Prayer Time

What does your prayer life look like? If I'm honest, that is an area where I'm weak. I pray, but my prayers are more monologue than dialog. I talk, then I'm done. I seldom wait, sit, listen, and be still before God.

My prayers lack focus at times. They may say, "Lord, be with so & so whose having a hard time...I should buy them a card...uh, and um, thank you that we have food to eat...shucks! I forgot to take the roast out of the freezer...uh, and um, Lord, thank you for my wonderful children...WHAT, what is it, dear, Mommy is praying...ok, ok, mommy will make you a snack. (Be back later, Lord.)

The problem is MINE. I have been resistant to follow the example of Jesus, who got up early to pray in solitary places. I don't write down my prayer requests, my own or the other ones I have agreed to pray for, so I'm left to do a "group" prayer that sounds like "and everyone I said I would pray for and I left out here, Lord, I pray for them." Okay, it might now be QUITE that bad, but it's close. I do a mental "roll call" of who I said I'd pray for, but I am afraid I've left out someone.

1 Peter 4:7 sums up my solution: "Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray."

So with school starting, my goal is to wake up early and start my day with God. Don't get my wrong, I pray already nearly every morning, but it's my monologue prayer. My goal is to begin a dialog with God. To be still, and to know he is God.

Matthew 6:6 -- But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Mark 1:35 -- Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.

Psalm 46:10 -- "Be still, and know that I am God."

Thankful Thursday - 9/3

5 things I'm thankful for this week:

1. I am thankful that I have an opportunity to write my Tips for Moms. I love the chance to expand my writing. Have you visited my new site? Hop on over and see it. If you like it, subscribe and you will get my Tips for Moms every time its published. Thanks for checking it out!

2. I am thankful that several folks have new writing jobs because they liked the Tips for Mom and applied for a writing position at Examiner like I did. Are you looking to expand your writing and earn some pocket change at the same time? Visit examiner.com and apply - but please make sure and click that examiner Kelly Combs referred you. You may get a new job, and I get a bonus for the reference. Email me with questions at ChattyKelly@comcast.net

3. I am thankful for a trip to VA Beach yesterday! Although it was COLD, WINDY & RIPTIDES, the kids still had fun playing in the sand (sweatshirts over swimsuits!), and we walked the boardwalk, and spent time with friends. Not perfect, but fun just the same.

4. I am thankful that today we attend Open House at school to meet teachers and see classrooms. Especially important for my little one entering kindergarten.

5. I am thankful for YOU my readers for always encouraging me with your precious comments. You make my heart feel good. Thanks!

Come on Over! Really!

I'm not good at entertaining. Truth is, it's just not my gift. As soon as the invitation is sent, I notice the dirty finger prints on the glass doors, and the dust on the baseboard, and my goodness, how long has that stain been on the rug?

I've told you before, I'm more like Biblical Martha, than Martha Stewart. And because of that, I get all panicky because I can't get all the hot stuff to be hot at the same time, or I forget and leave the potato salad in the garage fridge, only to find it after everyone leaves.

But I still do it. The Bible calls us to be hospitable, and so I try to be. The last hour before guests arrive, I'm usually running around in a panic, throwing things in closets, raising my voice at anyone in the way, and generally freaking out. Then I paste on a smile when the door bell rings and entertain.

But today I read a verse that stopped me in my tracks. 1 Peter 4:9 says, "Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling." What? Did you catch that last part. It's not enough to just offer hospitality, you have to do it WITHOUT GRUMBLING.

See God is always looking at our heart. He doesn't care one iota that I am being hospitable, if I am doing it while grumbling. He wants my heart to be pure. That's what it all boils down to. So I'm going to stop grumbling when I show hospitality. And who knows, I just may have a better time myself because of it!

Romans 12:13 -- Practice hospitality.

Philippians 2:14 -- Do everything without complaining or arguing.

2 Corinthians 9:7b -- God loves a cheerful giver.

Never Alone

Do you ever feel alone in the world? As a Christian, there are two ways we can feel alone. The first is when you are surrounded by unbelievers. Sometimes it can seem very isolating to be the lone-Christian, the lone person who disagrees with the status-quo or who refuses to go along. People think you are "holier than thou" when truthfully, you just do what God is calling you to do.

But there is another way Christians can feel very alone. And that is in comparison to other Christians. You see Christians often put on the "I'm perfect" image to the world. "Jesus saved me and now I'm so good." To other Christians who are still experiencing worldly struggles that "perfect" Christian makes the imperfect one feel like maybe they missed something, or maybe they aren't really a Christian at all.

Being a Christian means accepting Jesus as Lord of your life and acknowledging he died for your sins, he is your savior. It doesn't mean your life is perfect. Christians experience death, disease, and divorce just like non-believers. So sometimes when you see that "perfect" family, it can be very isolating.

But you know what? You're never alone. Jesus promised to be with us forever. He is perfect, but he embraces us inspite of imperfections, and in fact died for us because we couldn't get it right.

Are you struggling today, feeling like you're all alone? You're not. Jesus is with you, now and forever. He loves you just as you are...but He loves you too much to let you stay that way.

Deuteronomy 31:6 -- for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Matthew 28:20 -- {Jesus said} And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Romans 5:8 -- But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Thankful Thursday - 8/26

Things I am thankful for this week:

1. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to know Sonya's dad, a wonderful man who left a huge legacy of faith to his family. He will be missed so much, but what an incredible man of honor. It was a pleasure to have known him.

2. I am thankful for the pastor who said "We can't bring him back, but we can make sure we go where he is." I know where I'm going when I die. I'm so thankful that Jesus paid the price for my sin, so I can be in Heaven.

3. I'm thankful for a friend who gave me a big pile of clothes that don't fit her after baby #3. Woo! Thanks, Gwen.

4. I'm thankful that Gigi got to help her 5th grade teacher set up the classroom. She had the best time, and it was great relationship building with her new teacher.

5. I'm thankful for these last 2 weeks before school starts to love up on my kids. My little Cici starts kindergarten, and while she is ready, and I am ready, it will still be a big deal!!!

It's Not Fair!

If you have kids, you might hear the phrase "It's not fair!" quite a bit. If things are not equal, kids think they're not fair. A wise mom of 6 once told me, however, the difference between fair & equal. Fair literally means "free from bias, dishonesty, or injustice." So when she gave each child a handful of goldfish at snack time, the children may not have had equal amounts, but it was indeed fair.

Honestly, sometimes I feel like life isn't fair too. When playing the comparison game it can look like I come out a loser...and that's not fair! Whether comparing income, family members, or (ahem) published works, I can think it's not fair when someone gets something seemingly more than I got.

I need to look at the example of Jesus, who was God, yet didn't try to be equal with God. Instead he took on a servants role, which wasn't fair at all. But he did it, so that I could get something I didn't deserve. As unfair as it is, Jesus died so that I may live with his Father in spite of my sinful nature.

In life we can't compare things on the terms of equality. Everyone gets a different handful of gifts, and a different handful of problems. God may not be doling everything out equally. He is, however, fair.

Colossians 4:1 -- Masters, provide your slaves with what is right and fair, because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

Philippians 2:5-7 -- Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.


Please excuse the word verification box. After receiving 2 p0rn spam comments in 2 days, I decided to add the box for a few days. Thanks for understanding!

The Numbers Game

Recently I've talked to several bloggers playing the numbers game. Questions and comments run back and forth like this:

"Have your comments/visits dropped a lot this summer?"

"I LOVE all the people I’ve met through blogging, I can’t see the point of working so hard for the amount of visitors I get."

"It's frustrating to have 5 comments after 3 days, and visit someone else who posted 5 minutes ago and already has 10 comments."

I've felt the same way before. Sometimes it seems like a lot of work to come up with several blog posts a week, if no one is reading! Consider, however, Noah.

God told Noah to build a huge ark. It took hard work, determination, and energy. Noah then had to gather up all the animals and put them in the ark. He had to care for and feed the animals. (Have you ever been to the zoo? Imagine the smell in the ark!) But the Bible tells us the Noah did everything just as God asked.

Do you know how many peoples lives were impacted by Noah's hard work? Besides Noah, only seven. SEVEN! Out of all the people in the entire world, only seven were saved. If Noah, who the Bible calls righteous and blameless, could do all the work God called him to do for only seven people, shouldn't we be able to do the same?

If you feel like you are called by God to write, then don't get caught up in the numbers game! Because for God, there is more rejoicing over just ONE sinner who repents, then in 99 who do not need to repent. Write for that one!

Genesis 6:9 -- Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.

1 Peter 3:20b, 21 -- ...God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God.

Luke 15:7 -- I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.