Tag Archives: Prayer

All Hallows Eve (or Halloween)

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October 31st is usually a cause for people to dress up, go to parties and have a lot of fun. Children dress up and go house to house for candy and then the parents have to deal with the sugar highs that they will have as they polish off the spoils. Many people don’t know that Halloween is a shortened form of All Hallows Eve. All Hallow’s Day or All Saint’s Day is November 1st.

This is a day when Christians think about, and pay homage to, the Christians that came before us. This can include the family members that died in the past year but more common is the commemoration of Saints that were killed for being Christians. We haven’t had many persecutions in the US, but in places like Africa, Syria and China, Christians are being killed just because they are Christians. We need to earnestly pray for these Christians and give to organizations that are trying to help. We can also let Congress know that this needs to stop.

This quote is from John Stonestreet who is with Breakpoint, a part of the Colson Center, in an email and radio broadcast about International Religious Freedom Day:

On June 13, at least 200 Christians were killed in a single day in the Nigerian village of Yelwata. In March and April, more than 250 Christians were slaughtered in coordinated attacks on churches and villages during Palm Sunday services in northern and Middle Belt regions of Nigeria. Survivors described gunmen storming worship services, hacking victims with machetes, and burning families alive in their homes.  

The persecution of Christians is happening in other African nations as well. In February, more than 70 worshippers were beheaded in the Democratic Republic of Congo when ISIS-affiliated rebels stormed a Protestant church in Kasanga, North Kivu, during a service. The dead included women and children. 

In Syria this past June, an ISIS suicide bomber detonated explosives during Sunday liturgy at Mar Elias Greek Orthodox Church, killing more than 20 worshippers and injuring dozens more. Eyewitnesses, including a surviving woman who refused to flee despite threats, described the blast ripping through the congregation mid-prayer, with shrapnel embedding in icons and pews.  

Recently on YouTube, one of my content creators that I listen to had a person on his channel that was “feet on the ground” in Nigeria. His mission in Nigeria is to house and feed Christian refugees, giving them a safe harbor in all the persecution. Equipping The Persecuted is also trying to get the word out past the officials in Nigeria that tell the world that nothing is going on. Here is the channel if you would like to listen to the podcast. It’s very alarming.

We must remember to pray for those that are persecuted. And as you attend church tomorrow, remind others that there are Christian Martyrs today that can use our prayers and support.

Do We Care?

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This has been a very bad week for me. From the murder on a subway in Charlotte, NC to the school shooting in Colorado and finally ending with the assassination of Charlie Kirk, my head feels like it’s going to explode, and my heart is very heavy, and it hurts. Tears come quickly and I’ve been very emotional. A lot of people are talking right now, and I figure I’ll add my voice. This is not just for now, these things that have happened have changed my way of thinking.

So far, I’ve been keeping my voice light and upbeat. The things that happened to me and how God has brought me through it is miraculous. I’ve been filled with a sense of Awe and Wonder as to why I’m still here. Now I think I know.

Many of us in the background of Christianity stay quiet. We go about our days watching society crumbling around us. Many of us pray fervently for our society in general and the people around us. It’s now time to stop being quiet. Don’t get me wrong, these people are needed, prayers are needed, however, many that have been quiet need to speak up.

I hate labels. I’ll put that out there. I hate them because they box in people; put people in categories. I’m a woman, mother and a grandmother. Those labels are what I am, not what I believe in. Far Left; Far Right. Conservative; Liberal. Those are labels. I believe in truth. I believe that the Bible is true. I believe Jesus rose from the grave to save me. Those are my beliefs. Within that framework I have further beliefs that a lot of people will say that I’m wrong. I think that now you will hear what I believe in.

Charlie died because he stood up in front of millions of college students and said what he believed. There was a time in this country that you could do that without fear of being murdered. People call Charlie a fascist without truly knowing what it means. Look it up, people!! Mussolini was a fascist, and you dared not speak against him or you were dead. The same with the nazis. Charlie invited people to come and challenge his beliefs be they spiritual or political. That’s not a fascist.

My question at the top is “Do We Care?” Do we care that a voice has been quieted? That a good man, a good husband and a good father has been taken away? I get physically sick when I hear people rejoicing over his death. That Charlie got what he deserved. Did the girl on the subway get what she deserved? Did the ones in Colorado that got shot get what they deserved? Only those acquainted with Satan would celebrate death.

This week this song has been in my head and I can’t get it out. Charlie this is for you:

All of the Angels out there…

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At the beginning of this month, I was made aware (quite rudely, if I must say so) of how many angels of care that the Lord has stationed out in the world. You see, I had a brain hemorrhage at the beginning of January and I’m still here to tell the tale. In fact, as I was in our local emergency room waiting for the medical helicopter (yes, we did that!), I said a prayer to the Lord and it was like this. “Lord, if you are ready to take me now, I’m ready to go. However, if you keep me here on earth, there must be a reason, so guide me through this.”

I was air-lifted to a hospital about two hours away (15 minutes by helicopter), where they had a team that could take care of me. And take care of me they did. I don’t remember too much of my first two days, but I woke up in a Neuro ICU and I was clear-headed. I could sit up, walk (very slowly) and discuss my condition with the doctors and nurses. From the moment I woke up I was ready to go home, but I had to stay at least 14 days (21 days is the norm), due to a medical standard. It’s too complicated to write here, trust me.

The angels that took care of me were just that, angels. I came across so few workers that were grumpy or discontented. Most did their jobs most excellently. They were wonderful people.

Yes, I told the Lord Jesus that I’m ready to go, and I am. But the Lord has kept me on this earth for some reason with all my faculties intact. As I was pondering this in the ICU, my thoughts turned to this blog that I started years ago and haven’t written in for 2 plus years. I was prodded to awake this blog, turn it around and, instead of focusing on me as a caregiver to my husband, make it about the people in the world who give care and how we can give care to others in our world. There are people in our lives every day that we can encourage and help. Keep a look out for them!

Giving Care

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I’m now noticing that when I was in the middle of caregiving that I didn’t have much time or energy to help others. I was very selfish and drawn in on myself. I was worried about getting through each day and I didn’t worry much about my neighbor.

Now I’m trying to take this attitude and turn it around, so that I can look at others and see if I can help to meet their needs. This is so hard when all I’ve ever thought about was my needs. Yes, I extended that to my husband and my children, but never outside of that circle.

 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.‘ There is no commandment greater than these.

Mark 12:30-31

As Christians we are commanded to love our God with everything that is within us and to extend that love to others. As Christians we are not only to take care of ourselves and family, but to also extend care to others. What does this look like? I’m not sure, but I know that my giving care will look different from yours. We are all called to do this. We should pray and ask what caregiving we can to today for others.

Wisdom and the Rest of the Prayer.

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Whenever I hear the word wisdom, I think of King Solomon. He was supposed to have prayed for wisdom and also received it. In the context of this prayer, we are asking for wisdom to know the difference. The difference between acceptance and change, and when we should do either one.

I don’t think I’m a very wise person. In fact, I look back and some of the things that I have done are really stupid. I wonder where my brain was when I decided those things. But praying for wisdom; that’s just a step up. We are coming to the Lord and saying we don’t know what we should do and asking Him to help us. We have to be humble to ask this.

To be humble is to admit that you are not a good judge of a situation. Perhaps you are too close to the situation to determine what should happen. To be humble you need to acknowledge that you are not in control. To be humble you need to have a peace about letting God have control. To be humble to listen to the Lord and do as He tells you.

He may speak to you through the scriptures, or perhaps a good friend who you trust. Always seek counseling with others because you may be too close to the situation to make a good decision.

The rest of this prayer is about humility. Living only one day at a time; which is all the that Lord has promised us. Enjoying what is happening now; not letting the past or future ruin what joy there is in a day. Accepting any hardship, knowing that the Lord will get us though it. Doing what the Lord would have us do because blessings will always come with following the Lord.

This whole prayer is one that can help you live your life. It encompasses living in the Lord in a few sentences. Since doing this blog about the Serenity Prayer I think that I will have to take it more to heart then I’ve done in the recent past. I’ve reminded myself why I used to pray this a lot. I don’t have Joe to take care of anymore, but this prayer is too good to set aside.

Courage

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“mental or moral strength to venture, persevere,
and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty”
Merriam-Webster Dictionary

After Serenity and Acceptance comes Courage. Courage to change the things I can. Whew! Tall order. Changing our attitudes, feelings and outlook on life takes courage. We have to have a “mindset” that we will change this or that and work on doing so.

Lately I’ve had a problem with courage and changing things. I want to change my lifestyle into one that is healthier and better for me. I have a membership to the local YMCA, and I even wear a Fitbit. It seems that I have trouble getting my mind into that mindset that will help me overcome some of the physical problems that I have. Without giving you a list, just know that I’m in my “senior” years and I’ve found that the stress of taking care of my husband for 16 years and especially the last 5 of those years have taken a terrible toll on my body. I managed to also work full-time during those years and I still work full-time.

I also have trouble with studying and reading the Bible, going to church and just getting out. Of course the pandemic has a lot to do with not going to church or going out, but I used to be very active in our church and I had no problem jumping in my car to take off somewhere. You’d think that I’d be able to study the Bible more, but I find my mind just isn’t in it.

So I’m going to try to ask God for more Serenity. I don’t have too much of a problem accepting things, I had a lot of practice with that one while Joe was still alive. But the courage to change stuff I have to work on. I might just ask for a bit of Wisdom while I’m at it.

Serenity

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My father was a recovering alcoholic and he spent a good portion of his time later in life attending AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) meetings. He never cared about his “anonymous” status and would tell anyone that he was a drunk, just one drink from a bender.

From his recovery in AA, I came to know the Serenity Prayer. Every meeting is started with this prayer (at least they used to!) and it is (or was) a staple of life recovering from alcoholism.

One day, I took a really good look at this prayer. Oh, I knew it, could recite the first four lines by heart. That is all of the prayer that AA used, but they are powerful. This prayer kept me sane while I was taking care of Joe and I came to depend on it.

God, Grant Me The Serenity… who doesn’t want serenity? Have you ever had the kind of peace and serenity that only God can give? I have, several times, and each time I know it’s not me that caused the total and utter peace within.

Early in Joe’s medical history, he had a pretty serious surgery. He would end up having three extremely major surgeries, all of them lasting 10 hours or more. This was the first of those surgeries. He was to have a craniotomy and a biopsy done on a small tumor that showed up in a really bad place. It was in the place in your brain where all of your nerves gather to form the spinal column. Tricky surgery. Then, once the neurosurgeon was finished he was going to be passed on to the plastic surgeon to try to fix some of the scalp and skull that was rotting before our eyes. Yup, Joe was going to get a “twofer”.

Of course we had to get to the hospital before sunrise. I kissed Joe and off he went. I was very nervous about this surgery. Little did I know at the time that I would become a champ at sitting in waiting rooms. I was feeling really nerved up, so I went outside to walk around the hospital campus. While I was outside I was just praying for Joe and the doctors and nurses taking care of him. Suddenly, in my “minds eye” so to speak, I saw an operating room with someone on the operating table and doctors and nurses all around. I couldn’t see faces, but I knew it was Joe on that table. At each corner of the room was an angel. Then I realized that angels were watching over the operation…. I was floored and a peace came over me. My anxiety just kind of floated away.

I know the kind of Serenity that this prayer is mentioning. There are many times in my life I have called on God and requested this Serenity and usually He will bless me with peace.

More on the Serenity Prayer next time….