Inspiration and Prayers – Page 4

Category: Inspiration and Prayers

You’re on my list!

If your a Seinfeld fan, which I am, you may recall the episode when Jerry and Elaine make rental car reservations. When they arrived at the ticket counter the attendant tells them that they didn’t hold their reservation. Jerry begins the process of explaining to the counter attendant the meaning of a reservation.

Watch…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7uvttu8ct0&feature=player_embedded

I think this is a great example of customer service these days, but only Jerry makes it funny.

I also think this is sometimes a good example of prayer life.

Do you ever ask someone to pray for you?

Do people ask you to pray for them?

What an honor to pray for someone and have someone pray for you!! I feel like it is really the most powerful thing we can do for someone. And to ask someone to pray for you puts one in an amazing place of humility and according to Scripture…God loves a humble heart!!

I have to be honest when i tell you…I’m finally starting to get this. Used to be when someone asked me to pray for them, i would say i would but quickly i would forget them when it came to prayer time. I used to think that to actually ask someone to pray for me would be a sign of weakness, you know…I’ve got it covered don’t bother…even when i needed the prayer badly.

I have actually had someone say to me “don’t pray for me, pray for yourself!” after telling them i would pray for them. Maybe they sensed it was just something i was just giving lip service to.

Just like the lady at the ticket counter! Anyone can just say they will pray!

God has really convicted me on this. After all, when you say your gonna pray for someone they are taking you at your word…that you’re going to pray for them. And how prideful of me to not want or ask for prayer. What a gift…it is a prayer!! I need prayer (feel free to pray for me anytime friends)!

1 Thessalonians 1:2-5

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,4 knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you; 5 for our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.

One thing that has helped me to “keep the reservation” is to make a prayer list. It is very special to me to write someones name on that list. You’re on my list! It helps to keep me focused, really it is my prayer to-do list:)

Do you have a prayer list?
If so…could you add me to it?!

Just a reminder that i will be back soon (hopefully Friday) to post about the Alcohol Inked Tiles.

I think you will so enjoy these inks!!

Floods and Fires…

Through floods and fires…He has you right where you need to be.
Through sickness and abandonment…He’s got that too.
Loss, pain, and sacrifice…Jesus knows every bit of how that feels.
It is the test of the true witness that can stand the trials of life and still love our Father…still praise and trust Him.

Thank you to all the Godly women who have been sharing their trials with such great love and gratitude.
You are a reflection of Jesus to the world. May God use this trial to bring you closer to His Son, Jesus Christ. Amen

Welcome Change

Change, transformation, conversion, shift, turn-over, revolution, turn….

No matter how you say it or when it happens…it is simply a part of life.

AND I LOVE IT!!

As the leaves start to turn the rich colors of red and yellow i feel excitement. I feel prepared for the changes that God is handing me and my family these days. Trust me, I’m never prepared! I’m more of a roll with the punches kind of girl so this is very uncharted territory.

Lately I have this spirit of courage and TRUST.

I feel like God has me at the brink of something great and I’m ready to ~~step~~ dive off the edge into the unknown.

Feeling so used up and tired earlier this month really turned out to be a Blessing. It allowed me the time to rest and renew my spirit in HIM so that i could feel the fullness and the beauty of the path unfolding before me.

Are you are experiencing a beautiful transformation in your lives or are you in the ‘Be still and know that I am God’ mode?

Either way, each and everyone of us deserves to be the best we can be!

I believe in you!!
He believes in you!!

“The key to change… is to let go of fear.”

Rosanne Cash

The Indiana State Fair Tragedy and Memories

It has taken me two whole days to put this post together as I have gone back and forth about should i publish this or not. Please understand that I have chosen to focus on the wonderful family times to be had at the fair due to all the controversy about who is to blame for the tragedy that took place on Aug.13th. After much prayer i feel it would honor the victims more to focus on love rather than blame. Thank you in advance for your understanding.

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Indiana State Fair Memories

Lot’s and Lot’s to do at the Indiana State Fair…

Can’t forget the Midway rides!

The TREATS!!

The wonderful people who work at the State Fair year after year…

The familiar and welcoming sights that let you know you are at the Indiana State Fair.

And of course the music and special events…

Mercy Me and Third Day Aug. 10th 2011…I’m becoming a Gomer:)

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As I’m sure many of you have recently seen on the news, a terrible tragedy stuck my Indianapolis In. community this weekend. 5 people lost their lives and, as of this morning, 18 people still remain in the hospital, many in critical condition.

These are the photos i took of the memorial, outside the collapsed Grandstand 2 days after the accident.

Please lift up Indiana in prayer, especially praying for the victims who lost their lives on Aug.13th, the injured, the families of the victims, the people who rushed to aid those hurt during the event, those that witnessed first hand the accident and the people who work for the Indiana State Fair in all capacities.

May God grant them all healing, grace, and forgiveness.

****Please be aware that the footage below is disturbing and shows the collapse of the Grandstand stage on Aug. 13th 2011.

Life is short…God be with us all.

Renewed by TRUST & Collaborating ART

Feeling so much better these last few weeks as I’ve taken time to really fill up again. Crazy how quickly life can take a toll on our spirit. I really just needed to get out of myself for a bit and focus on my Blessings. God has me in some challenging places right now and I have to lean on Him and TRUST. Like i’ve said before, this is a process for me and trust doesn’t come easy. It’s hard work emotionally and spiritually. But it’s good work and it’s good for me to be tired from it:) The Lord continues to humble me and put me in places where I have to trust Him. I need you Lord and i thank you for your faithfulness.

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A few weeks back I held a workshop called “Pass Me the Canvas”. I had this on my schedule for 6 months and had been anxiously awaiting the nights that 7 brave artist would spend two evenings playing the artistic version of musical chairs. This creative exercise allowed each artist to tap into the deepest part of their creative spirit and challenge themselves to just TRUST the artist within.

I began the workshop with a relaxing meditation, full of positive affirmations, that would help to free us from any strongholds and lies we may listen to.

Here is part of the meditation…

“When we pull back the layers of our TRUE SELF and bring LIGHT into DARK, hidden places inside us, then we will begin to know who we really are inside.

Expose the gentle child inside yourself…the trusting, vulnerable child.

Share her tonight with us.”

After the meditation i had artist choose a pattern, color palette, and inspirational word to guide the collaboration of each artist. I also had artist write out nouns that they thought would inspire the progression of their artwork. Of course I chose nouns like bird, circles, flower, and nature. I chose my inspirational word by closing my eyes and TRUSTING God to pick for me…He picked the word Beauty .

Next, i asked each artist to write out their fear about coming to the workshop and this took an additional dose of humility.

Then we began the music and spent the first evening building our background by using mixed media supplies and lots of TRUST. We passed the canvas every 35 minutes for a total of 3 rotations.

Here is some of the amazing backgrounds creating the first night…

The next night we passed the canvas for three,15 minute rotations to complete the circle of artist. This allowed each artist to work on every canvas.

The backgrounds were complete and each canvas had a ton of depth and color.

For the final hour of the workshop the artwork found it’s way home to it’s inspiration and true owner. Artist then added the final touches to their collaborated art. I assisted artist in their final hour so i haven’t finished my piece yet but will post it as soon as it is done.

Here are some of of the finished pieces…

I think we were all surprised and pleased with the final outcome of our artwork. It was a journey as we stepped out of our comfort zone; it took a lot of TRUST. I was inspired by the strength of the other artist who attended the workshop. Thank you BRAVE GIRLS!!

We all experienced humility, creativity, and TRUST and the workshop turned out to be more than i could have ever dreamed.

Gotta be a lesson for me somewhere in that!

All Puckered OUT!

I just love this picture!!

This week, as we near the end of summer, i find myself feeling like this little guy. Just plain tired, all puckered out! Writing this, admitting that i’m tired, causes me to feel a little embarrassed. WHY?! Are we not allowed to feel tired and want rest? My Mom and Grandma are always telling me to slow down, that I take on too much. Truly I enjoy biting off more then i can chew but sometimes I feel disappointed when i don’t accomplish all i set out to do.

Do you ever feel like this?

In February of this year, I turned 40. My husband planned a amazing surprise party and my mom, knowing i love birds, made me this BIRTHDAY TREE.

She had all the special people that came to the party, sign the back of these beautiful birds she made. I have placed the tree right nest to my bedside and it is a great daily reminder to me of where i’ve been and where i want to go.

As I read the words of encouragement and love from my friends and family, it renews my spirit.

I do this often.

I have also place name tags which I have recieved from various events i have attended this year on the tree.

As i look again at the sweet little bird in the nest, i am reminded that I’m growing. I’m not where i was last year or even yesterday. I am not stuck or bored and believe me, i know what that feels like.

I’m growing and this takes hard work sometimes.

I’m gonna take it easy this week…on myself and those i love.

Join me?

Happiness

I really want to like this quote, in fact i want to love it, maybe even live it! But, as I really let it sink in, it falls in the same place as “ignorance is bliss” and “what you don’t know won’t hurt you” and i’m not sure i like where that path is going.

Some things, i feel i need to go deep with. I need to set boundaries in my life and have the integrity and self control to live within these boundaries. I think that takes wisdom and maturity. I think that takes time.

I can have knowledge and still not be wise.

Wisdom is different than knowledge.

According to our dear friend WEBSTER wisdom means….

1.The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment; the quality of being wise

2.The soundness of an action or decision with regard to the application of such

experience, knowledge, and good judgment

3.The body of knowledge and principles that develops within a specified society or period

I like number two. I like the word soundness which could also mean faith or peace.

I can’t help but think about Galatians 5:22-23 in the bible…. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Where is the word HAPPINESS? Actually the Bible doesn’t use the word HAPPINESS often and when it does it usually refers to serving others to give them happiness, not gain it for ourself.

So back to the question? Is it better to be HAPPY or WISE? Can we both both??

I would love to know your thoughts on this.

As usual, i didn’t intend to get so deep!

Linking up with the sisters today…

The Day of Forgiveness

My Dad and Daughter

As a little girl I was never close with my earthly Father. My parents divorced when I was 2 and i simply didn’t know the man I called Dad. Unfortunately I spent many years bound in resentment and bitterness over this. I felt unloveable and my bad choices through my teens and early twenties just added fuel to that fire. I blamed way too much on a man who I believe today did the best he could to love me. Today holds a dear place in my heart for so many reasons, it marks the one year anniversary of the day I forgave my Dad. Sitting in church a year ago today, God’s mercy washed over my heart and He gave me His eyes to see my Dad as He does and here’s how i see my Dad today…

generous, funny, down to earth, a great cook, wonderful smile, creative, broken, hurting, and loves me and my family so dearly.

Last week I recieved a letter from my Dad saying all the words I had wished for so long he would say to me, almost a year to the date of my forgiving him. The amazing thing about that letter is I didn’t feel how I thought I would feel about recieving it. I thought it would make me feel some how justified in my pain for all those years, kinda like I deserved to feel like that…bitter and angry. But it didn’t make me feel deserving at all, it made me feel just the opposite, it made me feel unworthy of God’s mercy and it made me feel sad for my Dad not having a friendship with Jesus. God calls us all to be OAKS OF RIGHTOUSNESS, A SPLENDER FOR HIS GLORY and I knew in my unforgiveness i had not been that for God. He asks us to forgive our enemies and here I held onto unforgiveness like a security blanket.

As I sat in church today, filled with gratitude, all I could think of was my Dad and just how much God loves us all. I thought about how God has filled me up so completely that, in Him, I have been made new and His mercy gives me beauty for my ashes. And I thought about God’s generosity to me, giving me my Husband, my Priest, and my Father in Law. I no longer have an absent dad…I have FIVE FATHERS! God is Good!

My Husband, my Best Friend

The man who taught me love, patience, and trust. You are my Heaven on Earth! I admire, respect, and adore you and the kind Father you are to our babies. I have learned so much from you, love of my life. xo

I’m always amazed at what comes out of me on this little blog of mine. I never mean to go deep yet somehow I always end up here. My prayer for you, if you are holding onto unforgivness in any way, is that you would lay it at the feet of Jesus. That He would do for you what He did for me…. give you His eyes so that you could see your enemy that way God does….broken.

“Unforgiveness takes delight in our fear, as it binds our wings and pushes us off the cliff of dispair.”

Come back this week to play “Guess Where”, my silly version of Where’s Waldo and win a fun prize:)

Linking up with Jen and my sisters at http://findingheaventoday.blogspot.com/, stop on over.

Love Song – Adele

Close your eyes….breath deep….look into the eyes of your Lord as He reaches His hand out to you…take it.

whenever i’m alone with you
you make me feel like i am home again
whenever i’m alone with you
you make me feel like i am whole again
whenever i’m alone with you
you make me feel like i am young again
whenever i’m alone with you
you make me feel like i am fun again
however far away
i will always love you
however long i stay
i will always love you
whatever words i say
i will always love you
i will always love you
whenever i’m alone with you
you make me feel like i am free again
whenever i’m alone with you
you make me feel like i am clean again
however far away
i will always love you
however long i stay
i will always love you
whatever words i say
i will always love you
i will always love you
lyrics by The Cure. (fitting because yes He is…The Cure:)

Isaiah 61:1-3
“The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed, to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and release to the prisoners; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to provide for those who mourn in Zion — to give them a garland instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the mantle of praise instead of a faint spirit. They will be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, to display his glory.”

Oh how He loves us!

GOOD Friday

So they took Jesus, and, carrying the cross Himself, He went out to what is called the Place of the Skull, in Hebrew, Golgotha.

There they crucified him, and with two others, one on either side,

with Jesus in the middle.

John 19:16-18

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Oh Jesus,

For the sake of your sorrowful Passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.

For all those who are struggling, hurting, or battling something, let them surrender to your Holy will. Help them to know that they are being brought closer to you and your suffering on the cross. Your way is perfection, your love is perfection. As we arrive at our destination, the foot of the cross, let us look up and be grateful for your sacrifice. Help us to submerge ourselves in your Holy perfect Love, May we share your Name with all that we encounter.

In His name,

Amen

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