Sometimes All You Can Do is Pray...

Last night my mom called with the news that my Dad had experienced chest pressure as they were shopping at Walmart and was in the ER awaiting admittance at a local hospital. We got to the hospital along with my brother and SIL before they moved him to his room. He was in good spirits and not in any pain. However, they were keeping him overnight to do more cardiac evals. I saw him this morning and they've scheduled an angio for this afternoon to determine if he needs a stent or angioplasty. Prayers are appreciated, but he's in really good spirits and the Dr. told him he was right to come to the ER.

While we were still in the ER I went looking for someone to come in and turn off an annoying alarm in his room. I saw a cubicle with several police milling around and observed a medical staff on top of a patient in a gurney doing chest compressions. What a sobering sight. I said a quick prayer for the patient and medical staff and returned to Dad's room. A short while later, we heard crying and saw three women in tears as they looked in the direction of that room. Obviously that person had lost their life. My brother commented that he thought that the patient was a young person brought in suffering from an OD. I heard an older lady say to someone on the phone "He's gone. They worked on him for over an hour, but couldn't bring him back". Heartbreaking to hear. I don't know this family. I don't know the circumstance. All I could do was pray.

After we got back home last night, I found my thoughts returning to that scene. Each time, I prayed. Of course I was also praying for my dad and mom and Dad's medical team. But the heartbreak of that family just stayed with me.

We don't need to know all of the details to pray for others. We don't need to know their names, their ages, their spiritual condition, the circumstances of their life. All we need is to know that they are a child of God. He knows every detail of their life. And it's our responsibility to pray.

Prayers for Jordan

Please join me in praying for 11 year old Jordan Kennedy. On 9/20/13 Jordan was diagnosed with Ewing Sarcoma. She is hospitalized for chemo treatments. Jordan's mom, Sheri, has been through an extremely rough period. She came home from work one day less than a month ago to find her husband had died unexpectedly. She moved her four kids to Utah to be near family and friends and now this devastating news about Jordan.

Please keep this family in your prayers. If you want to help financially, or receive updates about Jordan's condition, go here.

Luke 1:37 NET "For nothing will be impossible with God."

Praying for Boston

I feel a tiny bit of deja vu. I am a total news junkie and the cable news plays in my home almost continually. I don't sit and watch it, but I have it on in the background. Today as I sat down to lunch, the local news was on and I saw the first report of the bombings in Boston. My first thoughts turned to a friend that has run the Marathon a time or two, so I wanted to check to be sure she wasn't there this year. She wasn't.

After a few minutes, I realized this story was getting bigger so I turned to my favorite cable news network. As always at the beginning of a big story there's more conjecture than fact. More dramatics. More conspiracies and theories. But it was pretty evident that this is an attack of some sort.

I don't know who. I don't know why. I don't know if this is a beginning. A distraction. A one-time fluke. But I do know this. There are people in Boston who are injured. There are people missing. There are families separated. There are fatalities.

We need to be praying.

Stop the World I Want to Get Off

In 1966 a film version of the British Musical "Stop the World I Want to Get Off" was released. Given the content of the story and the fact that I was 10 years old at the time, I'm pretty sure I never saw this film. I've always remembered the title though. Being a pretty literal person, I always thought the title was silly. If the world stops, where is there to get off? I can honestly say that stopping the world and getting off has never been something I wish could happen.

I do admit though, that many many many times in my adulthood I have wished that the rest of the world would stop and I could keep going. Not forever. Just for a few hours so I could catch up. Or so that I could rest. Or so that I could take a deep breath and regroup.

There is just so much going on. And with all of the technological advances instead of having more time for ourselves we have less. This will not come as news to any of you, but being available 24/7/365 is exhausting. It seems like we never have time for thought. We never experience quiet. Indeed, quiet has now become something that makes us uneasy instead of refreshing us.

So last night as I began my last prayer of the day the phrase "stop the world I want to get off" entered my mind. I smiled and realized that I really meant "can the rest of you come to a standstill so I can have a moment to refresh". Or at least get a handle on all of the things/people I need to pray for. A friend with major financial problems. A friend who is job hunting. Two friends starting new jobs yesterday. A family member who had a mental breakdown and is hospitalized. A family member with kid problems. A friend with marital issues. Five acquaintances with cancer. A family member struggling with addiction. And the list goes on and on.

I know this reads like a downer post. That is not my intention. I just want to share with you that during the times that I feel overwhelmed, thank goodness I always (eventually) remember that I do not have to take on all of the situations I'm praying for. My responsibility is to pray for them, not fix them. I am not supposed to be consumed with the problems of the world. I am supposed to share love, empathy, encouragement, and support. I am supposed to remind people that God is bigger than any problem we have. I am supposed to debunk the myth that whatever they are going through is insurmountable. The lie that no one else has EVER had a problem as big, or as bad, or as crushing as theirs. To remind them that God is by their side. To assure them they are not alone and that I am willing to come alongside them and support them in any way I can.

1 Peter 5:7
Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.

Feeling Sick...

There are several people in my family who are ill. I imagine there are people in your family who are ill too. It seems like there's a couple of bad viruses plus the flu making the rounds. I shared yesterday that Sunny has pneumonia, well Thunder has it too. Poor little things. Please pray for them to recover swiftly, and for Katie who is now the only healthy person in her little family! Thanks...

A Prayer Request

Do you ever have doubts that God is still at work in this world we live in? Well, I'm here to assure you that He is.

Last week Jessica sent me an email asking me to pray for a sophomore student at her school. Katie Wagner was diagnosed with Stage IV Rhabdomyosarcoma. I added her to my daily prayer list and began to pray.

Yesterday I was talking to my friend Marti and she told me about Katie Wagner. I told her I already knew and had been praying. Marti has absolutely no connection with Jessica's school. Her source for the information was a young man her husband knows.

Jessica sent me Katie's CaringBridge site. You can find it here. As I read the messages of encouragement, I was amazed at how God is at work drawing people together to unite in prayer for Katie and her family.

If you feel led, I'm asking that you would join in prayer for Katie Wagner and her family. You can imagine the shock and confusion her family must be experiencing. I know they have fears and concerns that can be overwhelming. I can also tell from their postings that they believe in an awesome God and have placed their daughter securely in His hands.

The Power of Prayer

A child with cancer. A husband out of work. A home lost to foreclosure. A sister, cousin, aunt, mother with breast cancer. A father-in-law near death. A son on drugs. A newborn recovering from heart surgery. A child lost to suicide. The list goes on and on...

Do you ever feel that you could justify spending your entire waking hours in prayer? I do. There are so many situations that need to be prayed for/about. When I am given a prayer request, I pray for it. If I hear myself saying "I'll be praying for you", I write it down to pray for later, or I pause right then and there and pray.

President Obama. Our military members. The people affected by Hurricane Irene. Residents evacuated due to wild fires. Farmers suffering through a drought... 

I completely believe in the power of prayer. Does this mean that I believe everything I ask for will be given? No. I know that God says "wait" and "no" maybe more often than He says "yes". Do I understand why? No. I'm not deterred, I just keep praying.

My kids. My grandkids. My extended family. My husband. My friends...

I am completely humbled when someone asks me to pray for them. I see it as a huge responsibility. A privilege. A chance to share my faith. An opportunity to renew and refresh my faith.

Prayers of adoration, thanksgiving, praise, confession...

There are so many great verses in the Bible on the subject of prayer. A few of my favorites:

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14

Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

I have experienced the power of prayer in my life time and time again. I have been awed at the power of prayer in the lives of others through seemingly hopeless situations. I am confident in the assurance that God is always waiting, always listening, always ready for the prayers of His children.

Wednesday Wanderings

SSMT #12: Wow, halfway through the year in attempting to memorize some of God's Word. I won't kid you. This has been a huge challenge to me. I have an easier time memorizing verses that I'm already familiar with. You know the ones I mean. You can kind of quote part of them, but aren't exactly sure where they're located in the Bible. Yeah, those verses. That's why I chose this verse for today. It's one of those verses I know, I just don't know where it is. I will now! For God is not a God of disorder but of peace. 1 Corinthians 14:33

Monsoon: Today is the beginning of the 2011 Monsoon. For those of you unfamiliar with Phoenix weather, it's the start of three or four months when we actually have weather. We get to hear the weather person say something besides sunny and warm. Our humidity level climbs out of the single digits (yes, it is possible to have 1% relative humidity) to as high as 30%. We sweat. Our drinks sweat. Within the next few weeks we will start to see clouds gathering over the Mogollon Rim to the northeast and grow into towering, dark storm clouds. There will be a slight chance of rain most days. If we're lucky, at least once during Monsoon it will rain at our house for as much as 30 minutes or so. At the first drop of rain, most of us will run out of our homes or offices, lift our faces to the clouds, and exclaim "it's raining!". Oh, what a glorious time it will be...

Still waiting on Thunder: Thunder is due on July 20th. I am putting together our family pool to guess his arrival date. Katie is doing great. She is ready for him to come. His room is all put together and looks fantastic. All of his little clothes are washed and hanging in the closet awaiting him. I just can't wait to hold this little guy!

Appraisals: April was a landmark month for appraisals. We received the highest amount of orders that month since the bottom fell out in Fall 2007. May was a good month, and June is starting out busy. We are so grateful to God for bringing us through these tough years. He has been our Provider, our Comfort, our Confidence. We are cautiously optimistic for the remainder of 2011.

Prayer: For those of you who know my friend Marti, please be in prayer for the family. There was a sudden death in Adam's family while they were at their family reunion in Colorado. Thank you.

Enjoy your Wednesday!

Praying For Japan

The images coming out of Japan are horrifying. The power of the tsunami is awful and awesome. The moans of the people taking the video as the water rushes by them carrying cars, houses, trucks, (unseen people) is chilling. Can you imagine? A 9.0 earthquake, a 23 ft Tsunami, nuclear issues, lack of electricity, water, food, and now, snow. There is much to pray for in this circumstance.

Whenever disasters like this occur, I react in several ways.

I start to analyze. Am I prepared to survive something like this? Do I have enough food and water on hand to last until I can purchase more? Do I have a way of preparing food if the power is lost? Do I have cash on hand if the infrastructure is shut down for days? Do I know how to get out of the valley by a route other than I-17 or I-10? Do I know what to grab if I have to be evacuated quickly? I'm not saying I want to convert one of the bedrooms into a storage room stocked with survival gear. I'm just saying I want to be prepared.

I look at my priorities and re-evaluate them. Am I more concerned about things than people?

I count my blessings. Do I have problems? Are there issues that are getting me down? Are you kidding me? In the light of what the Japanese people are going through, I am completely blessed. And the truth of the matter is I am blessed without having to compare my condition to the situation in Japan. It is so easy to get caught up in the drama of my life (drama that is primarily of my own making) and lose sight of the blessings I receive every single day. It's so easy to be consumed with the things in my life to the point of neglecting the people in my life.

I pray. I pray for the missing. For the families of the deceased. For the health and welfare of the survivors. For the first responders. For the government officials. That the glory of God will be revealed in the midst of tragedy. That non-believers will be open to hearing about the Lord. That believers will be bold in sharing their faith. For swift recovery and rebuilding.

So today as I watch the latest news from Japan, I think about preparation, I'm thankful for the people in my life, and I'm praying for God's blessing, protection, and provision for the people of Japan.

Pray For the Christians in Egypt

In Egypt, 9% of the population are Coptic Christians. They need our prayers. Hundreds of Christians in the U.K. took part in a day of prayer for believers in Egypt last Saturday. Bishop Angaelos, the General Bishop of the Coptic Orthodox Church in Britain said Christians have a "duty" to fill Egypt with light as he spoke of their determination to stay.

"As a church we've been there for 2,000 years. We're a resilient bunch. We're not going anywhere. We're the indigenous people of Egypt and we're staying in Egypt and people need to realize that. I do not mean that provocatively but defiantly," he said.

There is a history of persecution of the church in Egypt and in the last few years there has been an alarming escalation in discrimination and violence against Christians. According to Christian Solidarity Worldwide there have been 53 incidents of sectarian violence from 2008 to 2010.

So far the violence in Egypt seems to center on a change in government. However, as the unrest continues, the target is shifting to include a religious overtone.

What can we do? We can pray. I can only speak for myself, but sometimes I get so bogged down in praying for what's going on in my world, that I fail to pray for what's going on in the world. It is important for us to remember our brothers and sisters in Christ around the globe. Many of them face persecution every single day of their lives. They live in circumstances that you and I can't even imagine.

I'm not telling you to give up praying for your family, your friends, neighbors, the prayer requests you read about on other blogs. Indeed, we must keep praying for all of them. But we need to take time to remember to pray for fellow Christians in other countries. And right now, today, the Christians in Egypt are in need of our prayer support.

Monday Miscellany

Take a few minutes today to revisit Martin Luther King Jr's "I Have a Dream" speech. You can find it in its entirety here. It is a great yardstick for how far we've come, and how far we've yet to go.

If you're praying for Joanne of "The Simple Wife", check out her blog today. A group of her friends have come up with several suggestions for helping and encouraging her and her family. Please remain in prayer for this young wife and mother.

I'm feeling so thankful today. Thankful for all the blessings God has given me. Thankful for my husband, my kids, and my grandchildren. Thankful for the roof over my head, the clothes in my closet, the food in my pantry, our sources of income. Thankful for my friends, those I know personally and those I've made through this blog. Thankful most of all that God is ever-present in my life. He's always with me, just waiting for me to talk with Him, waiting for me to be quiet enough to hear His voice.

Enjoy your day...

Pray for "The Simple Wife"

Please join me in praying for Joanne at The Simple Wife blog. She is in a hospital in Colorado, fighting for her life. Isn't it amazing that we can connect through the Internet and come together in faith to pray for each other? God truly works through all things...

Praying for Ansley

I believe in the power of prayer. I believe that we are called to pray not only for those we know personally, but for those we hear about who need prayer support. One of the blogs I read directed me to this blog today. I have posted the link on the right side of this blog under the “Join Me in Praying For” item. This precious little four-year-old girl was diagnosed with a form of non-Hodgkins Lymphoma earlier this month. She is in the hospital undergoing the first phase of a 12-month chemotherapy. I don’t know what state they live in. I do know that they have four other children. I know that they are supported by a loving church family. I know they know the Lord. I know they need our prayer support.

But I cry to you for help, Lord; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
Psalm 88:13

Thursday Thoughts

Shopping - I have done tons of Christmas shopping this past week without even trying to! I have 10 people in my immediate family to shop for and I am done with three of them. I am almost done with three more, and I have four people that I haven't started yet. I just love it when it comes together effortlessly.

Good News - for Teresa over at the Grammy Girlfriend blog. Jack was able to be moved to a rehab facility back home in Shreveport. Keep them in your prayers. Teresa has bronchitis which has limited her time with Jack, but the rest of the family is visiting him often. I never realized before what a long, slow recovery period stroke patients (and their families) endure. Click here for her blog.

Election - the election excitement is really heating up. I am watching at least a dozen races with extreme interest. I can't wait for Nov. 2nd. I got my mail-in ballot last week and I plan to fill it out and mail it early next week. The 2000's have had some really exciting elections, some of the best that I can remember since I started voting. On Nov. 3rd I will begin to get excited for the 2012 Presidential Election. I need to find a countdown clock to put on my political blog for that one...

Weather - I'm not even going to waste my breath or your time by whining again about how hot it is here. I'm going to concentrate on the positive; which is that by next Tuesday they're calling for temps in the low 80s with a chance of (gasp) rain! I'll believe it when I see it. Actually, I'll believe it when I feel it.

Vacation - Dan's vacation from Sam's Club comes to an end on Sunday. He heads back to work on Monday and both of us are bummed. Well, I mean we're grateful that he has the Sam's Club job, we just wish we could see an end in sight. August & September were both terrific months for appraisals, and October has started off with a bang. We're praying that the rest of the year holds steady. He plans to re-evaluate things at the end of January and make a decision about going part-time.

Thanksgiving - on a final note, I want to remind you that six weeks from today is Thanksgiving! I have so much to be thankful for this year. Fortunately, I'm not waiting til Thanksgiving to start counting my blessings.

Witnessing a Miracle

What a privilege we have to be witnessing a miracle on our television screens. The rescue of the miners in Chile is awesome. Tears roll down my cheeks with each safe return from the bottom of the mine to their families waiting above. I can't imagine what it was like down in that mine. A constant 90 degree heat, near darkness, the press of 33 bodies in a confined space, the never-ending anxiety. Sounds like a good definition of hell to me. I am in awe at the physical, mental, and emotional strength of the miners. I'm in awe of the skill of those who have been working for weeks on the problem of how to get them out. I'm in awe of the God that knew this situation would occur, knew each person that would be involved, and knew the outcome would be successful. I'm in awe that the world can have a front seat view to a miraculous answer to prayer. Our God is an awesome God.

Thursday Thoughts

Still praying - for Teresa over at Grammy Girlfriend. Her husband Jack is still in Baylor Medical Center, although they're hoping to transfer him to a rehab center in Shreveport, LA soon. It is so encouraging to me to read the comments on her blog of all the people praying for them. Especially the ones that begin "I only know you through your blog...". I think it's so cool that ministry takes place on the Internet through blogs and other social media. Kind of makes up for all the really scary stuff you hear about.

Weather - Today the high for the Phoenix area is only going to be in the upper 80s. Yippee! We have our doors and windows open and our A/C is off. I love the fresh air! We'll probably have to turn it back on for the weekend when the temps head back up into the 90s, but last night was great sleeping weather with the windows open.

Daisy - This item is probably more for my kids than anyone else. We took Daisy (our little chihuahua) to the vet today. She has a cataract in her eye (her other eye was removed before we rescued her), her hearing is definitely almost gone, and she may have diabetes. We did some limited lab work on her and are waiting for the results. Then we will decide how to proceed. The vet talked to us about what kind of issues to look for in an aging pet. We don't want to selfishly keep her alive once she becomes miserable. Right now, she still plays occasionally (especially with Sunny!) and has really good days. Don't worry, we will not spend a ton of money on her. Although I love her to pieces, I know she's a pet, not a child. We told the vet that she seems to hear Sunny's voice the best and he said she's probably lost her lower register of hearing. Guess I'll have to teach Sunny to say more real words so we can use her as an interpreter for Daisy!

Whining - You may not want to read this part, I'm going to whine. I've had a sore throat since Saturday. It is driving me nuts. It burns and scratches and nothing I do helps. I've drunk so much cold water and hot tea that I spend half my time in the bathroom. I wish someone would invent a cure for the sore throat. Soon.

Vacation - Dan is on vacation from Sam's Club through 10/18. We scheduled the vacation because we planned a trip to SC to visit JD & Janel, but Dan's appraisal work has increased so much that we didn't want to miss the opportunity for income. We're hoping that he'll get tons of work this next several days, but I also hope he'll be able to sleep in a couple of days and that we'll have time for some fun stuff.

Enjoy the day!

Urgent Prayer Request

Please pray for Jack, husband of Teresa over at Grammy Girlfriend blog. He had a stroke this morning in Waxahachie TX and was airlifted to Dallas. She drove from Shreveport, LA to be with him. Thanks!

Hello God? It's Me, Vicki

As of 10:17 am on Wednesday, August 18, 2010 the population of the US was 310,023,002. The population of the world was 6,863,174,350. Boggles the mind, doesn't it? If you really want to blow your mind think of this, God knows the most minute details of each of those 6,863,174,350 lives. He knows each name. He knows the spiritual condition of each person. He knows their needs, even when they haven't talked to Him about them. He knows the future of each and every person on our planet. He's known all of that for each person since time began. He knows all of it for each person yet to come.

This what I've been thinking about lately as I pray for the people on my prayer list. I can't even imagine how many people are praying at the same time that I am. I can't imagine how many people might be praying for the same person I'm praying for. And I can't fathom what it sounds like in God's ears.

To my ears it would be a jumble. A babble of indistinct voices whispering, talking, crying, pleading, shouting, praising in a variety of languages. But I believe that to God, it's beautiful like music. I believe He can distinguish each voice, indeed, He recognizes each voice. He welcomes hearing each voice... after all, these are the voices of His creation.

For some reason these thoughts have added a new dimension to my prayer life. As I prepare to pray now, I envision God leaning forward expectantly, waiting to hear what I have to say. Waiting to hear if my prayer is all me, me, me, or if I have the needs of others on my heart. Anticipating this action from Him, causes me to lean forward a little, waiting to hear His voice, waiting for His presence to calm me, reassure me, strengthen me to the day ahead.

As I get ready to publish this post it is 6:54 am on Thursday, 8/19/10. The US population is 310,030,273. The world population is 6,863,353,548. And God knows the smallest detail of each of those lives...

So Blessed...

I am feeling so blessed today. Even as tears are running down my face as I pray for others facing seemingly insurmountable challenges.

You know how it is. You get to feeling sorry for yourself over whatever little thing is bugging you in your life. Over whatever is not satisfying enough. Over whatever is difficult. And then you read, hear, or see someone else's plight. A situation that is so difficult that you just know you couldn't handle it. Then, suddenly, you feel blessed.

Why is that? Why can't I feel blessed all the time. Because I am. Blessed all the time. Even in the midst of life's little disappointments. Life's little challenges. Life's little road blocks or speed bumps. I am blessed.

I started a Gratitude Journal a few months back after reading "One Simple Act" by Debbie Macomber. That helped some. I start the day by listing 5 things I'm grateful for before proceeding to my Bible reading & prayer time.

But, I need to be more deliberate in acknowledging the blessings in my life. To God, to others, and to myself.

So for today, here it is, in print... I am so blessed.