Answered Prayer

Like most everyone in our class of boomers, Eric and I are dealing with parents who are aging and ailing. We are doing the best we can to care for them with the limitations of still having three school aged children in our house. Carpooling and doctor visits don't go together very well. Although Eric's mom is 80 yrs. old, it became clear that she needed surgery to address one of her health issues. Because of her age, surgery was a last resort. We prayed and had our children and class pray for her surgery. We were anticipating a difficult recovery, trying to come up with how we could help her post surgery. Eric was planning to go stay at their house if needed, etc. In short, we were dreading it.

Well, she not only came through the surgery, but she and my father-in-law who is 86 didn't even need Eric's help coming home from the hospital the day after surgery! She is strong enough to walk upstairs to her own bedroom and is doing very well. This is not what we expected! And why not? Why were we not expecting her to do well? Didn't we pray for a successful surgery and a quick recovery? Our faith is so small. It's embarrassing. We are thankful all the same, really thankful. So glad that God knows how small our faith is and our carpooling schedule and comes through anyway.

For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord. Psalm 117:2

Yes, Jesus Love Me

Congratulations to me! I successfully completed reading through the Bible. It took me not one year but one year and 8 months which is not great. The plan was to complete it in one year, but I fell hopelessly behind. Instead of feeling defeated and starting over in January like I've done so many times before. I decided to press on and keep rolling the calendar back on my Biblegateway app. While I had read and studied much of what I read before, there were sections that I had never read, ever. If I believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God, then I needed to read all of it, not just the interesting and familiar parts. I learned that there really is nothing new under the sun. God is good and man is sinful. God loved his children so much that he disciplined them to bring them back to himself and to show them their need for a savior. This happened over and over and over in the Bible. We are weak and sinful but He is strong and merciful. I realized that there is so much truth in the first song I ever learned as a child. You may know it.

Jesus loves me this I know

For the Bible tells me so

little ones to him belong

They are weak but He is strong

Yes, Jesus loves me

Yes, Jesus loves me

Yes, Jesus loves me

The Bible tells me so

Sweet Prayer

I just realized something recently, yesterday as a matter of fact. I don't really like asking people for help or even prayer. It's not that I view it as a weakness to ask for help, but rather I don't want to bother people with my problems. There is always someone worse off than me and I don't need to bother them with my trivia. This is pretty much my life philosophy. I am more than happy to pray for others and love serving in the prayer room but why am I so reluctant to share my requests? Do I believe that prayer  is my power source? Yes, I wholeheartedly do. I am constantly reminded that apart from God I can do nothing so call on him pretty much constantly.

The night before my daughter's surgery, it finally dawned on me that it might be a good idea to contact the prayer room and ask for prayer. I must have rationalized that since it was for my daughter and not myself, it would qualify as important. Her doctor had also scared me sufficiently about the procedure so I was not looking forward to it. I'm not the bravest one in dealing with medical issues. A strep test on one of my children sends me out of the examining room!

I am so glad that I humbled myself and asked for prayer from my friends and my church. Knowing that others were also praying on behalf of our daughter was the sweetest kind of fellowship. And they worked! She came through the surgery just fine and is recovering nicely all because of the prayers of our faithful friends. Thank you friends! I may call on you again.

July 27, 2014 class audio - Jude 1:1-9

Led by Bill Gambrell

July 20, 2014 class audio - III John

Led by Ed Lindstrom

July 13, 2014 class audio - II John

Led by Holly Lundberg

Stupid People

On love
There are two kinds of love: we love wise and kind and beautiful people because we need them, but we love (or try to love) stupid and disagreeable people because they need us. This second kind is the more divine because that is how God loves us: not because we are lovable but because He is love, not because He needs to receive but He delights to give.

From The Collected Letters of C.S. Lewis, Volume III
Compiled in Words to Live By

Words to live by indeed. C.S. Lewis would fall into the former category as one of the wise people. Unfortunately, he is deceased and I never made his acquaintance. Too bad, because I could really use some of his wisdom in exactly how to love the stupid and disagreeable people that are in my life. I find myself  to be far from sanctified and not as delighted as God is to give. I am appalled at how far I am from being sanctified. I am selfish and small and impatient, ugh.

But the answer I came to is to love them. Of course I must pray for this love because I do not possess it. Pray. Everyday. Thankfully, I can pray as much as I want and God never tires of hearing from me. In fact He wants me to pray to him. Does this make stupid people cease from doing stupid things? Judging from what I've read in the Bible, no. Not by a long shot. I'm so very thankful that God is love and that He delights to give, even to stupid disagreeable people like me.

Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thess. 5:16, 17