38 DISTRACTIONS, DISTRACTIONS

Where am I going and what am I doing this morning?  

  

Well I am going to make bread, the first time since January 10^th

(Before we left for  California)…and we  got to come see you and Zach…that was a blessing…and we have special memories!!

SPRING  has sprung…the grass is riz…I wonder where them flowers iz?  (From somewhere in my childhood, and it still hurts my ears!!  *Smile* )     

But spring is here!?!   YEAH !?!   But He (God) said all these things will change, BUT MY WORD SHALL NEVER FAIL!     

So glad He is in control!  

Now about distractions…I had some very distracting distractions yesterday…very!!     

Now what do we do with them?    

Ignore them?   

Get all huffy and try to quell them?      

Try to understand them?     

 Maybe I just say , like Jesus said to  Peter, ‘What’s that to you…Follow Me!’     

I also just figured out a way to  get past them, but can’t figure out if I am being  ridiculous, rebellious, or what!!   (Not ME?)  

 Oh yeah, I forget you know me pretty well….so who am I kidding?  *Smile*

Some distractions are good, maybe…some are bad,  maybe.  

 I'm like a woman who is decisive, maybe…smile…but I seem to get distracted easily, especially when it comes to sitting at His feet, and just soaking up His presence.  Now I know those distractions are not good.

But this morning, as I watched the snow fall,  (when I wanted sunshine) I found a little nugget that spoke to my heart.  

  

 1 Peter 4:7 sez, ‘Keep sound-minded and self-restrained  AND alert…therefore for the practice of prayer.   

 Hmmmmm...practice of prayer?!?  So God is telling us something that we already know…just in a practical sense…if you repeat anything for 30 days, it becomes a habit.   So we need to create a habit of prayer.

If we keep our mind sound, are self-restrained and alert, we definitely need the Holy Spirit daily in our lives…actually our spiritual lives depend on it.    

So this is our challenge, today….

"be still so we can hear and recognize His voice so we can be alert and pray without ceasing for whomever you bring to our minds (Holy Spirit)…whatever situation that needs immediate  prayer and intercession.”    

I am readily brought to the time when you, Greg, had flat-lined…and I got up at 2:30 a.m. (Arkansas time,)  to call the hospital to see if there had been ANY change…I remember when I talked to Donna (later) that she said, 

“God woke her up at 12:30 a.m. to pray for you.”   

  

That was the time I called for an up-date, and the I.C.U. nurse said, 

"yes, he just rallied at 12:30 a.m. and we just took out the breathing tube, and he is doing very well.”   

I said, "that was GOOD news,"  and he replied, ‘No--that was GREAT news,’  because they didn’t think you were going to rally.   

Thank you Donna, friend and prayer-warrior for being obedient.

God I am so intensely  aware of MY needs, Greg's needs,  Mindy's needs…that I forget there is a whole world full of ‘Calvins’ out there….who are literally dying without Christ, while I am living in my own little bubble, praying for our own little family.    

You have taught me something, Greg,    

 Father help me be like  Greg, who is learning to reach out and touch others….in spite of what ole’ slewfoot is throwing his way. 

  I  loved what you told Calvin (neighbor upstairs above you):

”If God had to take me from Sacramento, to Vallejo, to Michigan, to Spokane, to Spokane  Valley through all the pain, misery, ‘pooh’...everything...heart-attacks, stents, mini stroke, open heart surgery, divorce…just to tell Calvin that God loves him, then you guess it was worth it.”

 “It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus ,  Life's  trials will seem so small, when we see Christ.

One glimpse of His dear face, all sorrows He’ll erase, so bravely run the race,

‘till we see Christ!”

So keep looking up, hang on tight to His hand,  we’ll see you here, there or in the air!

See ya in the morning, Cray, and you are right, Greg is one strong, tough cookie!!!

Love ya, Nanny…Mom…Sis

 

34 New Year, New Me

Well, I have been silent (at least on paper) for a few weeks…but that doesn’t mean that nothing has been happening or going on!!! I have kept you updated about my Greg on Facebook, and I do not have the strength or desire to go into it at this time, for it was an amazing challenge mentally, and physically to you, Greg, and anyone who knows and loves you!!!

So what I am going to specifically focus on is a wonderful challenge that God showed me this morning on the 700 Club.

A song came to me yesterday from my G.T.B.I. daze…smile:
‘Only to be what He wants me to be, Every moment of every day.

 Only to be what He wants me to be, Every step of this pilgrim way. 

Just to be clay in The Potter’s hands, only to do what His Word commands.

Only to be what He wants me to be, every moment of every day.’

A wonderful man of God said that “they” said: “The new cigarette (bad for the body) is ‘The easy chair’. So get going and keep moving!!"

He said we need to “wake up” so we can be ready to fight these end time conditions, and he didn’t just mean physical lethargy, though it does walk hand-in-hand with our spiritual condition.

It is like when the alarm goes off in the morning.  We roll over and hit the snooze button…and go back to sleep. God is setting the alarm…saying Get up! Wake up! We need to be spiritually alert, there is work for us to do, with all the end time things that are going on, terrorists, racial un-rest…all the signs He said we would see... wars and rumors of wars…

WE the CHURCH, need to wake up!!!  We must lead the way. So physically and spiritually…STOP this lethargic attitude, stop hitting the ‘snooze’ button and Wake Up!! He gave a reference in Joel which challenges us to fast, repent, wait silently before the Lord, and let Him speak to us. (Not us yacking to Him about what we think, blah…blah…blah. Listen , really listen quietly and hear what He is telling us to do.) Many times in the scripture we hear Him say, ‘he that has ears to hear, let him hear’. 

How can we listen if we are always talking?

He--God--is saying to me: ’wake up’ change your slothful ways. Not only will it help me spiritually but physically… How can I admonish my precious Grandson, Andy, agreeing with him that he needs structure, when I am soooooo un-structured…with my devotions, my prayer time, my physical ‘sitting in the chair ‘ unmoving body time, a body that needs action for good blood flow, and will give me better rest, a healthier body, etc. etc. 

SO I CAN BE ALL THAT HE WANTS ME TO BE!

Again I am trying to ‘work’ it up…Father, my desire is to be like Jesus…really!! But until I let You do it your way, and You make me what you want me to be, instead of my ‘everlasting’ trying to do it, I will never succeed…I do need to be ‘still’ and know you, and then follow your instructions!!

My Bestest Friend Jody and I say, ‘the reason God is letting us live so long, is to pray for our children and grandchildren’, that in itself will help us to pray without ceasing…smile No Kidding!!

I pray you will let these words help you as you enter this New Year, to again realize it is not about us, and ALL about Jesus…as we work our way toward that ‘Blessed Hope’…because Jesus is coming soon…live like it!

Look up…hang in there...Hang on tight to His hand, and we’ll see you here, there, or in the air!

See ya in the Morning, Cray!... Nanny

20 Complaining vs. Whining

What a way to start my day!

Are they different?  Complaining and Whining?  If so...what is the difference?  

Am I a complainer?  Not so, I thought!  (however as I turned on the computer to 'compose'  I thought, ‘here it is the second of May, and I have to go put on a sweater...just to be comfortable?’)  

Oh boy...now I really need to look at my heart, mouth and mind!   

And not just look at it, but let Jesus turn His spotlight on the real problem areas?  Yep...that is the way with these problems that God wants to deal with in our lives...Hey, you too!!!  I'm not alone in this!!!! SMILE!

Well, I have to start out this diatribe with a story of 'long ago'...that goes like this:  I had an area of my life  that  needed attention...and when it came up, I just let it (my thought patterns) run...and finally I would say, "Oh Lord, forgive me, but You know my heart!"    After many times like this, the Lord stopped me cold, and said, 

"Yes, My Dear one, I know your heart, but do you know it?"  

And like a little recording, He said, 

"The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked!   Create in me a new heart, oh Lord, and renew a right spirit within me."

Now I didn't know that I knew these two scriptures, but I knew it was from God. Which goes right along with the scripture that sez that we can't judge our own hearts, only God can do that.....Why?  

Because He is all wisdom, He knows the end from the beginning, and knows our own heart better than we do.

So today, I must lay my heart, open, bare, Greg, and let you and the world see, how foolish I am, and in doing so, maybe it will give your spirit a little lift.  When you are sooooooooo far down, you can't even see any light, while looking up, that is when we (the Body) need to lift your hands and hold them up, to help you fight this battle.

Now it is no coincidence that our Prestbury Ladies Bible Club is studying, 'Lord, Change My Attitude.'  I seem to be at an all time low, in my trusting...(ability to Trust God,)  for who He says He is, and why He seems so silent, when we need HELP RIGHT NOW!  'Job ' was only in his MESS  about a year.  Here it has been nearly five years to the date, and your situation seems to only get worse.   (Am I complaining, whining?  Well let's be truthful--I definitely am! )   But a day or so ago, I didn't think I was.  So NOW what do I do? ...I get myself in a position to read and devour the Word, let it cleanse my doubting heart, and let The Lord, refresh my whole being, with Truth, the Truth of the Word.  Strange, but Jesus IS Truth, Jesus IS the Word... 

"Oh, Lord, create in me a new heart, and renew a right spirit within me."

The Word sez, that the devil is a liar, he came to steal, kill and destroy...that is his mission statement!

So am I going to let that DEFEATED foe, that was DESTROYED at the Cross tell me how to think?  How to act?

Well, I am laughing in his face, because he can't stand the name of JESUS, and  I am going to put that Name on my lips, day and night...until this thing with you, Greg, is broken, and you are back in the land of the LIVING.   Anyone who reads this Blog, stand with us in prayer, because Jesus is the answer, prayer changes things, Jesus came to give us Life, and more abundant life at that! 

It is so hard to see your son go thru this...Will he come out on the other side, and be whole again?  That isn't negative thinking,  we are just traveling through this life waiting to get to the other side, which IS our HOPE, the only thing I am sure of,  because He did say we would have trouble...this much trouble Lord?   Whining again?  Looks like it...old habits die hard…smile ...Lord get rid of my deceitful heart, and keep on, creating  in me a new heart, bit by bit, by bit by bit...

Thank you my precious Friend, Jody, who is my prayer partner for life…has been for nigh unto 70 years!!!!

Of course we met when we were 3 years old I think!....big smile

Look up...hang in there....hang on tight to His hand, and we'll see you here, there, or in the air!!

See you in the morning, Cray...Marker, aka Nanny

14 Prayer and Fasting (deep subject)

Someone once said to me, "I wish I could pray like you, you really know how to pray."

My quick response was, "No, no, no, God just really knows how to answer!!!"

Then I heard that when you pray, don't worry about your choice of words...

'The power of prayer comes from the ONE who hears it.'

We need to realize very early on, that anything we are, have, do...comes from our Father!!!

So as we reach into the Word this a.m. and try to understand what 'fasting' is all about, we need to see what the Father has in mind.  Since several are 'fasting and praying' for you at this time, Greg.

I have always been taught, fasting is to miss a meal or two,  or three, for a day or two or three, it could be a meal you fast, or  nothing of the media for a week, give up sugar for a time, lots of things, along with a big dose of prayer, not a ten minute prayer, but really interceding for whomever or whatever you are praying for. 

  But Isaiah 58 puts a little different spin on it:

He sez: to free those wrongfully imprisoned (could that be physically, or spiritually or both?)

Lighten the burden of those who work for you.

Remove the chains that bind people.

Share your food with the hungry.

Give shelter to the homeless.

Do not hide from relatives that need your help.  (big smile)

* Then you will call and the Lord will answer.

Remove the heavy yoke of oppression.

Feed the hungry and help those in trouble.

*Then you will be known as the re-builder of walls and a restorer of homes.

Doesn't that look like a lot of other scriptures in His Word?

Feed the hungry, give shelter to the homeless, take care of the widows and orphans.

If you do this unto the least of these, you have done it unto Me (Jesus).

So I think as we pray for you specifically, that we need to get our feet moving, our

wallet open, our home ready for 'company'...and do the simple (hard) things that He commands...Of the commandments, He said  the greatest is to love the Lord with all your heart, and to love your neighbor as yourself.

A little bird told me, God is not going to give you a life

where He is unnecessary!  He wants to use you, me,  all of us--for His Glory!!

When He made us, originally, in the Garden, He made us for companionship, 

for us to walk and talk with  Him.  My admonition is to get into His Word, every day, and consume it...it is health and strength to our bones...and your bones and

heart and kidneys REALLY DO NEED LOTS OF HELP!!!

Hang in, hang on, and we'll see you...here, there or in the air.

(Crayola, definitely, in the Morning!!)

Nanny (aka Marker)