PRAY: Prayer for Those Who Have No Words
Photograph © Andrew Pieper, 2012 Sudden and sad events have prompted this prayer. This week, our Florida community mourns the loss of a precious mother and her two young daughters after a horrific car accident. They’d moved from our area but, through family and friends, retained many local ties. Only a few days earlier, another area woman lost her estranged husband and three children in another awful accident. I don’t know these families. But the news of the tragic deaths has filled me with sorrow. I’m asking God to turn my sympathy into prayer. I know what it feels like to hurt—and to have no words. Although I haven’t lost family members this way, I’ve been in that place without coherent thought. I’ve walked through the valley of crushing weight and deep shadow. And I know what it is to count on others to lift me up when I could no more utter a prayer than I could reverse the tragedy. At those times, I counted on the Holy Spirit to speak what I couldn’t. But I also counted on those who had the ability to connect their thoughts. I needed others to pray because I had no words. So, for Lake County’s grieving families along with many more—Lord, I come to you today on behalf of those who can’t speak for themselves. Their loads are too heavy, their burdens too great. The earthquake has hit. The tsunami has blasted. And the resultant losses have left them unable to do more than take the next step—and unsure if they can do that. Oh God, come to these dear ones today. Allow them to press into you. Hold them. Comfort them. Surround them with your mercy. Let them see you over and over again in those who touch their lives. Grant them, Father, the ability to remember your goodness as they look back to the past. Blanket them in your love. Give them solid strength for the day, sweet peace for the night, and bright hope for tomorrow. Dear Jesus, use this time to bring each one near to you. Keep them safe in the name that calms all fears. Protect them from further pain, from the enemy who would wound them still more. And fill them, please fill them, with the assurance of your love and faithfulness so that, one day, they may dream of the future again. As I pray for these who have no words, take my words and make them matter. Turn my anxious thoughts into action and my mourning into more prayers. I’m so grateful to call you Father and so honored to pray in the name that is always above all—AMEN. Are you without words? Feel free to share your prayer need (even if it’s only a name) in a comment below or through an email. Your prayers matter as much as those for whom you...
read morePRAY: Prayer for Those Who Are Facing Decisions They Never Anticipated
Photograph © Andrew Pieper, 2012 2012 was a banner year for our family, but I think the banner would probably read something like, “Trust Me through the Tough Times.” Yes, God is good, but we faced some big challenges. I don’t think I’ve ever been happier to close the door on an old year. So far, 2013 seems much the same. Amid the joys of a daughter’s upcoming high school graduations and plans for summer mission trips come the sorrows of broken relationships, friends’ serious illnesses, and more. Circumstances, whether we see them as positive or negative, necessitate decisions. A friend facing his wife’s recovery from cancer surgery thousands of miles from home had to make multiple decisions about returning to work. Several friends are looking at job-related choices and changes. And many more face the difficult decisions involved with our status as part of the sandwich generation, with teenage or young adult children and aging parents. I offer this prayer for myself and for others who face decisions they never anticipated: Lord, in the midst of all these unexpected decisions, I look to you. I never imagined I’d find myself in this place. I never thought of myself as unprepared, but here I am. And I had no idea life would look the way it does right now. Perfect Father, I ask you to cover me and to cover for me as well. I’m flying blind. Since I know you promise to give wisdom to those who lack it, I’m asking. You say that if we acknowledge you in all our ways, you’ll direct our paths. Help me first to acknowledge you in every little and large thing I do, to remember you when I’m tempted to wander away. And God, I’ve never needed direction more than I do now. One step at a time? Maybe, but I can’t lift my foot to take that step without you. Find me, remind me, secure me, reassure me, and help me always to walk with you. And Almighty God, would you also protect me from the evil one? I know he wants to steal, kill, and destroy everything good in my life. I’m so thankful I know you and can keep walking your way. Even when I stumble, Lord Jesus, compel me to run always to you. Shelter me and keep me, ever weak but always strong in the mighty name of Jesus in which I pray this day—AMEN. If you’d like prayer for a specific need, feel free to email me or comment below. I’d love to hear from you. And if God has pulled you through a time of unexpected decisions, feel free to share that, too. Your words will give glory to Him and encourage...
read moreREAD: Review, CAKE by Joyce Magnin
Some books take you to places you’ve never visited. Some introduce you to people you’ve never met. And some pull you into an adventure that becomes a journey of your own. The second of Joyce Magnin’s middle-grade novels, CAKE: Love, Chickens, and a Taste of Peculiar (Zonderkidz, January 2013) contains the whimsical, magical elements that made books like Charlotte’s Web and The Secret Garden the childhood favorites I still enjoy. Twelve-year-old Wilma Sue has bounced from one foster home to another before landing in the unlikely dwelling of sisters Ruth and Naomi. The steady love and acceptance the retired missionaries show their new addition meshes with the quirky elements that have become Magnin’s signature style. In CAKE, these include neighbors from a variety of backgrounds, bonding time with a tribe of chickens, and luscious homemade cakes that produce more-than-unusual effects. When a new friendship goes from worse to horrific, Wilma Sue faces the biggest challenge of her life. And as she moves from struggle to struggle and cake to cake, she learns a little about baking and a lot about the nature of genuine love. Magnin’s rich imagination and keen insight into human nature make this book as rich—and as tender—as one of Naomi’s delectable delights. Go ahead. Cut a generous serving of CAKE. You’ll savor every bite. Find a local Christian bookstore. Find this book on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble, or at www.christianbook.com. What are some of the favorite books you read as a child? Why do you think they captured your attention and interest? Feel free to share your stories, and watch for a WRITE interview with author Joyce Magnin coming soon. (FTC Disclaimer: I received an Advanced Reading Copy of this book free from the publisher. I was not required to post a review or a positive...
read moreWRITE: Finish Well: Parenting Teens through the Year
I have a READ review post scheduled for tomorrow, but today, I want to highlight one of my articles that now appears in More to Life magazine. “Finish Well: Parenting Teens through the Year” gives some practical tips for walking through each season of the year with your teen. Hop over to check it out, and feel free to leave a comment,...
read moreWRITE: Tips from the Pros: Maureen Pratt
Today, you’ll find me over on the blog for the Christian Authors Network, posting a thoughtful interview with author and speaker Maureen Pratt. Maureen, an award-winning playwright, has taken her struggles with hypothyroidism and lupus and turned them into a blog and books which minister to many. Check out the interview...
read moreWelcome
I've asked God to use my writing and speaking to count for eternity. I'm passionate about relationships and creativity.
