To Praise Without

Having a place to go 

at the end of the day,

is called home.

Having some one there 

who loves you,

is called family.

Having a constant, 

understanding friend,

is called blessing.

Praising God when 

none of these gifts exist,

is called trust.

copyright 9/26/2015

Waking Up To Reallity

 "That's so cool, isn't that sweet; I wish I had a relationship like that. It's no secret that he loves her. He talks about her all the time and they've been married for years now. It seems the longer they are together the more they love each other."

Those of us who are watching such couples applaud them. We cheer them on and have a desire to replicate such a relationship. Even though such a devoted relationship is a rarity in this world, we wish for such a blessing to be ours as well. 

It is not considered weak to love another with such devotion. We would never consider them trying to draw attention to themselves or entering into this relationship to make themselves feel good or even that they are just faking it. You can only fake love for so long. True love is an internal thing. Fake love is an external effort that is impossible to maintain forever.

Why is it, then, when one falls in love with Jesus with this same devotion, some in the world view it with disbelief, disdain and mockery? Why does the world see a love affair with Jesus as a weakness, or an embarrassing spectacle? They want to know: How can you devote so much time to this religious stuff? They say: There are far more important things you could be devoting your time to. According to a world's point of view, to step out of "normal" pursuits of this world is just plain stupid!

They just don't get it!

The love relationship Jesus invites us into doesn't mimic the relationships we experience with each other. It is the other way around. God gave us the ability to love each other here to help us see what a relationship with God might look like. But even if it may be similar, there are vast differences as well. Our relationships here on earth are temporary and often dependent on circumstances, whereas our relationship with God begins here, but carries on throughout eternity with far greater benefits and unhindered by circumstance. 

Inconceivable? Not at all. Just like the Matrix, we need to wake up to what reality really is.

copyright 9/19/2015

The Tower

I heard the story of the last survivor who was rescued after 27 hours in the rubble of the collapsed towers on 9/11. Realizing she was going to die she started talking to an unfamiliar God. She had heard about Him and how He had performed miracles for others so she told Him she did not want to die.  She was a desperate mother calling upon Him to help her. 

After a time she realized someone had found her. A man had moved close enough to touch her, encouraging her that everything was going to be okay. He even reached out His hand and held hers for support. He invited her to keep hold of His hand until help arrived. She asked him what his name was and learned that it was Paul.

Finally, the fire-fighters cleared away the rubble enough to set her free and bring her out of that dark place and  into light and safety. As they were loading her into the ambulance, she ask them to stop so she could thank Paul, the man who had held her hand through the awful 27-hour nightmare. They said that there had not been anyone else with her and there was no fire-fighter present whose name was Paul.  

Proverb 18:10 says, “The name of the Lord is a fortified tower. The righteous run to it and are safe.” This precious lady called out to that name and He came to be her fortress and hold her hand. 

Man-made towers crumble and fall, but the name of Jesus Christ remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. Jesus can take on the form of maybe Paul or Dick or Jane.  But one thing is for sure: He will hold your hand for however long it takes to bring you to the light and to safety.

The love of Jesus changed her that day and now she proclaims that name because He became her fortified tower.

copyright 9/12/2015

  

Dark Corners

The light of God's presence illuminates

the dark corners of our lives.

For those who wish them not revealed,

the light becomes an offense.

copyright 9/1/2015

Our Words

The greatest influence in our life is our own words. Once something is said we can never take it back, yikes! Saying things we wish we could take back may go so far as to destroy a relationship, which changes things in our lives forever.

Sometimes we voice an opinion that is similar to the opinion of the one we are speaking with, but given the time to think it over we realize it really isn't our opinion at all. However, once it is spoken we now feel we must defend it rather than change it. 

What we say does influence us positively or negatively. That is why the wisest man who ever lived said, “A word fitly spoken and in due season is like apples of gold in settings of silver.” Proverbs 25:11  

Consider the power of words. Especially the ones we speak!

8/28/2015

8/28/2015

Lonely

What do you do when you get lonely? What does it mean to be lonely anyway? Does it mean you’re alone?  Is being alone a bad thing? 

I’m quite sure there is a difference between being alone and being lonely. one is a fact; the other a feeling.

I don’t think I’ve ever given this much thought, so let’s reason this out together. Together. That sounds nice. So if we do this together, then we wouldn’t be lonely. 

When someone is lonely they are likely missing something or someone, right? But what if they are not missing anything in particular and yet are still encompassed by an air of loneliness? 

I think God has something to say about this subject: “The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”  Deuteronomy 31:8.

Sometimes we forget that the Lord is always with us.  That knowledge will help keep the feeling of loneliness away. For it is indeed a fact that we are not alone. Ever.

copyright 8/18/2015

Just A Smile

Look at what a smile can do.

It says that someone cares for you.

Even through the darkest day,

it says the sun is on it's way.

It has the power to move you on.

It has the power to sing a song.

So smile today at all you see,

and know your smile will set one free.

8/13/2015

Full Of Praise

There are times when I am so full of praise for Jesus because of the love He has lavished upon us.  In times like those, I am at a loss to know how to express the magnitude of it all. 

When I read David’s psalms, I can feel his struggle to empty his spirit into words that would do justice to His Savior.  I recognize the overwhelming desire to express love and commitment to his faithful Lord.

I can understand the passion Handel felt as he grasped the pen and sat to write what was bursting from his heart and soul.  As the ink flowed onto paper, the magnificent, God-inspired “Messiah” was created and continues to resonate with my own praise.  

There are many avenues through which we can express our love, whether it be through poetry, music, art or a well-delivered speech. Jesus’ own desires are satisfied when He sees us pour ourselves out in word and song, and in deeds and acts of kindness, for the sake of His children that are walking in blindness.  His heart is filled with joy beyond comparison, beyond words and beyond music.  And through this expression we are united in love with the One that created everything worth praising.  

8/12/2015

  

What A Life

I don't know how to sing,
but my heart does.

I don't know how to pray,
but my spirit does.

I don't know how to speak,
but my love does.

I don't know how to fight,
but the Word does.

I don't know how to win,
but the Lord does.

Now, I know how to dance.
What a life.


copyright 8/4/2015

From The Clouds - 5

It was a warm afternoon and I was sitting out on the built-in bench that borders the deck, facing the mountain.  It's not a large mountain but it forms a grand centerpiece for the view to the north of the property.  As you can probably ascertain, I am again house-sitting two dogs and one cat on 7 acres of peaceful loveliness. 

I was swinging my legs, as a contented child would in the summer sun, when I noticed a round portal in the white cloud before me.  The message that quickly came to mind was:  “The window of opportunity is quickly closing.”

I laughed and said to myself, “Okay, now you’re just making it up. A round portal, a window of opportunity?  How obvious is that?  Besides, how many windows are even round, right?” 

Well, I guess Jesus took issue with my doubting heart because I watched as the round window suddenly became a perfect square.  A moment later, the perfect square formed into a perfect rectangle.  And when I say perfect, I mean the corners were perfectly squared; not a single rounded corner!  That was certainly something I had never seen before. 

As I watched this picture moving before my very eyes, the open portal closed and morphed into the shape of a bell. The words I heard next startled me.  I sat there motionless for quite a while.  No swinging of my legs anymore.  The unmistakable message was different then all the rest in that this was the first time God had given me a command.  A command to do something. 

"Sound the alarm!"

I thought to myself, How do I do that?  

I realized that whenever given the opportunity, I can tell the story of the messages God has given me from the clouds. I know to some it will seem as foolishness, but to me it couldn’t be more real or serious.  I know the one who shared His thoughts with me, and I am most humbled to think He would share them with someone so utterly unlike Himself.   And now I have shared them with you. 

Please feel free to share these warnings with others.  Time is short, and now is the time to come out of the shadows and voice a stand for Jesus. After all, He didn’t hesitate to give it all for us.

  

copyright 7/27/2015

He's Got This

Fear is the most deadly emotion a person can struggle with in their spiritual life. Fear has the power to incapacitate to the point of rendering total disability.

Fear has a voice and it speaks.  But the voice of fear is not the voice of God. 

God has nothing to do with fear that assails the place where we are standing, making it impossible to move forward.  The enemy tries to paralyze us under the guise of “caution” while Jesus beckons us to change our position, our thinking, our ways of doing things. 

Fear robs us of the blessings that await those who respond to the sweet voice that gently bids us "this is the way, walk in it." (Isaiah 30:21) 

Fear has eyes. Fear sees what may happen if we choose to step outside our comfort zone. Fear of the unknown is terrifying because we might lose control.  And after all, it is the loss of controlling of our own lives of which we are the most fearful, is it not?

Fear… think about it.

How does this insidious invasion of our mind take place? When I am afraid, I desperately look for solutions to the problem.  I feel as if I must do something to counteract what might turn out to be hurtful or painful. Of course in attempting control of the situation my desire is to relieve the fear. 

What if I looked at God as a child looks at their mother or father?   What difference would that make? As a child, when afraid at night, I would run to my parent’s room seeking comfort and assurance. If I were too afraid to move, I would call out for my mamma to come to where I was.  I knew I could depend on her to come.

If, as a small child, I had stayed in my room, crippled by fear, I could have tried to control the situation by forcing myself to stay awake to insure that nothing would snatch me in the dark.  But that would be a foolish way for a child to deal with fear.
  

And yet, when gripped by fear, in our adult lives, our instinct is to take the control rather than take it to the Father. 

But the problem with that is that fear escalates when we depend on ourselves for the solution.  Our control does not dissipate the situation.  It does not make everything okay.  It just perpetuates the fears, growing them into irrational levels.

It is Satan’s gateway into our mind.  After all, spiritual warfare is the battle for the mind. 

So if we open the door to fear and choose to hang on to it, we allow the enemy to distort our ability to make good choices. He suggests all sorts of irrational “what ifs" in order to gain control.  Because, like it or not, whoever has control of the mind has control of us. But the choice of who we relinquish control to is ours to make.

But with God there are no irrational "what ifs," no “coincidences.”  Just the promise to guide our understanding and our decisions with His faithful hand. With God there are assurances and absolutes to hang on to.  He absolutely loves.  He absolutely works all things in our favor.  He absolutely forgives.  He absolutely frees. He absolutely directs us onto the right path and He absolutely never leaves us or forsakes us.  

So… Shut the door!…
  

Start choosing to open the door to Jesus and closing the door to fear. That decision is ours; the one thing we actually control. When that decision is solidified in our mind, God is then able to seal us with a seal of protection that is not penetrable by the enemy of fear. Jesus is emphatic in His statement in John 10:27, 28 "My sheep listen to my voice, I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand." 

copyright 7/17/2015

Love And Law

Obedience without a love relationship
capitulates to the letter of the law.

Obedience within a love relationship
results in the fulfillment of the law.

For without love the law is a set of rules.
with love the law is a natural offspring.



copyright 7/22/2015

From The Clouds - 4

When I began blogging about the clouds, I decided I would omit one of the five messages I had received from God.  I figured it wasn’t quite as meaningful as the rest.  Yet when I shared all five with the women in my study group, one of them was most impressed with the one I decided to omit.  So who am I to decide which of God’s messages I should share?  I understand, now, that all the messages He shared are equally important.  Otherwise, why would He have shared them.   

A couple a months ago I was looking out the window at a clear blue sky.  It was morning, and the day held promise to be beautiful and warm.  I thought about how it had been a while since I had received a message in the clouds.  As I looked at the open sky, I laughed and said to my Father, “It’d be pretty hard to speak through clouds that aren’t there, wouldn’t it.”  I went about my business, not giving it much more thought, since I didn’t know if the cloud messages were expected to continue or not.  Besides, there wouldn’t be a message in a clear sky anyway.  A few minutes later, I looked out the window once more and a smile spread across my face, for there in the middle of the sky was a small cloud in the shape of an “S.” 

Again I challenge you to consider what the "S" could represent. Actually this one is not as difficult as perhaps some of the others. Well, now that I know what it is, it doesn’t seem so difficult. 

So did you get any ideas?  

The right answer? 

Are you sure?

So the answer is……

**Soon**

I could feel His presence bending close to me, whispering, “Soon…”

A cloudless day wouldn’t stop my Jesus from sending forth His message.

The first message, was the warning of darkness swiftly covering the earth. 

Some time later came the second warning (or harbinger).  A great shaking was coming where we won’t be able to rely on any other person, church, denomination, belief, or theory. Our only safety is our trust in God alone.

The third cloud message was the four tornado-shaped clouds that represent the four angels of Revelation 7:1, holding back the winds of destruction on the earth for those servants who are not yet sealed.

And now the Lord of hosts has spoken again in His mercy, to warn us that these things are not far off in the future but SOON!  Yes, our God is merciful and not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.  He has given these warnings so we can prepare; for along with His mercy He is also just. 

There is a day of judgement coming soon. We must decide for whom we will stand and now He’s given us that chance to take that stand.  How gracious and all-loving and patient He is.  I don’t want to make Him wait any longer than He needs.  I choose Jesus.  Today.  

copyright 7/14/2015

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From The Clouds - 3

Early one morning I stepped outside, before the sun had risen, to let out one of the dogs where I house-sit.  Henry is the youngest of the two dogs and the most anxious to take care of his morning routine.  He has quite the fetish in regard to this morning (and evening) ritual.  He can't seem to bring himself to do his "duty" without me accompanying him.  I actually don't mind this deviation from the norm because it gives me the opportunity to start my day with Jesus in His Creation; to absorb His goodness through the sights and sounds that nature makes as it stretches, yawns, and rehearses bird scales to warm up the vocal cords for the day. Then at night, when the birds are singing their goodnight prayers, those few quiet moments literally calm the soul.  It also doesn't hurt that the house I house-sit is nestled in several acres of trees, grass and flowers. 

During those little morning and evening moments, I never fail to raise my eyes heavenward from whence my salvation comes.  It fills me with His presence and infuses me with love for my Creator and tender regard for His children.

But, what is this that stands in the Eastern sky so stark, so unexpected, so out-of-place; large and imposing?  Certainly nothing I had visually encountered before this morning. 

Several columns of cloud rose up, resembling the shape of a tornado. They were such a realistic replica that it would have been frightening had I not quickly reminded myself that we don't live in tornado country.  I knew they were meaningful, but for the first time, God did not say what they represented right away.

Since it was early spring and rather cool, I went inside by the fireplace to contemplate what I had just seen. What could these columns possibly mean? 

"You didn't count them." 

What? 

"You didn't count them," Jesus repeated. 

I didn't count the pillars did I?  I said. And since He brought that to mind, it must be important.

I grabbed a bag of garbage that was waiting to be taken out to the trash bins and headed outside.  Looking up I wondered if the formations would still be there. The winds would surely have disfigured those stately columns by now. But although they were altered to some degree, there were still quite clearly four tornado-shaped pillars of clouds. 

So there are four of them.  Okay.  I waited for some sort of response, but nothing more was said about it at that time.  A little later in the day, I drove to town and contemplated the mystery in the sky.  Suddenly the significance of the four pillars hit me with confidence. 

The four winds of strife.

Of course, the four winds of strife, what else would they be?

Revelation 7:1: "And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree." 

Revelation 7:2 goes on to say, "Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God.  He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea. 'Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.'"

We are beginning to realize the truth of what has been foretold.  Perilous times are before us as we see the growing number of incidents where nature seems out of control. Heaving and convulsing; groaning as if in labor.

Nature is not alone in visible signs of Jesus' return, but humanity's war against itself tells us more than we would like to know of our condition. I don't need to reiterate what they are, we all see and hear.

The interesting thing that I noticed about the scripture in Revelation 7:1 is that the warning was addressed to believers as opposed to non-believers. Because it was the believers that were not prepared for the sealing. That seems to indicate today's truth, that there are still many people in the church that are not ready.  Am I one of those?  

   

copyright 7/9/2015 

The One I Love

Let me tell you of the One I love.
Let me tell you of the beauty of His Holiness;
The symmetry of His affections toward
the blind, the deaf, the willingly wayward.

Let me tell you of the One I love.
Let me tell you of the beauty on His face;
the tenderness in His eyes toward those
who stumble and falter on their journey.

Let me tell you of the hands I love.
Let me tell you how He caresses the furrowed brow
when under duress and the strain of life,
with hands that gave His life for mine.

The majesty of His presence I love!
Let me tell you the glory of hearing His words;
of fellowshipping His heart to my heart.
I wish I could tell you of the One I love. 


copyright 7/08/2015

All In A Day

Some days, like today, bring tears of wonder at how God seems to empty Himself into the bread-basket of life; feeding, nourishing, satisfying all emptiness with abundant grace, power and love.  I long for moments like these to never be disturbed.
  

But then it happens…

The jarring sound of a text coming through that steals away the luxury of heavenly solace. People fighting, tearing each other apart with words that shred the heart, never to be retrieved again. The wounded lay bleeding, and my God looks at His children and rejoices with the one and weeps with the other all in the span of a few hours.  The one causes the rectory of the mind to flourish, the other wrenches life from it's socket and shatters sensitivity into seemingly irreparable pieces.

I have no answers, no words of consolation; I cannot fix it even though I desperately search for the wisdom to do so. All I can do is pray and love. Pray and expressly love hard enough and deep enough to make a difference. God said it would, so I will.

copyright 7/5/2015

From The Clouds - 2

If my first blog on how the Lord speaks to me through the clouds didn't cause you to turn and run, maybe you are up for a second encounter with the same God, different clouds.

A significant thing happened early one morning when I stopped to look out the window. As some of you know, I house-sit for a couple who travels a lot; mostly on business, occasionally for pleasure. 

This particular morning I was taken with the oddity of the cloud formation. Actually it wasn’t a single cloud formation, but the formation of a massive amount of tiny little clouds like polka dots.  Of course they were not uniformly round, but none-the-less, the sky was covered from east to west with a blanket of polka dots. What actually made this so interesting to me was that the polka dots were not connected. So it didn’t “kind of" look like polka dots, it literally looked like polka dots.

At that point I said to myself, "I don't think I've ever seen anything like this before."  So my question to God was, "What does this mean?" 

The answer came without hesitation.  

But before I tell you what He shared, I’m asking you, the reader, to go ahead and see if you can conjure up something that makes sense.  I have time.  I’ll wait.......

Take your time…

Just for fun, think about what polka-dotted clouds might mean…

Well, this is what Jesus decided to share with me:

 “There is a great shaking coming where no one will be able to depend on another person, denomination, group, creed, or anything else that man clings to for support, other than Jesus Christ and Him alone."

That made me pause and evaluate where I am in relation with Him.  Am I connected to my Lord with ties strong enough to hold me if I’m standing alone?  In unity with Jesus, the body of believers is held together by the Holy Spirit.  But when the church is scattered, once again, will I be able to stand for Jesus, based on the evidence of the knowledge of my relationship with Him?  Will I be able to stand for Jesus, without the support network of fellow believers?  Is my friendship with Him strong enough to endure that isolation?   If everything I see and hear contradicts what I know of my God, can I still stand?

It was at this point that I realized that this was not just a friendly game of Guess-What’s-in-the-Clouds, this was a serious warning and I needed to pay attention.

Up until now, I viewed the cloud messages as warnings but was not altogether sure what to do with them.  But I did share them with like-minded believers who would not automatically think I was moving too close to the edge of insanity. 

So there you have it. That's the second message I have to share with you. May I encourage you to spend some time in circumspection as to what this means for you?  Is the shaking a shaking of a church, all churches, denomination, or a world-wide shaking of Christianity, or something else? The whole sky was covered with individual polka dots.  Ask Him to share with you what it means for you.  Is the enemy trying to shake you loose from your moorings?

I have two more messages to share, unless He chooses to reveal more.  These are messages of warning, but also hope.  They are not intended to frighten or discourage.  So don’t let it daunt your spirit.  God’s grace is sufficient for each day.  His love will carry us through the worst of storms.  Hang on!

copyright 7/3/2015

Found Wanting

We seem to think that in order to give our lives to God we must give up things we want to keep, so we can become the person we think we’re supposed to be, even though we’re not really sure we want to be that person.  

It is fear of what God might ask of us that sometimes prevents us from taking that step of submission towards Him.  We are most fearful of allowing Him to be the master of our ship.  And this fear interferes with us coming to God for what we really want: love, joy, peace, freedom from addictions, etc. 

So we spend the rest of our lives looking for those things in the world, when He offers all these things, and far more, to those who are willing to accept; who are willing to trust themselves with Him.

copyright 6/24/2015

The Way

When I feel the cool of a summer's breeze against my face

and hear the orchestrated voice of nature in perfect harmony,

life is understood and all it's unanswered questions realized.

Those who are wandering through a maze of broken pieces,

in confusion, see not the order of the universe or purpose.

Life, then, is a series of obstacles that blocks one’s believing.

So close, so easy, yet so unattainable is distance twixt man and God when we cannot see the Way that stands before us,

waiting for recognition, waiting for the desire to know.

The Battle Within

“Do not wield the spear or strike a blow,” 

Is what we've heard; from the wise been told.

Is it wise to stand unarmed before the foe?

Taking neither shield, nor spear to throw? 

It's not the enemy without that we should fear,

but the one within we need commandeer.

When that battle is fought and struggle done, 

all battles outside have since been won.

copyright 6/15/2015

The Gift

It is the goodness of God that captures the goodness of man.
 
It is the goodness of God that creates the longing for God.
 
His goodness turns emptiness and loneliness into acceptance.
 
He pours tranquility over the soul's desperate struggle.
 
He offers His goodness as a gift. Total freedom as a gift!
 
Why would God want to give man the essence of Himself?
 
Perhaps the greater question would be: Why do we resist?


copyright 6/14/2017 



  

From ordinary To Extraordinary

Why do you think Jesus often chooses the ordinary to do extraordinary things? 

Moses had humble origins as an infant son of a slave.  But then he ended up being raised by a princess in the palace of the pharaoh of Egypt.  In the middle of that, though, he was humbled again as he had to run for his life after murdering an Egyptian who was beating on a Hebrew slave.  

He spent the next 40 years herding sheep.  Then, and only then, with no pride left, was he ready for the task God assigned to him.  Did he think he was ready when Jesus came calling?  Hardly.  He almost refused to obey this holy voice vibrating the air waves.  He had no confidence in himself at all.  

Yes, now he was ready.

The Bible is replete with examples of the common becoming quite uncommon:

David; from shepherd to king.

Esther; from commoner to queen.

Gideon; from weakling to a warrior.

Elisha; from farmer to the greatest miracle-working prophet of all time.

Amos; from sheep herder and fig farmer to prophet of the living God.

All of these and many more had one thing in common.  Was it their high marks in school, their charismatic  personalities, good management skills?  Were they born leaders?  Not even close!  In fact, no one would have expected great things from them at all.

But they all consented to be taught through a series of trials.  They made themselves willing to God’s leading, regardless of the impact it had on their immediate appearance of success or not.  

The almighty God of the universe is NOT looking for those who possess great abilities.  He is looking for those who possess great availability.

Your success story for the Kingdom can be: from abilities, to availability.

Think for one moment about what that means.  When Jesus wants to share what He’s been thinking with you, are you available to listen?  When Jesus asks for someone to encourage a wounded heart, are you available?  When Jesus is desperate for a volunteer to warn your neighbor, your friend, your co-worker, or the vagabond, are you available?  Do the “important” things in your life occupy the space for the necessary thing in your life?  Notice I said “thing,” not things.  It’s singular.  There is only one thing that is necessary, yet we fill our life with things.  

If you are thinking that you’ll address your availability at a later time, maybe when your schedule clears out, consider this question:  When Jesus closes the book of life for the last time, and He steps off His throne to bring His children home, will you be available then?

copyright 6/8/2015

My Reality

Here you stand in your rightful place,
No longer a shadow in my mind, 
but a constant in reality.
 
What made the shadows disappear,
from an ever-changing view
to a clear unbroken truth?
 
One night and brilliant hour, 
I relinquished my stubborn will 
and imagined power, to Him.


copyright 6/11/2015

Impossible

I hate it when things like this happen! 

I don't know anything more difficult than when painful things happen to those you love.  And what’s worse is that there is not a thing you can do about it.

Sometimes I watch a show on TV called “Fixer Upper.”  It is exactly what you’d guess; a show about a couple who take old, run down, dilapidated houses, strip them down and then, bam … after a few weeks they come out looking like what you would see in a magazine.  Amazing!

I’ve always loved the idea of being a fixer-upper and I gave it my best try.  But I wasn’t fixing up old houses; I was trying to fix up situations with my friends or myself.  I made a very sorry mess out of a few of my attempts at trying to “fix” things for others or myself.  Not a good idea.  Very bad.

So what do you do?  Do you just sit there and commiserate?  Or offer a few helpful hints?  Do you take sides and join the blame game?  That never turns out so well either.

In our culture, in these here United States, we are all about fixing.  When something goes wrong around the house just call “Angie’s list" and get it fixed.  If you’re sick, call the doctor.  If you are having difficulties with all the stresses that come your way, call a counselor. 

Hold on... I'm not against any of these things.  They all have their time and place.  They are all important.  And it would be foolish not use the things that have been established to help us.  But there are many things that come our way that can’t be fixed by the world’s bandaids; things that can only be fixed by the hand of God. 

I don't know about you, but I want to live a life of GREAT EXPECTATIONS!  Sorry, those words look rather large don’t they?  But that’s because it is a BIG DEAL.  I'm tired of praying for people and hoping something will happen.  I want to live EXPECTING something to happen!

Jeremiah 33:3 says that when I call to God he WILL answer.  And James 1:6 reminds me that when I ask God for something, I must believe it and not doubt.

And my favorite: Psalm 5:3 says, “In the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” 

I have come to believe that Jesus loves us to expect Him to do great things; the bigger the better. 

Luke 1:37 says, “For nothing is impossible with God."  Yes, we know that anything is possible for God.  But did you know that for God to do nothing is also impossible!  

Think about it.  When we pray for someone or something, it is impossible for God to sit back and do NOTHING!!  Because NOTHING… is impossible for God. 

The moment we pray, Jesus puts a plan into effect to bring about the best results for that person. No matter what His children pray for He will give us the very best. 

So I no longer hope for an answer, I know that God is working on behalf of my prayers. Should I get hung up on how He answers the prayers?  Maybe He should answer it the way I think it should be answered.  No, of course not.  Sometimes He will answer it in the way we expect but most of the time, He won’t, but ALL of the time it will be for the greatest good.  No matter what, Jesus is working on SOMETHING.  He even said, “My Father is always at His work to this very day, and I, too, am working.”

Therefore, the answer to the dilemma I was wrestling with at the beginning of this blog is to pray for the hurting, knowing God has a plan in place, EXPECTING Him to do something; because for Him to do nothing is utterly impossible! 

copyright 6/1/2015