A Moment Of Silence and Prayer

Please stop and take a moment to pray for MacMama and her family at My Charming Kids. Their infant son is very sick and the strength and faith that this mother has is like no other.

Click on the link above and catch up on their story. There is no love like a mother's love, except that of the "Father".

Prayer

Dear Heavenly Father,
I thank you for the cold weather you bring into our lives. It reminds me to be thankful and that you provide in all situations, things we tend to take for granted. Thank you for a warm house to live in, even when when the family thinks I keep the thermostat too low I am thankful I am doing it by choice. Thank you for a warm bed and warm covers for my family. Thank you for reliable cars that get us to our destination safe and warm. Thank you for the cell phones we can use should we have problems with those cars. Thank you for the warm food/drinks to help keep us warm. Thank you for employment in these times when so many are with out a job.

Lord I lift up to you those who are homeless, I pray that you will lead them to a warm place to lay down their head and for warm food/drink. I lift up to you those who do not have their own transportation, I pray that whatever means they use they can stay warm and arrive at their destination safely. I pray for those who are seeking employment, show them the plan you have for them and give them hope.

And I thank you for giving us your Son Jesus Christ. During this season help us not to get caught up in the weather and hustle and bustle of the holiday. But help us to focus on what is important, the birth of your Son. You are the Prince of Peace, Lord of Lords and the perfect Counselor. You deserve all our praise and worship, there is no other God like you, no other God as loving, as gracious, as merciful. I give my life to you, you are the potter and I am the clay, make me as you want me. Now there may be a little resistance at times but I know you will help me work through it.

Thank you for what you have done, for what you are doing, for what you will do.
Amen

We are never alone.

Pray First

Well it's swim season again, our 4th season. This is always a busy time a year for us. Mixing Thanksgiving, Christmas, 5:30 am practices and 2 a-day practices during holiday break makes for some challenging times. Getting people here and there (on time) and taking care of every day life takes planning, patients, and lots of prayer. It's during those times that we need to make sure to start and end each day with prayer.

During that prayer time we need to ask God for discernment - how to prioritize our day. We can't be so busy being busy that we lose site of what is truly important - Jesus. During the this holiday season stop and smell the evergreen. Take time to enjoy the true meaning of the holiday. Spend time with family and friends for they are a special gift from God.

What has God blessed you with this holiday season?

I want to thank my friend Dee at jumping tandem for showing me the Wordle website which was used to create the Gator word picture above.

Taking the time to understand

Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me. Redeem me from the oppression of men, that I may obey your precepts. Psalm 119:134-135

Have you ever read a beautiful Bible passage only to get to the end and only think you know what the word means. You proceed to look at the bottom of the page only to find out that it talks about the verse before and after the one you need some clarity on.

For me this morning it was "precepts". That is not a word that is used in everyday conversation, or at least not mine. So, thanks to Google here it is:

"A commandment, instruction, or order intended as an authoritative rule of action."

God has shown me this morning not to just read the words but to truly take the time to understand what the words mean and then what He saying to me.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you so much for watching over us through the night. I pray that you will go before us today as we journey through life, and I am thankful to know that should we stumble and fall you will be there to pick us up, brush us off, and set our feet on your path once again. Amen