God, I Want to Trust You, But I Am Frustrated

Well, God. I just do not know what to believe any more. The least of these in this country are now screwed. Republicans want to repeal the ACA, screw the disabled by taking away their benefits, screw the veterans by taking away their benefits, and well, poor Jesus has been kicked to the curb with no food, no water, and no clothes. I am ashamed. And I am weary. Prove to me I can still trust You. Make sure that my family does not lose my insurance or any of the benefits we need to help my family not end up homeless or me dead. I am sorry God. My trust wavers right now.

Election Night Prayer

Dear God, as You already know, the least of these are suffering tremendously because of the hatred that certain people have for the president. Although I hope for Groffith and Lester, I just do not think Christians have awakened to their foolish arrogance yet. Today, if Jesus were a resident of Alabama, He would be called a lazy moocher just because He has a disability that keeps Him from working and needs help from SNAP, SSI, and Medicaid. As appalling as that may sound, it would be the truth. Also, He would be abused by most churches. It saddens me that the reality is that Jesus is apparently not welcome in Alabama nor in the United States. Well, God, I want to change that. Welcome to my house Jesus. I do not have a lot, but what I have is for You to share with me. God, You know my heart. And. You know my needs. I am scared, but I am trusting You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Choices, Choices

Psalm 37:4 - Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

John 8:29 - "And he who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to him."

Hebrews 11:5-6 - By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Dear God, I want to please You in everything I do even as I write my letter to Tom offering forgiveness and an open door to reconciliation and restoration. I want to concentrate on pleasing You more than pleasing others even if pleasing You might take me down an unpopular path in life. Thank You, God. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

My Precious Promises

Genesis 28:15 - "Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you."

Romans 8:38-39 - For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Philippians 4:12 - I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

Philippians 4:12 (ICB) - I have learned the secret of being happy at any time in everything that happens.

Philippians 4:19 - And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus. 

Dear God, You are with me everywhere I go. You will meet my needs according to Your riches. Nothing can separate me from Your love. You have chosen me. You have allowed me to experience autism firsthand. And no matter how hard people want to disapprove of me because I do not fit into their "perfect" little mold of what they think I should be like, You still love me for who I am, perfect in Your image and sight and mind. You will make sure my family is taken care of financially so that we can pay the bills and food and medicine and doctors and insurance and house and cars. You will even restore friendship with Tom even if it looks different in the beginning of the restoration. You will help me find a new church that will accept me for who I am, autism and all, and will not be mean bullies and try to change who You created me to be just because I am brutally honest to a fault. Will you protect me from the wrong path that people just thrust America onto last night? The republicans are gunning to throw me off a cliff just because I am disabled. Thank You, God. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Challenges Are Actually Chances

Exodus 33:14 - And he said, "My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest."

Deuteronomy 33:25 - "Your bars shall be iron and bronze, and as your days, so shall your strength be."

Psalm 29:11 - May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!

Psalm 29:11 (NLT) - The Lord gives his people strength. The Lord blesses them with peace.

Hebrews 13:20-21 - Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

Dear God, the biggest challenge for me today has to be the elections. Help me remember to choose the candidate who will hold the best interest of the least of these in the forefront and not continue to deny healthcare to them or continue to try to take it away from them. Help me to reflect on those points about what Your sheep would do and how to treat the least of these as I would treat Jesus. Help me also as I ponder more about what Brittany Maynard decided with regard to life and death decisions and to keep sharing the TRUE Gospel message with others about Your grace and Your love. And lastly, please lead us to the mouse that might actually be a kangaroo before it drives us completely insane! Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Count It as Garbage

Philippians 3:7-11 - But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith–that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

Philippians 3:8 (CEV) - Nothing is as wonderful as knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. I have given up everything else and count it all as garbage. All I want is Christ.

Colossians 4:2 - Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

Dear God, it is hard to think of disappointments as garbage compared to knowing You. Some of those disappointments are huge. Help me to seek You out in the disappointments though and to let You turn them into positives. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

That Helpless Feeling

Psalm 116:5-7 - Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful. The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return, O my soul, to your rest; for the Lord has dealt bountifully with you. 

Psalm 116:5-7 (CEV) - You are kind,  lord, so good and merciful. You protect ordinary people, and when I was helpless, you saved me and treated me so kindly that I don't need to worry anymore.

Isaiah 30:15-16 - For thus said the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel, "In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength." But you were unwilling, and you said, "No! We will flee upon horses"; therefore you shall flee away; and, "We will ride upon swift steeds"; therefore your pursuers shall be swift.

Ephesians 5:20 - ...giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,...

Dear God, I am helpless at times, and I do need Your help. The world should be ashamed for making people feel ashamed when they need help. They should be ashamed for demonizing people who need help. Let us remember going into elections that You favor the poor and the weak and the sick over the healthy and rich and strong. After all, You sent Your Son, not for the rich and the strong and the healthy, but for the poor and the weak and the sick. Thank You for helping me in my need. In Jesus' Name, Amen!