Conversations, Reflections & Meditations


	Main Page \| My Articles for The Life Connection \| Prayers and Meditations \| Poetry Haida Gwaii Reflections \| Education & Home-School \| Family
Sign Guestbook \| View Guestbook Comments? Questions? [email protected]	Prayer topics Please Heal My Daughter's Mind and Spirit, Lord I'm The Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! My Armour For Fighting the Battle So Many Things About Me Need Changing Visiting With You, My Best Friend Job Burnout? Grant Me Joy In the Midst, Lord Please Heal My Daughter's Mind and Spirit, Lord Date: September 28, 2003 (Sitting on a bench at the park, next to the beach). Dear Lord Jesus, dear Lord God, dear Holy Spirit, Three-in-One Great God Eternal, my Father and Lord. You know all about today. You know about the letter I emailed to ____, and how I really felt You were in it, and that it was an outcome of the way Your prepared me through my life, and my relationship with You, and the classes at church, and ability - gift - of writing which You have granted me. And You know how gloriously blessed I was by the service this morning, by the music and by what the pastor said which backed up what I had written (by Your leading, I believe), in my email to ____. And You know how the sermon also prepared me for the disagreement this afternoon between my children. I thank You for Your Word, which was all I could offer my daughter. I thank You for Your love. I thank You that I could listen to my other daughter say ____ thinks I am a huge hypocrite. There is no doubt that he has good reason to say that, but Lord, that is quite long past, and those mistakes, even rebellions and self-will, have been forgiven by You, and it is time for me to leave the past behind and apply all the energy You give me day by day to the purposes for which You give it each day. You give what I need, not extra, and dwelling on the past only drains that energy and makes me ineffectual today. Lord, my daughter is hurting. She wishes to be away from us. Lord, this is a situation beyond my control. I give it to You. I ask You to work all things out to Your glory and Your purposes. Thank You that my other daughter has a friend and mentor in ____, whome she has gone to visit now. And that another of my daughters is trying to follow You again. I have no idea what to do; all I can do is turn this, too, over to You. Help her, Lord. Heal her mind and spirit, in Jesus' precious name. In all things, Lord, Your will be done. (later...) Well, now it is 7 pm and ___ is out somewhere convinced her family, at least some of them, hate her. And there is not a thing I can do. So take it over, Lord. It's all Yours. Amen. .... Let go of the past, stop the mud slinging, focus your eyes on Jesus, delight in God in all of your life. God makes beauty out of ashes, the oil of joy for mourning. Thessalonians (the Message): "God has put His hand on you for something special, something that God will do through you to impact the world - so people by following you will be imitating Jesus. You are the message and God is glorified." Return to the top I'm the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! Date: September 29, 2003 Today's reading in 2 Corinthians 5 is just amazing! We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus who died to reconcile us to God. What possible response can there be other than in return to be ambassadors for Christ, ministers of God's reconciliation! One day God will give us glorious new eternal bodies. How much greater it will be to be present with the Lord. Hallelujah! But today, here, we must tell others the good news of God's love and the gift of Christ whose death brings us life and reconciliation with God. Lord, You know I had a rough day at work today, and am kind of wondering if I am "up" for this job as I don't seem to be tall enough, strong enough, fast enough... even smart enough. And I have trouble hearing, and trouble remembering a bunch of details all at once. Someone today said, "___ (the lady who had this job before me) made that job look easy, didn't she?" And I know it wasn't meant as a slur, but she was there nine years or so, and that is a hard act to follow. Still, it seems to me that You gave me this job, so maybe its just the enemy trying to chase me away from Your purposes for me, or maybe I am still not leaning enough on You. I know I'm not; I get going so fast, and forget, and panic, and so on, instead of just stopping for a second and asking for Your help and strength and patience and wisdom. Return to the top My Arour For Fighting the Battle Date: September 30, 2003 Let's see, what are my "appliances" for fighting the battle... Put on the whole armour of God! Truth: get your whole life in God's order, purpose, will. Righteousness: get right with God and neighbours: holiness through the blood of Jesus. Gospel of peace: learn it, be prepared, practice it: it's all about You, Jesus, and Your saving sacrifice on the cross, to reconcile me to Father God. Faith: reject satan's darts (thoughts): Don't listen to satan, but immerse yourself in God's Word and prayer: Grow daily, momently, in relationship with your Lord. Salvation: know who you are, what you are and have, as a child of God: claim it, stand on it, live it out. Spirit: the Word of God in You: Pray in the Spirit, live in the Spirit, let the Spirit live out and speak through you. Thank You for the things You have been teaching me, through Your Word, Your Spirit, books, sermons... Return to the top So Many Things About Me Need Changing Date: October 1, 2003 Oh dear Lord, I was so tempted to reset the alarm clock and sleep an extra half hour or even an hour. But now that I have dressed and cleaned up the place and am sitting here with You, I am glad I chose to make time for us - for You - oh Lord. Thank You for helping me! I was a bit discouraged after the communication/relationship seminar, because I realized I can only change me, not my whole family (though, yes, I can also see that changing me is going to require some big-time changes, and in the long run that could change all the relationship dynamics around here). It's that long-time aspect that seems most discouraging. But God works in ways we can't see or understand, and He loves all of us, and I do have a responsibility to choose to change to become more like Christ. I see so many things in the seminar notes that I do habitually wrong. Lord, it is going to be hard for me to change. Please help me. It's like that Robbie Burns poem: "Oh would the Lord the giftie gie us/ To see oursel's as others see us!" I think You are starting to do that, Lord, but oh my! There are so many things about me that need changing. Help me, please, dear Jesus! Return to the top Visiting With You, My Best Friend Date: October 2, 2003 Dear Lord, You know how much I longed to go back to sleep for half an hour or even more, an hour. But oh, how happy I am now that I got up and have had this time dedicated to being in Your presence. Sometimes when I walk past the Hog's Breath Cafe, and see those people sitting outside having coffee with their friends, I think how nice that looks, how I would love to be doing that. And yet that is how it feels even here inside my house when it is dark and cold outside: like the sun is shining warmly and there is a gentle breeze and I am sitting comfortably just relaxed and visiting with my best friend! Which of course I am! Thank You, Lord. Amen. Hallelujah! Return to the top Job Burnout? Grant Me Joy in the Midst, Lord Date: October 13, 2003 (So much has happened in the past two weeks, so much trouble, so much change. Details I can't share with other people, but You were there through it all with me, Lord. And I know it is all for the best! Thank You, Lord.) Dear Heavenly Father, I just have to see You first this morning, before I get into breakfast, tidying, dressing, etc. If I don't spend quality time with You right up front, I get too tired and distracted later on. Yesterday I was so tired. Funny. I didn't sleep well again. I mean, I guess I slept well enough while I was sleeping, but I kept waking up from those dreams I have over and over again related to work, of getting there on time or late, of high/low/long/short baking times, of numbers of product, etc. It seems like I end up doing that job day and night, Lord. And it is making me so tired. Lord, please, I beg of You, take away those dreams and let me rest in You. You know how I am feeling kind of ambivalent about the job, so much work for so little pay (my daughters earn as much, even more, than I do... Is it hard on my pride?). And Lord, as You well know, building resentment when I am constantly called upon to run here and there and I can't get my work done, and then I have to stay overtime to do dishes and stuff, and I don't get my second coffee break, and I don't get paid for the overtime. And sometimes lately I just want to snap at people when it is obvious I don't have time to be their go-fer, and they aren't that busy, and I feel like they are being lazy and taking me for granted, even taking advantage of me. Lord, how do I know when things are going past servant-hood and past showing Your love and patience, and when to put up reasonable boundaries and say, "This far and no further"? Lord, You know I've never been good at setting boundaries. You know I feel that I have to be a good little girl and work hard and do what I'm told. Lord, I don't think it is so much a matter of approval as it used to be; I mean, I think I'm learning to get my approval from You. And there aren't any great approval perks in this job anyway. But Lord, I'm going to be honest. I was joyful about this job because I believed it was from You. And I do enjoy the job itself, but not the extra running around which is consuming more and more of my time. I suppose (okay, I'm sure) I'm learning a lesson here, but what it is is not clear to me, and I'm getting more tired, and impatient, and, I'm afraid, burned out. If I'm getting burned out, that means I'm not trusting in You, right? Lord, maybe I'm listening to the complaining of others at work. Maybe I'm listening to the enemy. Maybe I'm not listening clearly to Your small voice in the din of all the other voices. Lord, my hearing is not very good - both physically and spiritually. Maybe I'm just so, so tired. Maybe You are telling me that I need to take life easy. Too much rushing around "working for You" and not enough time or energy to know and relate to and love and worship and obey You. Lord, maybe people do walk away from me because I am crabby and whining. Fill me with Your joy, dear Lord. "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you... Rejoice everymore... Pray and praise without ceasing..." Return to the top
Main Page \| My Articles for The Life Connection \| Prayers and Meditations \| Poetry Haida Gwaii Reflections \| Education & Home-School \| Family


	Main Page \| My Articles for The Life Connection \| Prayers and Meditations \| Poetry Haida Gwaii Reflections \| Education & Home-School \| Family
Sign Guestbook \| View Guestbook Comments? Questions? [email protected]	Prayer topics Please Heal My Daughter's Mind and Spirit, Lord I'm The Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! My Armour For Fighting the Battle So Many Things About Me Need Changing Visiting With You, My Best Friend Job Burnout? Grant Me Joy In the Midst, Lord Please Heal My Daughter's Mind and Spirit, Lord Date: September 28, 2003 (Sitting on a bench at the park, next to the beach). Dear Lord Jesus, dear Lord God, dear Holy Spirit, Three-in-One Great God Eternal, my Father and Lord. You know all about today. You know about the letter I emailed to ____, and how I really felt You were in it, and that it was an outcome of the way Your prepared me through my life, and my relationship with You, and the classes at church, and ability - gift - of writing which You have granted me. And You know how gloriously blessed I was by the service this morning, by the music and by what the pastor said which backed up what I had written (by Your leading, I believe), in my email to ____. And You know how the sermon also prepared me for the disagreement this afternoon between my children. I thank You for Your Word, which was all I could offer my daughter. I thank You for Your love. I thank You that I could listen to my other daughter say ____ thinks I am a huge hypocrite. There is no doubt that he has good reason to say that, but Lord, that is quite long past, and those mistakes, even rebellions and self-will, have been forgiven by You, and it is time for me to leave the past behind and apply all the energy You give me day by day to the purposes for which You give it each day. You give what I need, not extra, and dwelling on the past only drains that energy and makes me ineffectual today. Lord, my daughter is hurting. She wishes to be away from us. Lord, this is a situation beyond my control. I give it to You. I ask You to work all things out to Your glory and Your purposes. Thank You that my other daughter has a friend and mentor in ____, whome she has gone to visit now. And that another of my daughters is trying to follow You again. I have no idea what to do; all I can do is turn this, too, over to You. Help her, Lord. Heal her mind and spirit, in Jesus' precious name. In all things, Lord, Your will be done. (later...) Well, now it is 7 pm and ___ is out somewhere convinced her family, at least some of them, hate her. And there is not a thing I can do. So take it over, Lord. It's all Yours. Amen. .... Let go of the past, stop the mud slinging, focus your eyes on Jesus, delight in God in all of your life. God makes beauty out of ashes, the oil of joy for mourning. Thessalonians (the Message): "God has put His hand on you for something special, something that God will do through you to impact the world - so people by following you will be imitating Jesus. You are the message and God is glorified." Return to the top I'm the Righteousness of God in Christ Jesus! Date: September 29, 2003 Today's reading in 2 Corinthians 5 is just amazing! We are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus who died to reconcile us to God. What possible response can there be other than in return to be ambassadors for Christ, ministers of God's reconciliation! One day God will give us glorious new eternal bodies. How much greater it will be to be present with the Lord. Hallelujah! But today, here, we must tell others the good news of God's love and the gift of Christ whose death brings us life and reconciliation with God. Lord, You know I had a rough day at work today, and am kind of wondering if I am "up" for this job as I don't seem to be tall enough, strong enough, fast enough... even smart enough. And I have trouble hearing, and trouble remembering a bunch of details all at once. Someone today said, "___ (the lady who had this job before me) made that job look easy, didn't she?" And I know it wasn't meant as a slur, but she was there nine years or so, and that is a hard act to follow. Still, it seems to me that You gave me this job, so maybe its just the enemy trying to chase me away from Your purposes for me, or maybe I am still not leaning enough on You. I know I'm not; I get going so fast, and forget, and panic, and so on, instead of just stopping for a second and asking for Your help and strength and patience and wisdom. Return to the top My Arour For Fighting the Battle Date: September 30, 2003 Let's see, what are my "appliances" for fighting the battle... Put on the whole armour of God! Truth: get your whole life in God's order, purpose, will. Righteousness: get right with God and neighbours: holiness through the blood of Jesus. Gospel of peace: learn it, be prepared, practice it: it's all about You, Jesus, and Your saving sacrifice on the cross, to reconcile me to Father God. Faith: reject satan's darts (thoughts): Don't listen to satan, but immerse yourself in God's Word and prayer: Grow daily, momently, in relationship with your Lord. Salvation: know who you are, what you are and have, as a child of God: claim it, stand on it, live it out. Spirit: the Word of God in You: Pray in the Spirit, live in the Spirit, let the Spirit live out and speak through you. Thank You for the things You have been teaching me, through Your Word, Your Spirit, books, sermons... Return to the top So Many Things About Me Need Changing Date: October 1, 2003 Oh dear Lord, I was so tempted to reset the alarm clock and sleep an extra half hour or even an hour. But now that I have dressed and cleaned up the place and am sitting here with You, I am glad I chose to make time for us - for You - oh Lord. Thank You for helping me! I was a bit discouraged after the communication/relationship seminar, because I realized I can only change me, not my whole family (though, yes, I can also see that changing me is going to require some big-time changes, and in the long run that could change all the relationship dynamics around here). It's that long-time aspect that seems most discouraging. But God works in ways we can't see or understand, and He loves all of us, and I do have a responsibility to choose to change to become more like Christ. I see so many things in the seminar notes that I do habitually wrong. Lord, it is going to be hard for me to change. Please help me. It's like that Robbie Burns poem: "Oh would the Lord the giftie gie us/ To see oursel's as others see us!" I think You are starting to do that, Lord, but oh my! There are so many things about me that need changing. Help me, please, dear Jesus! Return to the top Visiting With You, My Best Friend Date: October 2, 2003 Dear Lord, You know how much I longed to go back to sleep for half an hour or even more, an hour. But oh, how happy I am now that I got up and have had this time dedicated to being in Your presence. Sometimes when I walk past the Hog's Breath Cafe, and see those people sitting outside having coffee with their friends, I think how nice that looks, how I would love to be doing that. And yet that is how it feels even here inside my house when it is dark and cold outside: like the sun is shining warmly and there is a gentle breeze and I am sitting comfortably just relaxed and visiting with my best friend! Which of course I am! Thank You, Lord. Amen. Hallelujah! Return to the top Job Burnout? Grant Me Joy in the Midst, Lord Date: October 13, 2003 (So much has happened in the past two weeks, so much trouble, so much change. Details I can't share with other people, but You were there through it all with me, Lord. And I know it is all for the best! Thank You, Lord.) Dear Heavenly Father, I just have to see You first this morning, before I get into breakfast, tidying, dressing, etc. If I don't spend quality time with You right up front, I get too tired and distracted later on. Yesterday I was so tired. Funny. I didn't sleep well again. I mean, I guess I slept well enough while I was sleeping, but I kept waking up from those dreams I have over and over again related to work, of getting there on time or late, of high/low/long/short baking times, of numbers of product, etc. It seems like I end up doing that job day and night, Lord. And it is making me so tired. Lord, please, I beg of You, take away those dreams and let me rest in You. You know how I am feeling kind of ambivalent about the job, so much work for so little pay (my daughters earn as much, even more, than I do... Is it hard on my pride?). And Lord, as You well know, building resentment when I am constantly called upon to run here and there and I can't get my work done, and then I have to stay overtime to do dishes and stuff, and I don't get my second coffee break, and I don't get paid for the overtime. And sometimes lately I just want to snap at people when it is obvious I don't have time to be their go-fer, and they aren't that busy, and I feel like they are being lazy and taking me for granted, even taking advantage of me. Lord, how do I know when things are going past servant-hood and past showing Your love and patience, and when to put up reasonable boundaries and say, "This far and no further"? Lord, You know I've never been good at setting boundaries. You know I feel that I have to be a good little girl and work hard and do what I'm told. Lord, I don't think it is so much a matter of approval as it used to be; I mean, I think I'm learning to get my approval from You. And there aren't any great approval perks in this job anyway. But Lord, I'm going to be honest. I was joyful about this job because I believed it was from You. And I do enjoy the job itself, but not the extra running around which is consuming more and more of my time. I suppose (okay, I'm sure) I'm learning a lesson here, but what it is is not clear to me, and I'm getting more tired, and impatient, and, I'm afraid, burned out. If I'm getting burned out, that means I'm not trusting in You, right? Lord, maybe I'm listening to the complaining of others at work. Maybe I'm listening to the enemy. Maybe I'm not listening clearly to Your small voice in the din of all the other voices. Lord, my hearing is not very good - both physically and spiritually. Maybe I'm just so, so tired. Maybe You are telling me that I need to take life easy. Too much rushing around "working for You" and not enough time or energy to know and relate to and love and worship and obey You. Lord, maybe people do walk away from me because I am crabby and whining. Fill me with Your joy, dear Lord. "In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you... Rejoice everymore... Pray and praise without ceasing..." Return to the top
Main Page \| My Articles for The Life Connection \| Prayers and Meditations \| Poetry Haida Gwaii Reflections \| Education & Home-School \| Family