Prayer

I do not believe it is coincidence that our emphasis for this next year at church is prayer. After the last couple years I've been experiencing, it feels like it will be a nice thing to have other people walking this road with me as I relive some parts, and get to stretch into new, uncharted territories and experience new ones. What better way to spend our time than in prayer?
In staff devotions this morning the topic was....you guessed it, prayer, and that sent my mind into a frenzy. We had scripture references from Ephesians 1:16-23 and 3:14-21, John 14, 15, and 15:16. Also mentioned was Colossians 1, 1 Thessalonians 5, and 2 Thessalonians 1.
Here's what came from it:
Why is it that sometimes when we pray we feel like we've touched Heaven and other times it feels like our prayers do not reach past the ceiling? It has nothing to do with God and what He wants to do or provide for us, but rather everything to do with us and our faith that the power God promises is capable of providing for us. Not to say that a lack of faith means our prayers are less likely to reach Heaven, but that our faith is what motivates us to pray even when we feel as though nothing will make a difference. It's exactly at the moments when we believe our prayers are going no further than the ceiling that we need to take hold of the scriptures and pray them, sometimes even verbatim, until we feel the strength to be able to pray our hearts. God cares enough even to hear us when we may only have the ability to groan out to Him. My God is big enough to care about every little minute detail, even up front parking at the mall, is yours? How thankful we should be for such a privilege.

Lament of the Rain boots

From the first time I saw you sitting on the shelf mischievously mocking me to purchase you, I knew I'd give in. Covered with your multicolored polka-dots, how could I resist? After all, when I was a little girl I loved my rain boots, almost as much as being barefoot. The chance to dress in head to toe rain gear and splash my way through the world was always exciting, and nothing much has changed since then. Secretly some part of you knew this about me and as I strolled past you, you leaped into my shopping basket. Just as well, secretly some part of me wanted to take you home. I wore you out in the rain and snow for four seasons of each. You've walked trails with me, pulled pranks at retreats with me,  made snowmen and angels with me, taught little people how to make a snowball and sled with me, gone fishing with me, and even helped to clean up after a flood with me. It was the winter of 2010-2011 that finally did you in. Too many snows, too much cold.
I went to take you for another splash a few weeks ago and found you slightly shriveled and showing the signs of dry rot. Imagine my dismay as I realized I would have to face the rain without you! Oh the humanity of it all!! What was I to do? I couldn't bring myself to throw you in the trash, so I placed you on the front porch for one last splash. After a week, I had come to the resolution that I would have to replace you once and for all. Heartbreak. Now I must find another pair that will be as enticing as you were, and be willing to go on as many adventures as you. I took myself back to the same store you were in and went back to the place you once lived. There to my amazement was another pair just as grand as you! Houndstooth markings that screamed to be taken out for adventures!! I am convinced that you somehow communicated to them from the trash bin that I needed them to heal my wound of losing you. Thank you for being so kind to me during all of our adventures and for sending me a new friend to continue the journey.

God of this City

As probably everyone is aware, major storms ripped through the southeast the last week of April leaving in their wake destruction and devastation unseen in decades. My heart was deeply burdened for all of them most specifically the Tuscaloosa, Alabama area. This is where my school is, where I have friends, where I've spent time. I wanted to drop everything and go there for as long as necessary and to anything that needed to be done, but jobs and responsibilities here would not allow.
Instead, I prayed for everyone there and in surrounding areas that were affected, for the workers going to help, for the crews cleaning up and rebuilding, for everyone. Then during a Wednesday night F.U.E.L. session at church, it hit me. The people in these areas have been forgotten already by the media and countess others, what better to do for them than remind them that God is still the God of their city?! And that's exactly what I did. I collected pictures from various ones of them who have gone to help and compiled a video with Chris Tomlin's version of God of this City.
 I am sharing it here so that we too might be reminded that the people in these and many other areas are still at a complete loss as to where to begin the process of picking up the pieces, and so the people right in the thick of it can be reminded that God is still right there even in the midst of such terrible disaster.