More Exciting than a Date!

Dearest God, I mean that.  Ever since I realized that I could take advantage of some time here on this prayer-journal, I have been excited.  Oh, how my soul needs this resting time in Your presence!  And how the world around me needs You, hopefully called upon through my intercessory prayers.

• Jenny: She deserves, and may get, a post of her own.  Dear God, what is going on with her?  And her mother?  Please prevent me from any judgmental condemnations or quick prescriptions.  I totally believe that Jenny is a complex and intricate young woman who may have challenges that I cannot comprehend, or maybe do not comprehend because I don't know all the details.  In any case, would You please bless her?  Show her how much You love and accept her.  I do believe that she has an attachment disorder, as I believe other professionals who have evaluated her also think.  Her mother, Kim Marie, is poorly equipped emotionally and "informationally" to handle Jenny's unique personality.  Please intervene in both lives to bring peace and love---peace to their family and true, deep, unconditional love between them.  Give Cliff and Kim Marie more than enough wisdom to navigate through these difficult days.  Please prevent them from being too harsh on Jenny, which will only reinforce her attachment reluctance.  Most of all, please shout into Jenny's heart Your deep, accepting love for her.
• My mother, Wanda: As she navigates this second holiday since Bill's death, please comfort her.  My girls have been SO good with her!  (Thank You for them.)  Turn her toward Yourself for companionship when she feels lonely and when those who do love her have other obligations that prevent them/us from spending as much time with her as ... well, as she might want and as we might want but cannot.  Give her some purpose, some joy, some reason to keep on.
• Me!  I just drifted over to FB to see whether anyone particular came to mind for more intercession.  Paradoxically, I came to my own mind.  :)  I am tired.  Much to do today--but You are my strength!
• Amy: that resistant dry socket.  Please, dear Great Physician, touch that place in her mouth and cause it first to stop hurting and secondly to heal.
• The Haydens: They are going through the losing process with Lorraine, and it is never easy.  Please, Father, lead them, energize them, strengthen them for challenging days ahead, and give them some rest.  This request may also be reflected in the Jenny item above.  Jenny may need more attention than Daddy in particular has time or energy to give right now.  Please comfort the entire Hayden family, including the extended relatives, and give them moments of connecting with Lorraine and even Clayton as they await what seems to be inevitable--her death.

I have only 3 minutes left.  I will need to get off in a hurry so I don't lose this post.  Love You!!!!

Julie's Final in Science

Heavenly Father, please do what You do to help people in my Julie's life.  This is her last final for the semester--her only final for the semester!--and the last possible time slot.  Help her to place her confidence in You and in the blessing that You pour out on Your faithful ones.  Calm her, help her not only to recall  everything she has learned but also to be able to deduce and induce things -- inspire her.  May she finish strong and enjoy her evening with her sister and her cousin (Kayleen).  In Jesus's name and in Your Spirit~Amen.

Julie's Finals

Please, Heavenly Father, bless Julie during this last week of her college semester.  Make her papers clear and meaningful.  Help her to get enough sleep, particularly by making her studying efficient.  Give her confidence not only in her own abilities, but most importantly in Your great omniscience.  Bring them all home safely!  In Jesus's name~~Amen.

Newtown

Oh, dearest God, "there are no words" is the most frequent thing I have seen on Facebook, and I would have to agree.  There aren't.  How could this unthinkable tragedy happen?  Just 11 days away from the birthday of Your Son, a holiday that is so closely associated with childhood, and 20 children will...well, they will be celebrating with You in heaven, but their parents will be crying.  Comfort these dear people, God.  Please.  As a Father who had His Son killed, You of all people understand the grief.  The heartwrenching, heartbreaking grief. 

There are no words.  So, Holy Spirit, You intercede for us all in this terrible tragedy.  There are no words! 

Taylor MAHE

Dearest God, whom we serve out of love, please direct Amy's experiences at Taylor today.  Please also lead her in the path in which she should go.  In Jesus's name~Amen!

Laura's Daughter #3

For Paige, Lord...details later.

Membership?? Maybe Not

...or, dear God, maybe so, if You so direct.  I don't want to go into prayer with my mind already made up.

Please show us what You want us to do.  I know that I have many reservations about HBC that are coloring my opinion.  I certainly don't feel that I can join my life to this church with as many concerns as I have.

• Started from a split
• The parade of elders and deacons who have stepped down, with no explanation
• The very first comment that "Women do not participate" - nothing to clarify that statement
• The NANC focus (as with many things, this is not black or white)
• The Ezzo class (as above)
• The 5-point Calvinism divide
• The early emphasis on "spank first, ask later"
• The hurtful email about my "frustrating" (or some synonymous word) someone
• The Master's Christian Academy fiasco
• Ignoring Amy's and Julie's missions trips
• Ignoring the older children's needs for teaching
• ...and more, but not right now.

(Right now, dear Father, I'm going to get something to eat and then go find Amy in recovery!)

PS  For earlier indications of my discomfort with membership and this church, see my post of 9/27/2010.  Over two years ago!

Worship!

Good morning, Lord.  Here I am on a Sunday morning at home.  I have only a cold, but it is Christmas season (Happy Earth-Birthday!) and giving a virus to children and/or their parents is not my idea of a gift!

I have looked forward to this time for maybe two weeks or more now.  Having gone back to work (thank You for the job), I don't have as much time as I did during my recovery, and even then I did not have much time because of Bill's deterioration and death.

So..."Here I Am to Worship."  I wanted to choose a worship song to make this "service" complete.  I think You brought that one to mind.  (The video I wanted to include was Tim Hughes's, with scenes from The Passion of the Christ.  However, it wasn't a YouTube video, which seems to be permitted here.)  Tears streaming down my face....

Prayer: The Nicols 5 asked us to pray for Jeremiah, who has strep throat and an ear infection and is now at Disney World with them.  Please, dear Father, in your healing way touch that boy's body and allow the entire family to have an amazing time of family bonding.

Scripture: From the Advent calendar-December 9th, Isaiah 42:1-4

“Look at my servant, whom I strengthen.
He is my chosen one, who pleases me.
I have put my Spirit upon him.
He will bring justice to the nations.
² He will not shout
or raise his voice in public.
³ He will not crush the weakest reed
or put out a flickering candle.
He will bring justice to all who have been wronged.
⁴ He will not falter or lose heart
until justice prevails throughout the earth.
Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.^[a]”

 

(Footnotes: Isaiah 42:4 Greek version reads And his name will be the hope of all the world. Compare Matt 12:21.)

How does this prophecy further clarify what the Messiah will accomplish? He will bring justice to the nations; He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle (which I think means that He will preserve and protect even the weakest person with even a tiny amount of faith); again, He will bring justice, and He will not stop or become discouraged (as I sometimes do) until justice prevails! 
How does the Messiah’s activity in these verses reflect the character of God?  This one is easy to answer.  God is just and desires justice.  He also pursues justice gently (not shouting or raising His voice, and watching out for the weak and "flickering"). 

Dear God, it's almost 10:45 a.m. and I would like to use this time wisely.  That is not to say that being here with you is not using time in the wisest possible way.  :)  Make me efficient today, please.  I do love you with all my heart.

Wisdom (Teeth) for Amy

Dearest Heavenly Father, today I am at St. Vincent’s Hospital with my daughter (our daughter—George’s and mine, and Yours and ours) Amy to have her wisdom teeth extracted.  Most times, it is not necessary to be in a hospital setting for this procedure, but her cutaneous mastocytosis scares people.  I am grateful for caution!  So, this is what I am asking: Please protect her from any reactions AND allow her recovery to be smooth, uncomplicated, and as painless as possible.  (We expect a little pain, but since she cannot take some of the pain relievers such as ibuprofen and morphine-related drugs, I especially ask for Your supernatural intervention to treat her pain.)

She has done well so far, dear Lord.  She is so beautiful, inside and out.  It seems to this proud mother that people just gravitate toward her lovely spirit.  The doctors: Peter Drob, DMD, and Neeru Oberoi, MD for anesthesiology.  The nurses: Ann Marie in the prep area (whose Catholic school teachers at Benedictine told her she’d never amount to anything—terrible), Ellen for the first anesthesia nurse, James the attending anesthesia nurse, and the other nurse who will be 38 on December 23^rd.  It seemed like a good team!  Please cover them all with blessing and grace, especially since they will be taking care of our daughter.

God, please also lead Amy in the path in which she should go.  She will need to reapply at Taylor for the MAHE program, IF that’s what You are calling her to do next year.  Oh, the parting from Casa is going to be painful.  She is already talking about going back on vacations.  Between working, paying back loans, saving for plane fare, rent, car expenses—well, Lord, we know that if returning to Tijuana is Your will, You will provide.

It’s only 8:21 a.m.  I’ll go upstairs around 8:50 to wait for the report.

Father, thank You that You care at least as much as I do for this young lady whom You have given me.  You have more power than I do to keep her safe.  You also understand my mother-heart and its desire to shield her from pain and suffering.  (Gives me pause to realize that You essentially violated that natural wish to save Your own Son in order to save me.  Wow.)  Please let this be an uncomplicated course at least in part so that Amy can return to Mexico to love those ninos for Your sake.  In Jesus’s name~Amen!

9:42 a.m.  Waiting in the Family Waiting Room; no news yet.  Getting a little bit anxious.  My mother/Amy's grandmother called already asking for an update.  Dear Lord, please let the delay be benign.  Please....