this is just where I'm at...

why am I still awake? life is too tired for me to ponder tonight...or maybe it's just me that's tired and life that's wide awake. too many brain things going on inside my head today...I'll truly never understand the minds of other people...those who don't think the way I do about things. why do they think the way they do? why are things that are repugnant to me alright in their minds?what makes right RIGHT and wrong WRONG...where is the line? why do some feel the need to hurt without considering the repercussions in others lives? a ripple becomes a wave by the time it reaches the edge of the pond...actions by one can affect all...is that too much power over another person? I'm rambling...but spilling...so necessary to clear the cobwebs. tired...yet my brain keeps running...to catch up to those whose brains are fast and furious, weak and wicked...do I want to catch up? do I want to find the devil's playground in the will of those I thought I knew but don't know at all? illusion is a strange friend. do I have the strength to face those demons tonight?? I'll have to go lay on my face a while and let God deal with it...

that's all I have left...
sorry for the ramble...pray for hurt friends...pray for gossipers within our own church family who hurt them with untruths...pray that I can be a help in time of uncertainty.

TTFN,

Wordless Wednesday-please turn into a frog!

Going way back to 2000 for this one!! :)

Please say a prayer for Paul's dad today. They discovered cancer

in his lungs yesterday and think it has spread to his kidneys.

They are doing a biopsy this morning to see. Thanks in advance.

TTFN,

A prayer for you...

This prayer was at the end of a song we used to sing in youth.

It has stuck with me for all these years.

May your days be filled with the peace and promise

that was born that holy night;

and the joy which came through that tiny babe

multiply through all our lives.

Merry Christmas!!!

I hope your Christmas was filled with beauty and wonder.

And maybe a few gifts. ;)

See you soon when we will (hopefully) be back to our

regularly scheduled programming!!

TTFN,

Wordless Wednesday-Calgon, take me away.

I so needed this today.

Lots going on...stress, worry, lots of prayer.

I haven't decided whether to blog about it or not.

It's hard to make that call when it's not your life you're

thinking about blogging about.

Let me just ask that you all be in prayer for my parents.

Both are having serious issues, financially, physically,

mentally, and spiritually.

Satan is hitting them HARD. And they don't have the faith

that we do to see them through-my dad is unsaved, and my

mom is so discouraged she actually told me the other day,

"You keep praying. At least He listens to you."

My heart is breaking it is so heavy. I don't know what to

do or how to help.

I may post more later if I feel more comfortable with it.

If not, I would ask you to lift them up anyway.

Thank you, in advance.

(Ok, so it's NOT wordless. I needed more it this way.)

TTFN,

Specifically

I find these days that I am reading several blogs

where life events have become particularly hard on

the blog author.

It is amazing to me to find that I care so much about all

my bloggy friends even though I have known them

such a short time and have never met them in person.

I am sad for my friends who are struggling and they are

constantly in my thoughts and prayers.

That said, as I was leaving a comment on one of these

blogs the other day, I noticed the comment above mine said

something that weighed heavily on me all weekend.

"Let me know specifically what to pray for."

(emphasis mine)

At first I couldn't really put my finger on exactly what

it was about that statement that bothered me, but after

thinking about it and the blog it was left on, I realized

what my issue was.

The author of this particular blog has given no details

of the struggle she is going through in her life right now.

She has just let us know, specifically, that these are very

dark, hard times for her.

I don't think anyone should have to disclose anymore

information than that for us to be able to pray for them.

We know she is hurting, we know she is in need, and that

is all we need to know, specifically.

We serve a wonderful God who loves all His creation

and when we pray to Him on someone elses behalf,

He knows exactly what they need. Specifically.

Sometimes I think we use the excuse of praying for

someone to try and get more details than they are

willing or ready to share.

As in, "If you'll let me know what's going on, specifically,

I'll know more specifically what to pray for."

And I think, specifically, that it's the wrong way

to go about it.

Will you not pray for them if they don't let you in

on the specifics? And are you not putting God in a

tiny box?

Does any of that make sense or am I overreacting?

TTFN,

Praying for Stellan and Abby.

Good morning friends. I just wanted everyone to be aware that things with Stellan have gone rapidly downhill since last night. Jennifer's last tweet said their families are all on the way to the hospital, which is frightening. I wanted to ask everyone-even those of you who don't follow MckMama-to please pray for Stellan and their whole family during this difficult time. I pray that God will intervene, but I also know that God's plan is not always our own.

*********************************

Also, I just read on Brent Rigg's blog that Abby is on the way to be admitted to the hospital this morning and she is in serious need of prayer also. Abby has a vigilant form of cancer and has developed an dangerous infection and they are not sure how far advanced it is. Please pray

for Abby and their family as well.

TTFN,

How much will God put on you?

I have to admit, I'm a bit of a sucker for

a baby story. I read blogs about families, and am

addicted to several where there is a sick

baby or the family has lost a baby. While I

don't enjoy reading about other people's misery,

I am fascinated to see God working through it.

I love to pray for these families and like to be able

to pray specifically for their need at the moment.

Many times if I am leaving a comment-

and I usually do-

I will read a lot if not all of the other comments.

And there's one saying I have seen on most all

of them at least once that really weighs heavy on me.

"God won't put more on you than you can handle."

Now, I know you have heard this saying before,

and it's beautiful in theory.

But it's wrong.

Our pastor did a sermon years ago about sayings

that are used as scripture. They have been said so

many times that people take them as gospel-but they

are no where in the bible. I'm ashamed to say I

don't remember any of the others, but I remember

this statement because not only had I heard it,

I used it. Not because I had ever looked it up in the bible.

Not because I knew the context of it's origin.

Simply because I had heard it used and assumed that

it was correct. I don't use it anymore.

The truth of the matter is, God will put more on you than

you can handle. Simply put, if we could handle it,

why would we ever need God? If we never hit bottom, how

would we ever look up? If we are never plunged into

darkness, why would we ever look for the light?

The bloggers who have reached this point in their lives,

the point where they realized they had no control,

they are the ones who know that God is the only one

who can be in control. They understand that His hand

is in everything that happens, good or bad. They may

not understand His motives, but realize that His plan

is bigger than ours. That doesn't make things less painful.

I don't think it always makes things easier.

But I think it gives them perspective on God that

those of us who have never walked that road could have.

Does this mean if we have to go through horrible

circumstances to draw near to God? Of course

not. God's plan is different for all our lives.

And this usually brings the 'why' questions:

Why me?

Why not them?

Why not me?

We can't answer any of those questions.

And we'll never find peace searching for the answer.

But God has the answers and we have to

trust that He knows the plans He has for us,

even if they are not our own.

God will put more on you than you can handle.

Sometimes He breaks us to bring us to Him.

It's hard to understand the why's, but I don't think

we are supposed to get the why's. Yet. One day

we will have all understanding, but by then I

wonder if it will truly matter anymore.

God uses our trials to draw us close.

He uses them to make us strong

by allowing us to see our weakness.

He uses them to refine our faith

by giving us grace to get through the day.

He uses it to define our walk,

by leading us down His intended path.

He uses it to reveal Himself through us

by giving us a peace that can only come from God.

He creates beauty from ashes,

always bringing good from the bad.

I want to type more, but I am tired, and

my brain is slowly going to sleep without me.

I will leave you with this beautiful verse:

Therefore, having been justified by faith,

we have peace with God through our Lord

Jesus Christ, through whom also we have

access by faith into this grace in which

we stand, and rejoice in hope of the

glory of God. And not only that, but

we also glory in tribulations, knowing

that tribulation produces perseverance,

and perseverance, character,

and character, hope.

Now hope does not disappoint, because

the love of God has been poured out in our

hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Romans 5:1-5

TTFN,

So many tears...so few words

Please go read Kayleigh's blog today.

Then pray hard for this sweet family.

I am beyond words.

Thank you Lord that this family knows you.

Thank you that they have the hope of heaven

and eternity with You and Kayleigh to

keep them from devastation.

Send your peace to them,

and let them feel your arms holding them tightly.

Thank you that we know that Kayleigh is

whole and healthy in Your arms now,

and the angels will sing her lullabies.

We cry tears of sadness, but not despair.

We know we will all see Kayleigh one day,

and will dance with her on the streets of gold.

Thank you Lord for the promise of

eternal life the other side of this world.

Amen and amen.