Caught in a Spiritual Rut

What to do When My Prayer Life Seems Stagnant?

We’ve all been there; there have been times that I’ve just not felt like praying. After all, God knows me, He knows my problems, He knows my needs, He knows my past, and He knows my future. What is the purpose behind me praying and asking God for my wants/needs/desires/requests when He already knows them? Am I going to surprise Him by some of my requests? Does He not know some of my needs?

Maybe you feel like something it too trivial to ask or that a situation is hopeless so there’s no need to ask. Maybe you’ve prayed for years about a situation and it appears that God’s ignored it so why keep asking about it?

Do you feel like your prayer life is stagnant? Like you're saying the same things to God that you did when you first started praying?

I completely understand, I’ve prayed for several items for many years and have yet to see any indication that God will intervene and work in the requests I’ve sent up to Him.
* my Dad has had a health issue since the late 80’s
* my Brother has had several issues for over 30 years that I’ve been
in prayer over
* my Children have been under an extremely negative influence for
over four years

And the list goes on. I’ve prayed for God’s help, guidance, and direction in all of these (and several other) matters and have seen only minimal improvement in the situations.

So what are the options? Give up, forget about them, ignore them, or continue praying in the hopes that some day God will intervene and work in either me or the situations I’ve been in prayer over?

Just as young children slowly learn to communicate in more and more complex ways, so Christians should move from simply crying out to God to a mature, developed prayer life. There are times that God wants to answer our requests by not changing the situations, but by changing us.

There are a number of good books available on prayer. Some want you to go to a place of quiet solitude and spend several hours a day in prayer. Though in actuality it’s a great idea, with the modern lifestyle we have, that’s not always an easy option. The practice requires a change in our lifestyle to make ourselves set aside the time daily to accomplish this. The practice also requires discipline, atmosphere, training, teaching and finally plenty of good will. This type of prayer can turn out to be just a practice rather than life. By this I mean, there can be a tendency and a habit that is formed to spend daily two hours without really getting into life situation with the effect of such prayer. However it also can be a life changing event that can help us reach others by the passion and desire the Lord can give us by our close relationship with Him.

You don’t always have to find a quiet time and place to be in prayer. Many times while I’m driving I end up talking with God. As you can understand, that’s not a good time to bow your head and close your eyes in prayer. Does that mean God ignores my prayers because I wasn’t in the traditionally accepted practice of prayer? Of course not, bowing our heads and closing our eyes in a sign of reverence to God, but it isn’t a requirement of God. Most pictures of Jesus praying in the Garden of Gethsemane portray Jesus as kneeling and looking up to heaven with His eyes open.

A couple of recommendations for your prayer time:
* find a good time of the day, morning or evening
* find a place that is removed from distractions for you

Remember that you can pray at anytime or anyplace. God loves to hear from us and is available 24/7 365.

Hindrances to our prayer life
Remember in the old days when you had a phone at the house and called someone? There were times when there was a lot of static on the telephone and you couldn’t hear the person you were talking to. You’d hang up the telephone, call them back and many times that would clear up the problem. It was just a bad connection.

That can happen in our communication with God. We pray to God but there may be things in our lives that cause interference with our connection. It could be due to un-confessed sin, broken relationships, or issues you may be harboring toward other Christians.

Isaiah 1:13-15 (NIV)
Stop bringing meaningless offerings! Your incense is detestable to me.
New Moons, Sabbaths and convocations - I cannot bear your evil assemblies.
Your New Moon festivals and your appointed feasts my soul hates.
They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.
When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide my eyes from you;
even if you offer many prayers, I will not listen.
Your hands are full of blood;

If there are any sins you have that you haven’t asked God for forgiveness of, it causes “static” in our communication line with Him. However, God is willing to forgive you of those shortcomings if you tell Him about them and ask Him to forgive you of them.

1 John 1:9 (NIV)
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

When we confess these issues and turn them over to God, He resets the telephone line and once again the line of communication with Him is crystal clear.

Developing a Daily Habit of Devotion and Prayer Time
The Christian life is one of growth and maturation--and just as with natural growth, we move through stages. Were you suddenly to find yourself taking first grade classes, you would find them quite boring, and would learn nothing from them; yet it isn't that you don't still have much to learn, but that you need to move on to other lessons, other classes. Long ago you learned to crawl; and once you learned to walk, you did much less crawling. It is that way with your Christian life.

Devotion
Find a good reliable translation of the Bible that is easy for you to understand. If needed, check with your pastor for some guidance on this. I grew up with the King James Version(KJV) and when I recite verses, it’s usually the KJV that I quote. When studying for a message now, I primarily use the New International Version(NIV) as it is a good translation that contains a more modern wording of the English language. Steer clear of paraphrases, though they can also be easy to read, they can be quite inaccurate.

Make some time daily for a "devotional" time. How much time? That depends, I would say that you should set aside at least half an hour, probably an hour, each day - but if that's problematic, you might start with fifteen minutes each day. But what should you do? Well, there are a lot of possibilities, and you should try things until you find something that works. I would definitely include some type of Bible reading/study/memorization.

Memorizing is an important part of it. There are a lot of programs which will help you memorize the verses they think are important; but it's far better to memorize those which have meaning to you. Repeat these verses to yourself, and consider what they mean. Find someone else with whom you can share your discoveries, and ask them to share their thoughts with you about the verses you've learned and about whatever they are learning.

Prayer
One of the greatest things about God is that He wants to be your friend and have a personal relationship with you. When praying, you don't have to be formal; just talk to God. Especially, don't try to use some kind of old English "special" language--most people massacre the old English anyway. Talk to God as you would talk to your ideal friend, to whom you could tell everything and ask anything.

Worship
As most people know, I have a unique voice. How we sound when we worship is not as important as why we worship. Though it may not sound perfect, God loves it anyway.  Worship is also part of the process of getting to know God. Sing songs, pray, tell God how great He is, give thanks for all things. You probably know many songs which would be worshipful were you to consider what you were singing; but you shouldn't limit yourself to songs you know. Take the feelings and the thoughts you have about the greatness of God and the grace you've received, and speak them in your own words, and sing them to melodies you create.

Finally, look for people who share your faith, and share your faith with them. Also, if opportunities to share your faith with unbelievers present themselves (formally or informally), take them. You might feel that you aren't the right person for this, or that you don't know enough or can't answer the questions you might be asked, but that's not the way of things. You have things to share, and there are people who need to hear them, and God will take care of bringing you together with them if you put yourself in a place to meet them. Don't worry about what you'll say, or what you said. Just believe that God wants to use you, and will show you the way.

Over the years my prayer life has grown and changed a lot, and I trust it will continue to expand and deepen the rest of my life. In our prayer life we talk to God and we listen to God, but prayer is also communication at a deeper level. It is communication of such a fine quality that it is true communion with God.

Remember: The process of change is essentially the process of altering your habit patterns. If you do something once, you can do it twice. Do it twice and you can do it three times. Do it three times, and you’re beginning to make a habit of it.

Strive to have a closer walk with God by spending time with Him daily, you’ll be glad you did!

Personal prayer, it seems to me, is one of the simplest necessities of life, as basic to the individual as sunshine, food and water-- and at times, of course, more so. By prayer I mean an effort to get in touch with God. We know that our prayers are imperfect; of course they are as we are imperfect human beings. A thousand experiences have convinced me beyond room of doubt that prayer multiplies the strength of the individual and brings within the scope of his capabilities almost any conceivable objective. - Dwight D. Eisenhower



Luke 11:1-10 (NIV)
One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

He said to them, "When you pray, say:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name,
Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us each day our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one"

Then He said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'

Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.

Damaged Goods

A couple of months back; I had lunch with a fellow that I’ve known for several years. We occasionally run into one another, but never have gotten to know one another. He’s in his late 20’s and had a number of spiritual questions he wanted to talk with me about. Given my history, I try not to give advice so I thought I’d mainly listen and hopefully lift his spirits by being someone he could talk with.

He was telling me that he had come to the place in his life where he decided something had to change. He had been involved with numerous women in his life, had taken drugs, had a problem with alcohol, and a long list of other items. No matter what he had done or where he had gone, he still never could quite find peace. A few months back he had been approached by a Christian friend who tried to give him a little direction in life and also gave him a bible to read. He started reading it and began to try to apply some of the principles to his life. However, he felt like he had done too many bad things in the past and that he didn’t deserve the love and things that Jesus would willingly provide for him. He wanted to get his act together before he started going to church. He said, “I can’t show up at a church like this. I’m too bad of a person for them to accept me”. Let me say that if you show up to a church and they don’t accept you because you’re not like them, you probably don’t want to be part of that church anyway.

After he talked for a bit, I decided (against my better judgment) to break down and give him some advice/information.

The bible is loaded with people who God accepted and used who weren’t perfect:
1.)  Noah had a drinking problem
2.)  Abraham had a lying problem
3.)  Moses was a murderer
4.)  Aaron had a side job of making idols
5.)  Gideon tried to provoke God
6.)  Samson was a womanizer
7.)  David, the man after God's own heart abused his power, he lusted, committed adultery, committed murder of his loyal subject, he lied among other things
8.)  Manasseh was involved in witchcraft, murdered of his son, and is made by God ruler of his people
9.)  Hosea had an adulterous wife and a horrible family life
10.)  Jonah told God he wasn’t going to help people in Ninevah because he hated them
11.)  Matthew was a nasty tax collector
12.)  Peter cursed and denied, publicly of any knowledge of Jesus
13.)  Paul was a blasphemer, murderer, and certainly had a "reputation"
14.)  Rahab was a prostitute
15.)  Jesus himself had a certain reputation as He was accused of being a glutton and a drunkard. Of course they were lies but he still carried the reputation

The bible’s list goes on and on, naming individuals that God chose to include in His plan of redemption.

Just within our area there are pastors who were among other things; womanizers, had drug problems, were alcoholics, abusive spouses, etc. Though some are in ministry for self proclamation & promotion, many are in ministry to try and warn/reach others and let them know that there is hope in a hopeless world.

As anyone who knows me can testify, I’ve had issues with several things in the past I’m not proud of:
     • Temper
     • Lust
     • Pornography
     • Lying
     • Stealing

I wasted several years of my life partaking in things that were destructive to me personally and spiritually. I was accused of many more things by people extremely close to me, I won’t waste your time with that but even though the accusations were untruthful, they were easily believable by the items that were true. I begged God for forgiveness and although He forgave me, I still at times have difficulty forgiving myself. I apologized to those who I offended, made peace with all who would listen, and moved on hoping to someday be worthy to be once again used by God. I could either look on it as an end to ministry or the beginning of a new phase in ministry where I could help others who wandered down the wrong road and can’t seem to find there way back. Several months later, God allowed me to once again serve Him in ministry. If He’s willing to use me with the damage I did to His work, He’s definitely willing to accept others and use them also.

The good news for you and me is that God uses people that have messed up for His purposes. Our past failures do not disqualify us. If we respond properly, our failures can actually shape us to embrace the future God has designed.

So take heart! We are not eliminated, or damaged goods. God can use each of us for His redemptive purposes.

I Corinthians 1:26-31 (NIV)
Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written: "Let him who boasts boast in the Lord."

God does not use perfect things. He takes broken things and makes them work.

He does not always fix them! He uses them in condition that He found them so that He gets all the credit.

You may think there is no hope and there may not be, at least in the normal way of thinking. That’s okay because you are not alone. The very thing that you feel is tearing you down can be the thing that God uses to make you the person He wants you to be.

2 Corinthians 12:7-10 (The Message)
Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me,
My grace is enough; it's all you need.
My strength comes into its own in your weakness.
Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size - abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

So, you have been mistreated, misunderstood, gossiped about, lied about, misused and gone through things that are terrible. I’m not saying that is a good thing, I’m saying that these are the very things that can make you the person God wants to use to help others.

Don’t get hung up on things in your past. Get hung up in God’s love and mercy.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not talking about just giving up and living in sin.

Hebrews 12:17 (The Message)
Watch out for the Esau syndrome: trading away God's lifelong gift in order to satisfy a short-term appetite. You well know how Esau later regretted that impulsive act and wanted God's blessing—but by then it was too late, tears or no tears.

Some have tried and tried and cannot seem get victory and now the temptation is to just give up. Don’t give up, keep on going. It’s the keeping on keeping on, trying to move toward God, falling and getting discouraged and then getting up again and moving on that will help build your faith.

Proverbs 24:16 (NIV)
.... though a righteous man falls seven times, he rises again.

The sin is not so much in the falling as it is in giving up and laying there. Get up and move toward the Lord.

Have you been HURT?
Have you been WOUNDED?
Are you DAMAGED GOODS?
You are in good company! You are just like most of the people in the Bible! So let’s move on. Damaged Goods are close to the heart of God -- at least that seems to be one of the patterns of scripture to me. God wants you just the way you are so He can transform you to what He wants you to be.
________________________________________________________

Just the Way I Am

Big Daddy Weave

Unbelievable, I’m blown away it’s true
By the matchless love that I’ve found in You.
Undeniable, the changes in me
I’ve never felt so free.

Ever patiently accepting me.
Lord, You love in spite of everything I do.
But oh so faithfully,
You’re committed to the process that makes me like You.

Not when I’m good enough
Not when I clean my act up
Not when I cross that line the thousandth time
And become a better man
Your grace is more than enough
To cover all my sins You washed them away
So right here today
You love me just the way I am

It makes me want to dance.
You make me want to dance.
When I think about how
You love me, You love me
You love me just the way I am.
You love me, You love me
You love me just the way,
Just the way I am

The Year in Review, The Year Ahead

As ‘09 draws to a close and we get ready for ‘10 to start, many groups, businesses, organizations, etc. look back to review the previous year and set goals for the upcoming year. I’ve done this for a few years now to track how I’ve met my personal goals and set some for the upcoming year. I don’t make resolutions, just goals for things I’d like to accomplish in the upcoming year.

Looking back on last years goals, I did decent job at some items;

• Stayed jail free
• Stayed out of court (formidable task, but accomplished)
• Improved financial situation
• Daily Bible reading/devotion (85-90% at best though)
• Spent more time with family
• Displayed a kinder/gentler attitude toward others (still a work in progress)

But as always, there’s room for improvement on many items;

• Relationship with my Children improved only slightly if at all
• At times have troubles with issues from the past
• Self-forgiveness
• Tendency to be unkind/short toward others
• Waste too much time on matters that are unimportant
• My lack of trust has still caused stress in relationships

There are several items on both lists that I’ll keep private, but all in all the year was a good one. Not great, but not as bad as some in the past either.

So where do I go from here? What are my goals for the upcoming year and how can I make adjustments to improve on reaching the goals I set for the upcoming year?

I have several things that I’d like to accomplish this year. Some are recurring goals from previous years. Some are easier to accomplish than others. Some may never be accomplished, but you fail at the outset if you don’t at least try. I coached baseball for many years and if a young boy wanted to try and be a pitcher, I at least gave him the opportunity. You never know if he was good at it or not unless you gave them a shot at trying out. Just looking at them is not a good judge of whether or not they could or couldn’t do it. You have to give them a try. The same can be said for anything we want to try in life. So make a preliminary list, pray over it, think about it and see if any changes need to be made to the list. Then set out to accomplish all that you have on your list.

So far some of the goals I have are;

• Spend more time with in-depth Bible study. (less superficial study)
• Continue to rebuild the relationship with my Son Corey and my Daughter Heather. There are many difficulties involved as they have a large amount of negative influence in their lives, but I will continue to try.
• Continue to overcome shortcomings/”addictions” of the past
• Pay off my truck again this year
• Pay off the formers vehicle this year
• Continue to improve/payoff the remaining financial commitments
• Increase charitable giving
• Work to build stronger relationships
• Learn to trust others more (not everyone is out to take from you, leave you, or stab you in the back)
• Be a better pastor and devote more time to lessons/studies
• Relocate
• Get to know a certain person better and be more of a part of their life (many obstacles)
• Reach out to those who are searching or seeking and give them guidance to obtain the hope that I have and realize that there’s more to this life than eyes can see

There are a few more items that as I stated earlier will remain private, but I’ll strive to accomplish or improve on what I have listed.

As a person, I have several roles in life. Some include;
Christian
Father
Son
Brother
Uncle
Nephew
Cousin
Employee
Friend
Boss
Pastor

If I strive to accomplish my goals for the upcoming year, it can help me in every aspect of my life. Improvement in my life helps improve the life of those around me.

Goals are important in your life. Each person needs a vision of what they want in the future. In Proverbs 29:18, God says that without a vision His people perish. I recommend that each person set aside time to map out your goals for the year. Not resolutions, they often disappear by the end of January and you’ve forgotten them in a very short time. But real, long term goals for your life. If you have a vision of where you want to be, you stand a better chance of getting there. Having them written down somewhere so you come across them on a regular basis improves the chances that you can accomplish the goals and improve your life.


More to This Life
Steven Curtis Chapman

Today I watched in silence as people passed me by,
And I strained to see if there was something hidden in their eyes;
But they all looked back at me as if to say
Life just goes on.

The old familiar story told in different ways,
Make the most of your own journey from the cradle to the grave;
Dream your dreams tomorrow because today
Life must go on.

But there’s more to this life than living and dying,
More than just trying to make it through the day;
More to this life, more than these eyes alone can see,
And there’s more than this life alone can be.

Tonight he lies in silence staring into space,
And looks for ways to make tomorrow better than today,
But in the morning light it looks the same;
Life just goes on.

He takes care of his family, he takes care of his work,
And every Sunday morning he takes his place at the church;
And somehow he still feels a need to search,
But life just goes on.

So where do we start to find every part
Of what makes this life complete;
If we turn our eyes to Jesus we’ll find
Life’s true beginning is there at the cross where He died.
He died to bring us . . .

More to this life than living and dying,
More than just trying to make it through the day;
More to this life, more than these eyes alone can see,
And there’s more than this life alone can be.

Some of the Christmas Cookies Recipes

I used to cook on a regular basis. Then life changed and with church and kids, eating at home became only a few times a week. After the kids turned into teenagers, it got down to about once or twice at week when we would eat at home. Since I'm now by myself, it's too much trouble for me to cook real often because I don't have the room or the utensils to cook with and I'm getting lazier. I still love to however.

Nevertheless, during this time of year, I usually make some treats for my "wonderful" co-workers. Here's two of the more popular recipes;


Chocolate Butter Pecans

Ingredients:
Cookies:
½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
½ teaspoon salt
1 ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups flour
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 cup pecans (finely chopped)

Chocolate Icing:
1 pound bittersweet chocolate
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Pecans halves

Directions:
Cookies:
Preheat oven to 375°. Mix butter and sugars in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add egg, salt, and vanilla then blend. Stir in flour and chili powder and mix again. Add chopped pecans and mix to combine into a smooth mixture.

Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place onto baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until cookies are a light brown and crisp at the edges. Cool completely.

Chocolate Icing:
Place chocolate, chili powder, cinnamon, and vanilla into a large microwave dish and heat for 30 seconds on high, stir at 10-20 second intervals and continue heating until chocolate is melted and smooth. Drizzle chocolate over cooled cookies.


Dark Chocolate Lava Drops

Ingredients:
½ cup butter
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Hershey’s chocolate kisses
½ sanding sugar (regular sugar will do)

Directions:
Heat oven to 350°. Put butter and chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high pausing every 30 seconds to stir, continue until all is melted. Let sit for 10 minutes.

Add ¾ cup sugar and egg to melted mixture mix and then add flour, baking powder, and salt. Continue mixing until the dough is smooth.

Shape into 1 inch dough balls (appx). Press chocolate kiss in dough and completely cover with dough.

Place ½ cup sugar in bowl and roll dough balls in sugar, place on cookie sheet and bake for 9-11 minutes.

Mixture should make about 24 cookies.


Good luck & enjoy,
GLW

Holiday Attitude Adjustment

Thanksgiving is looked on as a time to take inventory of what we have to be thankful for. But for some, it’s a time when we look back and whine about the things we have lost. We can get caught up in the trap of looking at possessions, friends, family, finances, and other things that we had, but no longer have. It distracts us, causes us to focus on past failures/loses, robs us of joy in our lives, and can make us live in a depressed state.

I can understand this even more than ever before. Despite what some may think, for most of my 45+ years, I’ve had a rather upbeat and positive outlook on life. Something may get me down, but I’m over it in short order. Not because my life has been a bed of roses without issues though. Many can attest that I’ve had my share (sometimes it seems more than my share) of difficulties; financial, family, marriage, church, health, death of a Son, lost almost everything I owned, the list is rather long. Sometimes if I dwell on the difficult times I’ve had, it can cause my attitude and personality to change. Getting beat down by life can have a devastating effect on a person. The longer you dwell on it, the greater the chance we can slide into depression thus making it harder to return to some sense of normalcy in our lives.

Friends and family can give you advice during times like these, but they can’t change our attitudes for us. The only way that can happen is for us to realize that we have to make the decision to rebound. Sometimes it seems easier to stay where we are and have a pity party, but eventually that will grow old both to you and your friends.

I battled this for some time and one day while having lunch with my best friend, he told me that I wasn’t the same person I was just a few years back. I asked him what he meant and he told me, “You’ve lost the zest and thrill for life that you once had. You either lost it or someone/something took it from you”. I told him that I’ve been through so much and that I lost a little at a time until I arrived at the point I am now. I may never get back to where I once was. He proceeded to tell me that getting to where I am may not have been anything I had control over, but getting out of there is something I do have control over. You can sit and sour or you can take the initiative to change. He’s been an influence in my life for over 40 years, the older we get the more positive thankfully. In I Thessalonians 5:18, Jesus tells us to give thanks in every circumstance. Sometimes things happen and we don’t know how to find anything to be thankful for, but we can always look at ways that it could have been worse. We’re to give thanks in everything, not for everything. Not many would be thankful for getting a broken arm in a car accident, but we should be thankful that we didn’t get paralyzed or worse in the car accident.

In Philippians 4:4-13, Jesus gives us some great advice on tough times in our lives and how to gain peace in the difficult times. We can bring our troubles, hardships, worries, difficulties, trials, etc. to Him and ask Him for help in dealing with them. If you’re at the end of your rope, turn the situations over to Him and let Him handle them. He’s willing and waiting to give us a peace and to calm our souls if we’re willing to ask Him. If we do that, He will help us and we can start to train ourselves on how to focus on things that will allow us to transform our attitudes and mind to be more thankful for the many things that we have in life to be thankful for and move away from the items that distract us and hinder us from living our lives with joy and peace.

I’m still a work in progress, but I am making strides in seeking what’s ahead and moving from what’s behind. I’d pray that you do that also and learn to be thankful for what God has given you.

GLW
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NIV)
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:4-13 (NIV)
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!

Let your gentleness be evident to all. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. I rejoice greatly in the Lord that at last you have renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you have been concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it. I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.

I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 3:13 (NIV)
Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead

Give Me the Wheel

I took the summer off from my writing but have several "new" topics that I plan on bringing over the next few months. Most ideas came from talking to people about their issues and items in their lives that they are dealing with. Hopefully, the Lord will give me words that can be of use to someone. I'll do my best to make them understandable and compact.

GLW
___________________________________________________________

Teach Me Lord to Wait

Being around church all of my life and being the son of a Music Minister, I’ve heard/sung many songs and hymns through my time here on earth. Although I’m no longer a Music Minister, I do fill in at times and seldom do I use older music unless it’s been “spiced up” a bit. One of these songs came to mind the other day and reminded me of many things from the years.

At a couple of my previous churches where they were tortured by having me as their Music Minister, we used to sing an older song titled “Teach Me Lord”. It was taken from a passage in the book of Isaiah.

Isaiah 40:31 (The Message)
He doesn't get tired out, doesn't pause to catch His breath and He knows everything, inside and out.
He energizes those who get tired, gives fresh strength to dropouts.
For even young people tire and drop out, young folk in their prime stumble and fall.
But those who wait upon God get fresh strength.
They spread their wings and soar like eagles, they run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind.

Many times we can sing a song at church and just go through the motions of worship. Rarely do we actually transform our singing into worship and it is even rarer when we actually live what we sing in church. We’ve become an instant society with many have-it-now conveniences. For us, having to wait on something means thirty minutes to an hour of an inconvenience. Not days, weeks, months, or even years. Everything is designed around instant gratification in today’s world. Having to wait on things has become a foreign concept.

Young couples starting out are often faced with troubles right off the bat because of this. At home with Mom & Dad, they had all they wanted and needed. When they marry and move out, they decide they need all of the same items they had when Mom & Dad were providing them. So they proceed to go out and get what they want. Use the handy dandy charge card and dig themselves a financial hole to satisfy the have-it-now need. That adds stresses and issues on their newly formed marriage that will already have issues to be dealt with.

I can understand the difficulties many face. Having dealt/dealing with several personal issues over the past five years, waiting on the Lord can be a very stressful thing.

* I want financial issues fixed now
* I want relationship issues fixed now
* I want the issues with my Children fixed now
* I want health issues fixed now
* I want spiritual issues fixed now

And the list goes on. Having to pray for an issue and wait on the Lord to “fix” the issue can be very trying. Often we decide to handle it on our own and give up on God when it appears He’s not doing anything. We take the reigns and run with it. Only to make a bigger mess and cry out to God for letting this happen to us. If we’d learn to turn it over to Him and wait, the problem could be solved and we could avoid some of the troubles we end up with.

In seminary a great pastor friend of mine once told me, “we tell God to take the wheel in our lives and then we take the steering wheel back from God and tell Him that He doesn’t seem to know where we’re going, or what He’s doing. After we run off the road, we tell Him to get back behind the wheel and argue with Him for letting us take the wheel from Him anyway. It’s almost a no win situation for Him.”

Just because we can’t see where He’s taking us or where we’re going doesn’t mean He’s lost. We’ve got to learn to lean on Him, and trust in Him. In Proverbs,

Proverbs 3:5-6 (New Living Translation)
Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding.
Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.

Put your faith, trust, hope, plans, future, and direction in God’s hands. He knows where you’re going and will take care of you. Even when we think we’re lost, have no hope, or are facing insurmountable odds and situations, He’s there. Though it may not be easy, we have the promise that He will be there to take care of us every step along the way. It’s a continual process but after we experience victory from letting Him handle the situations, it gets easier to turn things over to Him and trust Him.

Hebrews 13:5 (New International Version)
… God has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you."

___________________________________________________________

Teach Me Lord

They that wait upon the Lord
Shall renew their strength.
They shall mount up on wings like eagles.
They will run and not be weary,
They shall walk and never faint
Teach me Lord, teach me Lord, to wait.

It's Wearing Me Down

The Battles of Frustration

Even though I’m not the youngest rooster in the barnyard, I still sometimes have issues with frustration. It never seems to disappear.

If you asked me five years ago about where I would be in 2009, I would have given you a list of where I’d be living, what I’d be doing, what my wife and Kids would be busy with, etc. Even though there were many questions to be answered, I was sure of many things and had a decent grasp on the future and my plans for the future.

Times change. Sometimes God can throw you a curve ball and allow drastic changes to take place within your life and disrupt all of your plans. It can get very trying and frustrating when things don’t go as you plan.

Do you have unfulfilled expectations? Is there an unmet need in your life, or has a dream been shattered? From personal experience, I can tell you that sometimes in life we experience setbacks and failures. We work towards a goal, only to see it thwarted. We have an image in our minds of the perfect family, career, or lifestyle—yet there are many times we fail to live up to those images.

Hopes and dreams are not bad—they inspire us to keep going. But when dreams fail, they leave us confused, disillusioned and sometimes totally devastated. Unfulfilled expectations are painful. They can even be traumatic, especially when we have put our whole hope and planned our futures on these expectations.

After 20 years of working for the government, I noticed that it’s amazing how fifteen minor frustrations at work can add up to one big, bad attitude by the time you head for home. Frustrations come in three varieties:

• Interruptions: unexpected delays when you have a deadline to meet or something important requires your attention. No matter how well we plan, at times our best plans are often interrupted.
• Inconveniences: inconveniences are usually situations involving things: the copy machine breaks down, traffic jams on the roadway, or something disappears when you need it.
• Irritations: Long delays, unreliable people, playing telephone tag, illness, obnoxious clients, etc.In all actuality, you can’t eliminate these. You will face all three varieties this week, but you can keep them from stressing you out.

Though you cannot eliminate them, one tremendous way to reduce stress is to learn how to manage your frustrations.

• Don’t resist it, but don’t overreact or blow up.
• Don’t resent it; don’t internalize you anger.
• Don’t resign to it; don’t have a pity-party.

Instead, do what you can to reduce it. Treat it as insignificant. Put the frustration into proper perspective. Though it can seem very traumatic, it’s just a minor setback, a part of living, no big deal! I’m sure you’ve heard this statement before so follow these two rules for stress management:

RULE #1: Don’t sweat the small stuff.
RULE #2: Recognize that it’s all small stuff!

The Bible says, “A man’s wisdom gives him patience…” Proverbs 19:11

The only way we can see all stuff as small stuff is to view it from God’s perspective. When I am in tune with God, I remember He has everything under control even though I don’t! So I don’t have to sweat it: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23 NIV).

If your church or pastor is of any worth, they can help you work through your frustration, there are times you need to talk to someone. When I was facing the troubles and trials of previous years, the Lord allowed me to spend time with a couple of Pastor friends of mine and they were a tremendous blessing to me as I recovered from the trauma that had taken place in my life. Just talk to someone in the church that you trust. Sit down with them and talk about life's problems, being able to talk about it with an objective and confidential source can make you feel a lot better. If they give you any advice, make sure it goes along with what God’s word says. Just because they may seem to be a good Christian or pastor does not mean they wouldn’t give you advice that is contrary to God’s word. The most powerful tool at your disposal however is prayer. Talk with God and ask for His help and guidance through the times.

Frustration is hard to overcome, but with help it can be.

In John 16:33, Jesus says: "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace and confidence. In the world you have tribulation and trials and distress and frustration; but be of good cheer! For I have overcome the world."

Being a Christian doesn't mean that we will not experience difficult times. God has told us the truth, that at times life will be difficult. He has provided to us a way to overcome these tough times, by following Jesus' teachings and surrendering our lives to Him. His peace is amazing and His love is unmatched. You can rest in trusting that He is working all things for the good. Victory through tough times comes by staying connected to other believers, reading Gods word, trusting God, praying, worshiping and staying free from sins grip on us through forgiveness. If you are troubled today, lift your head up and realize your Saviors love for you. He has promised to never leave you or turn His back on you.