for evermore.

Prayer Challenge 3.12

Last night in our small group one of the members shared their pain with us.  They hadn't intended to do that but felt led.  The words flowed for about five minutes.  Alcoholism.....loss of a spouse, not by death but because the alcohol was number one and the addict was number two and somewhere on the list of priorities the spouse could, maybe, be found.  Somewhere.

The story shook me.

How awesome is our God that has taken this broken person and slowly is reshaping them to be something so incredibly beautiful.  He's taking their pain and struggle slowly wiping it away and reforming a spirit.....renewing a life.

We're all broken.  Our cracks and dents are all equal.  Not one of us is pristine and because we're human the truth is we will never be.  However, we were given the tools to make ourselves a little better each day.  We know who can help take the cracks make things of beauty out of them.  We know who can take the pain and turn it into glory and amazing stories.



Today let's pray for those in pain.  Maybe its ourselves or a neighbor.  Maybe its a family member or a person we see every day on the way to work.  It could be the person beside us this very moment or the last text we received.  We have so much.....sometimes it is hard to wrap our minds around the pain that others experience....no food, water, home, clothing, heat in the cold, medical care, no family.

It doesn't matter who it is - they need our prayers and our cheering.  If we can pray for them every day I think we'll see small changes and little smiles become more frequent.

Prayer Challenge 3.11

The challenge today is for us to be silent.  Find time to just be quiet and say nothing - meditative with eyes closed and hearts open.  I know we don't get the chance but if we want it to happen it will.  Maybe it's on a break or at lunch or in the car before you take off to another location.  Maybe you won't get a moment until you get in the shower.  But for as long as you can....forget the world, close your eyes, and let all the worries dissipate.  It is part of knowing you can give anything away to God.

Prayer Challenge 3.10

Today I challenge you to pray for a life with more intention.  Pray to be a more intentional loving person.  Pray to be more aware of the moment you are in and to intentionally not take it for granted.  It is so easy to run a routine that takes no thought but that is no way to live.

A life intentionally lived with prove to be a well spent life.

Prayer Challenge: 3.9

Today let's pray for strength.

And shall we mix it up and say strength to go through the hard times (trials) and good times (to keep the smile on the face) and even pull in the other meaning of strength.  Let's pray for the ability to be stronger humans with stronger bodies and immune systems and minds and of course hearts.

We need as much strength as we can get in all areas.  Maybe if we strengthen our time for prayer we can become so much stronger everywhere else.

Prayer Challenge 3.5-3.8

Are you up for your challenge this weekend?  

Wait, I mean a challenge you've put yourself in, not exactly this one.  I know a lot of people are running 5 & 10K's today.  Some people are working on home projects (me kinda sorta) and maybe some others are doing other interesting things that my brain cannot think of right now.

I wish you well in whatever you are attempting and rocking at this weekend.

Here's the challenge.....

Saturday & Sunday at some point find yourself in prayers of thankfulness...

It can be as simple as being thankful for having the courage to attempt a run to amazing paint tools that eliminate the tricky spots (corners anyone?).  Maybe its the fact you see the buttercup buds are looking just about ready to bust open with yellow and white petals.  You could be thankful that the cold snap (talking to NC/SC) looks to be lifting for a while and we can have nice weather this weekend.  Maybe you're thankful for sleeping in on the weekends (don't share that with me....my human alarm clock has me up way too early).  Perhaps, you are thankful for human alarm clocks even though you'd love another hour of sleep.

Pray small prayers of thanks throughout the next two days.  You can even say them silently, with your eyes open!  

Have a beautiful weekend.