Life is like that!

How often have you heard the phrase 'Life is like that?' What does that really mean in any case? Well, here is my brief attempt to put it into words...

...We spent a wonderful day at Greg and Bronwyn's wedding today. It was such a 'love-filled' and peaceful day - a great celebration. After the tragic news of Barry's death on Thursday, today has been a like a ray of hope - a small clearing in the mist.

One reflects that 'Life is like that' sometimes - we have moments of complete pain and despair, followed by gifts of celebration and joy. We don't always get to choose when and how they impact our lives, but we have to embrace all of life.

Jesus enjoyed a wedding at Cana (John 2) and then straight after that he was distraught at the shambles in the temple. His joy turned quickly to anger. A few days later he was interacting with religious people like Nicodemus and then he was healing loads of sick people. Life was like that - for Jesus!

How has 'Life' been treating you lately?

Remember to hold onto the Grace of Jesus.

Clinging to Grace,
D3LM3

How not to Pray...

If you want a simple lesson in "How not to pray" check out this link http://bit.ly/mgO2L

Some people just don't get Jesus' message to "Love one another!"

Living in Grace
D3LM3

Effective Prayers?

I am not sure if you have ever felt that your prayers were just 'bouncing' off the ceilings of heaven? Or if you have made the space and time to pray and then nothing has come out of your mouth? It happens to me sometimes. It is happening now!

However, I am learning that God is deeply aware of all of our emotions and thoughts. Our 'failure' in prayer is not actually failure. In fact, it is often when we have rated our prayers as 'unsuccessful' that God has truly heard us. C.S. Lewis agrees:

"I have a notion that what seem our worst prayers may really be, in God's eyes, our best. Those, I mean, which are least supported by devotional feeling and contend with the greatest disinclination. For these, perhaps, being nearly all will, come from a deeper level than feeling."

"To you I call, O Lord my Rock; do not turn a deaf ear to me.
For if you remain silent, I will be like those who have gone down to the pit.
Hear my cry for mercy, as I call to you for help." - Psalm 28:1-2

Grace perseveres
D3LM3

No words

I lost a friend today. I have no words, few prayers and a million memories. Barry Marshall you will be remembered as father, husband, friend, genuine Christ-follower, minister and musician. You helped shape my faith in more ways than I can explain. My head is spinning with the news. May Jesus hold your family close in these dark days.

Friends, forgive my lack of creativity. Please put prayer into practise and pray for Barry's young family. He was 37 and he leaves behind Elaine and two small kids.

“If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves.” (Message) - Romans 8:26-27

Wrestling with why?
D3LM3

Bells, Cell-phones and Whatever!

When last did you hear a Church Bell ring?
When last did you hear your cell-phone ring?

In medieval times Church bells would ring during the day and people would be reminded to STOP and pray. As Yancey says, "It forced people to remember God."
Well, we don't live in places where Church bells remind us to pray anymore, but I think it would be great to be 'interrupted' every now and again.

Our lives are so busy with work, studies, family, stress and other things that we need to be reminded that God is in our midst. It's interesting that we allow our cell-phones, radio's, TV's, internet and people to interrupt us, but we find ways to ignore the Spirit's invitation to prayer.

Why don't you set your cell-phone alarm for a random time today and when it goes off stop for a few seconds and pray? This would be a great interruption!

"Devote yourselves to prayer..." - 1 Corinthians 7:5

Grace to you,
D3LM3

Yearning for Fluency

Have you ever tried learning a foreign language? I have - it was tough! I wouldn't say that 'languages' are my strongest point, but when we travelled through Europe a few years ago, we tried to learn a little French. We listened to 'French lessons' as we travelled from town to town, experimenting with a few rough phrases when we could. Most people appreciated our efforts, although we knew that we really 'sucked' at French. In the end, we knew enough to get us the basics - food, accomodation, fuel and ICE CREAM!

If you ask me to remember those phrases now, I sadly confess that I remember very little. But, then again, I haven't practised for 8 years - I have had no need to. I have quickly forgotten my embarrasment, my awkwardness and my frustration at not being 'fluent in French.'

Prayer is very much the same as learning a foreign language, except God is more forgiving at our feeble attempts. God doesn't laugh at our mistakes, nor does the Spirit leave us fumbling for words. God just longs for us to 'keep company' with him in prayer.

Even if we feel that we can't speak God's language, we must remember that God can speak and understand us - that's all we need! Of course we must continue to be faithful in prayer and the more we exercise this discipline the more confident we will feel.

Reflect on these quotes today:

“If you want to pray better, you must pray more.” – Mother Teresa

“The only fatal mistake is to stop praying and not begin again.” – Philip Yancey

By the way, if you can speak another language please let me know - I am curious!

Grace is Enough,
D3LM3

Doing it right?

Philip Yancey notes that many newcomers to prayer often wonder if they are 'doing it right?' Somewhere along the line we perceive that our prayers are not good enough or that we should be praying in a different way. Whilst, we should always be open to growing in our prayer life, we should not be too hard on ourselves. As soon as we start to doubt the way we prayer, it could lead to disillusionment.

Robert Bondi says, "If you are praying, you are already "doing it right.""

If Jesus invites us to come to him as a child, then I believe this applies to my prayers too. Kids don't stress about 'how it sounds,' they just speak! I encourage us all to ease off on the guilt of 'am I doing it right' and to enjoy the freedom of being able to take everything to the Lord in prayer.

Learning the language of prayer,
D3LM3