Prayer on the road

It's back to school time.
45 minutes of listening to Air 1...maybe if doesn't get staticky or the boys get really annoyed with a song and change it.
After they have all been dropped off for the day it's me and the radio and time to pray.
Pray for Stefani and her heart Cath today.
Pray for the staff at Shands to have wisdom and to share their hope and faith with our family.
Pray for Marcy and Tracy to be encouraged and make wise choices today.
Pray for Tracy, Lajuan and Susan that God would prepare their hearts for husbands and He would bring them soon.
Pray Stefani that she would trust God for the hard things she doesn't understand.
Selah.

That was Stephen's prayer a few months before he died and those words flowed from my thoughts so naturally into my prayer for Stefani.

After Stephen died, two different people gave Cathron the book, Choosing to See by Mary Beth Chapman. Cathron gave me one of the copies two years ago...I put in on the shelf.  I wasn't ready to read through someone elses pain.  I knew it would make my heart ache and I would cry. I started it during this season of nerve pain, it was a good time for that.  It was funny and very honest through the first half of the book, I almost forgot how the ending was going to go and so while I waited for Stewart to be done with Youth Group, I plopped myself down in a comfy chair in the middle of the library.  Wouldn't you know that the next chapter was where the dam breaks?  I closed the book before I started sobbing.  I waited to read it in the middle of the night when the nerve pain woke me up and the house was quiet and dark.

"So God confirmed this truth yet again; I can choose to SEE His story, or I can miss it.  And I know-in the winter of our grieving and the frozen mourning of my plans that will never be and my dreams that have died--the reality is this;  God's warm breath is on the move.  New life is budding...and often where I expected it the least, like right inside of me."

There were parts all over this book that are worth quoting but I did not underline or write them down.  It was a good book.  I recommend it, you should read this if you have suffered a loss, you should read this because at some point in your life you will suffer a loss. You should read this because you are women and have days when you feel overwhelmed.  You should read this because you know someone who feels overwhelmed.

After you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.  
1 Peter 5:10

Soft Hearted

Jeremiah 29:11-13 (New International Version, ©2010)
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.




Romans 8: ¹ Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.

These are the two verses that I thought about as I made the seven and a half hour drive from Jacksonville, Fl to Asheville, N.C.
My dad was scheduled for a heart cath on Wednesday because his mitral valve was leaking and they were planning on fixing it on Thursday. I made it to the hospital about a half hour before he came out of the cath.
It wasn't just the valve that needed fixing though, turns out he had 5 blockages as well.
That was a huge blow to my fathers pride in his excellent health and disciplined nutrition over the years.
Several times I have seen my father tear up when it was time to say goodbye but seeing him upset over getting a procedure done that he never thought he would ever have was a new experience.

The surgery went fine but the veins in one of his long legs was good enough and so they had to use one from his other leg as well.
The staff had warned us that he would not look good the first time we saw him ... I knew what they were talking about ... if I thought I could have gotten out of it I would have but alas this trip isn't me. The tears stayed contained but man did I want to take a walk around the hospital afterward and let them out.
But I didn't know if that would have been productive so I didn't.
And now day three.
He is supposed to be sitting up in a chair, less wires and tubes, more talking.
More talking, something that has always been awkward.
There have been times when I have shared my faith with my dad and after the last time on one of our cruises I had the peace that no more needed to be said.
But....
when I told people that I was coming up to see my dad they asked if I would present the gospel again?
My peace was rattled, and I am uncertain.
The prayer I have so often prayed for my father is that God would soften his heart, it's not my job and I praying the Holy Spirit would continue to give me the words to share my hope, my lack of condemnation in such a manner that I will be a light to my father and stepmother's world that cannot be hidden.

Matthew 5:14 (English Standard Version)
14(A) "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Pray without ceasing

What prompts you to pray?
Most of the time I fail to pray for a person unless the Holy Spirit randomly brings them to my mind.  I say randomly because yesterday while I was wiping my face with toner, the name Steve Exantus was in my head where previously there was nothing.  I mean, c'mon while I am washing my face there is normally nothing going on in my thoughts.  Anyway, I finished up the toner and lotion by lifting up that brother in prayer. A lot of times, songs on the radio will remind me of someone to pray for.  When I check my email I remember to pray for LaJuan who is in China for two weeks.
This morning while on Facebook I saw Jake's status and remembered that I hadn't prayed for him or Corey in a while. These boys were friends of Stephen's that do not know the Lord.  There are several boys that have been going to the church for the past 6 months and are being discipled by my brother-in-law.
But not Jake and Corey....
Jake's status is that he will partying this weekend and Corey is off the radar completely.
Corey was the one riding with Stephen, my heart aches for him.

 What a difference a year makes?

Ephesians 6:10-20.

Finally, be strong in the LORD and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.
Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place,and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.
In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel,for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

In my head out of my heart

In Gloria's post today, she mention that blog posts run through her head randomly. I too walk through my day writing blog posts but rarely actually get them here. What about you?
For instance, yesterday while I was jog walking home from Susan's I had a post I was working on. ANYTHING to distract me from the humidity I was shoveling through...YUCK.
So here's the post.
I slept in and had just enough time to shower before taking the kids to piano. While shaving I prayed that God would encourage me and all of you to make time to exercise...that he would send a friend or family member to help us get a move on and while doing so that we could also focus on God and draw near to him. I prayed that he would help us to make the time to exercise and to spend time with him. And I prayed that we not dismiss the time he has given us.
Fast forward to fixing dinner when Susan calls to ask if she can jog over to my house and then I could go back with her.
UGGHH...isn't that what I prayed for?
I finished dinner preparations, got changed, grabbed my MP3 and was ready when Susan arrived.
On my way home I spent more time praying for you all by name and then thinking about how I would write this post. But that was yesterday and I have no idea what I planned to say and now dinner is ready and I must go.
I love you FRIENDS!