Petitions, Prayers, and Intercessions

 

a sampling of my boys
Coosa River Farm

"I urge, then...that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgiving be made for all people—for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness." (1 Timothy 2:1-2)

This morning, I heard a dad say that when his little girl walked into the room during the presidential debates, she said, "So, those two are all we have to choose from?" (LOL)

Pray, beloved. Make petitions, prayers, and intercessions for those in authority; the Bible tells us so. Always remember: our hope is in God not man.

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Put It Back Where It Was

 

"...and the wife must respect her husband." (Ephesians 5:33)

One of the irritating things I do to my superman is put away things he puts down. How do I know it's irritating? Because more than once, he's told me so. 

Yesterday, after I moved his sunglasses, keys, wallet, and baseball cap from the kitchen counter to the laundry room, the Holy Spirit whispered: "Show respect. Put it back where it was."

It took choosing his druthers over mine, but I did it. Minutes later, a friend called needing encouragement to love and respect her husband. How could I have encouraged her to respect her husband if I had refused to respect my own?

The LORD gives wisdom, beloved. Listen and obey! 

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Brave and Kind

 

my North Avondale Bible Study ladies and me
2014

"She is clothed with strength and dignity, and she laughs without fear of the future. When she speaks, her words are wise, and she gives instructions with kindness." (Proverbs 31:25-26)

"Brave and Kind" was this year's theme for Girls' Night at Church of the Highlands. Charlotte Gambill of LIFE Church, UK in England taught us, and the award winning gospel artist CeCe Winans lead worship. Friday night's message in a nutshell: "dress" yourself, your family, and your world with words of encouragement, affirmation, and faith in God through His Son Jesus Christ. 

Likewise, in a letter to the Thessalonians, the Apostle Paul wrote: "Now, brothers and sisters...you are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness...Therefore, encourage one another and build each other up!...Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not quench the Spirit...May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and He will do it!...The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you." (1 Thessalonians 5)

Be brave, beloved. Be kind. Encourage one another in the Lord Jesus Christ and build each other up.

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A Shield, the Sword, and a Song

grandboy
2015

"A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power. Put on all of God's armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil." (Ephesians 6:10-11)

Last night, I tripped over Satan's "what-if" snare for a man-child of mine. (I'll withhold the name to protect the innocent, but those of you who know my children's careers can easily guess which job comes with the temptation for his mama to fear.)

My defense: raising the shield of faith in our faithful Almighty God, quoting aloud the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, and singing hymns of worship and praise to the Lord.

And today's word to you, beloved: "Put on every piece of God's armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in this time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God's righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere." (Ephesians 6:13-18)

Got it?

 

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For Him

Our Rebecca and Stephen
2004

...But there was no helper just right for [Adam]...Then the LORD God made a woman from the rib, and He brought her to the man. "At last!" the man exclaimed... (Genesis 2:20-22)

When Rebecca was a young bride, God told her: "Your job is to be for Stephen, and when you are not for him, you are against Me."

Selah.

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Goal for Today

 

grandboys
(4-year-old unloading washer)
(1-year-old loading dryer)

"Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." (Matthew 6:10)

My goal for today: do the will of God!

"Now [beloved] may the God of peace—who brought up from the dead the Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with His blood—may He equip you with all you need for doing His will. May He produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to Him. All glory to Him forever and ever! Amen." (Hebrews13:20-21)

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God Provides

 

American Beautyberry

"God will provide..." Abraham answered. And they both walked on together." (Genesis 22:8)

As dating teenagers, Superman and I dreamed of owning land one day. On Saturday,  as we walked and prayed, walked and prayed, walked and prayed—over six miles to be exact—around and around the farm and over the neighboring 24.6 acres of woods that we're purchasing on Thursday, we found beautiful fall flowers and two beaver huts—

beaver huts

all handiwork of the Lord God Almighty who makes dreams come true.

Father God, You provided, and we walk on together in gratitude to You.

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The Life-changing Word of God

oldest grandboy
at virtual school

"But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do." (James 1:25)

Every teacher and student of the Bible should listen to yesterday's message taken from the book of James by Pastor Chris Hodges. 

The message in a capsule: Gratefully, humbly, and intently receive, accept, and embrace God's TRUTH that saves, confronts, and guides us. 

How arrogant when we contradict the Bible and say we know better than God Almighty.

Selah.

Message link: www.churchofthehighlands.com

 

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Mindful

 

grands 2015

"Test me, LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for I have always been mindful of Your unfailing love and have lived in reliance on Your faithfulness." (Psalm 26:2-3)

Mindless. How many times have I prayed without being mindful that I am stepping into the presence of Almighty God? Or how many times have I worked and left out the Holy Spirit?

Oh, Lord make me mindful—always remembering that prayer takes place in Your holy presence and meaningful work happens only through Your Holy Spirit.

"Whenever the sounds of the world subside in our soul, we hear whispering of God." ~Frederick William Faver~

TO MY READERS: Because the latest but not greatest blogspot system has formatting issues, a new blog may be on the horizon. Stay tuned!

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Our Sons and Daughters

 

"In the last days, God says, I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old me will dream dreams." (Acts 2:17)

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Yesterday, thanks to my Rebecca, I learned that I can have "friends" on the Bible app. Last night, my two teenage grands friended me and blessed my socks off when I read their Bible app posts.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

In response to Psalm 37:4: "Take delight in the LORD, and He will give you the desires of your heart," my 13-year-old grandgirl wrote: 

I've looked over these words so much in this verse! I've known this verse as long as I can remember. I knew what it meant. I always skipped to the last part. I never even really took time to research what it meant. It was always just there.

A few days ago, when I was reading in a devotional, it hit me. It means to dedicate yourself to God; spend time with Him, pray, etc. Your desires will decrease and narrow until God is the center of your desires. He is the most important being in the entire universe and He wants us, and wants us to want Him.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

Thank You, Lord Jesus, for pouring Your Spirit into the hearts and out of the mouths of the next generation!

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The Greatest Storyteller

oldest grandboy, 2015


"Jesus told them a story..." (Luke 18:1)

Now that The Adventures of the Lookout Mountain Gang: The Secret Chest is on the market, I'm all ears, listening to the Lord tell me next year's story: The Window at Willow Springs, A Fort Payne, Alabama Story. So fun!

The greatest storyteller of all times was, is, and will always be Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Across the synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Luke, and Mark, Jesus told over thirty parables—earthly stories with a heavenly meaning.

In chapter 13 of the book of Matthew, His disciples came and asked Jesus, "Why do You use parables when you talk to the people?"

Jesus answered, "You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not. To those who listen to My teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge.  But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them."

Beloved, "anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand"  (Matthew 13:9). Are you listening?

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The Adventures of Mrs. Vibrant

,

our Rebecca at school

"He leads me beside quiet waters...He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake." (Psalm 23:2-3)

Our Rebecca (a.k.a. Mrs. Figert) is the STEAM teacher (a unique class for K-6th graders using science, technology, engineering, art, and math) at a small Christian school in Indiana.

Her kindergarteners have a terrible time pronouncing her name. Most of them call her Mrs. Figerts. One calls her Mrs. Tiger, another Mrs. Fire, but her favorite of all misnames is Mrs. Vibrant. LOL!!!

Last week when Mrs. "Vibrant" had playground duty for the kindergartners, one little fellow ran up to her yelling, "Mrs. Figerts, Mrs. Figerts, they're leaving!" 

She looked in the direction he was pointing and spotted two little munchkins escaping through the back gate. 

Mrs. "Vibrant" leapt to her feet and sprinted toward the escapees, hollering, "Stop! Stop!"

After the dust settled, she commanded, "You two stay with me." 

A pouty, little voice whined, "Why do we have to stay with you?"

Quick-thinking Mrs. "Vibrant" replied, "Do you know why they pay me?"

Two little heads wagged no.

"They pay me to keep you safe!" Mrs. Vibrant said. "And how can I keep you safe if I don't know where you are? I care about you, and I want you to be safe. So, don't ever, ever, ever leave this playground again without a teacher."

Beloved, how can Jesus keep you safe if you refuse to the follow the Shepherd? Listen to His voice and follow Jesus wherever He goes.

"Come, follow Me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." (Matthew 4:19)

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Busy Beavers

grandboys building a beaver dam this summer

"Don't hold back. Throw yourselves into the work of the Master, confident that nothing you do for Him is a waste of time or effort." (1 Corinthians 15:58 The Message)

A favorite thing for our little grandboys is playing beavers and building a dam.

They work with enthusiasm and are quite meticulous in the task—even packing down the mud with their "tails." Ha!

We learn in the Gospel of John that at the Passover Feast, Jesus got up from the supper table, set aside His robe, and put on an apron. After pouring water into a basin, He began washing the dirty feet of His disciples, drying them with His apron. 

When he finished, He went back to His place at the table and said, "Do you understand what I have done for you? You address Me as 'Teacher' and 'Master,' and rightly so. That is what I am. So if I, the Master and Teacher, washed your feet, you must now wash each other's feet. I've laid down a pattern for you. What I've done, you do. If you understand what I'm telling you, act like it—and live a blessed life."

After Jesus was crucified, buried, raised to life, ascended into heaven, and seated at the right hand of God, the Apostle Paul, while a prisoner in Rome, wrote believers in Colosse: "Servants, do what you're told by your earthly masters. And don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best work. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ."

Beloved, whatever you do today, don't hold back! Follow Christ's pattern and serve one another from the heart with enthusiasm and excellence. And have a blessed life.

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43 and Counting

Senior prom, 1974

"I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me forever, for the good of them and their children after them." (Jeremiah 32:39)

 

Wedding Day

September 10, 1977

"As the Scriptures say: 'A man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.' This is a great mystery, but it is an illustration of the way Christ and the church are one. So again I say, each man must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband." (Ephesians 5:31-11)

Kennebunkport, Maine

2017

"Where you go I will go, where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God." (Ruth 1:16)

Sanibel Island

2018

"My beloved is mine and I am his." (Song of Solomon 2:16)

Phillip Glassco family

2019

Fish gotta swim, and birds gotta fly,

I'm gonna love that man till I die.

I can't help lovin' that man of mine! 1

Happy 43rd anniversary, superman!

1 CAN'T HELP LOVIN' DAT MAN, music by Jerome Kern, lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein, from the classic musical Show Boat, 1927. 

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Worth Repeating

our Ben and his "pet" Samantha
early 1990s

"But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent's cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ." (2 Corinthians 11:3)

Today's devotion by Pastor Larry Stockstill is such a valuable, powerful message for this time and season that it's worth repeating:

Paul warned the Corinthians about the subtlety of the one who came to Eve with a slight twist to the commandment of God. Satan tries to take the focus off the cross, the person of Jesus, the reality of sin, the need for repentance, and the certainty of hell. He tries instead to bring us another gospel, one that focuses on man's goodness, the equality of all religions, the nonessentiality of the blood of Jesus, and the ridiculousness of an eternal hell. All these variations of the Gospel sound good to the natural mind, but Paul recognized them as Satan's disguise for the true Gospel (2 Corinthians 11:13-15). 

Isaiah said, "Destruction is certain for those who say that evil is good and good is evil; that dark is light and light is dark; that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter" (Isaiah 5:20). Satan can call it what he likes, but sin is sin, God is pure, and hell is forever! 

[Beloved], stay simple in your sincere and pure devotion to the real Jesus.

 

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God's Goodness in Pandemic

Loretta, Wayne (my sister in-law and brother in-law), and Larry

"And we know that God causes everything to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28)

Because of covid, my Bible studies this fall are meeting online. Because we're meeting online, not only are ladies gathering from different campuses but also from different states and even foreign countries! 

God is always up to something good. Look for His goodness, beloved, and thank Him!

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Overflowing

grandboy and his waterfall
2013

"Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.'" (John 7:38)

I confess... 

I'm guilty of peeking at the ratings of my books on Amazon and the number of views on this blogspot.

I'm convicted...

after reading Oswald Chambers: "Our spiritual life cannot be measured by success as the world measures it, but only by what God pours through us—and we cannot measure that at all."

And a quote from the Sunday School Times: "And the way to let God do His work through us is to fully abide in Christ by faith that He fills to overflowing."

I repent...

and resolve through the help of the Holy Spirit to strip off every weight that slows me down and sins that trip me up, to run with endurance the race God has set before me, keeping my eyes on Jesus! (Hebrews 12:1-2)

I pray...

for you, beloved, to throw away the world's measuring sticks. Don't copy its ways. Let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect and overflowing! (Romans 12:2)

"The LORD will guide you continually, giving you water when you are dry and restoring your strength. You will be like a well-watered garden, like an ever-flowing spring." (Isaiah 58:11)

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Are You Praying for Them?

grandkids
2011

"But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For He gives sunlight to both the evil and the good, and He sends rain on the just and the unjust alike." (Matthew 5:44-45)

Today's politics sometimes makes my boys hoppin' mad. "Pure evil!" one said. My reply is always the same, "Are you praying for them?"

Beloved, shall we pray?

Lord Jesus, thank you for opening the way to God's throne of grace and inviting us to come with boldness to find help and mercy in time of need. 

Father God, we pray for the political leaders and candidates of our nation, both the Democrats and the Republicans. O Lord, save the unsaved, and the ones who are saved but still milk babies, make them meat-eaters—strong and fully fledged in Your word of truth, leaving the elementary teachings about Christ and pressing on to maturity. 

Bring a godly sorrow to all of our hearts that leads to repentance and restoration. Return our nation to fear of the Lord and obedience to Your voice, honoring You in all we think and say and do. 

Father God, all things are possibly for You. Bring unity between these deeply divided parties. Make our nation once again one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

May Your Kingdom come and You will be done on earth as it is in heaven. To You be the glory and honor and power and majesty forever and ever. In Jesus' name, Amen and amen!

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Selah

upper DeSoto Falls
Lookout Mountain, Mentone, Alabama

"I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you up from the land of Egypt; open your mouth wide and I will fill it." (Psalm 81:10)


Psalm 81, a festival song written by Asaph [a skilled poet and musician and one of the Levites assigned by King David as worship leader in the tabernacle choir (1 Chronicles 16:5)], tells God's story of His delivering Israel from Egypt yet their refusal to listen to and obey their God:

"I relieved his shoulder of the burden,

His hands were freed from the basket.

'You called in trouble and I rescued you;

I answered you in the hiding place of thunder;

I proved you at the waters of Meribah.' Selah.

'Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you;

O Israel, if you would listen to Me!

Let there be no strange god among you;

Nor shall you worship any foreign god.

I, the LORD, am your God,

Who brought you up from the land of Egypt;

Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.'

'But My people did not listen to My voice,

And Israel did not obey Me.

So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart,

To walk in their own devices.

Oh that My people would listen to Me,

That Israel would walk in My ways!'"

When we're waiting on God to answer our prayers, beloved, perhaps our good and generous God is actually waiting on us to listen and obey. Selah.

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Surprise!

my brother Mark and Marie

"She was well-known for doing good and helping out." (Acts 9:36 The Message)

Last week, our ninety-two-year-old friend, Marie, threw my brother, Mark, a surprise pizza-and-cheesecake birthday party in her backyard. (I wanna be like Marie when I grow up—joyful and spunky!)

Got your smile on today, beloved?

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