And Yet One More

August 17th, 2013 dsisler

It’s nearly over. This week of repeats. But today’s post is so important I knew you’d want to read it again. It’s about prayer. Perhaps after you’ve read it, you’ll agree that we need to be pray-ers.

 

Prayer in the Laundry Room

 

Last year, my dryer went on the fritz. Mason worked on it several times and we thought that perhaps it was repaired, but finally, it quit.

 

I made multiple trips to the Laundromat, and then we decided it was time to begin the search for a newer washer and dryer.

 

We found the perfect set. On sale. In red. So it was purchased and delivered, with the old washer and dryer to be taken out at that point.

 

They were beautiful! My laundry room is quite small and these heavy duty machines take up most of the floor space, but they are beautiful.

 

We didn’t purchase the bases (they were a little costly) so I practically have to sit on the floor to move clothes from the washer to the dryer, but they are beautiful.

 

There is no room to turn around in the laundry room now, but my washer and dryer are beautiful.

 

The owner’s manual was a delight to read. Pages and pages filled with the functions each machine will perform. Many of which I have yet to use. They did send the “CliffsNotes” version for each manual to hang on the side of the pair, in case I’m in too much of a hurry to read the entire manual to determine which setting to use.

 

But the greatest feature of these machines is that if something goes wrong; like if they quit working, or if the lights stay on for no reason, or if the door won’t shut, or any number of issues, I simply call customer service.

 

After reaching a person in customer service, they will ask to speak to the washer or the dryer. Yes, they will.

 

I am to hold the phone up to the malfunctioning machine and then I am to move a knob to a specific location. The machine will then speak to the customer service representative.

 

The machine will tell the customer service representative exactly what the issue is and why it has refused to work. I hope the issue won’t include the pile of towels sitting on top of the machine, or that the door is slammed just a touch to harshly on occasion, or that this family simply does too much laundry.

 

Oh the perils in the laundry room!

 

Isn’t it wonderful that our heavenly Father is waiting for us to communicate with Him? Unfortunately, we take God for granted, believing that He will always be there, even if we don’t speak to Him. And we sometimes wait until something has gone wrong before opening the line of communication with Him.

 

If we only pray to God when there are tough situations in our lives, we will never know the joy of praying to Him when life is good.

 

Psalm 100:4 tells us to “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” Praising God through prayer is such a freeing expression. Why wouldn’t you want to praise Him? Don’t hesitate to praise Him daily.

 

Psalm 34:1 says that we are to continually praise Him. “I will extol the Lord at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.” Praise through prayer is to be continual. Always. Non-stop.

 

I love Ephesians 3:20. It is at the end of Paul’s prayer to the Ephesian church. He says, “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” When we know God will do more than we could ever imagine, it is much easier to drop to our knees in prayer.

 

Yes there will be trials. Yes there will be suffering, but with God on our side, why wouldn’t we seek Him? Why wouldn’t we run to Him in every situation? To be honest, that is a hard question to answer. Or maybe it isn’t hard, it’s just complicated.

 

For me, I sometimes fail and don’t pray on a regular basis because I’m too busy. Sometimes I forget to praise Him. On occasion it takes a painful situation to bring me to Him. I don’t want to be that kind of person. I want to be in communication with God from the moment I wake up until the time my eyes close in sleep. Praising Him all the day long.

 

Won’t you join me? Spend a moment right now giving praise to your heavenly Father. Thank Him for His blessings and His grace. Let Him know how much you love Him. How you adore Him. How without Him, your life would have no meaning. Tell Him how sorry you are for not praying as often as you should or for taking Him for granted.

 

With great patience, God is waiting. Waiting for you to talk to Him. To tell Him all about your day. The good and the bad.

 

Fortunately, we haven’t had to call customer service for our washer or dryer. Yet. I know the day will come, but until then, I will continue to use this pair as I usually do. But, I will be praying in the process.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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It Will End…I Promise

August 16th, 2013 dsisler

Today’s blog re-posting is again from the time period I was with Mom in Ohio. It was difficult to be away from my immediate family (husband, children, grandkids), but I reconnected with family and friends while finding purpose for my life.

 

But that experience also taught me the importance of relying on God and spending time with Him on a regular basis. I couldn’t have made it through those weeks of separation without God by my side.

 

Walking  and Talking

 

I have been separated from my husband for nearly three weeks while I’ve been caring for my Mom. I miss him like crazy, but it has reminded us of our early marriage.

 

After we were married, we lived in two different states for 18 months. We knew our communications skills had to be perfected if our marriage was going to make it. We managed to work through those 18 months.

 

For a change, I decided to call my husband two evenings ago as I walked around Mom’s neighborhood. I was able to see beautiful flowers in bloom. Trees with fruit beginning their growth process. People doing yard work. Dogs running in back yards. All while conversing with my husband.

 

Walking and talking isn’t new. God has been doing since the creation of the world.

 

Genesis 3:8 tells us, “Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden.” God walked and talked with Adam and Eve, perhaps on a daily basis.

 

God also walked with Israel. Leviticus 26:11 says, “I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.” God’s desire was to be among Israel, and He found that walking and talking was the best way to achieve that.

 

Jesus spent 33 years walking and talking with people. The Gospels are filled with such accounts. Being in Jesus’ presence must have been exhilarating. Oh for just a moment, sitting at His feet, listening to His teaching. That would have been glorious.

 

Just as people in Scripture walked with God and Jesus, we are called to walk with God. And there are ways in which we are to walk. Let’s see what God’s Word has to say about our walk.

 

We are to walk in all His ways. Deuteronomy 5:33; 10:12; 11:22; and 26:17 basically say the same thing. Listen to Deuteronomy 10:12-13. “And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good.” There is quite a bit in this short passage, but walking in all God’s ways is right in the middle of it. We must learn His ways. That is the key.

 

We are to walk in the light. Psalm 89:15 tells us, “Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, who walk in the light of your presence, O Lord.” And Isaiah 2:5 says, “Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.” As we journey through this life, God’s light can illuminate the path and make it easier to navigate. I have stumbled enough; I want to walk in His light.

 

We are to walk in freedom. “I will walk about in freedom, for I have sought out your precepts.” (Psalm 119:45) Under the New Covenant, we know what it is like to be free. Free from the laws and rituals of Old Testament living. We can rejoice knowing that we are walking in freedom!

 

We are to walk humbly. “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) Humility can be difficult, but as we draw closer to God and learn His ways, this characteristic will begin to bloom and grow.

 

We are to walk in obedience and in love. 2 John 6 says, “And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.” Living a life of obedience is our way of showing God that we are walking side by side with Him. Living a life of love is our way of showing others that we are walking side by side with Him.

 

I certainly love to walk and I know I will take more walks around Mom’s neighborhood before I head for home. My prayer is that I and those I walk with (Mason or Mom) will follow God’s precepts. That we will seek Him in all our ways. And that we do it all in love.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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And Here’s Another

August 15th, 2013 dsisler

Thanks for stopping by! It’s good to know that regardless of where I am or what I’m doing, there are a few people in this world who keep in touch. I appreciate you!

 

We are about half way through this week and you’ve also been gracious to re-read some of my older material. Today is no different. This blog post is from the time period I was with Mom after back surgery. So enjoy the day and the post.

 

SASH

 

Mom is home from the hospital after her second back surgery and battle with a staph infection. A home care nurse comes in to change the dressing on her back. Her nurse takes her vital signs and draws blood as needed. The nurse also gives her an antibiotic through her PICC line.

 

Since the nurse would not be coming into her home daily, I was told that I would need to learn the process of giving her antibiotic.

 

On the first day, I watched as the nurse administered the medication. I studied the papers left behind. Then, it was my turn. Yesterday I gave Mom her antibiotic.

 

An acronym was given to remember the steps of the process. SASH.

 

S is for saline. Flush with saline.

 

A is for Antibiotic. This is the medication Mom needs to rid her body of the staph infection. Medication is to be administered over a 6-10 minute period.

 

S is for saline. Again, flush with saline.

 

H is for heparin. Heparin is used to prevent blood clots. Flush with Heparin.

 

At each step of the process, I was thankful for this acronym. It certainly helped me to remember what came next and where I was in the process.

 

I decided I should come up with my own acronym using SASH. So here’s my version.

 

S stands for seek. Psalm 119:10 (NIV) tells us, “I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands.” Seeking God is the first step in the process to drawing near to Him.

 

A stands for accept. “Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you.” (James 1:21 – NIV) After seeking, we need to accept what God has to say. His Word is the only word that will save you.

 

S stands for share. Philemon 6 (NIV) says, “I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.” We have accepted the Good News! We must share that Good News with others.

 

H stands for hope. “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Romans 15:4 – NIV) Hope will keep us going through all the hardships, all the trials, and all the temptations of this world. God’s Scriptures teaches us that our hope is in Jesus and Jesus alone.

 

Mom had great trust in my ability to follow directions and give her the antibiotics correctly.

 

We too must place our trust in God to keep His promises.

 

His promise of unfailing love.  “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.” (Psalm 13:5 – NIV)

 

His promise to never forsake us. “Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” (Psalm 9:10 – NIV)

 

His promise to be our refuge. “Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heats to him for God is our refuge.” (Psalm 62:8 – NIV)

 

Trust Him. He will give you more than you could imagine. Joy, peace, hope, and power. “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Romans 15:13 – NIV)

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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Over and Over

August 14th, 2013 dsisler

The new job is going well. Everyone is pitching in to show me around and how things work. It’s good to be back with Shan to help him with his ministry. He is so good at what he does.

 

I can’t quite say that I’m “home,” but I do believe in time I will find my place and I will be “home.”

 

Another post today from my time in Ohio with Mom and about going home.

 

Going Home

 

There is something about that phrase that brings complete joy to my heart. Sometimes I get so excited just thinking of going home that I can hardly stand it.

 

For me, living across country from my entire family means trips to Ohio for special occasions, visits, or holidays. And then once I am there, I am just as excited at the thought of heading toward Colorado and my loved ones left behind.

 

Going home. Why is it so comforting? What makes it so special?

 

If we look at the definition of home according to Merriam-Webster, it is “the social unit formed by a family living together or a familiar or usual setting, a congenial environment, or the focus of one’s domestic attention.”[i]

 

This definition includes some important words. Family. Familiar. Usual. Congenial. Domestic.

 

That’s why the word home brings such warmth and comfort to our longing hearts.

 

When I come home to Ohio, there are a few things I enjoy. Some of my favorite foods are here. Some of my favorite places are here. Some of my favorite people are here. Some of my favorite memories are here. Going home allows me to enjoy of all of these.

 

I’m so grateful that God has something to say about our homes, because it is so important to us. His Word shows us how we should build our homes, how to maintain our homes, about our spiritual homes, and our eternal home.

 

Building a Home

Psalm 127:1 tells us, “Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.”

 

When the foundations of our homes have God as the source of strength, there will be greater success. Allowing God to be in the middle of everything that goes on in our homes will produce a useful family for His kingdom.

 

Righteous Home

When we’ve built our homes on God’s Word as the foundation, He offers promises that we can believe.

 

Proverbs 3:33 says, “The Lord’s curse is on the house of the wicked, but he blesses the home of the righteous.”

 

And Isaiah 32:18 tells us, “My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.”

 

Following God’s commands and living holy lives leads to blessings within our homes.

 

Spiritual Home

We also have the calling to create a spiritual home within our physical bodies.

 

“Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.” (John 14:23)

 

“As you come to him, the living Stone —rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him—you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:4-5)

 

Eternal Home

In 2 Samuel 7:10a, God promised Israel a home of their own. “And I will provide a place for my people Israel and will plant them so that they can have a home of their own and no longer be disturbed.”

 

Just as God promised the Israelites that home in the Old Testament, He has promised us an eternal home. A place where we can go home and be with Him forever.

 

“My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you?” (John 14:2)

 

My parents have moved from the houses where my siblings and I grew up. I have no emotional attachments to where they live now. Although the houses are not the same, where they live is still “home” because of my family who live there. Because of the familiar, usual, congenial, domestic environment that exists there. Because at home, wherever it is, there is love.

 

I believe God created us with this longing for home so that we might have a deep desire to go home. Not just our physical homes, but our eternal home. It’s no wonder that we want to go home.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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[i] http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/home

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Tell Me if You’ve Heard This One

August 13th, 2013 dsisler

Today’s post is from a time period when Mom was in the hospital last spring and I spent an extended period of time with her. It was good for us to be together and I learned so much about Mom while I was there.

 

It’s about teams and how ultimately when God is on our team (and the leader of our team), that we become larger than imaginable.

 

I heard this line in a song and love it. “Don’t compare it to me. Compare it to God.” Regardless of what we’re facing, with God as our teammate, we are in great hands.

 

My Team

 

You read about my Mom yesterday. She is an amazing woman. My siblings and I are so blessed to be able to call her “Mother.” Again, today I ask for your prayers.

 

I left the hospital last night to head to her little apartment for the evening. In thinking about today’s blog post, I asked her what she wanted me to write about. She thought a moment, and then said, “About the people who care for us when we are ill. About the people who keep us well.”

 

The doctors, nurses, aides, and all the staff at the hospital could be included in these two statements. It takes the entire team to give the care needed for healing.

 

Of course, some have more education than others and perhaps feel inferior, but it does take a group of people.

 

There are some good teams and bad teams in Scripture. Some that worked well together and some that did not. But from the beginning of time, we see the importance of getting along as a group.

 

Tower of Babel

In the beginning, everyone on earth spoke “one language and a common speech.” Genesis 11:1) This group of people got together to build a great tower that reached to the heavens in order for them to make a name for themselves.

 

That wasn’t to be. God came into the picture. He confused their language so they could not understand one another.

 

The result was that the tower was not completed, new languages were created, and the people were scattered throughout the earth.

 

David and Goliath

King Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified at this giant of a man sent out from the Philistine army to battle. (1 Samuel 17)He was large. He was taunting. He was confident in himself.

 

40 days passed. Each day Goliath would come out and yell at the Israelites. Each day, no one would come forward. The entire team had lost confidence in God.

 

Until David arrived. He volunteered to fight the giant.

 

With his sling shot, five round stones, and God, he engaged in battle with Goliath. And the team of God and David won the battle. Now that is a team!

 

Paul and Barnabas

Here was a great evangelistic team. They had preached the Gospel and were able to be great witnesses for Christ. However, there was a disagreement. (Acts 15:36-41)

 

Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them. Paul did not. They had “such a sharp disagreement that they parted company.”

 

Barnabas took John Mark to Cyprus.

 

Paul chose Silas and they went to Syria and Cilicia.

 

Each team strengthened the churches they visited.

 

There were great teams and not so great teams. There were leaders and followers. There were workers and slackers. The Bible is full of them.

 

But the one thing in common for successful teams was when God was allowed to be the leader of the team. Through prayer, obedience, and surrender, the team of God and I are more powerful and successful than imaginable. With God as my partner, I can do anything. Anything!

 

Today is going to be another long day. But with God, I know I can make it through. With God, I will be okay when I fall asleep tonight. With God, I’m prepared for battle.

 

God and me.

 

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

 

Donna

 

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  • "I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe." Ephesians 1:18-19

  • I am a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother. I lived in the beautiful state of Colorado for 20 years where I found great inspiration for my novels and devotional writings. Currently living in Jacksonville, Florida.

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