Prayers & Praise

Today is just one of those days when I want to sit back and thank God for all He's done (and is still doing) in my life as well as the lives of my friends & family.

I'm amazed how when I least expect it, God is there speaking something to me that although it could be as obvious as the birds in the sky. There are times when even the most everyday thing can sometimes take on a whole new appreciation and today that is happening.

I got up at 6 to spend some time alone with Him, before the kids and wife get up. It's usually a great time to do this, when the house is still and I can quiet myself to hear His voice and read my Bible. I've been able to keep with my new routine of reading one Proverb each day along with another 2-3 chapters in a separate book. I've been really reading up on the righteous and how they are to behave in their personal conduct as well as raising a family. God has really been using many of these passages to help me realize that (at times) I can let my anger & frustration overwhelm me but this isn't what He calls me to do. Consider my ways, control my temper and believe on Him in ALL things.

Trust & belief. Faith in the Almighty and often times, in the unknown. Yet that is the essence of faith, isn't it?

I received an email, 2 in fact, from 2 very dear friends of mine who are in different seasons of their lives today but in both instances, they are believing and trusting in God to continue to lead. One of my friends is going through a tough time in prep for a family member's surgery. Yet, even with the outcome of the procedures and what happens next, she is reaching out to God as well as others to pray for a full recovery for her spouse. She is trusting and believing in the power of prayer...that God can accomplish anything He desires. I'm reminded of the verse in John where Jesus says "And I will do whatever you ask in My name so that the Son may bring glory to the Father. You may ask me anything in My name and I will do it." (John 14:13-14)

Today, I am asking in the Name of Jesus that He will heal this one who is having surgery today and that in the days that come, the Name of Jesus will be magnified and glorified because of it. I'm praying for a physical healing and a spiritual encouragment for my friend, so that through all of this, she will know that not only does she have people standing in the gap for her & her husband but she has a Father who loves them and has wonderful plans for them.

I'm also excited because my other friend sent me an email detailing the development of he and his children who are forging ahead with life without a wife and mother. Each time I read an update from my buddy, I see how God is truly revealing Himself to him, giving him comfort, hope, peace and assurance that He is in control and, as Jeremiah 29:11 says God "has plans for a future and a hope." My friend and I have grown so much closer than when we used to work together back in the radio days...and we were pretty good buds back then. Wrasslin' geeks is what we were. HA!

Although we never have an idea where God will ultimately take us and whom He will place in our lives, I don't believe in just sheer coincidence. I believe in the sovereign plan of God and that "everything comes together for the good of those who love Him." There have been numerous times when I've felt at one of my lower points yet God has at that time shown me a verse or reminded me of someone who has been there to raise my spirits, stand in the gap for me and give me the encouragement I need.

I thank God today for friends and family like these. I hope that I can be one of those kind of encouragers to them as well as my many other family & friends. That is one of the legacies I want to leave when I die.

That I was there for people, that I shared & reflected God's love genuinely and that I did His will. I pray today that for everyone who reads this that God will give you a blessing you never expected and that it will not only enrich your life but will point you back toward Him.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now, there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for His appearing." (2 Tim. 4:6-8)