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. 

I pray you favor...(subtitled) A lesson from group text!

I pray you favor...(subtitled) A lesson from group text!

 

1 Peter 3:12-13King James Version (KJV)

12 For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil.   13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?

It's been awhile, a butterfly landed on my fingers and said I haven't heard from you in awhile and I ignored creation, then he sent an angel that said hey "Hey Auntie why haven't I seen a blog in a while?"  So I'm back, you might not want to listen to talking butterflies but when you get called out by family well...God is trying to tell you something.

Favor ain't fair...I've heard it preached and thought maybe even shouted "Preach Preacher"  Of course my thought was that I am walking in favor, so fair or not I'm covered.  I was so moved by the service that I sent out a group text to all my friends "favor ain't fair - be blessed from the rooter to the tooter"

Now let me tell you something about group text - simply put they suck.  Because everybody in your group don't know everybody else in the group, so you get a lot of reply text back asking who is this...Of course they ask in a kind way, Bless your heart and do I know you?

One person responded in a way that stuck with me though...

There reply was "I don't want nothing that ain't fair" 

Hmm my mind whirled with this new interjection on my new catch phrase.  Wow do I really want something that isn't fair.  I'm a good kind person and I never want to be seen as unfair.  Maybe "Favor ain't Fair" is wrong, do I really want anything I didn't deserve.

 As quick as the questionable seed was planted it was uprooted by this thought.  I could never earn all that I have, If I lived a million years and had a thousand tongues I could never achieve the things that I have achieved, the grace that has covered me, the healing that has let me continue to breath even when I don't honor my temple.  I would never be, without He that is in me and his favor over my steps.

So two lessons from this blog I pray you take...

No God's favor isn't fair and you better thank God that its not, because what we deserve is not our fate because of his son.

And two seriously group text are just confusing, if you can't take the time to call someone at the least text them individually.  This means you - me.

I pray and hope that you receive God's Favor.

Over or Under...Um I'm not really sure...but i know I appreciate it being there!

Over or Under...Um I'm not really sure...but i know I appreciate it being there!

(1 John 5:14-15). 

"This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him"
 

So a thought came to me while I was putting a new roll of toilet paper on the roll...

Yep you know it the question and debate that still continues in households and has even been questioned on Facebook and other social media outlets

Should the paper be pulled over or should the paper be pulled under.

I have seen strong arguments for both and I have even heard of some folks been awoken in the middle of their good sleep, with a person shaking a roll of toilet paper at them and screaming about their error in putting the roll in incorrectly!

We've gotten close over these past many post and I am here to let you in on a little bit of more of me and how I think.

I REALLY DON'T CARE, which way the roll rolls - I just need you to replace the paper when you notice that there is clearly only one square left...I mean come on who only uses one square!!!

Yes, yes this does have a greater connection.  Welcome to my mind, because I pondered this I thought I wonder if that God thinks about our prayers.

Does he concern His self with our posture - you know hands together. eyes closed, hand holding if there is a group, or is it the intention of our hearts the mustard seed of our Faith that moves his hand.

Don't get it twisted i have prayed on my knees, laid flat out on the floor, holding hands in the traditional prayer circle...

Just as often I have prayed eyes wide open squeezing the steering wheel, face down on my work desk, standing up, sitting down, and even curled up in a ball.

The light hearted point, the intentions of your heart is the depth of your faith. 

Pray pray pray pray...whether it's over or under pray!

Some Things Change...Some Things Stay the same or the other way around LOL

Some things change and some things never do...One of my Favorite lines from one of the Matrix movies

  

I know very little about the Civil War...but because I love outdoor activities and festivals I found myself standing in the middle of a camp at a Civil War reenactment.  I had been looking for something to do and the sign said Free and Civil War Reenactment and well it had me at Free.

I walked around a large Civil War Camp where there were big pots of food cooking, sleeping soldiers under trees and flags just a flying

Wait a minute ... that flag just a waiving appears to symbolize that just maybe it was a flag not really in my favor...If you don't know what I mean check out one of my earlier blog post "You know I'm black right?" 

Yes there I stood in the middle of the confederate camp, walking around taking pictures with Confederate soldiers, learning about the battle and learning lessons from many of the very nice soldiers who gave great stories and knowledge on how things were back in the Civil War.

I laughed as I headed out of the Confederate Camp in search of the Union soldiers, knowing that times had really changed.  That walk I just took three modern day past history really wouldn't have likely been so enjoyable.

The Union soldiers were too far away, so I didn't make it to them before the battle began.  Based on sheer numbers I'm positive this was a battle that they did not win, but you all know we won the war.

There is still racism in the world without a doubt but as I sat next to a sweet little girl who was the opposite color of me and as she smiled and played with my sweet little girl I thought to myself maybe one day, just maybe our skin colors won't even have a name...We will be defined by our character.

Some things Do Change

Hey Baby what's your sign...?

Hey Baby what's your sign...My name is Nene and I'm an Aries

Proverbs 1: 1-3

King James Version (KJV)

1 The proverbs of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel;

² To know wisdom and instruction; to perceive the words of understanding;
³ To receive the instruction of wisdom, justice, and judgment, and equity;

Don't freak out because you see a zodiac sign, hang in there and enjoy the ride because it leads to my Father.

Back in the day when everything was cool baby - digging on him digging on you time frame.  Depending on your style you may have rocked an afro or long and straight hair.  I won't date myself I'm just saying I remember, that there was a song out in 1977, by the Floaters, titled Float on!  If you know the song I know you are smiling right now at the memories of dancing to it.  If you don't know it, I will happily add a link for your listening pleasure.

The song begins with the smooth line of " Aquarius and my name is Ralph !" and  Ralph goes on to describe the type of woman he likes and the other members of the group fall in line with their zodiac sign and the female qualities they are looking for (Keep in mind this is 1977, so the female qualities were based on character like carrying yourself like Miss Universe, loving everything and everybody, and being a woman of the world - funny how times have changed - I know another blog another day)

Back to zodiac signs...I would be a liar if I told you oh no I've never checked out what was going on in my horoscope from time to time.  If there was romance on the horizon based on the moon phase...blah blah blah.  The funny thing is when I did read them at the beginning of the day, I would forget what the darn thing said and never even think to look back for accuracy. 

Every now and again I would read it at the end of the day to verify accuracy and I would laugh at just how vague they could be and I'm sure that some of that applied to some Aries out there.

Today it struck my funny/blog bone as I thought Huh horoscopes predict how your day will be but they never give you specific instructions on how to handle your day.  So when it says you are in for a financial windfall it sure enough doesn't give you lottery numbers or advise you on how to approach your boss to get that financial windfall.  And when love is in the air according to your horoscope - Your walking around smiling at EVERYBODY!  Because one could be the one.  But how can you know the qualities of the one.

What this got to do with your Father (You know your daddy who Art in Heaven)- Senetra? 

Well I'm glad you asked...Let me direct you to Proverbs a book that is in a really good book, written by a very Wise King (I'm not sure what his zodiac sign was but I know who his director was)  31 chapters a life lesson for every day on how to handle what life throws at you whether romance is in the air or the sun is shining on your finances.  It's interesting to know how your day might be it is WISE to know how to handle whatever comes!  Proverbs check it out!

Float on The Floaters



Proverbs 1 the best place to start 
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Proverbs+1&version=KJV