Closer to God...Me and you or maybe I stick with Closer to God

Closer to God...Me and you or maybe I stick with Closer to God

Job 8:21 - Till he fill thy mouth with laughing, and thy lips with rejoicing.

A long time ago when I was in high school, before DVR and Tivo, there was Beta. 

And we had one as well as an Atari system, but that is a conversation for another time.  The Beta for those who are born prior to their creation, was a recording system for television shows, like the DVR - except you had to go to Zayer's (before there was Target) and buy the cassette tapes in a pack of six.

You would pop in your Beta tape, coordinate it with time and then set it for - in my case ABC network from 12:30 until 5:00 pm.  This time was important because it started with the old soap opera "Loving", All my Children, then General Hospital - finally ending with The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Oprah interviewed Prince on one of her episodes, and he had just gotten married.  I'm not a big famous person follower, so I honestly can't recall her name, but I remember very clearly a quote from Prince - He said "Loving my wife, makes it easier to talk to God."

Even in my teenage mind, I thought- WOW! that's some loving right there for you.  Now don't get caught up in the fact that I think Prince now ex-wife is on a reality show now - but ponder this instead - What brings you closer to God? 

Don't think so hard, don't flip and beat yourself up for not reading your Bible as often as you should - or regret skipping church - but think, what do you do in your life that makes it easier to talk to God.

I believe everyone has a communication line directly to God.  That place where you are in that sweet personal relationship moment.     My Pastor calls it the Sweet Spot, that perfect spot where you make all the free throws. 

For me its writing.  I feel my spirit party, I feel my thoughts focus, I know, like I know, like I know that this is a special gift and its He and my way of communicating.

Find yours it will tickle your very soul...And these times now who doesn't need a spiritual tickle.

Random...life living

Wow...no Jet magazines at the grocery register...what will I do with my time now...picture of the week you are missed

He Gave Me A Two-Fer!!!! Pray on young blood!

He gave me a Two-fer

If you don’t know me well…Let me tell you a tad bit about me.  I love to pray…I don’t know where the desire came from or why I even love it.  But I can tell you my soul dances and my fingers tingle when I am presented with the opportunity.

Now I’m not eloquent or any of that I don’t have a lot of “Thus be and Thee” and all the fancy words that make you think angels are floating around. I talk to him like he’s my Dude and I’m his girl, cause that’s what I believe. 

On this fine day my usual work break buddy was out so I decided to go and take a break on my own.  I went and sat out on the bench and just enjoyed the unique warm weather of October.  I noticed a guy who didn’t work in the building, jeans, tank top, slightly thugged out.

I explained to him I usually like to pray for people on the elevator when there is one person and I have never done it at the bench before but if he would like I would gladly pray for him.  He smiled and he looked like he had some heavy stuff on him.

I said hey wait a minute I don’t need to know all or any of your business, I just want to know your name and I will pray.  He put down his cigarette and we prayed.  

Ok here is part of the two-fer.

 od gave me this for this young blood -  after we were done praying.  The man asked what church I went to  and I told him Freedom House and he told me that he is a member of Weeping Willow, but he hadn’t been in a while. 

I parted my lips and God said to Him, you know church isn’t about you.  It’s about who you bless when you go!  And that it’s the little things you do when you go, a smile, a door being held, a hand shake, but that you bless someone simply by being there, so go be a blessing to someone.  Some may ask how do you know it was God, one cause honestly I'm not that deep or that wise.  Two I know His voice (and he is really eloquent)

My second of the two-fer was PRAYING ROCKS!  Ok that was an easy one, but it so does.  Praying for strangers is like food to your soul, so eat UP!

It's more than just an alter...Shout out to Freedom House Church

It's more than just an Alter...Shout out to Freedom House Church

Matthew 16:18

¹⁸ And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it

When you think of church what do you think of.  I hope you have great memories of hard candy being passed down the pew from a church mother.  Or your favorite dress that you wore with the perfect shoes because your momma finally let you get a shoe with a heal.

I know the reality is that some people don't have such fond memories of church.  But maybe its time to get some new memories in your beautiful mind. 

I love my church.  I really do.  It's not the alter or the great services those things are just icing on the cake. 

When I walk in those doors on my good days and on my bad I am greeted with such love and fellowship.  The other day after a great service I stood in the lobby and thought WOW.

There were some people who were rushing out the door (I mean it is football season for crying out loud).  Children were running around laughing smiling some even dancing, they were enjoying the freedom of being in a safe place.

I even noticed two ladies talking.  One was crying, from what I could see the other lady who wasn't crying was holding the hands of the person crying and praying.  There were men fellowshipping about their gardens or their jobs.

And at that moment it hit me, church is not only about the words you receive its about the fellowship.  The loving and caring that goes on in the lobby.  Nobody knows what happens in your house but you, but I would have to imagine that sometimes you need a little extra love, someone who can grab your hands and pray for you on the spot.  You need your child to play and laugh in a safe area where you know, no harm will come to them.

You need a sweet reminder that there is still good in the world.  There is no perfect church because church has people in it, but there is a perfect love, there is perfect fellowship, there is a place to get a hug and a prayer no strings attached.

My point the CHURCH is even greater than the service.  It's as great as you allowed God to be.  So find a place to rest your soul and to be a blessing to someone else.

Random

Isn't it weird how you never care about how much toilet paper you have until there is only a little left...Life

Wellness CHECK

Wellness Check...You never know...

◄ Mark 16:12 ►

After that he appeared in another form to two of them, as they walked, and went into the country

So I don't know if I ever told you about the time I met God.  Listen you can think what you want it really isn't even up for debate.  I knew who He was after he left, He knew who I was before my time had even began.

I met God at the mall.  Ok let me explain he didn't page (this happened before cell phones - I had a cool blue pager - you could page me then I had to find a pay phone) me and say meet me on the second floor I've got to talk to you.

It was very simple.  I was wearing a cross a cute wooden one that I loved.  I was strolling past some stores care free (I was a teenager with no kids and no bills, you tend to float at this time in your life).  This old white man walked straight up to me, pointed at my cross necklace and said.  Do you know what that means, do you know what it's about.  I said yes I do (I didn't say Yes Sir because I didn't leave in the south yet)  He smiled and walked away.  I looked back and he was gone.

To this day I believe that was God doing a wellness check on me.

I say all that to say - He came to visit again recently.  In the form of a really nice older woman with a cool British accent.  This time He/She asked if she could sit down at a bench where a friend and I were sitting.  I was wearing my favorite shirt from church that says "No perfect, people allowed!  She said well your shirt says no perfect people allowed so I wanted to make sure it was ok.  I laughed she laughed and she and I had the greatest five minute conversation ever.  I told her about my church we joked a bit and off she went.

You can believe what you choose to believe about who I met.  The point of this one.  You never know who you're talking to or who your blessings.

So choose to treat them well..because you never know it could be a wellness check.

Lift Elevators and Prayers

Using the lift...Elevator prayers, 3 flights to go!

 Matthew 18:20 NIV
For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them."

I will not say whether work is my favorite place to go on a Monday morning at 8:00am ok fine usually a little later than that, but that's my business.

I will just let you make your own conclusion as I'm sure you too have had to crawl out of bed run into the shower, grab the kid rush to school, forget the back pack rush back to school, then go into the office that has a special appreciation for your skills.

One day God said I know you like to pray and I said Yes Lord, Yes I do, so he said pray for the people in the elevator.  And I said COOL.

So I made it a sort of habit that if there was one person on the elevator with me, I would explain rather quickly, I don't want to know your business but can I pray for you.  I would say it quickly because there were only three floors to travel.  Thankfully the elevator is slow.

More often than not, the person would say yes.  I would pray they would smile and that was the end of that.  Off to fight the giants in the office.  But I felt a little like David, I had strong faith - Who is greater than my God and I had just done something he asked me to do which doesn't happen as consistent as it should.

I even had one lady hug me one day.  Awkward as my kid would say.

My most recent Lift Prayer went rather similar.  The ladies eyes lit up and I prayed the elevator opened and we stepped out.  This time though she said hey wait, do you want me to pray for you. Excuse me, I was actually shocked.  Nobody ever asked to pray for me.  She grabbed my hand in the middle of the office hallway and began to pray.  I had my eyes closed, my head lowered, and I was smiling real big.

The prayer took about 30 seconds maybe and she headed towards her office and I skipped to mine.

Two important points

Lift prayers are really cool and I challenge you to try it.

If somebody prays for you, if you are able pray right back at them.