The World is Hurting

It has been a crazy week of news.  From the debt crisis looming in Washington DC, to the slaughter of innocent children in Norway and even the single death of a musician haunted by addiction, these are incident that are happening in frequency and intensity.  It is headlines like this that drive me to seek wisdom from my Lord, who is the only One who can guide me.

All around the world, there are violent acts against women taking place that are considered culturally acceptable.  Every day, women are dying in childbirth from preventable causes or women are killing their infant daughters because in their culture, girls do not have value.  This is not acceptable to me.  And most of it can be turned around through education, which leads to a cultural shift in how women are treated.

In other areas, girls are trafficked across state lines here in the US and international borders. Young girls aged 12 or younger to young women.  Simple economy drives this market.  Where there is demand, there will be a supply.  Supply gets low, prices go up.  Plenty of supply drives the price down.  The demand side must be addressed in order to stop this horrendous crime.  If there isn't a demand, then a supply will not be needed.

My heart aches for those who are suffering, and I am certain it grieves our Lord who commands his followers to do justice for those who cannot get justice for themselves.  Prayer must be a part of the solution.  Pray to intercede for these victims, and seek how you can help those who have suffered injustices.

Time

Wow!  I can't believe it has been five months since I last posted an update.  Life has had me busy doing instead of being.

Praise God for anwered prayer in many areas of my life.  Family, work and relationships all seem to be doing pretty well.  Does that mean I have arrived? Well, since I wasn't raptured on the 21st, apparently not.  Speaking of which, we must pray for those who lost sight of the truth and swallowed a lie.  Pray that our merciful Lord will restore them to truth.  We must be gentle and not mock those who stepped off the path for the reality may prove too much and send them into depression or other mental ailments that could destroy their faith.

In SE MI, there is a massive outerach effort happening right now called EACH - everyone a chance to hear.  My heart has been broken for the lost since the day of my salvation.  I have not always heard the whisper of God prompting me to share Christ with someone mostly because I was too absorbed with my own problems and for that I am sorry.  Are you praying for your community?  Your neighbors?   Your co-workers?  They need you!

Pastor Camping may have been wrong on the date our Lord will return, but Jesus WILL return and we will have to give an account of the life that He so freely gave us. 

Stay strong in the faith, and know that you are loved. ><>

Praying for the lost

It is becoming more and more difficult to carve out specific time for prayer.  I find myself praying on the fly, which means that I am not quiet in my spirit and not able to receive fully what God has for me.  I don't like to make New Year's Resolutions, but maybe in this case it may help push me to find "alone" time with the one I love.  His word encourages me to do that, but I need help accomplishing this.

One area I have dedicated time to (even on the fly) is praying for a giant outreach that will take place around Easter of 2011.  It is called Everyone A Chance to Hear (EACH) and it involves around 300 churches in the metro Detroit area and beyond.  I am praying for revival, for protection of the leaders of the church involved, for more people to cover this undertaking with prayer, for God to soften people's hearts so they may receive His word and for unity among the Body.  I am praying for God's direction on what part He wants me to play, and for creativity to execute His plan.

If you are curious, look up http://www.eachtoday.com/ and see how you can get involved today~

In Christ,

Patti

Post Holiday Adjustment

It has been awhile since I've posted anything, but not for lack of anything to write, just a lack of time.  November was a whirlwind of activity and finding time to reflect on those things one is thankful for was difficult.  December was filled with good activity, and was less hectic.  My heart has been searching for answers to a situation within my family and they are not quick in coming.  There has been confirmation of what the problem is, but I need direction as to how to effectively deal with it.

It is time to do serious battle in the trenches of spiritual warfare.  If you are reading this, please pray for me.

Just a Few Thoughts About the Weather

I have to confess that I am a weather geek.  Big storms are an awesome display of power, and to keep it in perspective, it is only a smidgen compared to God's power.  Looking at storms of the past and learning how they were put together by certain conditions can be a lesson for us in our prayer life.

When I have not spent time in prayer or in God's Word, my perception of circumstances in my life can get a little off.  Add an unexpected event or crisis, and my perception becomes warped and my eyes look inside rather than up.  I begin to wonder if God has abandoned me.  The storm winds begin to push me off my foundation because I have not rooted myself in Him.

When I have been spending time in prayer and reading my Bible, then my perception is spot on and the biggest crisis will not uproot me because I am steeped in His promises for me.  The winds may blow and the rain may come, but I know from where my help comes from.

How about you?  Have you let the storms of life push you to and fro?

Blessings,

Patti

A Weekend in the Upper Penisula On Lake Superior

The weather was gloriously warm and sunny during the day and crisp and cold at night, but I would shiver all over again to fill my eyes with the beauty of God's creation.  Lake Superior, to me, is the best place on the planet.  I have travelled around the entire lake as well as around the country.  While every region has something that is striking and memorable, I am still drawn back to the greatest Great Lake, Lake Superior.

My family took advantage of the clear weather to travel 7 hours to the shores of Superior.  Our purpose was to spend time together and see the Painted Rocks, Tequahmenon Falls, Grand Marais and the gem of the north, Lake Superior.  We were not disappointed!  God showed us his splendorious glory in the moonless sky lit with millions of stars and visible planets and in the crashing of the waves upon the shore.  We were reminded that God put the stars in the sky and he knows them by name, and if he knows the stars he made, stars that are not alive or created in his image, how much more does he know us?  How much more does he love us?  How much more can we mean to him than we already do?

Which makes me pause to reflect on my heart - is my heart after God's own heart?  Not always, and for that I am ashamed.  My flesh rises above the calling of my Lord and I struggle with loving my neighbor, my spouse, my co-worker because my heart is not what it needs to be.  And that makes me pray for a new heart, a heart that seeks to love as God loves.

How about you?  How is your heart today?

In Christ,

P

Prayer is the Only Way to Know Jesus

Life has been a little bumpy lately.  My daughter claims she doesn't believe in God, my trip to Cedar Point ended with a concussion and my husband is still out looking for work.  There is a song that asks "where can I go but to the Lord?" And that is where I will go.  To the foot of the cross and seek my solace there.