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Showing posts from April, 2013

The Generational Blessing of Back Seat Drivers

A generational blessing in our family is one of back seat drivers.   What a great place to learn how to pray! My daughter told me a cute story about a back-seat driver, her daughter Susanna, who is four.  After picking up Sookie from preschool and buckling in her back car seat, Carrie tried several times to start the car.  Noticing her daughter observing her, Carrie remained peaceful and turned to Sookie in the back seat.  “Do you want to join hands with me and pray?”  The two prayed, but the car still did not start.  Then Sookie said “Mommy, it’s in the wheel.”  Her mom questioned her again.  “It’s in the wheel,” the little back-seat driver said.  Carrie turned the wheel and the car started immediately.   Back up 33 years.  Carrie was two and sitting in the back seat of my car.  We just moved from Chicago to a small Arizona town and I was dealing with culture shock big time.  No Shopping mall and no modern anything.  We took a big pay cut and I just enrolled my oldes

Book Review: Grounded

Yada Yada fans await the latest novel, Grounded, written by husband-wife team, Neta and Dave Jackson.   Grounded is the first in a new series, Windy City Neighbors, and will be released in May. Grace Meredith is the main character.   She is a popular Christian recording artist whose life and career exemplify the stress of working too hard, rejection, loneliness, communication challenges with family and friends, romance, racial interaction, prayer and Bible study and devouring delicious foods.   Most importantly, Grace’s story drives us to look within and see if we’re motivated by performance or by the grace of God. I highly recommend this well-written fiction novel.   It encourages every heart to keep trusting God and seeking Him for the lead of each new day.   The story takes place in Chicago where the neighborhoods and restaurants come alive in colorful fashion.   The authors reeled me into the neighborhood with descriptions of the familiar area and people of Chi

How to Avoid Temptation

  I now realize that when God is speaking something into my life I will hear it in several places. That happened yesterday at church listening to a sermon from the Book of James.   My pastor shared his own prayer life realizing how vital it is to pray not to be lead into temptation at the beginning of each new day. And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, “God is tempting me.” God is never tempted to do wrong and he never tempts anyone else.   Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away.   These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.     James 1: 13-15 I’m like the Christian our pastor described who comes before the Lord telling Him all the same things but usually doesn’t ask help with temptation.   Yesterday afternoon I attended a prayer meeting in a friend’s home.   The teacher made some wonderful Biblical points and one of them was “to fight the temptation to wan

Sister Socialist

God promises to provide your need. But the Bible doesn’t provide your dreams. You need to work for them. Greg Laurie For even when we were with you, We gave you this rule: “The one who is unwilling to work shall not eat.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10 My alarm woke me up to Greg Laurie’s teaching this morning.   His focus was about realizing our dreams and how to work toward them dispelling the notion that God owes us fulfillment as we sit and wait for them to magically appear.   Oh, the black and white Bible teachings of Greg Laurie! I remember the scene in my living room when I hosted a women’s event from my church.   My close friend, Jan, was there.   Tension entered the room when Carol voiced her repeated mantra of how we Christians have it all wrong.    She packed all her socialistic theology in one verse in the New Testament where it talks about Christians sharing their stuff and no one owning anything so everybody’s needs are met.   (Acts 2:44, 45) Jan te

Shattering Rocks in Prayer

I downloaded a new app for my Asus Eee Pad Tablet and I’m having so much fun with it.    I chose a Bible Study program in the New American Standard version.   Several in our family currently face hard times and I found some significant scripture verses that not only bring into play but lend power to my intercession for them. Do you need strength and want to declare victory over your life today?   Then these are for you too! For by you I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall. Psalm 18:29 May they praise God while they hold a two-edged sword in their hand, in order to take revenge on the nations, and punish foreigners. They bind their kings in chains, and their nobles in iron shackles, and execute the judgment to which their enemies have been sentenced. All his loyal followers will be vindicated .      Praise the Lord!  Psalm 149: 6-9 "Behold, I have made you a new, sharp threshing sledge with double edges;   You wi