This Week's Lightbulb Moment

Sometimes there's just not enough...

...not enough information...not enough fixers...not enough solutions...not enough time...

When difficulties fall in our laps or on our heads, we tend to look around and feel like "they" aren't doing enough to help us in our time of distress...or "they" could have done things differently and we wouldn't be in our current circumstances.

For instance, the 3-5 inches of snow, which unexpectedly fell on Metro Atlanta on a work/school day afternoon.  Who knew?  No human being knew in advance what would actually take place.  The weather forecasters predicted all bad weather to fall on the southern most part of our state with probably no impact on Metro Atlanta whatsoever.

Even on Tuesday, as the forecast changed and some snow was possible in Metro Atlanta, no human being knew when the snow would begin or how much would fall or that people would flee their office buildings and end up stuck on highways for hours or that bus drivers wouldn't be able to finish getting students home.  No one knew...until after it happened and hindsight IS 20/20.

But here's the rub of truth, even if we knew the true weather scenario before it played out; we still couldn't have prevented 100% of all difficult situations from happening.  And why should we expect to never encounter difficulty anyway?  Isn't it through trials, we learn most heartily?  

James 1:2-4 Consider it pure joy, my brother, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance, perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete not lacking anything.

God knew, and through the difficult circumstances, many people in Metro Atlanta have been able to see Him in the kindness of strangers.  In selfless acts of caring for a person stranded in their car, out of gas, walking on an icy road or in need of a little food, water and shelter for the night; Jesus has shown His face, His Hands and Feet, and His Heart of compassion!  Could that have happened if every annoyance were prevented in advance?  I don't think so...

Yet, I couldn't help thinking, in the midst of all the chaos and finger pointing and blame for all the inconvenience, fear and frustration, which continues days later; what about the people who live outside daily - no 
home, barely a shelter, barely some food and water.  What about the homeless who daily wonder, "What happened? How did I get here?" They already know the truth...sometimes bad things happen, and sometimes life's not fair, and sometimes there just isn't enough...

This is the Word of God from Isaiah 58:6-10
Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke, 
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter
when you see the naked, to clothe him, 
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?
Then your light will break forth like the dawn 
and your healing will quickly appear; 
then your righteousness will go before you, 
and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.  
Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: "Here Am I."
If you do away with the yoke of oppression, 
with the pointing finger and malicious talk, 
and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry 
and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, 
then your light will rise in the darkness, 
and your night will become like noonday.

O Lord, I don't want to be a finger pointer or blamer.  I want to be a well watered garden, a spring whose waters never fail. I want to be called a "Repairer of Broken Walls" and a "Restorer of Streets with Dwellings".  (Isaiah 58:11-12)  Change me, Lord, start with me, and in so doing change my community....our culture.

Lord, Jesus, You are enough - all I ever need no matter my circumstances.  May I forever JOY in knowing that You know me, and delight in me as Your creation.  To You Lord, Jesus, be all glory and honor and praise - forever, and ever...Amen!

My Prayer For You...January 26, 2014

My prayer for you and me this week...

Lord, please reveal to us whether we are hot, cold or lukewarm toward You.  Your Word reminds us You know our deeds and if You find us to be lukewarm toward You, You will spit us out.  Lord, Jesus, are we wealthy?  Do we say we have no need of anything?  And yet through Your eyes You see that we are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked?  You see Your Bride, the Church, and You reveal our need for purification.

Oh Lord, reveal to us, Your people, "Is this our true state?"  Jesus, You say to us, "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline.  So be earnest and repent.  Here I am!  I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me."

Yes, Lord, we long to know the truth.  We long to open the door and dine with You.  Lord, we trust You enough to move closer to Your refining fire and we trust You to purify us...to restore Your Bride...the Church...for Your glory!  Thank You Jesus, for Your promise...to us who overcome, You will give the right to sit with You on Your Throne, just as You overcame and sat down with Your Father on His Throne.

We give thanks to You Lord, for You are good and Your love endures forever!  Thank You for Your Mercy.  Amen and Amen!!   (Revelation 3:14-22 and I Chronicles 16:34)

This Week's Lightbulb Moment

God gets our attention in attention getting ways...

Over the past year, it seems more often than not, as I look at a clock, I will catch eleven minutes after the hour.  At first I noticed the time 9:11 - both a.m. and p.m.  This happened so many times, I brought it to my husband's attention.

My husband also began calling out, "Hey, it's 9:11!"  Suddenly, I was noticing eleven minutes after other hours; most notably 11:11 a.m., 1:11 p.m., 2:11 p.m. and 5:11 a.m. and p.m.  Because this was becoming a daily phenomenon for

both my husband and myself, I began asking the Lord, "What do You want me to know about these times, numbers, and what about the elevens?" 

This past weekend I served as a "door holder" (a volunteer) for the Passion 2014 conference in Atlanta.  This conference is open to young people 18 through 25 years of age, and is designed to catch, prepare and send out disciples of Jesus Christ to make disciples around the world.  

(Check out this link for more information regarding the Passion Conference.  http://268generation.com/passion2014/story/)

Before the students arrived for the conference, each team of intercessors was assigned a section of the arena to prayer walk.  My assignment covered sections 210-212.  I found it no accident that my sections included section 211.  I touched every seat and prayed over this entire section, however, I stopped and asked the Lord for a specific and special anointing on section 211, and upon every person who sat in seat #11 throughout this entire section.

Later, my team of intercessors arrived at the arena to receive our section assignments for prayer during the first session of the conference.  My assignment - sections 108 to 112.  =)  With approximately 20,000 young people filling the arena, I walked, sat in, prayed, and worshipped through each of my

sections.  However, I camped out in section 111 and asked the Lord, God, to do in these young people what only He can do.  An estimated 100 (possibly 111?) young people committed their life to Jesus Christ in that first session.

The next night, in the last session, Pastor Louie Giglio exhorted young people from all over the world to follow the example of Isaiah (Isaiah 6:8); "Here am I, send me!"  And then, as I watched on a big screen TV, I heard the pastor speak these words, "What about you in section 111?  Who in section 111 will respond?"  I couldn't see the response, but my faith soared!  I don't have to see to know the Lord prepared me to pray in the elevens and He will do what only He can do...for His Glory!

Passion Conference 2014 - Atlanta, GA
January 17, 2014

Deuteronomy 29:29 "The secret things belong to the LORD, our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law."

My Prayer For You...January 19, 2014

My prayer for you and me this week is to recognize the high value the Lord, God Almighty, places on life because He is the Creator of life.

Oh Lord, in You and because of You, we live and move and have our being...for we are indeed Your offspring. (Acts 17:28)  Creator, God, we praise You because You knit us together in our mother's womb on purpose for a purpose.  (Psalm 139:13-16 & Jeremiah 29:11-13)
Destroy in us, the lies of the enemy, which speak death over our hearts and minds and souls to believe anything other than You created people - every person who is alive - to know You and glorify You.  You are our King, Sovereign, Creator, and the Lover of Your Creation.  Thank You for destroying lies and for filling us with Your truth and with Your character, the fruits of the Spirit, love, acceptance, innocence in the shed

blood of Your precious Son, and security in being adopted into Your royal family.  Thank You Lord, God, for Your Lavish Love!  How great is Your love Father that You have lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!  And that is what we are!  Hallelujah!! (I John 3:1)  May we live as such and exalt Your Name in all the earth. Amen!!

This Week's Lightbulb Moment

The shortest distance between point A and point B is still a straight line...

...however, if that straight line is headed toward destruction...

circling back around would be better!

Luke 15:17-20 “But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger!  I will arise and go to my father, and I will say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”’  And he arose and came to his father. But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.

My Prayer For You...January 12, 2014

My prayer for you and me this week

~we will stop~

~put down our own resolutions and plans for 2014~

and listen for God.

Lord, God...Almighty One...Creator of me, You are the Potter and I am the clay.  In what way are You wanting to use me as Your vessel this year?  How can I serve You best?  What will You need to do in me to re-shape, to clean out, to repair me?

  

I yield myself, my life to Your will and Your plan to make me useful and productive in Your Kingdom on this earth.  I want to bring glory to You, my King, and so I am willing to put down ___________ and receive what You have for me.

 Your ways are higher, Your ways are greater, Hallelujah!  What You want for me, Father, is so much better than anything I could ever want for myself!  

I bless Your name, God, I bless Your Holy Name! 

Amen and amen!

Psalm 103:1-5, Isaiah 64:8, Isaiah 55:9

This Week's Lightbulb Moment

If there's an opening, vermin will make themselves at home in your house!

Especially where food, water and cozy materials for nesting are easily accessible. Guess how I know this to be true?  

Yes, Jerry and friends (most of which are now dearly departed) recently found at least one access point into our home. Once inside, they began helping themselves to the dogs' food bowls.  So, with ample food and water, and no apparent danger associated with trespassing, why wouldn't said vermin come and go as they please?  

So, where's a cat when I need one?  

Up until about two years ago, my parents' cat, Gizmo, lived with us.  At the time, I fussed at her for leaving parts of chipmunks, squirrels, mice and birds on the door step.  However,  right now I want to invite her back for a family reunion!  She, apparently, was considered a very real and present danger by the vermin of the area.

Our sons have been home throughout the Christmas/New Year holiday, and the mouse hunt actually became quite a brother bonding activity.  Various types of traps and killing mechanisms were purchased and set; prepared with night vision goggles, the two of them stayed up into the wee hours watching for vermin to appear and bait to be snatched.  

I really appreciate all our sons have done to help us rid our home of these unwelcome freeloaders!  They were highly successful; experiences were shared and much was learned.  

The greatest insight, however, has been the spiritual application from the Lord - the lightbulb moment!

Spiritually speaking, when we become complacent and leave our hearts and minds unguarded, the lies of the enemy and of this world will come in and make themselves at home.  

God's word warns us, for our good:

"be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything...stand."  Ephesians 6:10-13

For a time, we might even feel no real harm is being done, and we just might agree with the unwelcome intruders.  We need the power of the Holy Spirit to bring conviction and the Light of God's word to illuminate our hearts and minds with Truth!

Finally, this is my prayer to God; will you join me?

"O Lord, I call to You; come quickly to me.  Hear my voice when I call to You.  May my prayer be set before You like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.

Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.  Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil, to take part in wicked deeds with men who are evildoers; let me not eat of their delicacies.  

But my eyes are fixed on You, O Sovereign LORD;  in You I take refuge - do not give me over to death.  Keep me from the snares they have laid for me, from the traps set by evildoers. Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety." Psalm 141:1-4 & 8-10

Thank You, Lord, for being the guard around us, and for lighting our path with Your word.  For Your Glory, Lord, Amen!

My Prayer For You...January 5, 2014

My Prayer for you and me this week is this...


we will choose to live out (in word and deed) the belief that God will do everything necessary to keep His promises. 

Abraham, in his old age, believed God would provide the wife Isaac would need from Abraham's people to fulfill the promise God had already made to Abraham, which was to multiply his "descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore." (Genesis 22:17)

So, Abraham sent his trusted servant to retrieve a wife for Isaac, encouraging his servant with this admonition, "The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father's household and my native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath...He will send His angel before you so that you can get a wife for my son from there." (Genesis 24:7)

Abraham's faith in God's provision became the servant's faith experience as the LORD brought Rebekah - the answer to the servant's prayer.  And in response to Abraham's faith, the servant's prayer and God's answer, the servant testified to Rebekah and her family of God's goodness and provision. They all believed God as a result.  This is the multiplied ripple effect of living out faith in action.  (Genesis 24)

Lord, Jesus, thank You for the examples of Abraham, his servant, and Rebekah, who lived out faith in word and deed by believing You are able to do all things necessary for You to keep Your promises.  Meet us, Lord, right where we are in the midst of our present circumstances and remind us of all Your past faithfulness. Jesus, give us faith eyes to see the ripple effect of living out our faith and trusting You; You alone are able.  We declare our trust in You today...be glorified as we praise Your Holy and Faithful Name. Amen and Amen! 

This Week's Lightbulb Moment

In Life...

...don't throw in the towel when the forecast indicates 100% chance of rain.

You might miss a wonderful walk...

and a gorgeous sunset!

Trust in the Lord and do good;

dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

Delight yourself in the LORD 

and He will give you the desires of your heart.

Commit your way to the LORD; 

trust in Him and He will do this:

He will make your righteousness shine 

like the dawn, 

the justice of your cause like the 

noonday sun.

Psalm 37:3-6