"Prayer" and Learning to ride a bicycle!

I have been doing some reading on "PRAYER" as of late....had a copy of Pray magazine....anyone receive this? I must have picked this up on the free table at the library and am thinking about subscribing as I get a lot out of reading about prayer. Would like to share with you part of an article that I believe may bless you as much as it has blessed me and something that I will hold on to in my life.....

"I tell a story about trying to teach my son how to ride a bicycle. I ran along the sidewalk holding him and shouting encouragement as he rode. But I noticed that he wouldn't really try to balance as long as he could feel my hands on his back or see me by his side. He would just lean into me and ride up and down the street at a 45-degree angle.

I gradually realized that he never would learn to ride a bike unless I withdrew. I had to put my hand on the back of his seat. I had to be quiet so he couldn't hear me. And I had to drop back so he couldn't see me. He got angry with me. He didn't like what I was doing. He felt that I was exposing him to unfair risks. He actually did fall off his bike and hurt himself a couple of times. But that's how he eventually learned to ride, and now he loves cycling.

God spoke to me through that. He said, 'Sometimes there are things I want to teach you that I want to be sure that you learn. But in order to do that, I actually have to withdraw so you can't see Me and feel Me the way you once did. But trust Me, I'm still there. In My silence, I'm not absent.' Jesus Himself promised never to leave or forsake us (Mt. 28:20), so even though He may feel absent, He is as close as ever."
~Pete Greig (God on Mute)

I so appreciated this reminder and word picture....I do well with a good word picture. So remember, even if you can't feel Him or see Him, God always has your back seat!!!! Love you in Christ.....debbie

Can go to their website.... www.navpress.com/pray/

"God Provides".....in His time...in His way...through us.

My God Shall Provide by Os Hillman, Friday, June 25, 2010

"And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Philippians 4:19

Have you ever gone through a time of complete dependence on God for your material needs? Perhaps you lost a job and could not generate income on your own. Perhaps you got sick and could not work. There are circumstances in our lives that can put us in this place.

When God brought the people of Israel out of Egypt through the desolate desert, they had no ability to provide for themselves. God met their needs supernaturally each day by providing manna from Heaven. Each day they would awake to one day's portion of what they needed. This was a season in their lives to learn dependence and the faithfulness of God as provider. By and by, they entered the Promised Land. When they did, God's "supernatural provision" was no longer required. "The manna stopped the day after they ate this food from the land; there was no longer any manna for the Israelites, but that year they ate of the produce of Canaan" (Josh. 5:12). In both cases God was the provider of the need.

For most of us, we derive our necessities of life through our work. Like the birds of the fields we are commanded to go out and gather what God has already provided. It is a process of participation in what God has already provided. Sometimes it appears it is all up to us; sometimes it appears it is all up to God. In either case we must realize that the Lord is our provider; the job is only an instrument of His provision. He requires our involvement in either case.

"You may say to yourself, 'My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me.' But remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms His covenant, which He swore to your forefathers, as it is today" (Deuteronomy 8:17-18).

Acknowledge the Lord as the provider of every need you have today. He is a faithful provider.

Help me to do this, Lord...on You I depend and to You I am thankful for my abilities.....

~debbie

"What" IS important.....reminding myself....

This is a reminder for me....if it is a good reminder for you, too....well, then this is a good thing!!!! Have a good week starting today!!! It is a decision....I am having to work hard at reminding myself about this very thing. Sure appreciate you all lifting me up in your prayers....debbie

"Blue Eggs and a gentle reminder..."

I know this is an old Easter postcard.....but it is the blue in the eggs that brings me to share this with you. I have been finding little birds eggs on my walks. One day, there was an egg like these with such a warm peaceful blue.... I was so excited that I walked over to the antique store to show my manager. She is an artist and does appreciate color. For me, I am reminded how God looks after the "least" of even these, the details in life, the little things....knowing there are no "coincidences". I call them "God moments." Some call them "divine appointments". There was a time that I bought into the coincidences idea....I don't know when and where it came from, the idea that God may be too busy and a lot of things that happen are just coincidences. Time went on and at some point, it dawned on me that I was forgetting how personal God desired to be in my life and in those lives around me. The hardest time I have with this is when I go to a big city and see soooo many people and wonder how God can be personal in each life. Oh, to try and wrap my head around that! But it isn't for me to try and understand it, but only to accept His Truth. And so, the blue egg, "He indeed cares for the least of these" and He will be there for me and He will be there for you in all that you are going through and I hope that gives you a warm and peaceful feeling....

Thank you, Father......deb

...and, everyday, I want to be thankful that "He is Risen!"

Philippians 4:8-9

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable -- if anything is excellent or praiseworthy -- think about such things. Whatever you have learned...put into practice. And the God of peace will be with you."

Always learning.....deb

It's All in the Perspective....and it's NEVER TOO LATE!

It's all in the perspective:

Dad's journal.....

"Wasted the whole day fishing with my son.....didn't catch a thing.

Son's journal.....

"Spent the day fishing with my dad. It was the best day of my life!"

Remember:

To the world, you may be one person....yet, to one person, you may be the world!

"Fix these words of Mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up" (Deuteronomy 11:18-19).

Parents have an incredible privilege and responsibility to be the first, and perhaps the strongest, image of God in their children's minds and hearts. If you are a parent, take a moment today to thank God for the blessing of raising children. If parenting failures and shortcomings overwhelm you, cast them at the feet of your Heavenly Father. Ask Him to help you build strong roads of communication with your children, no matter their age.

It's never too late.......Thank you, Lord......deb

Naaman....Part 4 and finally, my family....

I know some are not into long
devotions.... Now a days, one can read devotionals in a minute or
less....they have books and everything! Instant society....everything
quick! Well, I know for me when I fudge on my time with God, it
shows!!! I am not as patient, I worry more, I am not as productive and
the
list goes on... Most of all, I lose sight of what is
important.
Satan would love nothing more than to take me down and
have
me question my
confidence and victory in
Christ!

~

Above are pictures of my family....this was taken in May of 2009, Jacob's graduation, the last time my kids were all together. Joe's daughter Jenae (who is not pictured) just graduated in California and is going into the Navy to be a Nuclear Physicist! Here is Joe, Jacob, Josh (the other tall guy), Melody and Isaac, the one who has a few years left with us....thank goodness! It is for these people first and foremost that I need to stay on track....to stay humble before the Lord and thus we are ending with Naaman in Part 4...

~

Before leaving the story of Naaman let's observe two more things: (1) Everybody needs help. Not just the down-n-outers, but the up-n-outers. Being a five-star general doesn't mean a thing when someone's dying of leprosy. "But they wouldn't listen to someone like me," you say. Maybe not today, but when things get bad enough you'd be surprised how they listen. Just serve with excellence and be ready with an answer when the time comes. (2) God's hand is on you to minister where He's placed you. It was the encouragement of someone who got close enough to see Naaman's real problem, then introduced him to God, that brought about his healing. When God puts you close to someone and makes you privy to certain information, He does it so that you can give them "a word in season" (Is. 50:4). God used a cleaning lady who worked in his own house to reach Naaman. What if she'd rebelled against making beds and washing dishes? Or decided to go out and gossip about the problem instead? Today you have a role to play in God's plan. The servant who challenged Naaman to humble himself and dip seven times in the Jordan River is not named in Scripture--but he was indispensable to the process. So are you. Few athletes have more fans than basketball star Michael Jordan. Yet when a reporter asked him why he liked his dad to attend his games, he replied, "When he's there, I know I have at least one fan!" Everybody needs encouragement.

You can speak a word that changes someone's life!

~Ron Traub

~

Be an encourager!!!

Learning from Naaman...Part 3 and Car Accident!

Strange title for a devotion....yeah, I know. Shocker for others....yeah, I know. I have had a strange and shocking past few days. Three of my family were involved in a car accident.....hit and run with a semi, usually not a pretty picture. My three are ok....just suffering from seatbelt trauma. The Toyota didn't fare as well. What is amazing about this is the windshield didn't shatter. You see, the windshield has this cross-type crack in it going all the way, up, down, across. Joe was going to have it fixed in California as the car was to be his daughter's graduation present. A great car, California approved and all that....well, not so much anymore. We always pray for safety before anyone leaves on a trip. God watched over my Joe, Melody and Isaac. He became the "shield" and protected them from what could have been very bad and that is the power of prayer and faith and thus......we have Naaman.

When God gives you an answer, don't argue and don't rationalize. Just do what He tells you--and you'll come up clean. Naaman's pride almost cost him his life. When he left Elisha's house he was angry because Elisha hadn't come out to speak with him personally. Instead he sent "a messenger" out to tell him to go dip seven times in the muddy Jordan river. "Aren't there cleaner rivers?" Naaman asked, feeling insulted. At this point Naaman's servant said, "If the prophet had told you to do something great you'd have done it. Wouldn't it be worth obeying him in order to live?" Today God is asking you the same question. Wouldn't it be worth humbling yourself to come up clean? To confess your sin, share your story and ask for help? Wouldn't it be worth risking the disapproval of those who don't matter because they're not part of God's plan for your life anyway? Don't let your reputation get in the way of your solution. Don't let the Devil entice you to other rivers which have no power to save. All you need is the kind of faith that involves looking foolish for awhile: the kind that keeps you dependent on God when it looks like everybody else is doing better than you. Go ahead, dip in the river of God's grace. And keep dipping! Though you've been insulted, though your feelings are hurt, though the process doesn't seem to make sense, though you've reached the end of your rope and you want to quit, keep dipping. Act on the Word God has given you! Miracles are for the obedient, not the wishful. ~Ron Traub

I'm thanking God for my miracle this day and I am going to

"keep dipping!"

Learning from Naaman...Part 2

Yes, Lord, help me to accept the need to grow and mature....whatever needs to happen to get me to that place where I can be used by You....

Continuing on here about Naaman....

Naaman had a problem, a unique one. In recalling his story Jesus said, "Many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman" (Lk. 4:27 NKJV). It's easier to believe God for something you've seen Him do before. But Naaman not only had leprosy, nobody he knew had ever been healed of it. Are you being tested today because of a unique situation in your life, your marriage or your career? Are you afraid to talk about it because you don't know anybody who's ever beaten your particular problem? If so, stop focusing on the problem and start focusing on God! He doesn't need anything to begin with in order to solve your problem. Remember in Genesis He hung the earth on nothing, and it's still turning every day! The Bible says that Naaman was a "great...man," but God was about to make him a greater one. Whenever He does that He permits us to get into predicaments without human solutions. When He wants us to have great influence He often permits us to face great challenges. It's how He moves us from being impressive to being truly exceptional. But when He does, be careful. One of the first questions people will ask is, "How did you do it?" They'll start admiring your status and your armor, when all the time it was your affliction that drove you to your knees and allowed God to make you the person you've become. Before you can be exceptional you must work to develop a faith that believes God for the impossible, and trusts what He says regardless of the odds. ~Ron Traub