Category: Faith

Posted on in Challenge, Faith, Family, Just do it, Listen, Obedience, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Spiritual growth, Thanks, Trust, Worship

Prayer for Others

I have been trying to compile a booklet of my writings to publish regarding prayer. I suddenly realized I did not have enough about intercession – praying for others. You are now my guinea pigs as I put these ideas out there first to you!

The dictionary says intercession is offering petitionary prayer to God on behalf of others. Also, acting as a mediator or standing in the gap before God on behalf of another. How often do you go to God on behalf of others? Is there an awkward feeling when someone asks you to pray for them?

Just like other forms of prayer, intercession takes some practice and should never actually feel comfortable. No one can assume to have the mind of Christ in its entirety. However, there are times when we glimpse the glory and power of our Savior. Intercessory prayer is asking for that intervention and movement of God in a given situation.

We ought never to forget that we have a Lord who is also our High Priest, and that this Priest is able to empathize with our weaknesses.*1  Knowing this High Priest, we can learn to come boldly to the throne of grace to find mercy and grace in time of need. Believing and practicing these verses can teach us to trust that we are heard when we pray and that the Lord cares about the needs of His people.

How to begin? Imagine someone brings a request to you. As an intercessor, you are required to listen closely when someone brings a request. Do not assume you know what they are asking for. After listening, start by clarifying what the person is asking for. It is perfectly fine to state something like “ I think I heard you say….” and then repeat back to the person their request.

Prayer does not change God’s mind, but it changes us. With every request there should be in us a yieldedness of being willing to accept that His ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.*2  The answer from on high might actually be different than what the person requests. We trust the highest and best God has to offer will come as we open ourselves to invite God into the situation. Stating as part of your prayer “Your Kingdom come; Your will be done” is always appropriate. This shows our willingness to come under the rule and reign of Christ.

One of the best teachers I ever heard on prayer demonstrated to his congregation how to put the method into practice. So here goes my attempt. Judy comes to you asking prayer for Aunt Lucy. Aunt Lucy is slipping mentally and has a diagnosis of Alzheimer’s or Dementia. Judy tells you the family is upset and does not know what to do with her. Take a deep breath and slowly exhale. Wait upon God for direction. Listen for that still small voice perhaps giving you instruction, and then begin to pray, slowly and calmly.

“Father, we come into Your Presence with praise and thanksgiving that You are Who You are and You love us just as we are. We lift Aunt Lucy to You now. You know what the doctors have determined about her current state. We ask that You step into the situation and give Lucy and her family Your peace and comfort. Lucy must be frightened by all of this. Help her to cling to You and to trust You.

“Her family is bewildered by the changes that have come over her. Give them patience and wisdom as they deal with this current state of affairs. Guide and direct the decisions they must make on her behalf. You are the God of all comfort, and we come to You seeking Your highest and best in this situation of change and loss. Help each person adapt with Your grace and mercy to what is going on. Your kingdom come, Your will be done in these situations Lord. We look for You to manifest yourself in these various situations. And as You bring these things to pass, we will be careful to give you all of the glory. We ask all of this in the mighty Name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.”

Sit with the person for a moment and ask if there is anything else on their heart. Often your prayer will stir up something else they forgot to mention that is bothering them. If they share something take it right then to the Lord in prayer. Be certain to assure the person regarding confidentiality. We have a mandate on ourselves to lift others in prayer, but not to gossip about their needs.

I have had people mention that they could never be intercessors assuming they would just worry all the time about what happens to the person after they pray. We must learn that when someone brings a request that the request gets lifted to God and we are to leave it on the altar for the Trinity to deal with. We were never meant to carry the burdens of the world. Listen. Pray. Release. Move on.

If the Holy Spirit brings the situation to your remembrance, again then listen, pray, release. There have been a few times when the Lord wants me to pray and keep on praying. Believe me, if that situation occurs the Holy Spirit will not let me forget the instructions to continue! The Holy Spirit has been called the Hound of Heaven. The persistence of this Mighty One cannot be understated.

Intercession requires trust and faith. Trust that God is truly in charge, and we are not. We are called as intercessors to comfort the people of God.  Hebrews 11:6 say, “And without faith it is impossible to please him. For whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.” We have faith that God exists and God rewards those who seek Him. We do not dictate how God must answer but we hold as true the fact that God will answer .

Pray on!

*1 Hebrews 4:14-15 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 

*2  Isaiah 55:8-9 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.  9 “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Book quotes, Faith, Listen, Nature, Thanks

Where You Live

Do you know where you live like this man does? I am always astounded when I learn that others around me are unaware of the bounty we are blessed with right in our neighborhood, county, state. As I age I seek to know more about the things around where I live. I think the quote below shows tremendous wisdom!

The earth is a living thing. Mountains speak, trees sing, lakes can think, pebbles have a soul, rocks have power.

HENRY CROW DOG

By wisdom the Lord founded the earth;
    by understanding he created the heavens.
20 By his knowledge the deep fountains of the earth burst forth,
    and the dew settles beneath the night sky. Proverbs 3:19-20 NLT

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Challenge, Faith, Memories, Nature, Praise, Special Event, Thanks

My Treasure

The blog is entitled Treasures in Plain Sight. This day I found mine among many other treasures at Treasure Island, Florida.

(See the red pin on the map above.) Driving along the beaches in Florida, we found a nice place to park and walk the beach without too much exertion. There was a little boardwalk and then acres of flat sand to the water. Again, not many shells there. This was a wonderful sand sculpture someone had made.

We delighted in the sharks around the sculpture!

As you can see the day was glorious with sunshine, though seriously closer to summer temperatures  than what we had left in Ohio.  We walked to the water’s edge and back to the parking lot. While Bob used the facilities, I waited watching the crowd from a little ramp.

We had already seen damage from the recent hurricanes. I was  a little surprised to see one palm tree that was stripped of all foliage strapped to another thriving palm tree. And then, BOOM!, it caught my eye. A little green bird. As I watched it went into a nesting hole in the seemingly dead palm tree. Then out again, to perch right there.

Yes, the young lady is lovely, but so is the tiny bright green bird!

I found it online and here are the details from Audubon.

The https://www.audubon.org/field-guide/bird/nanday-parakeet site says: Recognized by its black head (and formerly called Black-hooded Parakeet), this species was originally found in the central interior of South America, from southern Brazil to northern Argentina. It has been popular in the cage bird trade, and Nanday Parakeets escaped from captivity have established large feral populations around Los Angeles, in the Tampa Bay area of Florida, and along Florida’s southeastern coast. Smaller numbers are seen elsewhere, including other parts of Florida and near Phoenix, Arizona.

Of course, I always love a close up!!

What a treasure! I wanted to tell the lovely young lady about it, but then her boyfriend joined her and they were gone! For the remainder of the vacation anytime I saw a palm trunk without foliage I was on the lookout for the Nanday! Was not gifted to see another one. There was mighty praise to the Father for allowing me to see that one single bird! It literally made my day!

“You are worthy, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
    and by your will they existed and were created.” Revelation 4:11 NRSVUE

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Just do it, Nature

Determined and Deterred

Digging at the base of the oak tree, I was determined to remove the large, lush chickweed plants before they went to seed. With garden gloves, a bucket and trowel I was methodically removing the four inch tall foliage. Mostly the roots were very loose. A few were deep. Then I moved the decorative stone and realized it was crawling with ants. Lots and lots of ants. I went to the garage as I remembered seeing a spice bottle of cinnamon there. I had read ants dislike cinnamon. I took it back to the base of the tree and found it was still tightly sealed.

Drats! Could not get it open. Back to garage to find scissors or something sharp. Took off the gardening glove. At some point I noticed blood. Lots of blood from my right index fingertip. Put my glove back on and continued digging weeds out and sprinkling not one but two ant colonies with cinnamon.

By the time I finished and put my tools and gloves away I had quite a messy bloody nail. In the house I scrubbed with soap and the cut continued to bleed. Used Band-aids, antibiotic ointment both then and overnight. There is a cut in my fingertip.

This morning the cut is still tender and wants to seep blood. It will be tough going to type with the fingertip so sore! (Ha! You will likely find many more typos than usual!) The other nine will need to come to the rescue!! The tree does look better though without the chickweed crop! The ants were still thriving there this morning. What? They never heard about disliking cinnamon?

Go to the ant, you lazybones; {KJV you sluggard}
    consider its ways and be wise.
7 Without having any chief
    or officer or ruler,
8 it prepares its food in summer
    and gathers its sustenance in harvest. Proverbs 6:6-8 NRSVUE

Posted on in Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Focus, Obedience, Prayer, Spiritual discipline, Surrender, Yield

March 25 Amy

Amy Carmichael quote again.

Proverbs 10:29: The way of the Lord is strength to the upright.

If by the grace of God my heart is set on uprightness, then I may count on the fulfillment of this word. It holds, however one turns it. Is my way beset by temptation? God is faithful, who will not suffer me to be tempted above that I am able to bear, that way of the Lord, therefore, is strength, not weakness or defeat. Do things happen that are shattering to the human in me? “He shall be the stability of thy times.”

5 The Lord is exalted; he dwells on high;
    he filled Zion with justice and righteousness;
6 he will be the stability of your times,
    abundance of salvation, wisdom, and knowledge;
    the fear of the Lord is Zion’s treasure Isa 33:5-6

This verse was given to me a few days ago, and I pass it on with joy. There is then no need for us to be shaken and unstable. Is my way clouded? “The Lord shall be a light unto me,” so that I can go on in strength.
Never once in Scripture do we find weakness expected in the Christian. There is provision for strength: “the way of the Lord is strength.” He who is our Way is Strength, the joy of the Lord is our strength. May God give it to us to hate the “I can’t help it” of the weakling. May He make us strong.
1 Cor. 10:13, Isa. 33:6 Darby, Mic. 7:8, Nehemiah 8:10

I read this while praying for my friends Betty and Kathy. One needs strength and joy as she deals with unrelenting, recurring pain. The other has a serious illness and also a husband who needs much care. Amy wrote, “the way of the Lord is strength.” Oh, Lord, we each need Your strength in so very many ways. Give us that strength always, we pray.

If I am falling into lack of strength I often have to reset my attitude, re-frame my experience in line with God’s way. The way of the Lord is strength. Help me find the best attitude and vision for my walk through You, Christ Jesus. Come, Holy Spirit, I need You now.

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Faith, Nature

This Year

I am trying to outwit the deer this year. The last couple years they have mowed the struggling tulips to the ground before any flowers appeared. They also took out the bluebells I had high hopes for.

This year I went to the dollar store and bought Irish Spring soap which they are reported to dislike. I poked a hole in the bars and put fishing line through them. I also got extra “shepherd’s hooks” for the yard. I hung the soap over the bluebells and over the tulips.

When we got home from Florida I realized the rain water had been flowing over the soap and was dripping directly on the Bluebells. I waded through our swampy yard and moved it. There has been such a tremendous amount of rain that the bars of soap are splitting into layers!

They deer however have not made a meal of bluebells!

Just one plant!

And though likely underfed and stunted by years of abuse – tulip is up!

I will also see if the rose bush the deer chomped on last year comes back. If it does, it too will be adorned with soap near it!

Posted on in Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Just do it, Listen, Rest, Thanks, Yield

If

I am almost always moved by the various quotes I receive in my email each day. I love this insight of Howard Thurman. Wikipedia says: Howard Washington Thurman (November 18, 1899 – April 10, 1981) was an American author, philosopher, theologian, Christian mystic, educator, and civil rights leader.

In the stillness of the quiet, if we listen, we can hear the whisper in the heart giving strength to weakness, courage to fear, hope to despair.

HOWARD THURMAN

This was one wise man. How often do we listen in the stillness of the quiet?

Reading a novel last night I came across this quote. “Sometimes it was good to kick his brain into neutral and just exist.” Neutral like watch the dog eat, hear the spring peepers. Listen to the rain. Hear water gurgle and grumble in the downspout. Smile at the sunshine today.

Richard Rohr quotes a priest as having taught him just to look. Don’t think. Just look.

Practice this today. See where you land. Try it several times throughout the day. Make it a sacrifice of praise to God. Letting the Holy One have the action, the dialogue, directing your eyes and thoughts.

It is an amazing practice IF we will listen and just look. The stillness of the quiet. Dropping our inner chatter.

Stillness of the quiet. Wait. Look.

Posted on in Amazing Creations, Book quotes, Faith, Humor, Nature, Special Event, Traveling

Falingos

Many years ago when we went with our family to the beach for the first time our oldest Grandgirl at a tender preschool age called flamingos, “Falingos.” On our recent trip to Florida we visited the Sunken Gardens and saw “Falingos!” Of course, I had to text and remind her of the name she chose for these weird, unusual birds.

Once I heard that they have their coral coloring from the shrimp that they eat. “For flamingos, carotenoids are consumed through their primary food sources—algae and small crustaceans such as brine shrimp. Once ingested, these pigments are broken down by enzymes in the flamingo’s liver and absorbed into fats that are later deposited into their feathers, skin, and even their beaks.” https://learnbirdwatching.com/why-are-flamingos-pink/

I would call the birds we saw a medium pink. Not the vibrant they showed on the website above.

Our first view of the flamingos

In “Alice in Wonderland,” the flamingos were used as mallets in a game of flamingo croquet. The Queen of Hearts ordered her subjects to use the live flamingos as mallets. This certainly slanted my opinion of the flamingos as we walked through the gardens.

Finally we came upon a closer view of them. At first they all seemed to have their heads under the water. Diving they sort of resembled frozen pink turkeys! Waiting and biding my time I finally I got a better photo of them.

We enjoyed the gardens. The many tropical flowers reminded us of our trip to the gardens in Hawaii. The pond where the birds were located attached to a running stream throughout the gardens. At one place, I noticed a flamingo feather floating the water. It was away from where the birds were. I SO wanted that feather, but it was too far in the water for me to reach over the plants and retrieve it.

As we moseyed along taking photos admiring the “angel trumpet flower” (Brugmansia) which we had seen in California I was delighted to find it in more colors than we previously had seen! Not just yellow, but pink and white, too!

And rounding a bend I saw it! The lovely flamingo feather that wanted to travel to Ohio with me!

It was soaking wet, but floating where I could easily reach it. Retrieve it I did! First I tried to put it inside my sunhat, but it poked through. So I simply wrapped it in our folder about the Gardens and took it home. I had to think a bit when we returned to Ohio about how the folder got all wet!

Yep, she is one of my very best souvenirs! Thanks, Lord, for helping me see and retrieve it!

Posted on in Challenge, Cooking, Faith, Music, Praise, Thanks, Traveling

Home Again

Unpacked. Mail read. Laundry still whirling in the machines. inches and inches of rain. More spring birds than before we departed. Went to church Sunday morning and reconnected with our loved friends there.

Then joy arose as I cooked Sunday after dinner with worship music playing and me singing to the Lord on high, the Christ within. One neighbor recently lost his wife to Alzheimer’s. I told him when we returned I would bring him food. He has lost so much weight. Joy at being home. Joy at being able to provide for another. The joy of the Lord is my strength!

Nehemiah said, “Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is holy to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Nehemiah 8:10 NIV

Huh! I knew the part about the joy of the Lord is your strength. I forgot the part about sending to food to those who have nothing prepared. God surprises me SO often! What a delight our God is.

The break from routine going to Florida was fine. The motel room more than livable. The bed so high off the ground that I practically fell out the first night.

Eventually we longed for our home with better lighting. Our usual surroundings. Our familiar abode. Our bed. Our own pillows. Even the dog who was suffering through continuous thunderstorms. (Actually, she was sleeping in bed with our Grandgirl and getting spoiled rotten!)

And now we are here. And we both hope to thrive more for the respite from routine, even as we participate in the routines again. I have so much work to do to edit selections for a booklet on prayer. I was able to set it aside for the duration of the trip. Now I need to figure out how to rearrange my schedule to accommodate editing and contacting the newly hired editor.

So if I miss a few days posting to this blog I hope you will understand and will be praying for me?

We found a very few shells. Enjoyed the breeze off the ocean tremendously!

Posted on in Book quotes, Challenge, Faith, Obedience

Proposed Baptismal Covenant Additions

The Episcopal Church has a process whereby things are added to parts of the Prayer Book. The Baptismal Covenant is under review right now. (I won’t try to elaborate on the process that goes through General Convention, etc.) These following statements are being considered for inclusion in the Covenant.

  • Will you strive for justice and peace among all, and respect the dignity of the Earth and of every human being?
    • I will with God’s Help
  • Will you strive to safeguard the integrity of God’s creation, and respect, sustain and renew the life of the Earth?
    • I will with God’s Help

I think those are terrific statements to make, especially if we hold to them dearly as we do the other statements.

The Book of Common Prayer Pages 304-305

Read these prayerfully, perhaps renewing your commitment to faith in God.

CelebrantDo you believe in God the Father?
PeopleI believe in God, the Father almighty,
    creator of heaven and earth.
 
CelebrantDo you believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God?
PeopleI believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
    He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
        and born of the Virgin Mary.
    He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
        was crucified, died, and was buried.
    He descended to the dead.
    On the third day he rose again.
    He ascended into heaven,
        and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
    He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
 
CelebrantDo you believe in God the Holy Spirit?
PeopleI believe in the Holy Spirit,
    the holy catholic Church,
    the communion of saints,
    the forgiveness of sins,
    the resurrection of the body,
    and the life everlasting.
 
CelebrantWill you continue in the apostles’ teaching and
fellowship, in the breaking of the bread, and in the
prayers?
PeopleI will, with God’s help.
 
CelebrantWill you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever
you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
PeopleI will, with God’s help.
CelebrantWill you persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever
you fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord?
PeopleI will, with God’s help.

304    Holy Baptism

CelebrantWill you proclaim by word and example the Good
News of God in Christ?
PeopleI will, with God’s help.
 
CelebrantWill you seek and serve Christ in all persons, loving
your neighbor as yourself?
PeopleI will, with God’s help.
 
CelebrantWill you strive for justice and peace among all
people, and respect the dignity of every human
being?
PeopleI will, with God’s help.

I pray these are things that you also hold to in your faith walk.