Month: March 2020

In the early rising sun, Lord, I praise your name, as the dew reflects your glory.

In the heat of day, Lord, I praise your name, for You alone are worthy.

In the times of trouble, Lord, I praise your name, for you have delivered Your people. Your faithfulness to us stands unwavering.

May we be found with the same steadfastness, and declare Your name above all others, even in the face of trial.

Help us to remember those You’ve saved before us, the miracles you’ve worked, the blessings You’ve provided

Let us not divide but to unify for Your purpose. Heal our land, Lord, forgive us of the sins we’ve done against You, both as individuals and corporately. Restore our hearts, let us come humble before You and beg Your mercy. With all humility we ask you to heal us. Through that healing, may we turn to You for salvation. May we fully surrender everything we have. Mold us and shape us into who You’ve intended is to be all along.

Let us serve You with abandon, losing all our inhibitions for Your glory alone. Let Your light shine so bright in us, Lord, that others would see and follow. Give us words when we have none. Fill us with Your love and compassion. Lead us to You

Let us hear Your voice above all others, Lord, amidst the chaos and the news of devastation, death and deceit.

We lift our leaders, local, state and federal, and leaders of companies, both large and small, teachers and administrators an d all those making decisions about the present and the future. Grant them wisdom and peace. Let Your will be done.

Remember those who have loved You faithfully, and draw those who have wanted to but been afraid of others’ reactions to release their inhibitions and follow You wholeheartedly. Let those who love You be a beacon of light for those searching for Truth, that Your kingdom would multiply. Instill in us Your passion for humanity that we would be found faithful to Your calling

Humbly I pray.

SB

Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent. 20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me. 21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Revelation 3:19 | ESV

I started my study of the book of Revelation last night. It’s a hard book to understand, and for that reason, many steer clear of it. I’m drawn to the imagery and to the prophetic language, in anticipation of coming days. I do not know what tomorrow holds, but I know I’ve placed my faith in my Lord and Savior, who has transformed me from the filthy sinner I am into what He needs me to be. I lay myself at the foot of the cross daily, and ask Him to forgive my sins, to continue to refine me for whatever He’s called me to do and to give me the courage to obey. I listen quietly and intently for His voice, which is sometimes hard to hear over all of the clamoring noise in my life. In my quiet prayer time, I ask Him for guidance and favor, protection and healing, for me and for those I love.

This scripture is an invitation for anyone who hears His knock to follow, and He will dine with them. What He offered to me, he offers to you. today is the day to obey, my friends.

Be blessed

SB

New International Version Isaiah 26:3
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

The peace I feel right now comes from knowing that the God of the universe is my Savior. He has forgiven my sins, and cleansed me. He is my ultimate healer and my coming King. I know that someday I will spend eternity with Him in The Heavens He’s created.

New Living Translation
Isaiah 54:10 For the mountains may move and the hills disappear, but even then my faithful love for you will remain. My covenant of blessing will never be broken,” says the LORD, who has mercy on you.

Oh Lord, my God, I will trust You to deliver us prepare our hearts for what You’ve called us to be. Bring healing to our land and our world, turn our eyes toward You. I pray that You will give people an opportunity to ask forgiveness for their sins and put their trust in You alone. If I can be part of that process, equip me with the right words to say to show others what You’ve done for me.

Guide me in all decisions, refine my heart to love You above all else. Prepare me and help me prepare others for Your coming.

In Your Holy name I pray.

Precious Lord, You alone are worthy of our praise… You alone are our Hope, an ever present help in time of trouble.

In You, I find my purpose. You’ve given new life, breathed breath into dead lungs, brought light to the darkness, created ways where there were none, restored broken hearts, restored minds, given second and third and fourth chances to us, even when we can’t fully understand Your sacrifice. You have been merciful to the most undeserving, those who have trampled Your name under their selfish feet.

You’ve allowed me to grow in Your ways, and refined me by Your fire, allowing my trials to strengthen my faith in You.

I trust Your sovereign will, Lord, and trust that You will bring all things together for good to those who love You.

Use me, Lord, the story of my redemption and transformation, which You alone have allowed. Let that story be shared with others who will hear and come to know You.

Help me to hold loosely that which You’ve given, knowing that You will always provide all I need. help me to align my desires with Your plans.

Lord, I bring to you my loved ones who don’t know You personally… I pray that You would give them a desire to know You, that You would prepare their hearts to learn about You. Open opportunities to share Your goodness with others, helping me to always be ready to obey you. Forgive me when I sin against You. Help me to be real with others. I pray that they would see You through me. Help me to honor You with all I think and do. Continue to refine me to become the person You’ve intended, and help me to love those whom You love.

Heal our land, heal our hearts and minds. Bring healing to others where healing is needed, restore that which needs restored, and refine which needs refined. In Your Holy and precious name I pray, amen

3 am… east coast time. Been laying awake in my bed for an hour so I finally get up to make a cup of tea.

In the quiet darkness I pray, as talking to my Father brings comfort. The house is eerily quiet despite its inhabitants… as it has been throughout the past days.

I listen for my Father to tell me everything will be ok. And I know it will. I wrestle with decisions being made by others, some outside my control and some within my reach, hoping and praying that those making them are seeking God’s council and listening for His guidance.

In three short weeks, our lives have completely changed.

In my head, I hear the lyrics to “Go rest high upon the mountain…. your work on earth is done”. My daughter and I recorded it at the request of a friend, still grieving the loss of her brother… yet I can’t help but wonder if the haunting harmonies are deeper.

Half-way through week two of a voluntary “work at home”, with a home that is fuller than most, I feel eerily isolated. As coincidences go, my son brought two friends and a girlfriend home with him on spring break this year. As news about Coronavirus broke just before their break started, his school, located 1,000 miles from home, suggested students bring all their school materials home on break in the event they’d have to finish school online. My daughter’s university gave the order for students to move out, so she and her roommate are here as well.

My work, for a medical device manufacturer, has never been busier, as demand for ventilators and other hospital ICU equipment soar. I’ve been asked to do my job from home, and have spent the past week and a half with a headset and my computer 8 or more hours a day, sitting by myself in my bedroom. It’s eerie to be honest.

In the evenings, I’ve been teaching piano lessons, which have all resorted to FaceTime or Zoom, everybody’s favorite new ap. While others post about their hibernation projects, I find no time to tackle mine.

Connected yet isolated. I’ve felt compelled to ask those in my care how they’re doing… to make sure their emotional needs are being met, with little regard to my own. I’ve inadvertently neglected some while trying desperately to make sure I didn’t. Connected yet isolated… in this strange time where the term “social distancing” has become commonplace

Lord, I’m listening,

as a million thoughts run through my head.

I hear politicians and leaders speak nonsense, ebrazened by the chaos abounding,

I see others’ with fear of drowning, fall prey to hype and dread

Lord, I’m listening,

Let me hear Your voice instead

Stay connected, my friends. isolated but connected…

SB

Good morning, precious Father. Lord, I bow before you, in this present pestilence, knowing that You are the same today as you were yesterday, knowing that You’ve created me and love me… and will rescue me. To remember my years of darkness before I really knew You is to remind me of all that You’ve done for me, and want to do for others.

I trust that You hear me when we converse, as I listen for Your voice in my heart, I know You are here and I feel Your peace amidst the chaos. Thank you for Your peace.

Thank you for teaching me to love like You love. Fill me with compassion for those who are afraid, for forgiveness for those who mislead, or worse, take advantage. Let Your peace fill our land and Your world.

In this time of chaos and confusion, Lord, let it be Your voice we hear, Your voice that guides. I pray Your protection on our country, it’s leaders, those who are making decisions that have lasting impact on our physical, financial, emotional health. Let those decisions not impact our spiritual help, except to bring others to a place of spiritual journey, seeking You. Let them find You and be blessed by You, that they, too, would see Your mercies and goodness.

Find Your people tender and loving, sharing The Gospel of your Son, Jesus, who was humbled and crucified on earth so that we’d have a way of salvation, a pardon for the sins we’ve committed, so that we would be reconciled with You forever. Give us courage to stand strong in the face of uncertainty and criticism. Give us wisdom to act, encouragement to help others.

I’m so very humbled by Your blessings, and all You’ve provided. May every thing You’ve given be used for Your glory alone. May the work of my life reflect Your beauty.

Forgive me for all of my shortfalls, for all of the times I’ve sinned against You, sometimes willful disobedience and sometimes careless. Cleanse me again, and refine me in ways only You can, for Your purpose. Use me, Lord, to fulfill what You’ve asked of me.

Forgive our land, Lord, forgive the corporate sins we’ve committed and restore our core to the God we trusted. Protect our resources, heal our bodies and our hearts, fill us with love for one another.

Love You forever, my Lord and Savior, Sanctifier and Healer. Amen

Good morning, friends! Many of you know how much I love dreams, and look for God to speak to me in my dreams.

Over the past week or so, I have been wrestling with some big decisions. I am confident that God has a plan, and I’ve seen incredible miracles unfold before my eyes, so I know He is capable of providing a way when it seems there is none.

Last night, in my dreams, the phrase Jehovah Jireh kept coming up, over and over again. I awoke with a comfort that He will provide.

The phrase comes from the account of Abraham and Isaac in Genesis 22

Abraham Tested

 The Sacrifice of Isaac 221 After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” 2 He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.” 3 So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. 4 On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. 5 Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.” 6 And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. 7 And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here am I, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” 8 Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.9 When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 10 Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son. 11 But the angel of the Lord called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here am I.” 12 He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.” 13 And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. 14 So Abraham called the name of that place, “The Lord will provide”; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” 15 And the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven 16 and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the Lord, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, 17 I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, 18 and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.” 19 So Abraham returned to his young men, and they arose and went together to Beersheba. And Abraham lived at Beersheba.

Genesis 22:-19 | ESV

In a blog by Tony Evans,Tony Evans Jehovah Jireh, Tony talks about trials we go through while on Earth… trials that God uses to prepare us for something He has planned. In this blog, Tony talks about the importance of Abraham’s immediate obedience to God’s command, even though it seemed crazy.

Are you willing to obey what God is asking you to do? Halfway? Someday? Abraham obeyed immediately, and then God provides.

I don’t know what God is asking you to do today, but I would encourage you to obey immediately.

A little over a year ago, God asked me to share my book Masquerade with the very person who, in the book, I shared had hurt me deeper than anyone else had ever hurt me. My immediate response was “no way! I’m not doing that, God!” Again, a few days later, I felt a prompting to send the link to the book. Again, I said, “no. I’ve done everything else You’ve asked, God, but I’m not doing that.” The third time, a few days later, I felt God prompt me to send him the link, I obeyed. As I sent the link, I literally thought, “God, I hope you know what you’re doing.”

As if there is any doubt God knows what He’s doing. He does.

If you think you’re not worthy of Him, or your past is so ugly that it can’t be changed, think again! God can make the foulest clean! Do what He’s asking you to do… today. Trust Him. He’s waiting to bless you beyond your wildest dreams. He’s looking for your complete surrender and obedience to Him.

Be blessed today, my friends.

SB

In discussion with a friend, I made a suggestion that they consider meeting with a counselor to help them sort through some things they are going through… their answer?

“God is my Counselor… and I talk to Him all day long.”

It struck me funny, in my year of PRAY that I didn’t immediately suggest or even think that. Ironic? Had I become complacent? Is there ever a time when God couldn’t counsel us better than an earthly thrapist?

Of course, I believe God can use others to bring healing, but is there any better Counselor than the Lord Almighty himself? Therapy with Jesus… again

The irony is his statement is that I, too, talk to God all day long.

I was reminded of a “note” that I wrote on Facebook nearly 10 years ago that, when posted, stirred up a hornets nest of controversy. In the note, I quoted Dr Siligman of the University of Pennsylvania. In his book, Learned Optimism, Siligman suggests that depression is merely the result of wrong thinking. “Depression is caused by conscious negative thoughts. There is no underlying disorder to be rooted out… there is no childhood conflicts, not our unconscious anger, or even our brain chemistry. Emotion comes directly from what we think: think ‘loss’ and you feel sadness. If you change these habit’s of thought, you cure depression”

“Scripture memory is our most powerful tool in changing our habits of thought, and the internalized truths of God’s work keep us mentally healthy.”

When I posted this note to my Facebook page, I had an immediate negative response from a girl who had struggled with depression her whole life who vehemently argued with me that God could do anything to change her depression. She spoke to me as if she were the authoritarian on depression, as if I had never experienced it. Whew! The hate comments that followed!

The reality is, though, that I HAVE experienced it… I spent years of my life victimized by the loss of my father and blaming God for it. I know what a wreck I was before God rescued me… i know that I was absorbed with self pity for my circumstances. I know that I allowed negative thoughts to overrun me life, to the point I considered suicide on more than one occasion. I knew depression well, like an old friend.

I also know the transformation that’s taken place in my life since I surrendered my life to the lordship of the Counselor. I know the healing that’s taken place, and the boldness He’s given me to reach out to others to share with them what He’s done for me.

And really, that is what we’re called to do… to share what God, the Counselor, has done for us. What He’s done for me, He’ll do for you.

I share some of my journey in my fiction book Masquerade , though thinly veiled in fiction. I am beyond grateful for the Counselor, who not only saved my life (literally and figuratively) but gave me a passion to help others find what I’ve found.

Yes, I agree that God is the Counselor. But I am interest in your opinions of earthly counselors… please feel free to comment back … have you had good experience with counselor? Have they helped? In what way? What advice would you give to someone looking g for a counselor?

Be blessed, my friends

SB

In our youth group this week, wetalked about the Apostle Paul and his radical transformation once he heard the call of God on his life. Ironic (or is it?) coincidence, since my post, Tenacity, happened earlier in the same day.

Paul literally persecuted the very people he became. He persecuted because he did not know… and once he knew, he was radically transformed. His transformation began when he heard the unmistakable voice of the God speak time him; transformation so radical that those around him knew he was a completely different man. Ever known anyone with such a radical transformation?

My maternal grandfather was changed like that when he came to know Jesus. My mother has told me about the man he was before Christ. I only knew the man after Christ changed him; he was on fire for the gospel. He lived his every moment following Jesus and telling others about how God changed his life. His transformation was radical and fairly instant, like Paul’s.

My transformation occurred much more slowly, over a lifetime of believing and following, learning and falling, and getting up again. Continued refinement until my mind and heart aligned with the Father. Still transforming, the work is not complete.

What was your transformation like? Have you seen others with radical transformation so clear that everyone KNEW it was God’s power?

I’d love to hear… please leave a comment on transformation… either your own or someone you know.

Be blessed today, my friends!

SB