Steering Wheel VS. Spare Tire

"Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?"
~ Corrie Ten Boom

How often does prayer become our last resort, our final plea? When things are going well, we don't pray at all. As a matter of fact most of us forget about God all together, until our lives come upon a pot hole in the middle of the road. Maybe even then we don't give prayer a chance.

Do you look at the pot hole and find a way to avoid it's potential damage or do you just speed up and drive right over it because you are in too much of a hurry to avoid the disaster in the road?

As the popular Carrie Underwood sang, "Jesus, take the wheel!", we need to allow Him to steer our lives. We need to slow down or sometimes stop on the side of the road in order to hear God tell us where we need to go, safely. As we drive recklessly through life- we drive right into the pot hole, coming away with ruined suspensions and a flat tire. Then, and only then, do we reach in the trunk out of desperation for our lives. Somewhere beneath the stinky shoes, golf clubs, baby strollers and fast-food wrappers we get to the spare tire.

Prayer is what gives balance in our lives. It's what changes the deflated, discouraging issues into promising possibilities.

Prayer isn't something you tuck under your soiled problems and extracurricular activities. Prayer is what should be driving your life. Every idea. Every decision. Every move you make, that is significant, needs to start with prayer.

Prayer channels our earthly issues towards heavenly wisdom. Prayer taps in to the supernatural power of the Holy Spirit in order to conquer our life issues.

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak." Isaiah 40:29 (NIV)

The Bible says, "Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed." He knew that in order to stay in-sync with His Father, God, Jesus needed to talk to Him often, because He knew God is all-knowing and sees the greater picture for our lives even before we do. Jesus said, "Not my Will but Yours." Allow prayer to be the steering wheel for your life. When you come to those pot holes in the middle of the road, you will be prepared and not shaken. You will have God as the driving force for your life. He will never leave you and He will never turn His back on you. That is a promise!

The more you know God and His attibutes, you will come to realize how lost you will be if you don't allow Him to direct your life.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)


><>

Sharing God's Love to Your Neighbors

When we moved into our new neighborhood about 9 months ago, there was this old(er) guy across the street that seemed very grumpy... okay, he looked down-right mean. Money was tight, so every evening I would load up the Camry with boxes and misc. junk(which fills up quickly), drive 40-45 minutes and start unloading. I did this every night, sometimes several times a night.

When I would show up to our new home, this older guy would stare at me with his intense eyes. I would say, "Hello." He would briefly respond and then either walk away or turn back to what he was doing. I kept thinking to myself, "Sheesh, this guy is nosey and he doesn't seem very friendly." Well, about a week of unloading our stuff, the neighbor guy starts walking over to me with a frown on his face and with his big, intense eyes staring at me.

I was thinking, "Oh boy, is there going to be some kind of confrontation? What is this guy going to say to me? What am I going to say to him?"

Grumpy guy, with a loud, gruff voice, "Hey, you seem like you have a big family."
I replied, "Yes, we have three kids."
Grumpy guy, "Well, how many trash cans do you have?"
I awkwardly responded, "Just this one trash can, here."
Grumpy guy answers back, "That's not enough- that will fill up too fast. I have two trash cans you can have."
I was stumped and uncomfortable, but I pushed my words out, "Thank you very much. Are you sure?"
Not so grumpy guy, "Yeah, I don't use them."
Grateful, I said, "Thanks again! We will put them to good use!"

There's a life lesson to be learned here. Of course the old primary school statement, "Don't judge a book by it's cover." The greater lesson is this: Don't judge others so easily. We don't know what battles they've been through in life. We don't know what kind of crappy day they may have had. We don't know their past and the hurt they've gone through.

As I have invested time in this hard-faced, German friend- I've found out that he's been through two messy divorces. For many years, he works very hard with his hands as a carpenter to have very little to show for it.

Here's an update about my grumpy friend. He has given us garden tools, we have swapped home-cooked meals, we've had great conversations standing outside in our lawns. I've asked him about his beliefs and invited him to church.

Sharing God with people sometimes takes time; it took me about 6 months. Putting my guard down and finding time to talk to him has allowed me to get to know more about him and his life... this has opened up deeper conversations.

"Even in your lawn, you can find the cross." ~ HLJ

><>

All posts are the sole property of the Heart Like Jesus blog. You must obtain permission to use any of the information on this blog.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

This is a tribute to all the wonderful MOM'S who have changed our lives for the better.

STOP what you are doing for 10 minutes and enjoy this uplifting and humorous video.

You live a stressful and very demanding life.

Shut the door, close your shades and take a little "me" time.

A Mother's Love
There are times when only a Mother's love
Can understand our tears,
Can soothe our disappoints
And calm all of our fears.
There are times when only a Mother's love
Can share the joy we feel
When something we've dreamed about
Quite suddenly is real.
There are times when only a Mother's faith
Can help us on life's way
And inspire in us the confidence
We need from day to day.
For a Mother's heart and a Mother's faith
And a Mother's steadfast love
Were fashioned by the Angels
And sent from God above.
Author Unknown

"Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Proverbs 31:28-29 (NIV)

><>

All posts are the sole property of the Heart Like Jesus blog. You must obtain permission to use any of the information on this blog.

Miracle Manna - What a Hoax!

WARNING: WATCH THIS VIDEO BUT DON'T CALL THE 800#!

This infomercial has been sweeping the nation for quite some time now. You will find over 26,000 YouTube videos regarding this insane product that plays on your hopes. Peter Popoff, you should be ashamed about what you are doing!

In doing some investigation, you pay for the "miracle manna" and eat it. Along with your package, there is a letter that says you are to give Peter Popoff more money to activate the "blessings", wait 5 to open a secretly sealed enclosed envelope that says "Do not open for 5 days". Inside that envelope is a cheap trinket (looks like it's worth 50 cents) with a real nice newletter explaining the power of the "miracle manna".

He is double-dipping into your pockets!! Most of the people who want a miracle are in financial hardship and his infomercial reveals how people are receiving $1,000's of dollars miraculously.

There are others who have terminal health issues hoping to be healed by the "miracle manna". What a sad, sad man, Peter Popoff is! As you are waiting for your blessings- he is receiving $MILLIONS of dollars by feeding off of hopeless lives.

I understand in desperate times we take desperate measures. We are looking for that magic pill to make us rich. Why do you think the lottery is so successful? People dream of hitting it big over-night. Others possess crippling diseases and are looking for the magic potion that will heal them instantly.

This so called godly man is telling you to worship the golden calf. Pour all your money- all your possessions- all your faith on a man-made idol.

Exodus 32:2-4: "Aaron answered them, 'Take off the gold earrings that your wives, your sons and your daughters are wearing, and bring them to me.'

So all the people took off their earrings and brought them to Aaron.

He took what they handed him and made it into an idol cast in the shape of a calf, fashioning it with a tool. Then they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt."

I love the beginning of this chapter- it says the people grew impatient and wanted results NOW!

vs. 1: "When the people saw that Moses was so long in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, 'Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him.' "

We are whiny, impatient, self-gratifying creatures. Look at the commericals on the television. You will see eye-catching words, like; Quick, Easy, Instant, Fast. You catch my drift. How often do you say, "God is taking too long!" "What's the hold-up? I need answers NOW!" "God's taking too long...I'll just do it myself!"

SLOW DOWN! Don't give into the world's view, but focus on God's best for your life.

"And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:15-17 (NIV)

Did you ever imagine that God may be protecting you? I believe He knows us better than we do about ourselves. Think about it. With good intentions, you may tell God that if He made you rich, you would tithe 15% or even 20%, instead of the standard 10%. Maybe you promise to use the money to help missionaries or great non-profit organizations. Maybe, just maybe, God knows that somewhere down the road money would be too much for you to handle. Maybe you would start to spend it on all your wants and needs and losing your need for Him. You see, it says in the bible that it is more possible for a camel to enter through an eye of a needle than a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. It's through the tough times; the financial struggles that we draw near to God for His provision.

I don't have the answers to why people get terminally ill. Other than it's part of the filth and sin in our world. The Bible says the Earth and all it's creation grumbles in anticipation for Christ's return. Creation knows what it was like to be flawless and perfect- now it's tainted. Just like our lives, at one time our human bodies were perfect and flawless. Because of the actions of Adam and Eve our bodies are now tainted. Processed foods, high fat, pesticides, smoking, drinking adds to the breakdown of our bodies.

It's no joke, and this issue is a very serious matter to many who are going through terminal illness. We need to stay focused and remember that God can give us the strength to get through each day. Pray for healing. Pray that GOD will do a miracle in your life... not "miracle bread"!

In scripture God gave manna to sustain His people. There wasn't anything magical about this bread. Except when God was able to have it pour down from Heaven each morning.

DON'T worship the bread. Worship- Pray- Bow Down to the Creator. Remember that HE is the bread of LIFE.

"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." Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

><>

(Please share your thoughts and comments.)

All posts are the sole property of the Heart Like Jesus blog. You must obtain permission to use any of the information on this blog.