Thursday, December 11, 2008
Saturday, November 1, 2008
A Prayer For a Hard Day
I came across this prayer while having devotions one day. I was going through "one of those times" when prayer was what I needed and my own words just wouldn't come. It is a blessing to me still when I'm in "one of those moods."
Dear Lord,
Sometimes life seems so tough,
So unreasonable, so painful.
Yet you are here, meeting me...
In the midst of it all.
Sometimes I am overwhelmed by
The presence of negative circumstances,
I admit that some of it is of my own making,
Yet so much is beyond my control.
Too often I have failed to discern
The thread of your grace, and
The support of your "everlasting arms!"
Help me to know that my life is defined by You.
When burdened down my memories of failure,
When overwhelmed by circumstances only You can change,
Enable me to both extend and receive support and encouragement.
Abide in me Lord, that my sorrow might always become Joy in You.
In the healing name of Jesus,
Amen
Dear Lord,
Sometimes life seems so tough,
So unreasonable, so painful.
Yet you are here, meeting me...
In the midst of it all.
Sometimes I am overwhelmed by
The presence of negative circumstances,
I admit that some of it is of my own making,
Yet so much is beyond my control.
Too often I have failed to discern
The thread of your grace, and
The support of your "everlasting arms!"
Help me to know that my life is defined by You.
When burdened down my memories of failure,
When overwhelmed by circumstances only You can change,
Enable me to both extend and receive support and encouragement.
Abide in me Lord, that my sorrow might always become Joy in You.
In the healing name of Jesus,
Amen
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Giving and Not Being Depleted
"The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face to shine upon you, and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace." Numbers 6:24-26
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What if I practiced this blessing in every one of my relationships? What if I repeated it over and over again? What if I wrote it to others, and myself, over and over again? As I spend time with friends, family, co-workers, and all those I encounter going about my day, what if I started my conversations with it, and also ended them with it? Dwight L. Moody said "it would never be impoverished."
The thought occurred to me as I was pondering these words of this fourteenth century hymn "The Lord Bless You and Keep You," that when my words and deeds show that I care, when I give from the fullness with which others have blessed me, and when I am careful to listen from the heart, over and over again, I am not depleted but I am blessed. Honestly though, many are the times I get side-tracked by over-extending myself, not taking proper care of myself, getting careless in my time with God, and "doing battle" in the workplace or at home.
So, today I am reminded again to "get up", get going, and be faithful to the journey. Won't you join me, and we can sing praises to our God for his faithfulness, even at those re-occurring and frustrating times we don't sense his nearness?
Ever onward...ever upward...
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What if I practiced this blessing in every one of my relationships? What if I repeated it over and over again? What if I wrote it to others, and myself, over and over again? As I spend time with friends, family, co-workers, and all those I encounter going about my day, what if I started my conversations with it, and also ended them with it? Dwight L. Moody said "it would never be impoverished."
The thought occurred to me as I was pondering these words of this fourteenth century hymn "The Lord Bless You and Keep You," that when my words and deeds show that I care, when I give from the fullness with which others have blessed me, and when I am careful to listen from the heart, over and over again, I am not depleted but I am blessed. Honestly though, many are the times I get side-tracked by over-extending myself, not taking proper care of myself, getting careless in my time with God, and "doing battle" in the workplace or at home.
So, today I am reminded again to "get up", get going, and be faithful to the journey. Won't you join me, and we can sing praises to our God for his faithfulness, even at those re-occurring and frustrating times we don't sense his nearness?
Ever onward...ever upward...
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Then Sings My Soul
For weeks now this phrase, this line from a hymn, started going round and round in my head as I wondered what foundation this blog would establish itself upon. It simply appeared "out of the blue" and began to grow in my heart, perhaps as if God was trying to tell me something.
Many times I have pondered all that God has created; our universe and other worlds unknown to you and me, the heavens full of the glory of the sun, moon and stars, the waters and woods and mountains full of glorious life and sound and color. Then more unimaginable than all that, he gifted me (and you) with his Son, our Elder Brother, who bled and died to give me (and you) what was undeserved. All of this, I cannot wrap my mind around. I must merely accept it and not yet understand it.
Many times I have pondered my life, wondering about the rugged mountains to climb, the swirling waters to battle, the raging winds and storms to fight against. Again, I must merely accept that they are, and not yet understand why. So, I cling to what I know is true and practice grasping a faith and trust that God and his Son are going to bestow on me imaginings beyond my wildest dreams and hopes; joy to fill my wounded heart, peace to soothe my troubled spirit, and music to fill my longing soul. How great it is to know the truth that he is God, that Jesus saves, especially when I feel "down and out."
This is what I want for you too, you my wounded, battered Sister Friend. It would be my joy and honor and privilege to travel with you through and along this journey. I invite you to join me to travel ever onward...ever upward.
Many times I have pondered all that God has created; our universe and other worlds unknown to you and me, the heavens full of the glory of the sun, moon and stars, the waters and woods and mountains full of glorious life and sound and color. Then more unimaginable than all that, he gifted me (and you) with his Son, our Elder Brother, who bled and died to give me (and you) what was undeserved. All of this, I cannot wrap my mind around. I must merely accept it and not yet understand it.
Many times I have pondered my life, wondering about the rugged mountains to climb, the swirling waters to battle, the raging winds and storms to fight against. Again, I must merely accept that they are, and not yet understand why. So, I cling to what I know is true and practice grasping a faith and trust that God and his Son are going to bestow on me imaginings beyond my wildest dreams and hopes; joy to fill my wounded heart, peace to soothe my troubled spirit, and music to fill my longing soul. How great it is to know the truth that he is God, that Jesus saves, especially when I feel "down and out."
This is what I want for you too, you my wounded, battered Sister Friend. It would be my joy and honor and privilege to travel with you through and along this journey. I invite you to join me to travel ever onward...ever upward.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
What is Born to Fly?
Born To Fly is a blog born out of betrayal; betrayal by parents, betrayal by brothers, betrayal by a trusted counselor, betrayal by a trusted doctor, and more. Here though, is offered safety, blessings, friendship and more. Come and rest awhile here. Come and comment here. Come find hope here. Come and find some peace here. Come and find renewal here. Most of all, come and find your Elder Brother here.
I was Born to Fly. You Were Born to Fly. This has been God's heart for you and me from the beginning. Immediately though, there was another force in this world that had other ideas, evil designs and schemes, all against us. For me it started with parents who were experiencing one of the most difficult stages of their marriage at the time I was conceived. And life for them continued to go from bad to worse.
This was the atmosphere into which I was born. And prior to being born, while still in my mother's womb, I automatically began to "carry the feelings" of my mother. This is one of the inevitable facets of life for each of us. Mom lived in an emotional pit of despair, and this was all I knew by the time I entered into this world. As time passed I didn't know being held and cuddled. I didn't know being played with and being adored. I was another burden weighing on Mom during the times of pain and distress that permeated her heart daily.
Dad was an unfaithful wanderer with a narcisistic nature. He had an angry and agitated temperment. He considered all raising of the children to be her job, that his was to bring home a paycheck. And it was a very meager income since he dropped out of high school in order to provide for his family. This seemed to be one of the few moral responsibiliies he took seriously.
Quite early in life I noticed this lifestyle was not the "fate" of everyone. I saw other people playing with and holding their children. They cuddled them and kept them clean and fresh and dressed nicely. Now this was big piece of life I wished was mine, a piece of life that never existed for me under my parents care.
So, I began my search to learn how to care for myself in ways I longed for, in ways I knew in my heart God intended. Most of all I needed to learn how to let God take care of me and to let him be the "care-taker" of my heart.
I was Born to Fly. You Were Born to Fly. This has been God's heart for you and me from the beginning. Immediately though, there was another force in this world that had other ideas, evil designs and schemes, all against us. For me it started with parents who were experiencing one of the most difficult stages of their marriage at the time I was conceived. And life for them continued to go from bad to worse.
This was the atmosphere into which I was born. And prior to being born, while still in my mother's womb, I automatically began to "carry the feelings" of my mother. This is one of the inevitable facets of life for each of us. Mom lived in an emotional pit of despair, and this was all I knew by the time I entered into this world. As time passed I didn't know being held and cuddled. I didn't know being played with and being adored. I was another burden weighing on Mom during the times of pain and distress that permeated her heart daily.
Dad was an unfaithful wanderer with a narcisistic nature. He had an angry and agitated temperment. He considered all raising of the children to be her job, that his was to bring home a paycheck. And it was a very meager income since he dropped out of high school in order to provide for his family. This seemed to be one of the few moral responsibiliies he took seriously.
Quite early in life I noticed this lifestyle was not the "fate" of everyone. I saw other people playing with and holding their children. They cuddled them and kept them clean and fresh and dressed nicely. Now this was big piece of life I wished was mine, a piece of life that never existed for me under my parents care.
So, I began my search to learn how to care for myself in ways I longed for, in ways I knew in my heart God intended. Most of all I needed to learn how to let God take care of me and to let him be the "care-taker" of my heart.
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