Java & Jesus

Only a cup of coffee and a pound of prayer
could make one's day better.

The Force that Holds - PRAYER

Duct tape is like a force.
It has a light side, a dark side,
and it holds the universe together - Oprah Winfrey

It holds refrigerators together too!

But truly it is PRAYER that holds the universe together!!!

A Prayer

Give us this day, our daily bread (of life)!

 

Prayer Is A Changer

My Prayer

Just "Thank You"

Just a "thank you"
is a mighty powerful prayer.
Says it all.

Stacked In Our Favor?

Everyday life presents us with a precarious situation.
What do we do?

Well, the words of Martin Luther King Jr. seem to sum it up: "All progress is precarious, and the solution of one problem brings us face to face with another problem."

Hmm...perhaps it's time to prayer!

Live Your Prayers

And help us, this and every day,
to live more nearly as we pray.
- John Keble

What's Driving You?

Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?

- Corrie Ten Boom

Freedom in Prayer

To be a Christian without prayer
is no more possible than
to be alive without breathing.

It's Prayer!

Prayer is the "CURE" for all things!

Pray Always!

A new meaning to
"praying always with all prayer and supplication..."

Pic: A friend found this booth at the Costco in Santa Rosa California

Surfs Up! Ride On!

Prayer is a lot like surfing. It's soothing, and its environment is peaceful as well as awesome. Why, the rest of the world even disappears while riding on the waves of prayer.

A Thinking Day

Certain thoughts are prayers.
There are moments when,
whatever be the attitude of the body,
the soul is on its knees. Victor Hugo

Beware Lest We Forget (tar)Paper Houses

**Exactly one year ago today, this was the thought I posted. And as I look about, it is still the beat of my heart.**


"And it shall be, when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which He sware unto they fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,

And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;

Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.” Deuteronomy 6:10-13

After reading these scriptures, I couldn't help but think: How many of us were involved in building the original church we attend? How many of us dug the wells of living water through our tears? How many of us took to the streets witnessing? Walked the aisles praying to supply an increase? Or spent sleepless nights carrying the burden originally set forth for our church? Probably very few of us but we sure are enjoying the increase and its rewards. We inherited blessings. But with the blessings, we've made changes to things that our predecessors sacrificed for. What things? How about removing our wooden altars at the church front (logic: need more room up front; tears of repentance can be shed anywhere; well, most need a place to kneel that allows them time to repent and to shed tears)? The removing of songs about the Blood from our services (logic: way too gory, the Blood was for Jesus, not us)? Excluding sermons that preach on hell (logic: Heaven makes people happy, hell depresses them)? Or how about our moving away from intercessory prayer (logic: too laboring, and "sincere" prayer works just as well, as long as it's done in the prayer room, God forbid the sanctuary)? The list of Whys and their "logic" could go on and on.

Don't you at times wonder that in our zealousness and need to do more (and have more) than the old churches, or the brothers and sisters down the street, or churches in other organizations that we’ve forgotten what the Lord really intended?

I’ve heard many stories of sacrifice over the years but I will write about one that is close to home. It was in 1943 when a young minister named Elder William (Bill) Garrett came to Goshen, California where my husband’s mom, dad, aunts and uncles lived. They had already received the revelation of God’s Truth, and desperately wanted a church to worship in. Times were hard, and with no money to rent a building, the congregation needed a plan. Elder Garrett talked my father-in-law into using an old never used 20 by 50 foot chicken house at the back of his property. The saints felt so blessed that Roy Hopper would say yes to its use that the brothers quickly begin preparing it for a house of worship. I can't help but wonder, would God mean that much to us today? Would we eagerly get a hen house ready to worship in? Would we proudly tar-paper the outside and stick cut-out letters on the side proclaiming its church name? (Don’t answer that – it may seriously reveal too much of our character). Well, the Lord blessed the Mt. Zion church family from day one for their efforts - and as the congregation grew, they purchased their own building.

Don't you wonder what type of people would be willing to worship in a chicken house; what type of services they had; what level of compassion they carried; and what was their prayer life like, etc. I think I can answer that in part because starting in the 1960s I witnessed first hand a group of people who stood strong in the face of every adversity and genuinely loved/cared for each other - and did they love God, never once charging Him foolishly. I remember in the early 60s (some 20 years after the original church started), seeing a group of ladies (my mother-in-law included) walk to the church to pray after the men went to work. They would go every morning, Monday-Friday, to pray for 2 to 3 hours each day. There is no doubt that it was those prayers that brought my husband and I to the Lord in 1969 for the home that I was raised in had a mother who justified going to church once a year on Easter Sunday, and a dad that was an atheist. I think the odds were stacked up against me, don’t you? Would I be safe to say if not for the sacrifice of those precious saints starting that small humble church in Goshen and being committed to prayer that I'd be lost and without God? Yes!

Now, here’s my soapbox proclamation: I’m concerned folks, I truly am. Have we lost our way? Have we come to the place where finances, homes, big churches, large congregations, recognition saddled with appointed positions, special programs, etc., are dimming our view? I pray not. However, do we take the scripture seriously? Do we truly appreciate those who forged the road before us? It was them, not us that blazed the trails, fought the battles, shed the tears, labored physically and spiritually, and sacrificed beyond measure for the church to be in the position it is today. The greatness of our churches comes from the men who started churches from scratch (no matter in what town). They are the ones that built, planted, and watered that we might have a place of worship to proclaim His precious gospel. Their labor of love feeds us. May we never forget the men who built (tar)paper houses (or started churches in tents, their homes, humble buildings, storefronts) - for they are our heritage, and through their selfless acts we are reaping.

Mt. Zion's First Pastor: Elder Bill Garrett,
his wife Ilene and daughter Barbara

Mt. Zion's Men of Vision: my father-in-law Roy Hopper,

Pastor Bill Garrett, Jesse Gilstrap and Clarence Gilstrap.
(not pictured, William Ashlock)

Mt. Zion's First Sunday School Group - 1943

Mt. Zion's First Fellowship Meeting
December 6, 1943

My Christmas Wish - A Hole in the Sole & Scuff Marks

What’s on my wish list for the holiday season?
Well, it’s not something you can find at the stores,
in a catalog, on the Internet, or can even make.
If you’ve got a minute I’d like to share my wish.

About 40 years ago I was extremely impressed by a certain man of God. He wasn’t finely dressed nor did he preach with eloquent words. Why did I remember this man after all these years? In particular, it was his shoes. He was holding revival in the church I attended, and as he sat on the platform I couldn’t help but notice the hole in the sole of his shoe and the scuff marks on the toes. He was humble man of few words. His delivery was simple but when he opened his mouth the spirit of God would move. It seemed as if he held the key to unlock the gates of heaven - and his ministry touched all those he came in contact with.

His shoes? Yes, they have set him apart all these years. He had put aside his desires for things that society makes us feel are important, and had found the secret of true victory and wealth - the Power of PRAYER. Prayer made him a special preacher - a heart preacher. Prayer put his heart into his sermon, and put his sermon into hearts. This man's specialness brought down the power, conviction, and restoration.

Today I believe that God is searching out men (and women) with great hearts to make them great preachers and great laymen/laywomen. It's true that we can be ordinary and do a measure of good – just as the hireling or the stranger can help at times. However, if we have upright hearts, focused on the Lord, we touch ALL those around us in positive, fruitful ways. For me the man with holes in his soles is my example, my hero. To impact the world around me, I must be committed to pray more than ever before - earnestly praying in agony, purpose and intensity, and not using meaningless religious phrases or colorful sentences.

My wish this Christmas season is to have at least a measure of the faith and prayer that man of God that I was privileged to meet some 40 years ago had. The hole in the sole of his shoes and scuff marks on the toes identified his revelation of what giving the gift of sacrifice truly meant. What better gift could I give to my Jesus - for truly, isn't He the Reason for the Season?

"i" Almost Everything

Give me a break! Seems that "i" am electronically connected to function through life.

What makes me think that? Well, I electronically email, make money transfers, pay bills, search, Google, Craig’s list, set my calendar/tasks, manage my blog, Bible read, order prescriptions, research medical concerns, run an eBay store, do Paypal, set up forms, write letters, send greeting cards, check real estate properties/values, buy garden supplies, create slideshows, store photo albums, listen/download music, read the news, visit church web sites, make travel reservations of all kinds, check weather, check the time, order clothing, oversee jury duty, check local gas prices, find product values & print coupons, buy postage stamps, create prepaid shipping labels, order PO package pick-up, play games, and more.

One thing I can’t do electronically is, PRAY - however, someone will definitely try to accommodate such but iPray and/or iPrayer just won’t work. Prayer is an act of my spirit reaching toward the Heavens, and me being connected to the Lord without the help of electronics. So thankful that there's no "ctrl alt shift" keys needed here! And if the electricity goes out, I've still got the spiritual power to reach Him through prayer.

The Challenge of Sorting

At first when you look at the picture, you see dark horses - but when looking closely, you see the real objects. It's that way in life too, and thereby makes sorting out the real from the illusory one of life's greatest challenges. How often is there a disconnect between our perceptions and the underlying reality? Things are not always as they first seem. At first we see the zebras' shadows as prominent, and the zebras themselves as minute. However when the light fades and night comes, the only things remaining are the zebras. The shadows are gone.

What am I trying to say? Well, seeking what seems good can be bad for us, and accepting what seems bad can actually be good. We can't allow ourselves to be drawn to the shadows that fill our lives. We must have confidence and seek out the "zebras". We must believe that the Lord is working on our behalf at all times, even when it doesn't seem that way.

The Prayer of an Unknown Confederate Soldier expresses my thought for this day.

I asked God for strength that I might achieve.
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.

I asked for help, that I might do greater things.
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.

I asked for riches, that I might be happy.
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.

I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men.
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.

I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life.
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.

I got nothing that I asked for but everything I hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.

I am, among all men, most richly blessed.

May God Give

May God give you…

For every storm, a rainbow

For every tear, a smile

For every care, a promise

And a blessing, in each trial.

For every problem life sends, a faithful friend to share (it)

For every sigh, a sweet song

And an answer, for each prayer.

Irish Proverb

Cold, Cold Heart

Diagnosis: Heart Condition

Suggested Treatment: Prayer *

* It's thawed out many a cold heart