Grandma Broke Her Neck and her Nose and….

Dear Readers:
I have heard from many of you through private emails that you are encouraged by the times I talk about God, his Word and his faithfulness. Today, I am reaching out to those that call God their Lord and asking for prayer.

My sweet, wonderful Grandma-who is going to be 97 next month-broke her neck, busted her nose, managed to get two black eyes and lacerated her noggin.

She was doing extreme sports, getting ready for the upcoming snowboarding season and didn’t quite stick her landing.

She’s a tough old bird and didn’t go down without a fight. As she crawled to the phone, she left a trail of blood behind her. I’m telling you, she’s tough.

The doctors have said it’s a miracle she survived, let alone survived without being permanently paralyzed. We know just who had His hand in that. I don’t think she’s ready to go home, she still has so much she wants to do here on earth.

After all, we are promised 120 years, so she’s got at least another 23 years of active participation in this life. (I secretly think she is waiting for me to pop out a great-grandkid or two.)

So, please be praying for her quick recovery and the ability to go home soon. Thanks so much!

My Best Friend Knows Everything

This morning I was driving home at 5:15 am, after just dropping off Biceps for another long day at the Fire Academy. The roads are pretty bare this time of morning and there’s really nothing on the radio-I think the DJ’s are sleeping the night off.

I’m left alone in my silence. I love silence.

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good party and I love to entertain. But, I crave silence especially in the morning.

When I get home, the day is still dark, the dogs in my neighborhood aren’t barking (yet) and the birds haven’t even begun to sing. My phone isn’t chiming at me and my inbox is still manageable.

It’s the perfect time to talk to my best friend. And he knows EVERYTHING. EVERYTHING.

Example:

Me: “You know God, I’m really concerned about my friend X.”
God: “Yeah, me too.”
Me: “I think what’s she going through is going to be really hard on her kids. It may affect them forever.”
God: “I know. I’ve been thinking the same thing.”
Me: “So, what should we do?”
God: “Well, I need you to be a friend to her, encourage her and pray for her. Jesus, the Holy Spirit and I will take care of the rest. I have a plan.”
Me: “What’s your plan?”
God: “Rebekah, quit being so nosy.”

Photo Source
After talking about the serious stuff for awhile, then He and I get into a lot of joking. Did you know that GOD created humor? That means He’s the funniest person/being that I know.

Example:

Me: “So, God-what do you have for me to do today?”
God: (in a deep announcer’s voice) “Are you ready for this?”
Me: “Sure.”
God: “I can’t hear you! Are you ready for this?”
Me: “YEAH!”

Photo Source
*Cue the angels playing “Are you Ready for this”.
*Cue smoke and lights.
*Cue God laughing and dancing wildly with arms over his head.
*Cue me joining in and wishing God gave me the ability to dance better.

Phew. After that kind of a workout, we both sit down and rest a bit.

Me: “That was awesome. So what do you want me to do today?”
God: “Keep visiting with me, and I’ll let you know. But for now, have you called your mother?”
Me: “Oops. It’s past 7, isn’t it? With all that dancing, time got away from me.”
God: “Tell her I said, ‘Hi’ and she’s one of my favorites.”
Me: “Will do, God. Thanks. I love you.”
God: “Oh, Rebekah-you have no idea how much I love you. You are one of my favorites, too.”
Me: “Ah…I bet you say that to all the ladies, don’t you?”
God: “Yep, and to all the men.”
Me: “God, you are pretty awesome.”
God: “I know.”

He really does know everything.

One, Big Happy Family-the Power of Prayer

See this happy family? See that cool girl in red, wearing her big brother’s jacket because she was freezing to death but insisted on wearing that red dress no matter what? The girl with the immovable, poofy bangs protruding from her forehead? Yep, that’s me.

(Usually we were a much happier group. I think the cold froze our smiles off. Or it’s more likely we just sat through one of the most boring sermons at my Grandma’s church and were starving, tired and cold.)

Anywho-when I was about this age, while I sat in youth group one Wednesday night, sporting my sweet Guess jeans and a bright pink Guess T-shirt, my youth pastor told all of us to begin praying for our future spouses NOW.

And so, being the rule follower that I was, I did. I started off asking God for a hot guy. Then, I added to that a Godly guy. Before long, my list had grown to 42 things that I wanted in my man.

And ladies, this was what I was praying for all those years, unbeknownst to me. (If you ever had any doubt about the power of prayer-this is some smoking hot evidence that prayer really works.)

Here are a few things from the Spousal Prayer list of an 11 year old:

1. Brown hair, blue eyes and good-looking
2. Can skateboard (what?!)
3. Looks good at the beach
4. Likes to exercise
5. Hot body
6. Has ridden a bull
7. Encourages me to be me
8. Loves God, loves his family, loves my family and his family loves me
9. Wants kids
10. Likes cats
11. Is a musician, can play an instrument, likes to sing
12. Is a virgin
13. Raised in a Godly home

(It seems the “body portion” was very important to me at that age. Oh wait, it’s still important now.)

There were 42 things total and this man fulfilled my list-and then some. God is so good to a weird little girl and her 11 year-old dreams.

But, let’s take a look at #8 and #13 in particular.

At one point in my life, I dealt with a boyfriend whose family didn’t like me. It was awkward and awful. However, when I met Biceps’ family, they were easy to be around and instantly gave me a nickname-“peel-eater” (for eating the peels on my sweet potatoes-genius, I know).

The “mother-in-law syndrome”-that I thought was inevitable in a marriage-was nowhere to be found between us.

This beautiful woman (on the left) raised her children with God’s wisdom, honors her husband and honors the Lord with her life. Without her knowing it, she answered my prayers-particulary #8 and #13. And I love her for that-and for so much more.

Today is her birthday and I wish I could be there to celebrate with her. Instead, I will say a prayer of thanks that I married into such a wonderful family. And another prayer of thanks for the hot man God blessed me with.

Happy Birthday, Connie. You are an amazing woman of God. And by the way, great job at pro-creating. You made a good one-a real good one (see #1, 3, 4, 5).

Directions to Life

This statement has been floating around a lot lately-“I just feel (insert one of the adjectives given) and I don’t know what to do.”
–overwhelmed,
-restless,
-confused,
-tired,
-lonely
The bummer thing is, I don’t have the answers-sorry. And as I get older, I realize how dumb I am and how much more I have to learn about God. But, I’m so grateful that He gave us an instruction manual that outlines exactly what to do with any situation we face.

I have to be honest, there have been times in my life where scripture was meaningless. The Bible was just a lot of letters on a very thin page that my stupid man hands tore accidentally.

Until I needed his word, I didn’t see a need for it. So, maybe today you are searching. Maybe you aren’t. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll meet someone that needs to hear God’s truth about them. In any case, it’s better to be prepared.

Are you feeling abandoned or forgotten by God? Do you feel he is distant or not listening to you?

Listen to what His truth says about you!
Deuteronomy 4:31-33
For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.
Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of?

Do you think your life has no direction, or are you unclear which way to go?

First, quiet your spirit (literally-sit quietly) in order that you may hear what he needs to say to you. Secondly, ask God for wisdom. Solomon asked for wisdom-when he could have asked for anything else. Because he asked for it, God gave him wisdom that caused foreign kings to marvel.

II Chronicles 1:11 & 12
God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you.

Do you have unanswered prayers-things that make absolutely no sense at all? Are you mad at God? Do you feel like he let you down?
These verses encouraged me when I was at the lowest point in my life-and continue to do so today.

Psalm 18:16
He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.

Isaiah 41:13
For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

Has someone deeply wounded you, abused you or traumatized you to the point where you aren’t sure you can forgive? And is this person even a professing Christian? I’ve been there.
I know that’s been one of the hardest thing for me to do-to forgive a “brother” in Christ.

Genesis 50:17
This is what you are to say to Joseph: ‘I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.

Luke 6:37
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

At any time when I feel depressed, lonely, or needful in any way-I’ve learned that all my answers lie within the pages of my well-worn Bible; which is falling apart and has a few slightly torn pages bound between the emerald green leather cover. Before too long, every last line of that thing will be highlighted, underlined and starred. As it should be.

Amen.

If you need someone to talk to, to pray with, or just to have on the other end of a computer-I’m here. And I love to make new friends.