PURPOSEFUL KIDS: No Greater Joy

Once on a Focus-on-the-Family broadcast, I heard a man describe how his relatives had prayed for their family for many generations. They pictured all of them—children and adults—with arms locked in an unbroken circle around God's throne. At the time I heard this description, no divorces had ever taken place, great and honorable work had been accomplished, and most importantly, every one that they knew of in the family were Christians.

Dave and I often pray 3rd John 4 for our family: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth."  We want our children and grandchildren to not just walk with Jesus, but to be bright lights, always burning, in the part of the world they occupy. We name our children, our four sons-in-law, and now our four grandchildren one by one.

HOLY SPIRIT: Ain't Seen Nothing Yet Holy Spirit

When my children were young, we opened our Christmas presents on Christmas morning. The night before, however, I carefully chose one for each of them to open early. With eyes as big as quarters, they tore into the wrappings in one fell swoop and took in the gift selected just for them.

As joyful as the moment was, I always saw something more in their eyes. Gratitude mixed with, perhaps, a little disappointment.

GIFTING: What’s In Your Hand?

Twenty-six-year-old Tiffany Johnson moved from Minnesota to Denver to work with Youth With a Mission (YWAM). There she met twenty-three-year-old Philip Crouse, and they both became leaders at the ministry where their mission is "to know Christ and make Him known." Several years ago, they were both shot dead at their dormitory by an unknown assailant. Two other victims are still fighting for their lives.

Twelve hours later and some seventy miles away, four more people were also gunned down in the parking lot of New Life Church as they exited the morning service. Two of the victims died, Stephanie and Rachael Works, ages 18 and 16.  It happened in my hometown of Colorado Springs.

PURPOSE: Are We Only Dust In The Wind?

PurposeLESS Or PurposeFULL

All of us want to know our purpose. Old and young, rich and poor, persuaded and unpersuaded. We all want to know why we're placed on this earth. 

Since early times, purpose has been a central quest for mankind, but apart from God, the quest can yield dismal results.

JOURNALING: Love Just As Much

My friend and mentor Cynthia Heald got me hooked on a Personal Prayer Journal produced by YWAM Publishing (800 922-2143 and <a href="http://www.ywampublishing.com/default.aspx?">www.ywampublishing.com</a>). This inexpensive resource is yet another tool for reading through the Bible every year and keeping track and focusing on prayer needs I must attend to.

It's the attention it gives to the countries of the world that I particularly like, however, with stories and specific needs to pray for.

HEALING: Getting Rid Of The Old Stuff

I lived in the second-story apartment of an old brick house in Ohio during my first teaching job. There I would occasionally enjoy a hamburger prepared on a cheap rickety grill I owned.
 

One day after another turn at the grill, I noticed that the well-used charcoal briquettes had been reduced to ashes. So I spread them and let them cool overnight, then the next day I poured them into the metal garbage can I had placed on the street. It wasn't long before I noticed smoke outside my apartment window. I looked down to the street and saw my trash can engulfed in flames.

LISTENING: Voice Recognition

As number two of eight children in my family, I lived at home and went to college in our hometown in order to earn the first degree in my family's history. I worked up to three jobs at a time to help with expenses for my classes, including being a receptionist with a car dealer.  One day my boss sent me to a neighboring town to get a car title. On my way home, I was hurrying to make an afternoon class with mandatory attendance. Suddenly, I knew I was to take a left turn on a side road, which meant a longer way home.  It would make me late to my class, but I knew I had to do it. So I turned left and arrived late for my class.

STUDY: Wow Factor

Eating your words.

This morning, I got up to study God's Word. I read about Jeremiah, who also wrote about enjoying God's Word. He called it a "burning fire shut up in my bones”  (Jer. 20:9). Earlier, he had said "I found Your words and I ate them" (Jer. 15:16).

I understand those emotions. Sometimes when I'm writing about a truth I've found in the scriptures, I stop and cry—especially when it speaks to a specific need or question that I have for that day.

PRAYER: Waking Tired Praying

On Mondays, I try to schedule fasting and prayer time for special situations and people I know. Today as I prayed for some of the ones who haven’t yet surrendered their lives to Christ, I listened to my own words. They sounded like the same old prayers I had prayed for these people last week and the week before. I couldn't help but wonder if my prayers for my lost loved ones had become tired. Did I really expect them to make a difference?