The need to pray for friends

Today you can find me at at (in)courage where I discuss the importance of praying for friends.

I stood in my friend’s foyer and greeted guests as they came in. Some mingled and others ate from the buffet in the dining room. They were arriving from the funeral home located a block away. There my friend was also greeting guests, but she wasn’t offering them food or having delightful conversations. Instead, she was accepting condolences for the passing of her beloved father-in-law.

She loved this man, and I knew that she was in a lot of pain. That is why I chose to be with her that day. I could not lessen her grief but I could be there for her. I could pray for her.
She and I met in grade school over 35 years ago. Since that time, God has blessed our friendship that has taken us on a journey through the emotions of being teenagers, the excitement of becoming young women and the trials of getting older.

Jesus knew the importance of having friends. He spent a lot of time nurturing and growing relationships with the disciples. One of the greatest gifts he gave to them was prayer.

He taught them how to pray in Luke 11:2-4.

Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. And lead us not into temptation.

He showed them how to pray in Matthew 26:36. Read More.

Is Jesus your friend?

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The little girl set her tray of food on the cafeteria table and sat down to eat. She looked around the room at all of the strange faces. Others her age were sitting in groups, talking and laughing as if they had known each other forever.

Celebrating Advent

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Last year, I started the Christmas season with great enthusiasm and declared this would be the best Christmas ever. I decided I would decorate my home from top to bottom, make twenty different kinds of cookies and have all of the gifts bought, wrapped and stored under the tree at least two weeks before Christmas.

About a week into the season, I found myself overwhelmed with these unrealistic intentions. My to-do list grew each day with last minute trips to crowded stores and preparing food for family gatherings. As Christmas day came closer, I started to panic. Will all of the gifts be bought in time? Will I have time to make all of those cookies? When will my husband bring the tree from the attic? What if my sister doesn’t like the gift I bought for her?

This time of the year is supposed to be a festive celebration in preparing and celebrating the birth of our savior Jesus Christ. So why do I always feel stressed, tired and overwhelmed? Do you feel this way too? Are your good intentions for celebrating the season buried among stress?

Black-capped Chickadees teach us about God’s provision

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I opened the window in my dining room on a breezy summer morning and sat down with a cup of tea. The fresh air blew the hair away from my face while I watched birds in my backyard. Some were soaring through the air flying from tree to tree while others were taking seeds from the feeder.

The birds outside my window were Black-capped Chickadees. These songbirds have petite bodies with large heads and can be found in most backyards across America. They are very active birds, never staying in one spot for too long. As I watched them, I was reminded of Matthew 6:26.

Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26

Exactly how does God feed these birds? I did some research and what I found is so amazing and really makes this scripture come to life.

The Black-capped Chickadees (I love saying Chickadees), unlike other birds, do not fly south for the winter. They live, fly, eat and build nests within a ten mile radius all year long. In order to survive the cold winter months, they start collecting seeds from berry bushes and trees in October and store them in various places within their ten mile home.

Can you imagine having to remember where you stored food in such a large area? How can these little birds remember all of those hiding places?