Grammar in Prayer

Trying to grapple with the 'language of prayer' has been an enlightening exercise for me. Yancey deals with this subject really well in his book 'Prayer: Does it make a difference,' but I want to share a quote from Lendol Calder today. He speaks about the 'Grammar' in our prayers.

"In the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus has given us a “grammar for prayer,” one that organizes our thoughts and actually frees us to pray meaningfully to God. Grammar gives order to language and breathes meaning into speech. Jesus did not give us the Lord’s Prayer so that we might mindlessly repeat it (though there is nothing wrong with repeating the Lord’s Prayer with understanding in public settings; indeed, there is everything right about it). Rather, Jesus gave us a pattern for prayer to use frequently. He intended that the concerns of the Lord’s Prayer would be our concerns. He intended to teach us the kind of prayer language that pleases our Father and is good for our souls." – Lendol Calder

What do you think about his thoughts?

Being carried by Grace,
D3LM3

In the mood?

Henri Nouwen – “We cannot plan, organize or manipulate God; but without a careful discipline, we cannot receive him either.”

If things had to depended on our 'moods' before they were 'fixed' then a lot of things in my house wouldn't get done. If the broken gutter or blocked toilet depended on my mood, they would never get fixed. If washing the car or going to the dentist depended on if I was in the mood (or not), they wouldn't get done.

Sadly, many people see prayer in the same way. "I will pray when I feel inspired to, when it is meaningful to me," they say. This doesn't happen as often as it should and so we don't spend much time in prayer. One purpose of prayer is to increase our awareness of Jesus in our lives and the role that he plays in our life. If we only pray when we feel inspired then we miss out on opportunities to increase our awareness of God.

The challenge for all of us, is to be disciplined in prayer. In this way we increase our awareness of God's voice and the plan he has for our lives.

Keep on praying.
D3LM3

God listens

C.S. Lewis – “All prayers are heard, though not all prayers are granted.”

David seemed to strongly believe that God listened to our prayers and that he would answer them in His own way. That's why he wrote:

Psalm 86: 6-7 - “Hear my prayer, O Lord; Listen to my cry for mercy.In the day of my trouble I will call to you, For you will answer me.”

Our prayers reveal the same faith - we believe that God listens and that he will answer our prayers, although over time we accept that all our prayer are not granted.

Held by Grace,
D3LM3

The risk in Prayer

Is there a risk when we pray? When we lay our hearts bare before God isn't there a chance that we will not get our own way? Of course, there is! Prayer is not about me telling God how to answer my prayers, but rather about re-aligning my spirit with God's Spirit.

When I see prayer in this way, then I am open to say what Daniel said: "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, o King. But even if he does not, we want you to know ... that we will not serve your gods."

My prayers start from a position of trust in God. I can safely say, "Not my will, but yours!" Yancey reminds us that prayer is a way of getting God's will done on earth, not ours!

The other risk in prayer is that God asks us to be the answer to our own prayers. It is easy to prayer for the poor to have food and shelter, but perhaps God is asking us to be his 'hands and feet' in answering the prayer. That is very challenging. Perhaps this is why Eugene Peterson wrote:

"Be slow to pray. Praying puts us at risk of getting involved with God's conditions...praying most often doesn't get us what we want, but what God wants."

Let's be committed to pray. Are you willing to take a Risk?

Empowered by Grace,
D3LM3

Wrestling with God

"Prayer in its highest form and grandest success assumes the attitude of a wrestler with God." - E.M.Bounds

When we read that Jacob wrestled with the angel (Genesis 32) we must not allow the images of WWF to come to our minds. That kind of wrestling is often staged and is a farce. Jacob wrestled with the angel, because he was desperate to be blessed - he wrestled because he felt that his life depended on it.

The theme of wrestling in prayer continues in the New Testament. Colossians 4:12 -"He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured."

May we continue to wrestle in prayer with God. It does not show disrespect to God when we struggle in our prayers. In fact, I believe that it reveals the depth of our relationship with him. We only wrestle when we can trust the character of God.

So what are we struggling with today? What answers are we seeking? What 'blessing' are we desiring?

Wrestling in prayer,
D3LM3

Praying on the run

Most of our prayers are done on the run. Yes, we do have moments where we are fortunate to have a 'quiet time' with the Lord, but most believers admit that their prayers are done whilst running from one thing to the next. This has certainly been my experience the past few days.

It is good to be able to 'pray continually', as this indicates that our relationship with God is not confined to a Church building. However, if this is the only time we pray (on the run), then perhaps we miss out on hearing God speak into our situations. This morning I arrived 5 minutes early for a meeting and I felt I needed a few moments with God, before I rushed into the meeting. So, I sat in the car and prayed (some of you can relate to this). In the end, those 5 minutes have saved my day.

Here are a few thoughts to take into the day:

"In quietness and confidence shall be your strength." - Isaiah 30:15

"Those who wait on the Lord ... shall run and not be weary." - Isaiah 40:31

So, continue to pray 'everywhere' and 'on every occasion', but let's not neglect the practise of praying 'away' from the rush of life.

"Unless we come apart and rest awhile, we may just plain come apart." - Havner

Grace and peace,
D3LM3

Praying in Trouble

Philip Yancey speaks about how many of our prayers tend to drift towards two areas - trouble that we are going through OR trivial things. Jesus invites us to cast all our cares and burdens onto him (Matthew 11:28), so we should never feel guilty about allowing our 'troubles' to drive us to our knees.

To be honest, my prayer today has simply been echoing the words from the David in Psalm 4:1 - this is all the energy I can muster. The kids are ill and we are exhausted.

"Answer me when I call you, O my righteous God. Give me relief from my distress; be merciful to me and hear my prayer."

God knows what we are facing, but somehow our spirits are revived when we invite Jesus to share our burdens. Our situations may not change overnight, but we are reassured that God is in our midst.

"Jesus believed that prayer could really change things." - Philip Yancey

So do I. How about you?

Carried by Grace,
D3LM3

The effects of prayer

Vladimir Lenin was deeply critical of Christianity and especially of prayer. During the height of the Russian Revolution he commented:

"Electricity will replace God. The peasants should pray to it; in any case they will feel its effects long before they feel any effect from on high."

All of us will admit to times of a baffling silence from God, especially when we are earnestly praying for something or someone, but only a few people will echo the words of Lenin. I confess that I don't have a 'hot-line' to God, but I have seen the results of prayer on numerous occasions. This is enough 'evidence' for me. It is out of a deep rooted faith in God that we all continue to pray.

So Vladimir has long gone and we still have electricity (normally) and we are still experiencing the blessing of answered prayers. You were wrong Mr Lenin!

1 Chronicles 5:20 - "He answered their prayers, because they trusted in him."

Surrounded by Grace,
D3LM3

Unravelling the Mystery of Prayer

As I have been reflecting on the 'mystery of prayer' I have to admit that I have been wrestling with my own way of praying. Although this is challenging, I see it as something that is necessary. If our faith (and in particular our prayer life) was never encouraged to change and grow, then I think that we would reach a stage of staleness in our prayers. No one really wants to pray 'life-less' prayers.

Here are two quotes from Philip Yancey's book on prayer that I have found interesting:

"I have discovered that God wisely answers prayer in a different way than I envision." - Yancey

"When I pray, coincidences happen. When I don't pray, they don't." - Archbishop William Temple

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - "Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live." (Message)

I encourage you to be creative in your prayer life this week.

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

Defiance

We watched a very powerful movie last night called 'Defiance.' It is about 4 Jewish brothers (The Bielski's) living in Nazi-occupied Eastern Europe. They escape into the Belarussian forests, where they join Russian resistance fighters and endeavor to build a village in order to protect themselves and about 1,000 Jewish non-combatants. It is based on a true story.

There is a scene in the movie, where the people are struggling to survive in the midst of a dreadful winter. The Rabbi, Shamon Haretz, prays this disturbing prayer:

"Merciful God ... We have no more prayers, no more tears; we have run out of blood. Choose another people. We have paid for each of Your commandments; we have covered every stone and field with ashes. Sanctify another land. Choose another people. Teach them the deeds and the prophesies. Grant us but one more blessing: take back the gift of our holiness. Amen."

How many times are our prayers safe and nice? This is not an example of one of those prayers. Jesus' prayers were never 'neat or nice'. His prayers were so tough that in one instance he sweated blood.

Pray as honestly as you need to - God is interested in the cry of our hearts!

Grappling with Grace,
D3LM3

Spiritual Tattoo's

It seems that tattoo’s are all over the place nowadays – that is literally and figuratively. Just the other day my boys bought a sweet that had a ‘free’ tattoo inside. They were delighted of course & we had to help them to put it on. In fact, we also had to get one – so now I have this funny looking ‘thing’ on my arm. Thankfully it will come off in a few days.

It is easy to wear a fake tattoo for a week and then wash it off – but the real tattoo’s last forever. Do we ‘mark’ ourselves as Believers for a while and then ‘wash’ off the evidence when we lose interest or when things get difficult? Are we ready to cover ourselves with ‘Spiritual Tattoo’s’ – characteristics that are life-changing and which portray our allegiance to Jesus?

"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit” – Ephesians 1:13

Marked by Grace,
D3LM3

Quotes from Friends

Yesterday I asked if any of you had any favourite quotes and a number of you emailed back with your words of inspiration. To see some of these go to the blog and look at the top left hand side. www.delmelinscott.blogspot.com

Grace to you.
D3LM3

I am with you!

Yesterday I went to the dreaded dentist and as I wrote 3 weeks ago - "I am not a fan of Dentists!" There are many reasons for this (braces, many fillings, many injections etc), but eventually I knew I had to go this time.

So rather sheepishly I walked into his rooms, arriving 15 minutes before my appointment, just to psyche myself up and to pray hard! I had just sat down and had only just begun to recite Psalm 23 in my mind, when the assistant called me... 15 minutes EARLY - can you believe it - when does that ever happen? I thought to myself, "Lord, that's a little unfair - I haven't finished praying yet!"

So I go to his rooms and of course he has "my file" in front of him and we both know that it has been years since I have seen him - awkward! So, after my confessions, he starts to take a look and in the end there is nothing major to be done (hallelujah), just a little work on one tooth (which did require... injections, drilling and prodding). In the end, all was good and I now like my dentist!!!

Just reflecting on issues like this, makes me realise that sometimes I ask God to take me "out" of certain situations, but He doesn't. I could get bleak about this and become bitter. However, if I do then I lose sight of the promise that He may not remove me from the difficulties, but He does promise to be with me IN those situations.

Remember Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego (Daniel 3:16-30)? God could have easily removed them from the fiery furnace, but instead He joined them in the furnace. He protected them in the midst of their trial. He was the "Word made flesh" in their trial. God promises the same for us. He is with us! Immanuel.

Sustained by Grace,
D3LM3

Trusting in God

I have been sharing a number of my favourite quotes over the past few days, but I would love to hear some of your favourites. If you have a inspirational quote then please share it with us.

I have changed my blog layout to include some of my favourite quotes at the top of the blog. With your permission I will include your quotes on there for the world to see.

Here’s one more for today…

“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God." - Corrie Ten Boom

Jeremiah 29:11 – “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

May God bless you today and remember to listen for the ‘still small voice.’

Wrestling with Grace,
D3LM3
www.delmelinscott.blogspot.com

God's Megaphone

Continuing with the theme of quotes that have made an impact in my life, I have to include the following thoughts from C.S. Lewis:

"God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world"

It is true that God speaks to us in all kinds of ways. It is during our times of suffering and trials that we often cry out to God seeking an answer from him. I believe that God doesn't want to cause 'pain' in our lives, but that he can use those times to whisper messages to our spirit.

Growing in Grace,
D3LM3

Abandoned to God

There are a number of powerful quotes that somehow keep reminding me of my decision to follow Christ and encourage me to maintain perspective. In his journal entry for October 28, 1949, Jim Elliot wrote these famous words:

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."

Although being a Christ-follower requires a certain amount of 'giving up', what we ultimately gain is truly eternal and it can not be taken away from us.

Grace spans this world and the next,

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

P.S. The photo is of Jim Elliot - a missionary who lived to honour God and gave his life for the Gospel. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Elliot

Restless Heart

Another one of my favourite quotes comes from St. Augustine. Trying to understand the 'God-shaped' vacuum that he felt rested in the spirit of every person, he wrote:

"Our hearts are restless until they find their rest in thee, O Lord."

This was certainly true in my life. I looked everywhere for things or people to fill this void in my life. I was restless and dissatisfied. It was only when I surrendered my struggling heart into the hands of God, that the restless began to subside. I would be lying if I said that there is no more struggling in my life, however I feel that the 'restlessness' I now feel is more for the things of God and not running from him.

Is your heart still restless?
Remember that it is Grace that brings us home.

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

How do you handle criticism?

Being involved in the lives of people means that we open ourselves up to criticism. I am not sure how you handle criticism, but I tend to dwell too much on it at times -although I am getting a little more 'thick skinned'. Here are some words to inspire you in the times when you get unfair criticism:

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena...who, at best, knows in the end the triumph of great achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly. So that his place will never be with those cold timid souls who know neither victory or defeat." - Theodore Roosevelt

May Christ give us the freedom to move on from 'criticism.'

Exploring the depths of His GRACE,
D3LM3

Promise after the challenge

This is my last post on Contentment for a while - I promise!

In Hebrews 13, Paul writes:
"Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,
"Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”
So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (v.5-6)

We often freely quote the last part of this passage without putting it in context. God promises us that He won't abandon us & so we don't have to be afraid. However, we mustn't forget that this promise comes after his challenge to be content with what we have.

Challenge: What are you feeling most discontent about today?

'For richer or poorer,' God will be alongside us. Have a blessed weekend.

Sustained by Grace,
D3LM3

Up or Down?

When it comes to comparing ourselves with other people, our natural inclination is to compare 'UP'. By this I mean, we look at those who seem to have more money, more gadgets, more security, better lifestyles etc. Sadly, this only feeds our sense of disillusionment.

In a sense Jesus invites us to compare ourselves 'DOWN'. This is not what we may automatically think, as He is not saying we must look at other people and feel better than them, but rather to compare the things of nature and to recognise how God provides for them.

Matthew 6:26-29 - "Look at the birds in the sky! They don't plant or harvest. They don't even store grain in barns. Yet your Father in heaven takes care of them. Aren't you worth more than birds? Can worry make you live longer? Why worry about clothes? Look how the wild flowers grow. They don't work hard to make their clothes. But I tell you that Solomon with all his wealth wasn't as well clothed as one of them."

Having said this, it is also worthwhile remembering that there are other people worse off than we are. It's all about correct perspective.

“I had no shoes and complained until I met a man who had no feet.” – Anonymous

1 Timothy 6:6 - But godliness with contentment is great gain.

By God's Grace,
D3LM3

Heart led by eyes

As we contemplate another aspect of Contentment, read these words from Job 31:7
"If my steps have turned from the path,
if my heart has been led by my eyes,
or if my hands have been defiled..."

Is it not when our 'hearts' are led by our 'eyes' that we begin to feel the pangs of discontentment? Is it not when we see what others have (and we don't), that suddenly our hearts long for more? People can't really covet things that we can't see. I am not envious of the person in Europe, living in a Castle, when I don't know them or haven't even met them. However, the person in my community, who seems to have it all, is the one that I struggle not to envy.

So, perhaps Job was spot on - my heart can be led by my eyes!

Exodus 20:17 – “Do not want anything that belongs to someone else. Don't want anyone's house, wife or husband, slaves, oxen, donkeys or anything else.” (CEV)

Lord, in your mercy, hear my prayer!

His Grace remains,
D3LM3

Unfair Comparison?

When we are struggling to feel content with life, relationships or even with our material possessions, we usually start the 'comparison game'. We start to look around at what others have and often this feeds into our discontentment even more. Michael Levine calls this the 'Contrast Effect.'

Most people compare their lives with those who are on the levels above them and so we then justify our sense of disappointment when obviously we don't match up. Proper perspective reminds us of how richly we have been blessed, even if we don't have it all.

My reading this morning reminded me of how the Israelites tried to make new gods, because they noticed how other religions had gods they could see & touch. Speaking on behalf of Yahweh, Isaiah writes:
"To whom will you compare me or count me equal?
To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?" (Isaiah 46:5)

"I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me." (v.9)

When we understand the Grace of God, we will realise that there is no real comparison between Jesus and other gods. There is none like Jesus.

Sustained by Grace,
D3LM3

Have we learnt the Secret?

So how content are we really? How often do we find ourselves thinking, "There surely has to be more?" or "Why am I not feeling satisfied?"

The Greek word for being Content (autarkes), reminds us that this illusive emotion means 'to be satisfied or to have enough." In terms of earthly things, I strongly believe that we need to discover the 'secret of being Content' (Philippians 4:12). In our world of consumerism, even Christians will continue to struggle to swim against the tide of "More, More, More!"

However, if we are allowed any sense of 'dissatisfaction' or being 'discontent', perhaps this will be in our relationship with Jesus. We can always know and discover 'More' of Jesus.

So, if we are completely honest today, can we say that we have learnt the secret of being content? Read Philipians 4:10-13 if you have a moment.

Grace to you,
D3LM3

Thank you ladies!

As we celebrate National Women's Day today may we remember that our world would not be same if it weren't for the many courageous, loving and spirit-filled women in our communities. It is not just the women such as Rosa Parks, Anne Frank, Mother Theresa, Helen Zille and others that deserve our gratitude - it is also our wives, mothers, sisters and friends that need a mention.

Jesus had a lot of time for women and this needs to be recognised. In a time when women were considered 'objects' & 'disposable' Jesus gave every women dignity and grace. Scripture teaches us that after an encounter with Jesus, numerous women saw LIFE in a different way - He changed their world.

May we seek to honour women in the way that Jesus did.

In the grip of His Grace,
D3LM3

Be Blessed

I am going to be preaching on Sunday evening about 'Contentment' and have just been reflecting on how blessed I am. So, please receive this Scripture as a blessing for you today...

"May The Lord bless you and keep you.

May the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you.

May the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace." (Numbers 6:24)

That's my prayer for you today.

Living in Grace,
D3LM3

Swine Flu has a face!

If you want to cause panic, just mention the words 'Swine' and 'Flu', in the same breath and you will have people running in fear. A few months ago the H1N1 virus was just something that affected people in South America and most of us felt 'safe' in South Africa (this is also how we reacted with HIV/AIDS - it was always something that affected people we had never met, until HIV impacted people we knew by name).

Now people we personally know, have Swine Flu and so it impacts upon us in a different way. Our levels of compassion have suddenly increased and we are trying to be more vigilant on every level. As I dropped off my kids at school this morning I noticed new posters on the doors instructing parents what to look out for if our kids get sick. H1N1 impacts our safe world!

Here is the thing for me - Flu has been around for hundreds of years, but now that a new strain has appeared we are taking greater precautions. We are on the look out for symptoms of H1N1. Wouldn't it be interesting if the world treated SIN in the same way? Sin has been around since Genesis 3, but we have become so used to it, that it fails to shock us anymore. There will be no new strains of Sin, but millions of people will die from it every year. What are we doing about it? Are we interested in telling people about the 'perfect cure' for the 'Sin disease?'

Luke 5:31 - "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."

Isaiah 53:5 - "By his wounds we are healed."

Saved by Grace,
D3LM3

Prayer for today:
Lord we pray for the many people struggling with Swine Flu. May they know your strength, healing and peace. Comfort families that have recently lost loved through illness. Amen.

Where does your help come from?

I was reminded in my devotion this morning of how many pagans (in Biblical times) used to hide their idols in the mountains. They would either go to the mountain shrines to worship their gods or would look up towards the mountain from their homes. Isaiah spoke out against the futility of this:

"The people of Moab wear themselves out going to their mountain shrines and to their temples to pray, but it will do them no good." - Isaiah 16:12

Having gods all over the place does us no good - it only wears us out. We can't find our true help and salvation from these man-made 'idols.' This is why David wrote these words in Psalm 121:

"I lift my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth."

May we turn to the real GOD today. Only His grace can sustain us.

Living in His grace,
D3LM3

What are you reading?

My bedside table is usually stacked up with a number of books. One of the last things I do in the evening is to spend time reading and I am one of those weird people that likes to read a number of books at the same time. Some of them I don't get to finish, but normally I get through most of them. This past week, the following books have been 'lying in wait':

Prayer: Does it make a difference? - Philip Yancey
SoulTsunami - Leonard Sweet
Purpose Driven Life - Rick Warren
What on earth happened? - Christopher Lloyd
For you, Dad - Karen Moore

As much as I thoroughly enjoy reading books, there is no substitute for reading the Scriptures. Many of these books I read would not have any foundation if it weren't for the Golden Thread of Scripture.

Sadly, many Christians struggle to read the Bible, either through a fear of not understanding the Scriptures or through sheer laziness.In Matthew 22:31, Jesus asks the following question - "...have you not read what God said to you...?" Too many believers rely only on what their minister or pastor tells them and not on what the Bible says. In the 21st Century we have no excuse for not being able to read the Bible for ourselves - we have free access to the Word of God.

Deuteronomy 17:19 - "It is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees."

So what are you reading at the moment - I would love to know? If you have a moment please comment on this post or send me a email. Thanks.

Grace and Peace to you,
D3LM3

God looks for Wally...

Yesterday I wrote about "Where's Wally?" and how sometimes discovering God can be tricky. However, there is another side to this and that it is perhaps not so much about us trying to find God, as rather God finding us.

In the Bible, we read parables of the women seeking for her lost coin (Luke 15:8-10) and the Shepherd leaving the 99 sheep in order to find the one that was lost (Luke 15:3-7). God is seeking for all of us who are lost and needing to find our way back Home - just like the young prodigal in Luke 15:11-32.

Sadly, there are people who don't want to be 'found' by God. We run and try to hide from Him, because we misunderstand why He wants to find us. Being found by Jesus is never a bad thing - it is always a blessing and it will always change our lives!

Enjoying being 'found' by GRACE,
D3LM3

Where's Wally?

Ok, I admit it, I am now hooked on finding Wally? If you don't know what/who I am talking about, please humour me - the rest of you know exactly what I am on about.

Actually, I blame my kids. Declan brought the book home from school and asked me to help him "find Wally." So we now all pour over the pages of the book trying to find Wally, Wenda, Woof & Odlaw, amongst hundreds of other characters. Some of them are clearly not Wally, but there are always a few pretend 'Wally's' - they look similar, but if you look closely you can tell that they are really imposters.

"Where's Wally" can be a little like trying to discover God, at times. There are certainly many 'imposters' out there, trying to get us to give them our allegiance, but there is only one God. The Bible points out that God is not trying to hide from us, but that He wants us to find Him.

"Therefore let everyone who is Godly pray to you while you may be found; surely when the mighty waters rise, they will not reach him." - Psalm 32:6

"God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us." - Acts 17:27

As Paul Baloche wrote - "Open the eyes of my heart Lord, I want to see Jesus."

This is my prayer for this week - that I may find Jesus amongst the hundreds of other distractions in my world.

Grace to you,
D3LM3

I don't understand "Why" God?

I went to a funeral on Friday of someone who used to be in our Church in Dalton. We knew the family and it was important for me to be there. The message was challenging and I am sure that many people left feeling the need to get some things in order. Funerals can be like that - the important things in life become clearer & the silly things truly seem petty.

However, what happened on Friday night is what I don't understand. One of the sons (of the guy who passed away) came out from England to attend the funeral - leaving his wife and a 10 day old son behind. On Friday evening, he was killed in a car accident. Can you understand that? On the day of his dad's funeral, he dies too! What is up with that? I am struggling to make sense of that all. As if the family had not been through enough & then tragedy stikes again.

I have no answers to this. I know that the Psalms are a good place to look for the answers, so that's where I will go and search. In the meantime I continue to struggle with "Why?"

Live today for the glory of God - it may be our last.

May Grace firmly hold you in the arms of JESUS,
D3LM3