Daily Fast Fuel

Fortune Teller's Fall

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 22 May 2013 03:57:00 +0000

When I was in elementary school, the only Fall leaves I ever saw were those stapled to the bulletin boards in our classroom. For me, Fall was only in pictures. Otherwise, it was just the time in southern Louisiana when you might (**might) have to grab a sweater.

It wasn’t until I headed to boarding school up in Richmond, Virginia that I saw my first real fall colors in person. They were magnificent. I’m sure it helped that my school/home was gorgeous and that I spent the peak leaf weekend in Williamsburg with my dad. It was the first Parent’s Weekend, and the first time I had seen either of my parents since school started (my mom had to stay home with my other siblings in South America). That was a Fall of immeasurable change…changes that I anguished over in anticipation of. And yet, it proved to be magnificent.

That’s the thing with change, isn’t it? It could be so subtle that you just need to pull on a sweater. Or it could be so extreme, you’ll be calling your folks, who now live in another country, to tell them it was as cold as 32 degrees outside (that’s crazy-cold for Cajuns, chere). It could be like witnessing an explosion of color in nature that no picture could ever truly capture, and experiencing an unforgettable weekend alone with your dad (a rarity in a family with four kids!).

Since change can vary so greatly, why is it that we tend to foretell its woes when we know change is coming? Christianity tends to frown upon fortune telling, so why do it? Are we at a carnival?

Nope.

Take off those big hoop earrings and step away from the crystal ball.

Step away.

Then grab some Truth, take a look at change again, and enjoy the wonder and mystery of the transformations that life can bring. After all, change could be magnificent.

(That will be one token for Mother Fortuna. Thank you.)

Katie Pickard is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

Season of Preparation

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra Elmore) — Tue, 21 May 2013 03:30:00 +0000

I love Candy Apples. I look forward to Fall each year, because that is the absolute best time to enjoy my favorite treat. In fact, I know that Fall has officially arrived when that yummy goodness calls to me from Grocery store shelves, much like I know a spiritual Fall has arrived when God calls me into a season of preparation.

These are the times He nudges me to pray harder, to open my spiritual eyes wider and to dig my faith heels in deeper. I can tell His goal is to prepare me for the winter trials that loom ahead and I focus on storing up knowledge, asking Him for wisdom and pressing in, so that impending trouble doesn't take me by surprise.

Perhaps you're feeling that nudge--sensing that He's calling you into a season of preparation. If so, don't delay in answering, because winter will surely come I He wants you to be prepared.

Anitra Elmore is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

Fall Harvest

noreply@blogger.com (Joline) — Mon, 20 May 2013 03:27:00 +0000

September is "Happy New Year" to me. And my family. And no, I am not confused about our actual calendar.

September is when I plant.

Our new family schedule after a summer without one.
Our new school schedule after a summer of leisure.
Our new church schedule with new Sunday school classes and activities.

We literally plant ourselves into more of a routine than we ever hope to experience over the summer months. It is during September-June when my children seem to be positioned for the most growth. And it starts in the Fall. With a plan.

We plant. We water. We tend. We are industrious. Deliberate. Intentional. What we harvest during these months can last until summer returns. We we yield can fuel us for the winter months ahead.

We can NOT afford to slack off during the Fall.

And God knew this when he designed the seasons. Knowing that winter is on our heals He planted within us a work ethic to prepare for the barren months ahead. A work ethic that includes preparing our "soil" spiritually, academically, and relationally. Preparing a storehouse.

Fall. It's harvest time in our house.

Joline Atkins is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

Fall Starts

noreply@blogger.com (Joline) — Mon, 20 May 2013 02:13:00 +0000

We've walked you through Spring and Summer, and now we come to Fall.

For many, Fall is the start of the "year". Sure, I realize that the new year actually starts in January, but on my life calendar, the Fall season is where so many new starts actually begin.

Welcome. To falling leaves, cooler temps, and apples - oh, how I LOVE those apple dishes.

Is Fall the start of something new for you also?

Joline Atkins is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

Charting Summer Growth

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie Legg) — Fri, 17 May 2013 03:00:00 +0000

My husband is a grain farmer. As such, we have a few different names for the seasons. Spring is also called planting season. Summer is growing season. Fall is harvest. Winter is when you work on projects left over from last winter.

Spring has the preparation--till the soil, fertilize, plant seeds in the correct manner, kill weeds, irrigate (if you have the means), but once all of that is done there is nothing you can do to make the crops grow. Summer is the season when you watch and wait.

The days turn into weeks, and then months. All along we check for progress—amounts of rainfall, heat indexes, measurements and calculations.

In the meantime we play outside and get tan (well, the rest of my family does. My Irish skin not so much). We camp and swim and ride. The boys play tennis and tee ball. We enjoy the looser schedule and longer days.

And when fall rolls around we realize that none of the boys’ clothes from last year will fit them. Those fellas GREW over the summer. They grew while I was watching but couldn’t see it happening. As the crops matured, so did they (and hopefully we adults did as well).

We did what we could and then left it all in God’s hands. Our minds and hearts went elsewhere as He worked in the watched yet unnoticed spaces.

I planted the seed,Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow.So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. (1 Cor 3:6,7)

Debbie Legg is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

Summer Reruns

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Thu, 16 May 2013 06:19:00 +0000

Hey, Bandwagon. Slow down, cause I'm jumping on.

Summer, for this second-year teacher, is screaming at me from a mere 3.5 weeks away...though tomorrow it'll be 2.5...which is practically 2. Which might as well be 1, or essentially tomorrow....but who's counting? With all of the end of the year shenanigans and a rather large research project required of me by state of California to help me be a better teacher, exhaustion is my daily meal at the moment.

Runnig. On. Fumes.

I say this hanging my head a bit as my great desire as I began this school year was to operate from a place of rest, and with only a few weeks to go, I'm not sure I ever got there. I am grateful for this change of season to just stop and be for a little while. I will endeavor again to seek God's wisdom for that marvelous rest He speaks of in Hebrews 4...I wrote a whole little series about it once, which I'm going to take a little road trip to visit today. Do you like road trips? Summer's great for road trips.

You are welcome to join me.

Matt 11:28 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Rest

The Land of Rest

Trading Yokes

The Ancient Paths

The Epicenter

When Strivings Cease

Sara Rust is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

Summertime God

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 15 May 2013 02:37:00 +0000

To me, Summer is all about taking it easy, going on adventures and belly laughing. A lot. I think these are three things that I tend to ignore when it comes to hanging with God.

I totally get the Winter thing…struggling through some challenge. And I get the Spring thing with its new life and all. And certainly the Autumn with all the change makes sense. But Summer?

Have you ever intentionally prayed for God to help you just take it easy with Him? To just relax and enjoy time with God, simply because He is God and He is fun?

Have you ever intentionally prayed for God to let you go on an adventure with Him? (And I mean one with no higher purpose than the two of you spending time together…not serving food at a shelter or heading out on a mission trip!)

Have you ever intentionally prayed to belly laugh with God? Me either!!

But I’ll tell you what. I’m gonna start!

I could really use some down time to take it easy, go on an adventure and laugh until my belly hurts. Good thing God is a take-me-with-you-wherever-you-go kind of God. That means he may begin answering my prayers right away whenever and however he wants. J

When does hanging with God feel like Summertime to you?

Do Tell!

Katie Pickard is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

Summer Rest

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra Elmore) — Tue, 14 May 2013 02:33:00 +0000

Last year, around this time, I invited you to take a Summer Road Trip. Did you hop on the R.O.A.D. with me? I sure hope you packed your bags and took that trip toward renewal, obedience, attack and discovery, but this year I'm inviting you to join me in doing quite the opposite and choosing to REST.

Yep, this workaholic, type-A doer is sending you an invitation to grab your flip flops, throw on your sarong and find yourself a sunny spot that's just for you. While you're there, doing nothing, here's something I hope you'll do...

Reflect. Take a moment to consider God's goodness and the specific ways He's been good to you. Say thanks.
Exhale. Breathe in, then slowly breathe out. As you do, make a deliberate choice to let go of any anxiety about the past or the future.
Surrender. Give it all up--whatever you've been holding on to for too long and everything you've been holding back from the Father. Just let it all go.
Trade. Take His joy for your weakness, His rest for your striving, His peace for your anxiety. Rinse and repeat.

I hope you know, in a real and tangible way, that the Lord longs to give you rest. If you don't already know that, I hope you'll discover a and accept that this summer (and in the seasons to come). Here's a visual reminder for ya--pin it, print it, pray it.

Anitra Elmore is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

Spring to Summer: How Quickly We Forget

noreply@blogger.com (Joline) — Mon, 13 May 2013 03:10:00 +0000

Spring, ahhhhh.

Rebirth from the cold, harsh, dead of winter. (Well, as of this writing, from my office in western PA, I am STILL wearing leggings and ski socks . . . but let's try and suspend reality for the purpose of this post.) Spring, ahhhh.

Flowers, warmer temps, farmer's market, green, baby animals, enjoying the front porch, and/or back. Just to be outside after months of gray skies, freezing temps, and dreary weather.

And then Summer comes. And according to my not-so-scientific study based upon FB posts, most start complaining about the weather again.

"It's too hot."
"When will summer end?"
"I could sure use winter right about now." (that one REALLY infuriates me)
"Why does summer have to be so long?"

Perhaps I'm having to dig deep for a point here, but this type of monologue just wreaks of discontentment. All seasons both literally and figuratively have purpose. Spring - for rebirth, Summer - this could be a doozy . . . perhaps the hot rays serve to shed some harsh light on a area of life that needs to be exposed and, frankly, burned. Or, the flip side of Summer - perhaps it is a time of rest and vacation before the Fall begins. Sure there are "negatives" to all seasons . . . but God has fashioned a purpose for YOU and ME through all of them. And thus, seasons are a good thing.

Even summer. Which, next to winter, gets really bad press.

I can hear God saying, "Why must you complain about Summer? I just gave you Spring. Do you not trust that I give GOOD things? What is it that I am showing you through these summer month? Before you dismiss them, stop complaining and listen to what I am trying to tell or show you."

Case in point. I am not a fan of Pittsburgh winters . . . but I learned a ton during this last one (you'll have to wait for that post . . .)

God created the environmental seasons and your personal "seasons". That includes Summer. Find Him in those Summer months, rather than wasting those months wishing for something cooler.

Joline Atkins is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie Legg) — Sun, 12 May 2013 03:00:00 +0000

Less structure. More vacation. Less snow. More sand. Less crock pot. More grill. Summer will be here before we know it (My kids get out for summer vacation THIS WEEK! YIKES!). Are you ready? (I’m not!)

What can we learn about God from the summer? What does having a summer life-season even MEAN anyway?

I don't know about you, but I plan to read my DFF sisters' insights from my beach chair, trading my hot tea for iced and my sweater for sunscreen. Care to join me? Aaaaahhh…

Debbie Legg is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

Spring Panic

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie Legg) — Fri, 10 May 2013 03:00:00 +0000

Flowers blooming, aromas wafting, birds singing—all signs of spring.

And all things that used to send me into a panic.

My busiest time of year BY FAR used to be spring. For the eleven years we owned and ran our Tropical Sno sno-cone stand, March brought hiring and training employees, stocking supplies, advertising, cleaning, and paperwork. My husband also started preparing farm machinery for planting season. April saw us opening the stand, continued farm preparations and planting, and celebrating myriad birthdays. In May we were usually heavily into planting and Tropical Sno was very busy.

Somewhere in and amongst those years we also co-owned and co-ran a small chain of convenience stores/gas stations, dragged our (at the time) only son around with us nearly everywhere, and still by the grace of God managed all of the everyday stuff life throws at you.

We maintained that pace only a few years before exiting both the sno-cone stand and gas station businesses, but even today we still farm and have another sizable business interest. (Some husbands golf for a hobby. Mine starts new businesses.) Though my load has decreased, I still find the occasional bout of residual panic blooming along with the flowers.

In other words, now that I can almost actually ENJOY spring, it’s tainted. On some level I continue to react to a situation that no longer exists.

How many things in life do we react to the same way? Hearing that nickname from second grade still causes anger. We look in the mirror and all of the fat/short/stupid/ugly images from decades ago are all we can see. Our situations have changed—WE have changed—and yet our reactions haven’t.

I’m so glad our Jesus came to heal the brokenhearted (Isaiah 61). I’m making a conscious effort to turn my subconscious reactions over to Him, asking Him to bring peace, love, forgiveness, and healing.

Maybe now the new life of spring will include the new life of my heart.

Debbie Legg is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

Spring Showers

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Thu, 09 May 2013 18:28:00 +0000

"Pray to God for rain—it’s time for the spring rain— to God, the rainmaker, Spring thunderstorm maker, maker of grain and barley." Zechariah 10:1 (The Message)

Winters in Redding are rainy. My first January here it rained almost everyday. (Not a walk in the park for this teacher's aide at the time who had to manage indoor recess with a herd of Kindergarteners) Spring, though, is a coveted season. It marks the beginning of moderate temperatures and a reprieve from the storms. This year summer seems to be creeping up on us irritatingly early. The temperature is already rising and we wonder if the cool spring breezes are finishing up their stay.

So when the rain came this week, it was refreshing.

Spring is a season of new beginnings, fresh starts, and planting new seeds. But sometimes in the midst of the new - the rain comes. It's intention is not to discourage or distract, but to nourish the new growth. But sometimes when it rains on our "fresh start" parade - we feel discouraged.

Right now I'm venturing into some new things in my classroom. Projects and plans with my students that have me both excited for the new and a little fearful of the storms we we weather in the process. I'm breaking out of the box of how I generally teach and truly looking to the Lord to lead our final hurrah of the year. Students are working on projects about what makes them come alive and they are going to share these items with their parents by enacting a story I wrote many months ago. I'm taking what makes me come alive (writing) and merging with what makes them come alive and we are creating a new thing, none of us have done before.

The challenges we've faced in past few weeks are like little rainclouds, not always what I look forward to working through, but all of them leading me to tuck myself into Jesus more and more like a seed in good soil, trusting Him for this new season.

And everyday, I wonder what He might be growing.

Sara Rust is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

Do-Over Season

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 08 May 2013 02:20:00 +0000

Two Springs ago, we had just moved to Texas and I had just begun to work full time after many months of being at home with both of my precious boys. In an effort to spend more intentional time with my sons when I was home, we started a garden. It was going to be beautiful. Seriously. We planted from seed so, you know, we were cool for doing it from scratch. Noah went nuts when the first shoots appeared. We had green beans, squash, corn, and sunflowers, not to mention a selection of colorful flowers for our little patio. It was going to be just beautiful.

It was going to be beautiful, that is, except for the drought.

Yes, my dears, the drought. You know, the one that fried Texas to a crispy brown and dried up lakes, killed trees, and brought summer temps up to 112 degrees? That drought destroyed our garden. Our veggies died of thirst. Our patio flowers looked like we baked them in an oven (which we essentially did considering the location of the patio next to a brick home). Garden dead. Quality kiddo time ruined. I was not lovin’ Texas two Springs ago. Not. At. All.

But that was two Springs ago. And I honestly can’t remember what we did last Spring other than the fact that we ignored the garden. Perhaps I was still bitter.

But this spring, THIS spring, we planted roses, and lavender, and shasta daisies, and gerbera daisies, and delphiniums, and lilies. And we dug, and weeded, and mulched. We reclaimed the land. It is beautiful, just beautiful! The time with my sons has been so rewarding, both for them and for me. The boys have their own gloves, shovels, rake and hoe and now actually ask every weekend, “Mama, can we go plant something?” I love it. (And Texas is growing on me.)

What a difference a season (or two) can make, right? If we could only have the faith and patience to wait for the drought to end, what beauty awaits us when the next Spring comes! The land can recover and bring forth life.

And so can you.

Amen.

Katie Pickard is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

When Spring Delays

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra Elmore) — Tue, 07 May 2013 04:02:00 +0000

How's the weather where you are?

Here in our area, it's been cold and wet for the past few days and it seems spring has been teasing us for the past several weeks. I've so wanted to settle into spring, but it seems this season of renewal is alluding us. It occurred to me that this often happens in our personal lives--sometimes, winter just seems to linger, and much like this cold, rainy weather, it's no fun at all.

If you've walked with the Lord for awhile, you likely have stories of times when you felt "out in the cold," like your prayers were going unanswered or that change was out of your reach. Perhaps you were in a long season of waiting and expecting only to find more and more delay. It can seem like a long, bitter winter, and, while you know spring is coming eventually, the wait can be brutal.

Let me encourage you in those times, to take those extra days of winter to rest and and reset for the days ahead. You can guarantee that spring will indeed come, and when it does, you'll need the energy to burst forth, break out and leap into the newness ahead. Let me say it again, spring will indeed come (maybe that second time was a reminder for me--it's way too stinkin' cold outside right now!).

"Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert." Isaiah 43:18-19

Anitra Elmore is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

Spring Thinking?

noreply@blogger.com (Joline) — Mon, 06 May 2013 03:31:00 +0000

I don't know a single person who doesn't like spring.

Unless you count allergy sufferers.

But, really, especially here in Western PA where winter lasts for months - a winter that comes with gray and dismal skies that is, Spring is a welcomed house-guest. As is the sunlight that accompanies it.

While not formally diagnosed, I'm pretty sure I suffer from S.A.D. - Seasonal Affective Disorder. I never had it while living in Chicago - also known for long winters, albeit with sunnier skies. But for two years now, mid-January hits and down I go.

So when I read Ecclesiastes 3, you know, the one the song was based on . . . "In everything turn, turn, turn . . .", I wonder . . . is the winter season SUPPOSED to be cold emotionally, physically, AND mentally, so that Spring can launch new life? Was this part of His set-up for us? To experience all seasons of life throughout the circle of the year? Should the seasons parallel our mood?

For if that was His plan, he did beautifully, for I do indeed feel as if I'm coming out of hibernation and into a new and glorious light.

The trick however, is that no matter how "winterized" my body may be feeling, I want to strive for Spring Thinking in terms of my relationship with God while in the midst of the gray periods of life. No, that doesn't mean I won't sometimes doubt Him, or want to yell, or complain about how He's handling my life - (just being honest) - but it does mean that I have a FIRM GRASP and BELIEF that He himself broke through winter and BECAME "Spring" on my behalf when He conquered sin and death.

And no matter how I am feeling, Spring is eternal.

And if Spring is eternal, it lives in me year-round. It never falls off like leaves from the trees or takes a winter slumber, or is scorched by the heat of the day. It's alive. Always.

Take THAT, S.A.D!

Remember to think Spring. All. Year. Long.

Joline Atkins is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Sun, 05 May 2013 07:12:00 +0000

"For behold, the winter is past; the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth, the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree ripens its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my beautiful one, and come away." Song of Solomon 2:11-13

This month we are considering the question, "what season are you in?" God has ordered creation to abide by the four seasons- each one having a significance to refining and growing life around us. And even in our own lives, perhaps we can observe spiritual seasons - ones of growing, harvesting, pruning, and blossoming. Though we may favor different seasons, God has treasures and wisdom in each.

This week, join our DFF writers as we cook up reflections on Spring - the season of new beginnings. Join us as we share stories and lessons from our own "spring" seasons with Jesus.

Sara Rust is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

A Daily Prayer--Give or Take a Few

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie Legg) — Fri, 03 May 2013 03:00:00 +0000

It all started in May of 2008 with a used treadmill, an iPod and the One Year Daily Audio Bible Podcast. I would listen to the Bible while walking. Eventually I faded out of the treadmill part but kept listening.

Through the DAB I was introduced to the Daily Prayer from John Eldredge and Ransomed Heart Ministries. I started praying the Daily Prayer on a daily basis but sadly, I faded out there, too.

Something else I have faded in and out of is praying for my husband and sons through Stormie Omartian’s Power of a Praying Wife and Power of a Praying Parent. These are not only greatly helpful books but are broken down into thirty chapters and prayers, one for each day of the month. Recently I bought the audio versions of these two books and downloaded them to my iPhone.

Now I think I have it all down to a science. Three days a week I walk on the treadmill for thirty minutes. I spend the first eleven or so minutes praying the Daily Prayer from the DAB app on my phone. The rest of the time I pray whichever chapters coincide with that date and the next. For instance, this morning, Friday May 3, I'm praying the Daily Prayer, then Praying Wife and Praying Parent prayers from chapters 3, 4 and 5. Monday I’ll pray the 6^th and 7^thto coincide with those dates.

I do have to laugh, though. It seems I’ve faded in and out enough times that I’ve come full circle. I’m back to where I started nearly five years ago with my treadmill and iPod.

My goal is to keep this up and not fade out this time (having accountability sure helps, right Joline?). Perhaps when I pray The Daily Prayer I should add a request for self-discipline and perseverance.

And for the treadmill and phone to not break down before I do.

Debbie Legg is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

Simply Ephesians

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Thu, 02 May 2013 06:32:00 +0000

God's Word has been helpful to me in my journey with the King in filling my heart with words to pray, when I'm not quite sure what to say. Here's one of my favorite prayers from Ephesians, Message style. My prayer for each of us today:

I ask him to strengthen us by his Spirit—not a brute strength but a glorious inner strength—that Christ will live in us as we open the door and invite him in. And I ask him that with both feet planted firmly on love, we'll be able to take in with all followers of Jesus the extravagant dimensions of Christ’s love.

Reach out and experience the breadth! Test its length! Plumb the depths! Rise to the heights! Live full lives, full in the fullness of God.

God can do anything, we know—far more than we could ever imagine or guess or request in our wildest dreams!

Ephesians 3:15-20

Be blessed today with these words, and may the Lord encourage your heart as he washes you with His word!

Sara Rust is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

Prayer. The Same Old Story.

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 01 May 2013 03:28:00 +0000

I have used many a traditional prayer in my day. There have been the meal prayers:

From when I was a kid… “God is great, God is good, and we thank him for our food.”

From my Nana, some old-timey prayer that ended with “…from thy bounty through Christ the Lord”

From the Pickard Family… “Bless O Lord, this food to our use…”

Then there have been the Katie/God one-on-one prayers:

My morning commute prayer from about 10 years ago: “Lord help me to glorify you today…”

My pleading prayer from that horrible year when the real estate market bit the dust and took my retirement savings with it: “Lord, seriously. PLEASE sell the condo!!” (I think I said that one at least 10,000 times and the wording might have grown more colorful.)

Phillip’s and my parenting prayer: “Lord, please bless our efforts…”

And so on. You get the idea.

There have been many seasons in my life in which I have settled into a comfy script with God during some of my prayer time. As I am pondering favorite or impactful prayers that I have uttered throughout my life, I find a question rising within me:

When God hears the same prayers from me over and over and over again, does he…

A) …smile broadly like he is hearing a favored story he has heard a million times and can’t wait to hear again? Or

B) …groan inside thinking, “I heard this one already.” Why doesn't she tell me what’s really going on?

I’m not entirely sure. But, the question does give me pause.

Alrighty then, my Lord and beloved Three-In-One pal, before I launch into another “script” when I next address You, perhaps I’ll begin with a question instead.

Just remember to stop me if You’ve heard it before.

Katie Pickard is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

Praying Luke 2:52

noreply@blogger.com (Anitra Elmore) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 03:39:00 +0000

Like Joline, my favorite prayer traditions center around my kids. And, while I've prayed all sorts of prayers on their behalf, there is one prayer I've prayed for each of them since the time they were each conceived.

It's a prayer inspired by something said of Jesus as a child in Luke 2:52:

"And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men."

It captures my heart's desire to have healthy, growing children who walk wisely, make good choices and enjoy the love and acceptance of the Father and the people they encounter.

It's a prayer that's deeply rooted in my own desire for God's wisdom and favor. I've seen the difference that having both can make in a life, and I don't want either of my children to ever go without them. I've seen God answer this prayer on their behalf and I'm certain there is so much more to come. These are words I hope they'll hear in their heads even long after they've left my home and I hope they'll keep this prayer tradition even after they have children of their own.

Anitra Elmore is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

The Evening Blessing (and not the "now I lay me down to sleep" one)

noreply@blogger.com (Joline) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 03:50:00 +0000

Every night.

With a few exceptions.

I sit with my kids in bed, ask them to share something they were thankful for during the day, and how I can pray for the following day.

My kids have NEVER wanted to pray audibly - even as young ones, so I never force. Tonight, in particular, I asked one of them to pray and they did so completely silently, until I heard the all clear, "Amen", signalling that it was now my turn to pray.

I did so.

As we traditionally do.

The Lord bless you and keep you, Harper/Zane.
The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
The Lord turn His face towards you, Harper/Zane
And give you peace . . .

(and I add)

And may you always know how much you are loved by Mommy, Daddy, and God.
And may you hear His voice above all others.

I've tried to change this prayer at certain times, you know, get creative, and yet the new ones just don't stick. And then I came to realize, that this prayer doesn't get any LESS powerful over time, as it is the word of God. And I like this blessing. A lot.

So why change a good thing?

Numbers 6:24-26 is solid.

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Traditions of Prayer

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 02:26:00 +0000

When you've been with a loved one for a long time, you inevitably develop traditions and customs and you come to know one another's stories so well that you could tell them for each other. This week the Daily Fast Fuel gals will be musing over the prayers in our life that have become tradition or a special to us in some way. As God is our ultimate "loved One", He could easily tell our stories, and we certainly try to tell His.

As you have grown with God over the years, what prayers have become tradition to you? Are there special moments or words you tend to come back to with God time and again? As we share our memories with you this week, we invite you to share yours with us as well.

May we learn from each other as we share the rhythms of prayer that set the tempo for our lives.

Katie Pickard is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

The Lord’s Prayer: A Meditation

noreply@blogger.com (Debbie Legg) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 03:00:00 +0000

The Lord’s Prayer fascinates me. There are so many rich and meaningful layers in only sixty-some words. I love how Jesus expertly leads our focus throughout the prayer—first from Our Father (intimate but heavenly, holy, ruler, sovereign) to us (needy, sinful, weak, unable to save ourselves). What starts as praise and worship ends in confession and humility. We are first reminded of who He Is, then of who we are. Oh, how we need this! Join me in this meditation on Matthew 6:9-13:

Our Father, (Creator of the Universe, God of Angel Armies, Love Defined, and yet our Abba, our Daddy)

in heaven (Your created dwelling, a place of perfection and unimaginable beauty, where we will one day join You)

hallowed be Your name (Holy, Perfect, Sanctified. I Am. Alpha and Omega. Love and Power exemplified in label, in word)

Your kingdom come (It’s not heaven on earth yet, but oh, it will be, in Your time and in Your way. It is coming, and we help bring it)

Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven (Your will is not always done on earth, but You walk with us through life, making all things work for our good, until heaven)

Give us today our daily bread (Our most basic provisions come as a gift from Your hand. We cannot make it happen)

And forgive us our debts (We sin. We can’t earn forgiveness. You give it when we ask)

as we also have forgiven our debtors (We choose to forgive, because You forgive us. Nothing they can do to us can compare with all You’ve done for us)

And lead us not into temptation (James 1:13-14, James 4:7, 1 Corinthians 10:13. You do not tempt us, but allow temptation to test and strengthen us. How can we truly choose holiness if we don’t have the opportunity to choose sin? Help us always choose You.)

but deliver us from the evil one (We cannot deliver ourselves from the enemy, nor from the world nor our own sinful desires. Only You can save us. Please, Abba, save us).

Debbie Legg is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.

On Earth as it is in Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Sara) — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 06:43:00 +0000

The Lord's prayer was the first scripture I ever memorized from the Bible. I remember recieving little gift books one Easter, one of which was the Lord's prayer complete with beautiful paintings of landscapes or sheep. I can't quite remember.

I grew up in churches that recited the prayer aloud during Sunday services every week. Admittedly, the words for many years were simply mechanical. It wasn't until high school when I began to dust off these precious words of Jesus and read them afresh.

What a gift to have God incarnate teach us how to speak with Him and what to ask for. The power laced in these words is great.

Over the last few years it is the words, "Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven," that have caught my eye. I imagine that God's will in heaven is always perfect, good, and accomplished. I think of Jesus' request that we ask for God's will to be done on earth, like asking for care packages from home. If I pray for what God does in heaven to be released on this earth, maybe earth will begin to look a little more like heaven. And maybe others will take notice - and discover the One who calls them home.

Where do you want heaven to invade earth in your life, today?

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Jumping the Fence

noreply@blogger.com (Katie) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 02:58:00 +0000

Many years ago, I had regularly attended a Presbyterian Church in Evanston, IL. They were “debtors” (forgive us our “debts” as we also have forgiven our debtors). When I got married and moved out of state, Phillip and I joined a church of “trespassers” (forgive us our “trespasses”…). One weekend, Phillip and I flew back to Evanston for the wedding of a friend and were totally outed when the Lord’s Prayer came along. Folks could hear us loud and clear. A wonderful and hilarious friend sitting in front of us turned around with a wry grin on his face and whispered a harsh accusation:“Trespassers!!”. Phillip and I laughed so hard, I believe one of us snorted. (Outed again.)

I find it interesting that when it comes to how Jesus teaches us to pray, it’s the verbiage about the fall from grace in which we differ. How true to life this is! We have different names for that which we judge, and they go far beyond the simple, “debtor”, “trespasser”, or, the ever-classic “sinner”.

It would do us all good to remember that when we pray as Jesus taught us to pray, we have “all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).

We are, all of us, indebted to him for the life he originally breathed into us on that first day, as much as we are indebted to him for the new life he has breathed into us every day following.

Without redemption, we are all trespassing in His Kingdom and missing out on the blessings that oneness with God brings.

Regardless of how you cut it, or what you call it, we are all sinners in need of giving and receiving Grace.

So while we Christians may debate our differences, we can at least take heart in what unifies us: the fact that we have all royally screwed up at one time or another. (Really, we have.) May we be ONE community when we pray, remembering that if ever any of us dares to approach the God of all creation with anything less than a repentant heart, we have essentially jumped the fence and are trespassing on hallowed ground.

No trespassing, folks. Forgive. Ask for forgiveness. Then enjoy the Kingdom.

It was meant for you.

“Have no fear little flock. For your Father has resolved to give you the Kingdom.” – Luke 12:32.

Katie Pickard is your server today! Find out more about her here and don't forget to sign up for updates by email or RSS before you go.