Just Talk to God

 

This summer in Preschool summer choir, we are learning about prayer. Growing up, the kind of prayer I was primarily exposed to was either before meals or at church in the form of long prayers with big words. As a perfectionist, this perception of prayer led me to think that I needed to approach praying in just the right way. It wasn’t until later in my spiritual journey that I began to view prayer as more accessible, an avenue to come to God as I am and talk to Him about anything and everything in my life.

I think when one is asked to pray out loud, it is easy to fall into a certain mindset of making sure we say the right thing in the best way. But when that is the only kind of prayer a child hears, it doesn’t seem as accessible. It feels more like something for adults who know the right way to do things rather than an avenue of connection to God available to anybody.

In summer choir, we are defining prayer as simply “talking to God.” We are talking about talking to God at any time about anything—whether we are happy, sad, angry, or confused. My goal is to make sure the kids in my class know they can go to God whenever, not just before meals or at church. And that they can talk to God about anything, even if it’s not a “nice” emotion.

I am not one to kneel down and pray for extended periods of time. I applaud those who do; it is an admirable practice. My thoughts have a tendency to wander, and there will end up being twenty minutes of thinking about a variety of other things before I remember that I was praying. But that is not to say that prayer is not a part of my life. I talk to God throughout my day about anything and everything going on in my life. I have thanked Him, questioned Him, and poured out my feelings to Him while at work, in my car, and lying in bed.

This is the kind of prayer I think of when I read 1 Thess. 5:17: “Pray without ceasing.” It does not mean we need to always be on our knees. It means to have an ongoing conversation with God throughout our everydays. We can get so caught up in our lives that we forget to let God be a part of it. We can get so focused on praying “the right way” that we either over-focus or ignore doing it. My encouragement to you today is that praying to God can happen at the grocery store or driving to work, when you’re excited about how life is going and when you’re mad at God.

Just talk to God.

    --Concetta Swann

Reflections on Independence Day

 

Our family is a nerdy bunch. When we go on vacation, we always work in trips to museums, historical sites, and other educational activities. Recently, we visited the Missouri State Capitol and the Lewis & Clark memorial in Jefferson City, MO. On a previous trip to Missouri/ Kansas, Dan and I visited Harry Truman’s home and presidential library, Ulysses Grant’s home, and an amazing World War I memorial. I cannot say that I remember every detail of the many things we have seen and experienced, but cumulatively, they have laid the groundwork for the love I have for my country. It has instilled in me an awe and reverence for those who came before us, those who made a huge sacrifice for the freedoms and benefits I enjoy today.

Those who colonized and settled America faced incredible challenges – hunger, attacks, back-breaking work, weather challenges, sickness, pestilence, and government oppression. The Revolutionary War and its era are sometimes romanticized in novels and movies, but in reality, it was quite ugly. and every man who signed the Declaration of Independence paid a high price for doing so. These strong, resolute men (I love that word – resolute) did hard things – things that took courage and grit. Many who followed them paid with their lives and limbs to keep us free. Mental health challenges followed them for the rest of their lives. These trials should not be taken lightly. I live comfortably because they lived heroically.

I am so grateful and humbled to be an American, but I often feel unworthy since I know that there are many people worldwide who do not enjoy such liberty. Why did God choose to place me here? I am no more important than anyone else. Today, (I am writing this on July 4) I thank God Almighty for creating this country. You know it was a work of God, right? It was an unlikely win. So many came here seeking the freedom to worship freely (among other reasons) and no doubt they were praying the whole way. Our Founding Fathers had a respect for God and His guiding principles. Their words and Scripture are written on memorials all over this land. Their astonishing wisdom and understanding of the fallenness of man are reflected in systems of government they established. They understood tyranny. I believe their acknowledgement of God and requests for His guidance are why we have been so greatly blessed. I know they had shortcomings, as do we, but God used them anyway.

So, I encourage you to give humble thanks to God for leading men and women to found this land and for sustaining them in terrible hardships. Pray for our leaders to follow and obey God’s commandments. Thank veterans and military personnel for their hard work and sacrifices. Pray over our country’s brokenness too. Satan continues to find ways to divide and destroy our people. We have broken families, drug addiction, immorality, sex trafficking, depression, anxiety, suicide, murder, violence, unrest, porn addiction, etc. We deserve God’s judgement, but I am praying for His mercy and for revival. Let us “appeal to Heaven.” 

Independence Day

When we think about the birth

of this great nation,
Congress declared July the 4th 1776
and issued a proclamation.

With this decree, the thirteen colonies
are now free.
We will no longer live
under England's Monarchy.

Five great men
were given the task
to draw up papers
for freedom at last.

Thomas Jefferson,
we can remember.
A founding father,
Patriot and a Continental member.

Together these men
drafted the amendments.
Franklin, Livingstone, Sherman and Adams,
united they authored the Declarations of Independence.

Battles were fought,
and blood was shed.
Life was lost,
and men were dead.

"FREEDOM" came with
A heavy price.
War is not pretty,
nor is it nice.

We can thank
the Lord above.
He gave us these United States,
a country we can love.

Men fought for our freedom,
and with their lives they did pay.
That's why we celebrate
Independence Day.

(Debra L. Brown. "Independence Day." Family Friend Poems, June 26, 2019)

  “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” 

Beautiful words from the from the “Declaration of Independence”

 

joyce hague

Our Story

 

This year, in much of my personal reading, I have immersed myself in the eighteenth century, especially the time period of the American Revolution. I have read biographies of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton. As a family, we visited Boston and Philadelphia in May. We got to see and walk around many important sites from this time: the Old North Church where the lanterns signaled how the British were advancing, Lexington Green where the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired, the location of the bridge in Concord with its “shot heard ‘round the world,” Breed’s Hill where the battle of Bunker Hill took place, and Independence Hall in Philadelphia where we stood in the room in which the Declaration of Independence was signed. These places play important roles in the beginning of our country.  To stand in these spots and try to imagine now, 250 years later, the sights and sounds of that time was surreal. Why? Because I am an American, and those places and the biographies I’m reading tell the start of our story as those who call America home. What happened in the 1770s paved the way for everything that has happened since then.

At the same time, I’m spending this summer studying Acts for my personal benefit but also in preparation to teach a ladies’ Bible study this fall. And this, too, is my story. For my identity as an American and all that ties me to our nation’s history pales in comparison to my identity as a follower of Jesus Christ, a member in God’s family. And Acts tells the story of this beginning: the first days of the church, the gathering of a people who believed that Jesus was the Messiah promised. This is the story of the new covenant and what life for believers looked like following Jesus’s fulfillment of the Old Testament sacrificial system. We read in Acts how the believers gathered, how they handled challenges both inside and outside the church, how they made sure that the doctrine taught stayed pure, and how they spread the good news of Christ throughout the known world. We are inspired by these believers’ willingness to die for a cause they believed in – not the kind of freedom our forefathers in America fought for, but a much more important freedom, a freedom from sin and bondage that Christ had accomplished through his death on their behalf.

The story of our church, Grace Baptist, starts way back in Acts. The early church gathered, so we gather. The early church prayed together, listened to teaching, ate together, celebrated the Lord’s supper together, and so we do as well. We carry on what they began. Let’s learn from their example and continue the mission they received from Jesus Himself... to carry the good news of the gospel with us everywhere we go. And in doing so, may Christ’s church, the global body of believers from every nation and tribe, continue to grow and expand until we finally reach the climax that our story is moving toward: an eternity with God and His people in a new heaven and earth where we will truly be home.

--Amy O'Rear

Collision

 

Sometimes in life there are stretches of time that feel like being hit with one wave after another. The last couple years have been like that for my family. Every member of the Swann family has dealt with health concerns and car troubles of various kinds. We’ve lost a beloved family dog and navigated a confusing job loss. It’s been a lot, and sometimes all I can say to God is “Really?!”

 But God has also brought many good things into our lives through the same period of time. Of course, the most significant thing personally has been my relationship with and recent engagement to Andrew. He has also brought new friends and a new dog into our family. A new job was provided without the need for searching. We have seen great health improvements despite the other health issues. Our family has grown closer as we have navigated all these ups and downs together.

A few weeks ago, we sang “From Everlasting (Psalm 90)” in the morning service, and the lyrics of the second verse hit me deeply: “O God, when joy and tragedy collide / And loss reminds us life is but a sigh / From everlasting, You are God / And all our days are held within Your hands / Your perfect love and favor have no end / We rest within the wisdom of Your plan / Everlasting God.” The collision of joy and tragedy can be such an overwhelming and confusing thing to experience. There can be such a rollercoaster of emotions, and sometimes both happiness and sorrow are coexistent in one moment.

 I love that the Psalms reflect this seeming paradox of life so well. David often begins with crying out to God because of the troubles he is facing but ends with praising God for His faithfulness through it all. I feel this duality deeply, and in some ways I am thankful for it. I am grateful that even though life has thrown some pretty great hurdles into my family’s life recently, God has continued to demonstrate His faithfulness and brought joy in other areas of life. He holds our days in His hand, and His perfect love for us will never end.

 

--Concetta Swann

Some Summer Prayers

 

Sometimes it can be hard to find the exact words to pray. Maybe my mind is distracted. Maybe it’s a day when my heart hurts. Maybe things are really confusing. It’s often in those times that I have to find scripture to pray the words I can’t say on my own.

Here are some examples of ways you can pray through scripture and the promises of God no matter what your summer days may hold.

Father God…

• Philippians 4:8  Please keep my mind on things that are true, noble, honorable, just, pure, lovely, commendable and excellent. Fill my heart with praise. I want to be consumed with thoughts and truths that bring you glory.

• Deuteronomy 31:8  You go before me. I know you are with me. You promise you will not leave me or forsake me. Though I may feel that from others, I will not fear or be dismayed because of you, Lord.

• Psalm 34:17  Help me with ___________, Father! Please deliver me. I know you hear me and will help me with my trouble.

• 1 Peter 5:6-7 Humble me, so that your name and glory are the purpose for all I do. God I give you this stress and worry: __________________. Thank you for your care. I choose to trust in you beyond anything else I could carry.

• John 16:33  Let your Spirit fill me with your peace that passes understanding. This world does not hold peace, but you do. And I will praise your name forever that you overcome this world. You win.

•  Romans 8:38-39  Thank you that your love never fails, that there is nothing that will ever separate your love from me. I will cling to that promise. If I lose the love of any other, I know that You, my redeemer and sustainer, will always be faithful in love.

• 2 Corinthians 1:3-4  Please comfort me today. Trouble and pain and hurt are weighing me down. You promise not only to comfort me, but also to use your comfort so that I may be a comfort to someone else. Open my eyes to see others who may hurt like I do so that I can offer them only the true comfort that you give.

This is just a smattering of verses you can carry with you where we can see the power of prayer and the power of God’s Word. What verses are you using to communicate with your greatest friend and creator today?

--Sandy Gromacki

Still Storming

         Recently I spent several days with my aunt in South Carolina.  Soon after I left Greenville it began raining.  It was not a strong rain, irritating, but not troubling.  I was headed to my son-in-law's mother's house.  Jan lives just below Atlanta.  Soon after I got to her house we went to run an errand.  By this time the rain had increased to a downpour, making it hard to see.  As we passed a high school we heard a loud scary siren.  I checked my weather app and found we were in the middle of a tornado warning.  A tornado was on the ground just a few miles from us.  We were told to take shelter immediately.  We did not, just kept driving.  We found later that several structures were destroyed.  One father was trapped in the rubble of his house, while his teenage son was thrown three hundred feet.  (That's the length of a football field!)  The son is still in the hospital in critical condition.

    Some storms bring minor damage, a branch still attached to the tree, blocking the stairs from my deck, but doing no damage.  Other storms, like the one in Henry County, destroy buildings and injure people.  I found as I thought about storms, that I had written about storms back in March, so consider this part two.  Why do I feel a need to write about storms again so soon?  Probably because my storms have only intensified since then.  Storms come into all our lives.  Some are minor, some major.  If you are not in the middle of a storm right now, you will be soon

    In the old hymn, "Master, the tempest is raging," one line says, "Carest thou not that we perish?"  Sometimes we feel that we are perishing, even though our storm may not be obvious to others.  In Matthew 8 the disciples were with Jesus in a boat on the Sea of Galilee.  The disciples were fearful, but Jesus was asleep.  When they woke Him, He said, " 'Why are you so fearful, O you of little faith?'  Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm."

    I quote John 14:27 often.  "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you.  Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  I know He will give me peace, but sometimes it is hard for me to claim.  Sometimes I fret; sometimes I feel like crying; sometimes I cannot sleep.   Has He not given us specific steps to claim that peace?  Hallelujah!  He has!

    First, Isaiah 26:3 says, "You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You because he trusts in You."  Our focus must be on our dear Heavenly Father.

    Second, Psalm 119: 165 says, "Great peace have those who love Your law, and nothing causes them to stumble."  I must love His word and spend time in it.

    Third, Philippians 4:6-7 says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  Prayer with thanksgiving.

    I am going to strive to put these three things into practice.  I need peace.  I am not going to tell you which I need to concentrate on.  I will let you decide what you need.  But I leave you with II Thessalonians 3:16, "Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way.  The Lord be with you all."

                                                                                    ~~Faith Himes Lamb

    

Witness

 

I sit on the upper deck of a rented beach house watching the variety of life around me. It’s early morning (well, early for a vacation day), and brown pelicans glide in silent groups just overhead and out over the water. It’s fun to watch them suddenly drop out of formation into the water where I believe they are catching their breakfast. Yesterday we watched dolphins surfacing briefly out there as they also patrolled the ocean for food.

My granddaughter Marley continually collects sea shells that she lines up on the lower balcony railing and loves to show to anyone who gets near. These shells really are marvels bearing evidence of many kinds of ocean life.

Out on the beach, a woman runs by with a golden retriever, folks are setting up blue and yellow umbrellas, and already a few children are playing in the surf with their boogie boards. And here comes a man walking a black standard poodle.

This week, I am reviewing John 1:1-14, and as I whisper the opening words to myself, my eyes fill with tears of emotion. “In the beginning . . .”—before all this activity, before the dogs and the birds, and even the seashells, “was the Word.” Here at the ocean, it’s easier to imagine the formless void that existed before “the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters”(Genesis 1:2).

The John passage goes on to say of Jesus, “In Him was life”—all this life! All the abundance of life forms we see here and so many more all around the world. The summer months particularly put the variety of life on display for us. Maybe you are watching raspberry vines for ripeness and scanning tomato vines regularly for growth. Maybe you just enjoy the bounty of others’ gardens during the summer, but the evidence is all around us that our Creator is imaginative and wise.

The John passage goes on to say “the life was the light of men”—intended to show the way to God and to give us entry into His presence. For me, it’s easy to believe in God at the beach. The vast ocean is such a mystery, but the witness of the dolphins and pelicans shows us that there is life beneath the water.

And the birds, bugs, and plants in my back yard at home also point me to a God who is wise and wonderful. My hope is that I too can be a witness—maybe not as powerful, but possibly as faithful as the waves that continually crash on the sand here at the edge of the continent.