PRAY: Prayer for Those Who Feel as Though They’re Starting Over
Dear Father, Today I lift up those who feel as though they’re starting over. I know so many who fall into that category: the parents who have lost their child in more ways than they can count. The man who finds himself without employment. The student who failed her college classes. The wife whose marriage has blown up in her face. The partners who must extract themselves from their business relationship—no matter how much it hurts. The church family forced to say good-bye to a favorite pastor. Anyone, regardless of age, who has lost a parent. And so many more. Today, Lord God, I ask you to come to these dear ones and remind them that you are the author of new and good things. Help them see they may be starting over, but they are not starting alone. Infuse their minds with your thoughts, their spirits with your truth, and their emotions with your peace that passes understanding. When they feel afraid, help them to trust in you. When they feel inadequate, enable them to become more than conquerors. When they feel tired of waiting, allow them to rise with the renewed strength that comes from you alone. Thanks, Father,that you care for these dear ones more than I do. Thanks for helping me in the places where I need to start over. Help each of us to surrender our hearts and our lives to your plan and to trust you alone for the results. We are grateful for your watchcare through this journey and grateful, even and especially through times like this, to know you more. In your holy name I pray, AMEN. Do you identify with one or more elements of this prayer? Feel free to leave a comment or contact me to share your...
read moreREAD: SUSIE Magazine: Get Out the Vote!
I’ve never reposted my own blogs. But today, I have a special reason to do so. SUSIE Magazine has reached the finals (top ten of more than 4,000 products) of a unique competition to Get on the Shelf at Wal-Mart. For weeks, readers and supporters have been voting by text (4959 to 383838) and Facebook in support of the magazine. Today, I’m sharing a portion of a blog I wrote last month as a final plea to vote for SUSIE and encourage others to vote, too. Even if you’re not a teen girl, please read it—and vote for SUSIE. Even if you don’t have a teen girl in your home, please read it—and vote for SUSIE. Read. Vote. And share the opportunity! TOP FIVE S-U-S-I-E REASONS SUSIE MAGAZINE IS STUPENDOUS: Spiritual: SUSIE presents a healthy, Christ-centered perspective on anything pertinent to girls ages 11-19 and beyond. Unique: SUSIE is the only print publication focused exclusively on teen girls and written from a Christian perspective. Supportive: SUSIE includes a powerful online component known as the Gloal Sisterhood at www.susiemagazine.com. Insightful: SUSIE gives young women the privilege of hearing from experts in the fields of theology, practical living, beauty, health, fashion, and more. Excellent: Take one look at SUSIE and you’ll agree. The writing, photography, graphics, and design make this magazine a standout. Won’t you vote—and keep voting—to put SUSIE on the shelves at Wal-Mart? A print product matched to this store’s huge customer base could have boundless potential. Just like the teens who read the magazine. The magazine matters because the teens matter. As I heard not long ago from a wise pastor: young people are not the future of the church. Young people are the church. Thanks for reading—and getting out the...
read moreYA Friday: READ: Made to Crave for Young Women by Lisa TerKeurst and Shaunti Feldhahn
I admit it. I’m not one to follow the trends. If anything, I’m the one standing on the sidelines, smiling to myself. Just because it’s popular doesn’t mean I have to buy/read/eat/sing/whatever it.That’s why when Lysa TerKeurst‘s Made to Crave (Zondervan, 2011) debuted and hit all kinds of best-seller lists, I waited. It’s probably not all that good. The author has a huge network. Gotta be a combination of savvy marketing and the right book at the right time. Or maybe it’s biblical, contemporary, life-shaping, fresh, and poignant —like its younger sister. Today’s review covers the YA version of Made to Crave, written with best-selling author Shaunti Feldhahn. As the mother of young adults and as someone who writes for them (often through the pages of SUSIE Magazine), I try to stay in touch with YA literature. I rarely see anything as well-written, targeted, focused, and practical as Made to Crave for Young Women: Satisfying Your Deepest Desires with God. Although the original book addresses the food cravings many of us battle, this version speaks to the physical, emotional, and material cravings that grip young lives in huge ways. Topics range from body image to inappropriate means of seeking approval to tough issues like promiscuity and alcohol abuse. Neither author is afraid of stark statistics or the kind of transparent sharing that breaks down walls. The book moves forward with just the right blend of biblical truth, personal anecdote, and directed challenge. Lysa and Shaunti are not finger-pointing church ladies but big sisters coming alongside to offer hope and help. The practical steps they suggest include directed journaling, Scripture memory suggestions, and wholesome activities that will help readers retrain their minds and reshape their hearts. I doubt I’ll ever leap onto the next trendy bandwagon, literary or otherwise. But a book that says more than, “Just stop it” in its effort to help young adults recognize their cravings as idolatry? That’s a trend to follow. Right away. BONUS: I can’t let YA Friday pass without reminding you to vote to help put SUSIE Magazine on the shelf at Wal-Mart. The first round of voting is over, and out of 4,000 products, we made it to the Top Ten! Find directions for voting by Twitter and Facebook (once per day, each way) here. How do you choose your books? Have you read this one? Leave a comment and let me know. Find a local Christian bookstoreFind this book on Amazon, at Barnes & Noble, or at Christian Book Distributors (FTC Disclaimer: I received an electronic advance reading copy free from the publisher. I was not required to post a review or a positive...
read morePRAY: Prayer for Those Who Feel They Have Disappointed Others
Lord, I come to you today on behalf of those who feel they have disappointed others who are important to them. And I come with understanding because I often feel this way myself. Father, sometimes we disappoint others because we turn away from you. We go our own way, fight for our own rights, and hurt others in the process. We ask forgiveness, God, for the times we’ve hurt those we care about because of our own selfish and sinful desires. Our King, we also disappoint others because we are inadequate. We don’t have the ability to do what we attempt. Give us a greater dependence on you, Lord, and allow us to look to you alone to supply the things we lack. But God, sometimes we disappoint others because they have false expectations. They demand more than we can give. They look to us to meet needs you alone can fill. In these situations, our Savior, we ask for your abundant grace to balance both sides of the equation. Help us to go beyond that which we ask or think. And help those we disappoint to look to you to fulfill their desires and fill their longings. In this way, God, we thank and praise you for our inadequacies, knowing they are arrows that point others to you. We love you and pray all these things in your mighty name—AMEN. Do you identify with one or more elements of this prayer? Feel free to leave a comment or contact me to share your...
read moreREAD: Review, The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson
Pastor Mark Batterson has a genius for making the obscure prominent. His In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day highlights the biblical story of Benaniah (Bena-who?) and makes a pertinent application to those who face challenging circumstances. And his Wild Goose Chase pulled its title from an ancient Celtic name for the Holy Spirit. In The Circle Maker: Praying Circles AroundYour Biggest Dreams and Greatest Fears (Zondervan, 2011), Batterson again draws from obscurity via a legend that pre-dates the Old Testament. Here, he uses the story of Honi the Circle Maker, a prophet who dared to believe a miracle and watched as it happened to the glory of God. This book has sources other than legend, however. Batterson shares both from Scripture and his own experience as pastor of National Community Church in Washington, D.C. His basic premise: when you believe a prayer is in the will of God and will bring Him glory, you should circle it in prayer the way the Israelites circled the wall of Jericho. Pray hard, pray long, and watch for God to work. Batterson does a great job of sharing both story and principle in an inspiring, entertaining way. At times, I felt his catchy sound bite-type wording seemed forced. At other times, I marveled at his agility in turning a phrase. At times, I wondered if he was veering into name-it, claim-it philosophy. At other times, I wondered why my faith is so small. And that’s the real strength of this book. Although “circling,” as I see it, is only a paradigm for effective, fervent prayer, this new way of thinking has already enhanced my prayer life. I realized I was often praying what I expected God to do anyway. It was time—past time—to trust God for the miracles I know He can do. It was time I asked Him for the impossible, the work only He can perform. Read this book with a critical eye. Go back to the Word and check its points. But I believe you’ll end up, like Batterson, circling your family, your friends, and various situations in your life with the kind of powerful prayers God uses every day. And that obscure Circle Maker? He’ll be smiling. What book about prayer has had a dramatic impact on you? I have a growing collection and would love to know your favorites. Find a local Christian bookstore Find this book on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or at Christian Book...
read moreWelcome
I've asked God to use my writing and speaking to count for eternity. I'm passionate about relationships and creativity.
