How Does it Feel to Pray to Jesus?

by atozmom, posted in Faith, Life

This was a google that landed on my site.  And after a moment, I thought it was a REALLY good question.

How does it feel to pray to Jesus?  I’ll give you my response and then I’d love to hear everyone else’s.

It feels:  comforting, good, safe, happy, loving, relaxing, relieving, beautiful, joyful, heavy-hearted at times, and wonderful.

When I sit down to pray, when I lay it all on the line and say, “Ok, God, here it is” something is lifted off of my shoulders, I can breathe afterwards, and I can continue on with my day a bit lighter.  Sometimes I still try to carry my burdens by myself but throughout the day He constantly reminds me I am not alone.  I always end the day lighter than I began it.

Safe is my favorite descriptive word.  I can tell God anything, things I would never tell others and I’m never judged in return.  In fact, I feel He embraces me in my darkest hours–when no one else could or when I don’t allow anyone else to.  He’s there.  Always.  And we can talk about anything.

Sometimes I am mad at God.  I do question His ways because I don’t understand them.  I question my earthly existence and things that happen.  But I never question Him.

Praying is one of the best gifts God has given us.  It’s a way to Him, through Jesus, that sometimes is the only thing we have to hang on to.  Prayer is the only thing we have when we receive the phone call in the middle of the night and the rest of our body is numb and our brain has shut down.  God gets us through and praying is how we can connect with Him.

The more you pray, the more you feel God, know God, and love God.  The more you pray, the easier life is.

Prayer is a critical component to knowing God.  And it’s one of the easiest.  You can do it anytime, anywhere.

All it takes is “God…”  The rest is taken care of.

The Little Soul Series

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews, Faith

I picked up two children’s books at the library, having known nothing about them, which were fabulous.

The first, The Little Soul and the Sun, is a conversation with God and a child as the child (Little Soul) tries to figure out who he is.  This has a lot of imagery about being the Light and is a bit abstract, which for my little kids, I think went over their heads but they liked it anyways.

The best line in this book is God says, “Always remember:  I have sent you nothing but angels.”

A part that went over my kids’ heads but I liked was when the person sent to help Little Soul learn to forgive tells him, “Remember who I am in the moment I do the worst to you.”

I’m not for sure if we’re supposed to remember God in these moments or remember the better part of the person hurting you but I liked either one, especially as it applies to relatives because sometimes people hurt us in the heat of the moment and if we remember who they are, it is easier to forgive.

The better one in my opinion, the one not quite-so-theoretical, is The Little Soul and the Earth, which continues with God sending Little Soul to be born and experience forgiveness.

This book has great timeless messages such as:  God is always with you.  He sends a guardian angel to be by your side always.  Mommy and Daddy are love and to get more love you simply must give it away.  Giving away love can be as simple as smiling.

The guardian angel tells Little Soul only one thing is necessary:  faith in God.  “You’ve got to believe that you’ll always have everything you need.  You’ve got to believe that God is on your side.”

This was great for me to hear, not just my kids.

Both books are by Neale Donald Walsch.  These books are based on the Conversations with God series, which I have not read and am in no way endorsing.  I don’t know anything about the author.  I read the on-line reviews of the book, curious as to where these stories came from and some were scathing.  Since I have no idea, I’m remaining neutral.

Just to be clear:  I’m recommending the children’s books, not the adult books.

The Answers I Seek Lie In God’s Word

by atozmom, posted in Faith, Life

I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard, “Just open the Bible to any page, start reading, and you’ll find an answer to your problems.”

Lately, for whatever reason, I had been thinking this is hokey.  I mean, if I’m looking for comfort, wouldn’t I turn to the pages on comfort?

But, Day 5 of Lesson 19 in BSF changed all of my thinking, gave me peace in my myriad of minor problems, and turned my thinking around.

I was wallowing in self-pity again when I completed Day 5 and wrote this conclusion: “There is no other Rock.”  This sums it up for me.  If God were my Rock in every situation every day of my life, I’d be a lot happier and much more fulfilled and joyful.  Only God can fill me.  If I am full of God, then there is no room left for miscellaneous ‘idol’ distractions, mini-crises, or unnecessary drama.  God and His blessings would rule.  The Devil would have no place to hide.

This was from Isaiah 44, a passage that didn’t seem to have any bearing on my current dilemma or state of mind.  But the universal truths of God as my Rock struck me and made me realize He wasn’t my Rock in this situation.  He wasn’t my Rock in my mind.  In fact, He was dwelling far away.

I sat and meditated on this fact for a while.  I have been stressed lately:  we’re trying to decide where to move and when and the indecision is getting to me.  Hence, minor little things have been blowing up all around me.  And I haven’t been turning to God’s word for the answers.  I’ve been praying but doing little else.

Until I read Isaiah.  Then I realized (again) God was not my center.  He is my Rock.  And if I’d just slow down for a few minutes and remember that, everything else would fall into place around Him.

I must remember to pray before I flip out.  Pray in every situation.  Read His word and find comfort as it speaks to me.  And all of it (the Bible) speaks to me.

Keep God first.  Remember His faithfulness.  He will do the rest.

My Chincoteague Pony

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews

I hadn’t meant to blog about this book but I had to share the message because I think it’s powerful.

This was actually a book I placed on hold, thinking it a mere pony book (and my girls like most love ponies)!  But the message turned out to be anything but simple.

It’s the story of a girl who has dreamed all her life of owning a pony.  So, she works all summer in order to attend the Chincoteague auction so she can buy a wild pony.  She travels to the auction with her mom and she bids on every pony but is outbid by everyone.  She slowly realizes she doesn’t have enough money to buy a pony and starts to cry.  The woman next to her says, “Don’t give up.  Keep calling out your bid.  Persistence pays off,” and she hands her $20.  Then everyone around her starts handing her dollars.

She has enough money to buy the last pony auctioned which is the one she actually wanted.

Here’s the best part:

“I have a lot of work to do,” the girl tells her mom.  “I have to save all of my money and come back next year.”

“Isn’t one pony enough?” her mother asks.

“No.  I am going to give my money to another girl so that she can buy a pony of her own.”

Now, I’ve read A LOT of kids’ books but this is the first one I’ve read where paying it forward is the central theme.  It’s so simply taught that even the littlest ones will catch the message of the importance of helping others just like you have been helped.

God is everywhere, isn’t He?

This book is by Susan Jeffers who is an excellent author and story-teller.  We’ve read many of her books but this one is by far the best I’ve read.  In her forward, Jeffers says this is based on a true story she witnessed when she was at Pony Penning Day in Chincoteague.  This just makes this story even better.

It touches my heart when kids help other kids and with all the negativity out there this is the kind of story I want my kids to hear over and over again.

This is Worse Than Writer’s Block

by atozmom, posted in Writing

Ever have one of those days where everything you write is crappy?

That’s my day today.  Nothing sounds right.  Everything is repetitive.  No brilliant thoughts or analogies. Just plain and simple and to be frank, horrible, words strung together.  My 7 year old can write better than this sometimes.  Every word stinks worse than a skunk on a hot summer day.

I think I’d rather have writer’s block than these days because I get the sense I’m a failure.  I keep thinking, “This sucks!  Maybe I’m not meant to be a writer.  I should just quit now and forever hold my peace.”

Writer’s block is legitimate.  It’s where nothing comes to mind.  But it’s something you work through or just return later when the creative juices are flowing.

Bad writing is a sense you can never improve this stuff so why bother.  The only solution is to stop and come back later.  But I always wonder, “Will it get better later or can you improve something that is just bad?”

There are bad writers out there and these days I list myself amongst them.  I just pray I’m a good writer tomorrow.

Something I Learned From Romans 1:20

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews, Faith

As some of you know, I got lambasted for recommending Glenn Beck’s books because he’s a mormon.  I said to stop judging him based on his beliefs:  he still is doing great things for people and this country.

In his new book, “The Seven Wonders That Will Change Your Life”, he talks about how he came to Mormonism.  He asked a question,”Where’s Gandhi?”  Gandhi never accepted Jesus.  The Mormon teacher responded by saying, “Would it be fair for one who had never had the chance or opportunity to accept Him to be banished to that lake of fire?” P.148

I had been contemplating this ever since I read it.  I knew the logic was flawed somehow and now I have an answer from the Bible.  Romans 1:20:  “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.”

There really is no excuse NOT to know Him, especially in today’s world.  We all can buy a Bible. Churches are on every street and we can worship freely.  But more than that:  God is everywhere we look.  How can a human being with a logical mind not stop and think I wonder where all of this came from? And then find the answer:  God.

I’m extrapolating here because I don’t know much about the Mormon faith but apparently Mormons take the fluffy view of, “Well, you won’t go to Hell.  You just won’t be in Heaven with the rest of us.”

But what does the Bible tell us?  John 14:6  “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.”  Revelation 20:15  “If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.”

Mr. Beck denies the existence of this “lake of fire” in his book on P. 149 (the fluffy view of what happens to unbelievers).  I guess he missed Romans 1:20, Revelation 20:15, John 14:6, and Isaiah 40:21.

Prayer of the Day

by atozmom, posted in Faith, Life

Romans 5:3-5  “We also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.  And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”

So, through our suffering we have hope that love will be poured into our hearts.

Somewhere More Holy

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews

I order most of my books off of Amazon.  One, it’s the cheapest out there and two if you order over $25 worth of stuff, you get free shipping.  So, last week I went online to order Glenn Beck’s book, “The 7 Wonders That Will Change Your Life” but I needed another book to get me over $25.

Amazon has a wish list that you can save books you want so when I find one I think I’m interested in, I save it so I’ll have some books to choose from when I’m ready to order.

One book I saved was one mentioned in Sarah Palin’s new book, America by Heart, called Somewhere More Holy by Tony Woodlief.

God knows what I’m struggling with and at this point in my life he also knows exactly what to put in my hands.  It was these two books.

Somewhere More Holy is a book about Tony’s life.  He lost his first child when she was 3 to a brain tumor and he dealt with it by cheating on his wife.  It’s about how he was broken and through God’s grace his marriage was saved and him and his wife are now raising 4 boys.

I can’t imagine ever burying a child (it’s both me and my husband’s worst nightmare).  This book will make you cry and laugh.

At one point last night, Tony tells the story of not wanting to play with his daughter because he was watching a basketball game before he knew she was sick and the guilt and shame he feels over it.  “I was unable to see how the things we love can banish like breath.”  Then, the next page, “she (his daughter) forgave everything, and so does God, and that the only person still keeping accounts is me.” P.48-49

I looked up at my two youngest children who were playing happily on the floor with dolls and cars and started balling.

You see, I tend to think sometimes I’m a bad mother.  I think I don’t spend enough time with them.  I tend to think I could be better.  I tend to think I am scarring my kids for life with all my junk.  I even think I am unworthy of them.

This book will make you feel like you’re not alone, remind you how God does forgive and how much He does love, and make you see how important your family truly is because one day they may be taken from you.

It’s not an easy read but I got up this morning and couldn’t put it down until I finished it.

“I think it’s time to just accept it (the love of his wife), to accept the love of these children and this God I don’t understand.” P.201

I have been moved more in the last five days than I have been in a long time.  Moved to deal with my past. Moved to accept it.  Moved to follow my true north.  Moved to follow God’s.  Moved to be all God has called me to be, to be more like Jesus but to know I will stumble in the process.  And moved to love and to accept love.  And to know all things work together for my good.

I cannot recommend either of these books enough, especially if you think you have more to give to this world and something is hindering your progress.  I guarantee you will learn something.  You may even be moved like I am to see what’s important in this world and what is not and to pray for the will and fortitude to make life changes for the betterment of all.

There is Something Inherently Wrong with Me When…

by atozmom, posted in Book Reviews, Faith

I go to Sam’s Club the other day with the sole intent of buying a winter jacket.  I had seen a couple I liked a few months back and the zipper on my winter jacket just broke so I need a new one.  I take my two youngest with me and we spend probably 30 minutes looking and trying on.  Nothing fit.  The one I remembered is gone.

So, dejected, I prepare to leave without buying anything.  But then….

I walk down the book aisle and this book jumps out at me called “Atlas of the Bible” by Carl G Rasmussen by Zondervan.  It’s a thick book with a picture of some ruins on it and maps below the picture.  Now, as you can tell, I LOVE maps so I picked it up and glanced through it.  I opened to the pages on Hezekiah’s reign and there are timelines and maps and pictures AND an explanation with biblical quotes of passages, tying together all the parts of the Bible that discusses Hezekiah’s reign.

I hadn’t been interested in a Bible Atlas before even though our BSF leader recommended one because I don’t like just a book with maps in it.  I like the explanations and pictures–exactly like this book.

I look at the price and it’s $25 bucks.  So, I put it down but only momentarily.  I thought, “Well, I was going to spend that on a coat and now I’ll spend that on a book.”

I do this ALL THE TIME.  I’ll buy something for me, justifying the expense by giving up something else.

So, I proceed to the check-out, happy as a lark.  The winter jacket will wait until next fall and I’ll enjoy a cool book that will help me understand God’s word much better.

Good trade-off, don’t you think?