Skip to main content

Talking Straight

While sitting at Sky Harbor waiting for my plane this morning, I thought about the presidential debate last night. It's going to sound crazy, but I kept thinking about McCain's bus, The Straight Talk Express. The focus of the campaign slogan is to cut all the fancy jibberish and get to the point. Then I got a bright idea. I need to apply this concept to my prayer life. I need to do more straight talk with God. I need to get to point and tell Him just how I feel about everything that concerns me. With still a half hour wait for the plane, I reached into my purse for my latest issue of David Wilkerson's newsletter. In a nutshell, Wilkerson gives some uplifting tips to his down-hearted readers who are feeling the pinch of this economic downward spiral. The first tip is to pray instead of panic. You'll feel a lot better when you talk to God about it. My thoughts exactly..straight talk. The second tip was love people unconditionally. Wilkerson reminded me how holding on to offenses blocks that big blessing God wants to pour out on me.

I like boarding Southwest Airlines. No assigned seats, you can sit anywhere you please. I felt led to select a seat next to a mid 30's business woman traveling solo just like me. We started yaking and the flight to San Diego felt like five minutes. Here's the kicker: Melissa mentioned she loves her new Bible Study group under the direction of Beth Moore. I could just picture Beth Moore as Melissa described her stressing the need for us to pray telling God "just how it is...what we're feeling, what our attitudes are...spill it out to Him!

Okay, okay, I get it; I'm convinced. No more fancy schmanchy rhetoric. He's not impressed. God wants straight talk. I get it. I'm riding that bus.

Jeremiah 29:12
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Because He Lives, I Can Move

I’m currently in one of those places where you lay out all the options and then you make the best decision. It seems, however, like none of the choices are fair or attractive. I know God will help me in my situation because I desire His guidance. I’m clinging to His Word which promises that ALL things work together for good for those that love God and are called according to His purpose, Romans 8:28. I heard a great teaching this week about seeking God’s will and all the freedom that surrender brings. We can know that God is bringing about a victory if we trust Him with each and every decision. The speaker illustrated his point with a famous painting. The painting depicts a look of despair on the chess player’s face. He’s playing Satan and his soul is at stake. It looks like Satan is winning. Checkmate! When Paul Morphy saw this painting back in the 1800’s, he set up a chess board and aligned the pieces to reflect the painting. Being a world champion, he studied the board. His conclusi

A Veteran's Story

  I noticed Bill sitting in our local park where I walk.   He glanced my way just as I finished the last exercise walk song on my playlist.   He shouted and pointed to my car:   “Hey, is that your car with the Nam front license plate?   I stepped closer into the veranda where Bill sat on a picnic bench.   I noticed his Vietnam Vet cap and instantly I knew why I walked there that day.   The Marine Vet served during the 1960’s, the same time span as my husband.   Bill talked a lot about the war evoking my emotions from laughter to tears.   My South Vietnam front plate often prompts a conversation with a stranger and I’ve learned a deep respect for it over the years.   It is my way of listening to a veteran.   I enjoyed listening to Bill.   He made me laugh in spots but he made me cry as well.   Like when he talked about the sandwich lady.   “Do you ever eat at the sandwich shop in the gas station down the street?”   I replied that I’ve order coffee once in that place with a turke

Hello August

  We’re smack in the middle of summer but I will pause and count my blessings this season.   Our arid Arizona days have turned into monsoon rains and we are refreshed.   Triple digits are put on hold for a while and cooler desert mornings  allow me longer hours of yard work, especially after the messy, wild storms.   We’ve always grown hollyhocks, but for some reason, they went dormant the last two years.   I remember Tom on his sickbed reminding me to water the seeds he planted near the fence and, like a crazy lady, I watered what seemed like empty dirt all last year.   Was he confused, maybe?   Come spring I saw the fluffy, green leaves sprout all along the fence line.   I got excited when the different colored flowers opened.  You never know what you're going to get! As I watered, I thought of the Scripture verse about “calling forth that which is not as though it was.”   Hmm, I should apply that one to several areas of my life!   I spent last week with family in Tucson.