Prayer is something that churches talk a lot about but talk a lot to. In other words, “PRAY for the afflicted”
“PRAY for healing” “PRAY for answers and wisdom.” These are pertinent to the Christian walk, but what does it actually mean?

Jesus said it like this when his disciples when they asked how to pray, “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tel you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go to 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. And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. This, then, is how you should pray:

Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.

Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one.”

First of all Jesus isn’t saying you can only pray kneeling next to your bed with the door locked, all by yourself. He is saying not to be a show. So many have decided to, rather than being a light for others through how they LIVE, but to “witness” by being a Bible basher, screaming condemnation from the street corners and by praying loud and extensive prayers that people have to take notice of.

We are called to be the “salt of the earth” and a “light in the darkness.” This involves LOVING EVERYONE BUT HATING THE SIN. This involves living the lives that we would want Jesus to be proud of. This involves being not of this world. The Bible also commands us to pray continuously, which can (and should) be done without needing to create a stage for yourself, putting yourself in the limelight.

The second part of what Jesus was saying in Matthew is what people call the “Lord’s prayer.” In fact this is more of a students prayer, not to be recited word for word each and every day. It is a guideline of what can be said. One this that can be noted that we just read right over is the very beginning. “Our Father.” In the Greek, the word that was used is ‘Abba’, better translated to ‘Daddy.’

Years ago, my sister and I gave my dad a plaque for father’s day that read, “Any man can be a father, but only a special man can be a dad.” There is a distinct difference between these two names. It’s not the formality, it’s the relationship. A father gives his DNA to his child, a Daddy gives his heart and his life. Our Father in heaven created us to have an intimate relationship with him, like a DADDY and his child who he would give his life for (and he did on the cross at Calvary).

Now, the easiest way to pray is to talk like you would to a daddy, in conversation and the best part is not having someone to talk to, but someone who talks back. Just yesterday I prayed that my fiance’s flight would not be delayed much longer (he had been waiting for about 4 hours and they still had an “unknown” departure). This may sound like a petty prayer to be lifted up to the creator of the universe but he was tired and worn out, just wanted to be home, even if only for the night. My heart ached for him and I knew that there was only one who could get the pilot there so they could take off. Not even 5 minutes after I said the prayer, I got a call saying they were loading the plane and getting ready to take off. My prayer was answered.

This is one of endless examples that I could give of answered prayers. Some claim these are “coincidences” but I can guarantee any individual who had a lump in an MRI and then it miraculously disappears in the next doctors visit would call it far beyond a “coincidence.” What is overlooked by so many is that while they claim to believe one thing, so many worship idols.

It doesn’t have to be a golden statue to be called an idol. Worship is whatever you give your attention to. Money, clothes, popularity and fame. These are all idols that people worship. Jesus once had a rich young man ask him how to get to heaven and when the rich man was faced with giving up his wealth he found himself in a predicament that could keep him from the Glory of God. It isn’t about having money, its about having such a hold on it that not even the golden streets of heaven will get you to release the clutch on the check book. In this story, money was the idol.

So, you heard my story about how my God answered my prayer, as simple as it was. Now, when was the last time your check book or your famed movie star that you “idolize” or even your popularity answered your deepest need? Whether it was healing your dying mother or getting you to your plane on time, there is only one God that can talk back and change your life.

Prayer is alive and active conversation with a living God who desires a relationship…who answers you when you cry out?

I received this in an e-mail and encourage you all to take the time to read it and hear what this one person is saying.  Continue to pray as a person of such influence is leading so many lost astray.

to know the heart of God…to be in the secret place where He no only en-wraps his loving arms around me–but speaks his words to the very depths of my spirit, my soul.  To have his say to me, “You are mine!” (Isaiah 51:16)  This is my prayer, my longing, my desire.  Each day that I live, I live to further his kingdom; “set my face like a stone determined to do his will.  And I know I will triumph.” (Isaiah 50:7)  My heart cries out to do more…to change the world.  My soul longs to relish in the challenge of…adversity…strengthened by Jesus who says, “I have put my words in your mouth and hidden you safely in my hands.” (Isaiah 51:16).  What is this longing for?  Why do I have this unrest in my spirit to do so much more than where I am?

ok…so if you read my post yesterday I was excited about my new page that I had added called “The More you Know…” as you can see…it’s not there.  So confused I went to look at it on the edit page under manage (as I thought was ok) and it only has the 1st paragraph I wrote.  I had 7 verses multiple pictures and all thats left is a measly paragraph!!!  What is going on?!?

I am a qualified recent graduate from the University of Florida.  I have my Bachelor’s in Political Science and have a passion for making a difference (as naive as it might be, I still care about people).  I have tremendous leadership skills that I have been fine tuning throughout my college years by volunteering for my young adult program, called Origins.  This pushed me to think outside the box on a creative team for ideas that would appeal to other 18-40somethings and pull them into the program, interested and more than intrigued.  I also had to be outgoing, talking to people of all cultures and backgrounds; letting them know what we were all about, why we were doing what we were doing and what made us different from everyone else (another creative streak).  Besides this, I have excellent work ethic.  I loved college but still graduated in only three years.  I accomplished this by starting early through duel enrollment my senior year of high school, then scheduling classes each summer.  This required incredible responsibility early on as well as learning the jewel of time management.  This allowed me to not only schedule my classes well (my last semester I didn’t have classes on Fridays) but allowed me time to work when needed and to volunteer as wanted.  I did a lot during my time in school and loved every minute of it.

What I didn’t do excessively was work.  I was blessed to not have to work and so besides holding a couple part time jobs, I didn’t.  I was at college for my education and that was my job.  What upsets me now is that I am being penalized for that decision.  Every employer I have interviewed with tells me, “well…you’re experience is a little weak…”  I’m sorry if this is rude and some-what out of line but when I hear that all I can think is, yeah and what’s you’re point?! I just graduated from college for crying out loud!  I can’t get a job where I want to because I haven’t worked and they wouldn’t have hired me there before because I didn’t have a degree!  Am I missing something?  No, I don’t have any famous connections or incredible networks to get a job for me so I’m trying my best to do it myself and I’m coming up dry.  I’ve been looking for a job for over a year and I still can’t find anything.  Right now I’m struggling to work out a second interview with a sales company (because that is the only experience I have at all much to my dismay).

If you are an employer, please tell me what I am missing because I am obviously missing something huge.  I know people that don’t care, that don’t want to work, that just do the job.  I want a job where I can love what I do, to want to go to work.  Even if it is a administrative assistant position for a company that I care about, that works for me.  What am I missing?

I am the proud sponsor of a 6-year-old boy named Heisner.  He loves God and his family, does well in school, likes to play soccer and with toy cars, and is a phenomenal artist.  I had been receiving letters from him (well, from his teacher) every few months and now I hove found myself worried.  You see, Heisner and his family live in the mountains of Guatemala.  I sent a message to Compassion (the organization I sponsor him through) asking what the action plan for these kids was during cases, like a Category 5 hurricane barreling towards them and their families.

I’ve lived in Florida my entire life so hurricanes are nothing new and I am well beyond the point of them being “exciting” as I found them considered by many out-of-state college students (especially when you live in a city that just get the bands after the storm has been on shore and slowed down tremendous amounts so all that really happens is class is canceled, there is an excuse to have a party, and you get a little rain…whatever).  My point is I know hurricanes and remember some pretty bad ones like Andrew in 1992 that hit Miami-Dade, or more recently the Category 4’s that pummeled the East Coast line, the eye of the hurricane hitting, of course, Vero Beach (luckily my parents, all the animals, and the house ended up fine minus what can be considered minor damage when you look at what normally happens in those storms…well, they didn’t have power for almost a month so that wasn’t as minor).  Either way, I know that hurricanes are serious storms that destroy small shacks, bring mountainous amounts of rain that creates floods and mudslides, as well as the possibility of death.  The reason why I am sponsoring Heisner in the first place is lack of money and a need for it for his survival and for his families survival.

Isaiah 2:22 reads, “Stop trusting in man, who has but a breath in his nostrils.  Of what account is he?”  I know my God.  I know he is the creator of the universe and he is the protector of the innocent.  I love my God and I know that he loves me.  I write in concern for a child that lives in the Mayan cities in Guatemala with his family and his friends.  In concern for a child who loves school, but as of March could not attend because the teachers were on strike.  In concern for a child who draws a beautiful picture with every letter that is sent, showing me a glimpse of how great God is, how beautiful he is and how precious he has made each and every one of us.  I trust God to protect Heisner, a little, 6-year-old boy who still remembers what it is to play and have fun despite having to bring water to the house as well as other chores that we don’t have to even think about in America.  I trust God, and I ask you to pray for not only Heisner and his family, but for everyone in Felix’s path.

God be with them all…

After not writing for nearly a week I wanted to come back with something meaningful.  I have plenty of useless ideals and opinions that don’t amount to much but when I look at the world I want to make more of an impact.  BarlowGirl recently came out with their newest CD entitled “How can We Be Silent.”  It is also a “campaign” of sorts for people to not just listen to the music, but to live the life.  They challenge listeners to submit their own stories about not being silent and standing up for Christ in a world that has long forgotten that He is in fact their Maker, Savior, and king of the world that they live so freely in.  It amazes me how simple this can be and yet how difficult we make it.  We create in our minds this idea that we have to travel to the far ends of the earth in order to make a difference.  The we have to somehow be in grave danger and in fact risk our very life for our ministry to be at all effective.  Why?  Why do we need to go into the depths of the world (though those ministries are in deed needed and greatly appreciated if you are in fact called into that work)?  But why do we feel that we can’t minister to our neighbors by living a life that Christ exemplified and being friendly even when they are not?  Why can’t we minister to the workers at the local grocery store by letting them know that it is offensive to see magazines like Maxim displayed openly when all they do is offer substantial temptation to any man who walks by them and can make women feel degraded or not pretty enough by not fitting the prototype displayed?  Why can’t we minister to our local restaurants and servers by respecting the work and service they are trying to provide and simply saying “God bless you” and meaning it before walking out the door?  These minimal actions are things that should be done in our life without over analyzing them but done with the heart of He who lead us in the example.  Why do we insist on being silent when we don’t agree and accept that the society is just going to change that way whether we do something about it or not?  If we all stood up for what we actually believed can you imagine the changes that society would have to make for us?  Christians have too long been silent and accepting of the ever demeaning changes that we are forced to accept without complaint.  God did not call us to be weak (meek, but not weak) and we should be strong for our God until the day of his glorious appearing which may be closer than we think.  Until then, speak up–> Never be silent for what you believe.

I’m not really sure when exactly, but somewhere between the time of my introduction to adolescent stupidity and graduating to the utter confusion of young adulthood I made the assumption that by the end of college I would have things figured out.  Now of course I’m not talking about the BIG THINGS that people ponder for ages until their gray in wonder and we’re all bored in thought, but I’m talking about the basics: what I would do in life or at least for the first part of my life, where I wanted to live, what I wanted to do.  Those are those wonderfully intricate questions that 50-year-old teachers like to ask 8 to 6-year old kids because they get the big, out-of-this-world kind of answers like, “I want to be the president!” (before they know what that job actually entails and how much it take to get there and how by the end of that job no one likes you and most of the people who voted for you are now trying to get you impeached) or “I want to be an astronaut!” (before they realize the amount of schooling and training that it requires and how few people who start out on that path actually go into space) or a teachers personal favorite, “I want to be a teacher!” (then of course they don’t realize that teachers receive no money for the amount of hassle that they have to deal with and depending on the county depend on how much say they will actually have not even going into the fact that teachers are no longer allowed to do anything in the classroom that remotely resembles discipline or love, for example teachers can only give their students a hug if the child initiates it).  When I was asked that when I was six, I said I wanted to be a mom (imagine that, I had–and have–the best example of a mom there could ever be, I still do, I just want to have a job as well).

Now, I don’t know why exactly I made this assumption that by now I would have these things figured out.  I guess it has something to do with the idea that I knew that after college I would get a job, get married, and settle down.  I suppose that in my figuring I just never figured enough that I would remain as jumbled and mixed up in what I felt led to do as when I was in middle and high school.  It surprises me I suppose is what I’m saying.  It’s not doubt or self pity or anything negative, just simple amusement in my own silly assumptions (now we know what happens when we assume…:-) ) and shock that I am still so mixed up in the head (some of the people I know would have plenty of comments for that one!).

That’s all I suppose.  Just the thoughts for today.

Would you believe it–I passed the subject area exam.  I have another legitimate option in front of me that is now a reality.  I’ve volunteered in a classroom but I’ve never been in charge of a classroom.  I have volunteered in numerous, but I know that there is a great difference in volunteering and managing.  So I call out to all teachers on here–> I need help and I am not afraid to ask for it   For the best of the kids I am looking into being a sub through December while I earn more classroom experience and begin my teacher prep classes (as taking my prof. knowledge exam).  So, if you have advice for me (either classroom or management or encouragement or anything else) I would love to hear it!  Thank you!

ok, side note…can anyone tell me how to get the CORRECT time for eastern standard time?  It’s driving me crazy to see the post show up as 10 something p.m and and it’s only 2 in the afternoon (I know, I’m just being quirky)  but I couldn’t get it right initially and I was so happy when I finally got it on the right day that I’ve left it until now.  I’d appreciate it!  Thanks