REFLECTING

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

 

It was a “week”.

As I paused to take my morning vitamin and as my morning coffee was brewing, I took just a second to reflect on the week that was.

 

Flash back to one week ago today, I am crippled by another onset of anxiousness and illness.  Monday night I face the single most harrowing night of sleep in my life.  I awaken Tuesday almost paralyzed from the unexpected attack.

 

Doctors are engaged.

Counselors are engaged.

Prayer teams mobilized.

I am a mess.

And looming on the horizon is one of the most important weekends in a daddy’s life.

 

Wednesday I am feeling unfit but better.  Praying a lot.

Thursday arrives and GOD as GOD does, settles me down. (Philippians 4:6) resets my focus and clears the deck.

 

The tremors subside.

The confidence starts trickling back.

 

Friday/Saturday and Sunday while a blur included laying to rest a dear friend of my family, a dress rehearsal, a rehearsal gathering with soon to be family. 

 

Then came Saturday.

A Saturday that Monday I thought I wouldn’t be able to do.

And yet…

His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life…

2 Peter 1:3 ESV

 

I needed that divine power.

For Saturday as the clock ticked toward 3:20 there I was with my precious little girl walking her down the aisle to be married.

And I was getting ready to do the marrying.

 

Standing there in front of one of my dear friends David as he greeted Hillary and I at the beginning of the ceremony, I had a flashback.

 

10 years ago, I was dying.

10 years ago, I wasn’t welcome at home.

10 years ago, I wouldn’t have been welcome in this setting.

10 years ago, I wouldn’t have been fit to attend the wedding yet alone officiate it.

BUT GOD.

 

Joyce Meyer comments that those 2 words DELIGHT her every time she utters them.

 

Friends, I almost died and missed the weddings of my little girls. 

That will sober you up in a heartbeat.

 

BUT GOD granted me the grace to be there; to participate and what is so WONDERFUL, is I will remember them. 

Something that 10 years ago would have been impossible.

 

But I should be surprised… (Matthew 19:26)

 

That is why I start each day with gratitude and start each OFH with a thanks.

 

BUT TODAY it is a little different. 

Dickens encouraged us to REFLECT upon our present blessings.

 

This morning I am REFLECTING and am filled to the brim with GRATEFULNESS.

 

In one short week I journeyed from paralyzed with fear to uniting my little girl in marriage.

 

Impossible?

For me, yes!

But GOD? No.

 

Liddle said, God is not helpless among the ruins. God's love is still working. He comes in and takes the calamity and uses it victoriously, working out His wonderful plan of love.

 

He did for me this week.

I am confident HE will do for you as well!

 

 

Have a blessed day…

I love you all.

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE

Have you thanked Him?

Have you praised Him?

Have you made it your priority to agree and cooperate with Him today?

Have you taken that deep breath and listened for what He has for you today?

1 Timothy 2:1 (The Message)

The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.

"There are parts of our calling, works of the Holy Spirit, and defeats of the darkness that will come no other way than through furious, fervent, faith-filled, unceasing prayer." - Beth Moore

Sorry I missed all of you yesterday.  Suffice it to say it is WEDDING WEEK! Ms. Hillary gets hitched on Saturday and it is “all hands-on deck” preparations.  😊

But as some of you could surmise from recent OFH’s, I have been in a personal SPIRITUAL battle of late.  Ambition, a growing workload, travel, a wedding has all contributed to some fatigue for sure, but what happened earlier this week was a first.

Sunday night into Monday I was suffering some real insomnia.  Up and down most of the night well into the morning.  I am not sure if I slept.

So, Monday was a little sluggish for sure.  I figured Monday night would bring a good night’s sleep.  Yet the enemy had another plan.

Multiple times in the night an INTENSE DARKNESS infiltrated my mind.  It came with audio.  “You will fail”, “Failure is coming”, “You don’t have what it takes to do this.” “It’s is over for you.”

The DARKNESS would come, the noise would come and then I would wake up.  This happened multiple times in the night.  I can’t make it up.

On a couple of occasions, I even went to the mirror to make sure what was happening wasn’t true.  I am serious.  It was horrifying.

Finally dawn came.

Reality came.

But it shook me up.

After a good shower and a cup of coffee, I sought a little help and got it.  My wife Beth reached out to some folks who have been covering my journey for some time to PRAY.  Pray for me, pray for the work, pray against the attack.

One of these folks replied to Beth’s request with some affirmations and declared that I would sleep well on Tuesday.

I did.

I did last night as well.

I am so grateful for this little squadron of intercessors in my life.  They have offered profound discernment over the years and prophetic encouragement.

I know this may be “over-sharing” today, but I shared the story to RE-EMPHAZIZE the quote from Beth Moore at the top of today’s OFH.

"There are parts of our calling, works of the Holy Spirit, and defeats of the darkness that will come no other way than through furious, fervent, faith-filled, unceasing prayer." - Beth Moore

While I quickly reached out to my doctor for some help, I am CONFIDENT that the mental upswing I have experienced the last couple of days were from those furious, faith-filled prayers.

No question.

For…No weapon that is formed against me will succeed (Isaiah 54:7 AMP)

And…

Ultimately…a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. – Philippians 4:6 (MSG)

It will.

It did. 

The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. – James 5:16 (NIV)

I share this little experience with you to encourage you.

Perhaps your attacks have been different than mine but just as serious, just as real.

I encourage you to also…

Rally your troops.

Remember to pray. Ask them to.

Speak the name of Jesus into your darkness. 

You + GOD is greater.  1 John 4:4.

No weapon, even subliminal ones will prosper.

“Take God at His Word – because winning the battle doesn't require

physical brawn, but spiritual brains!”  - Okoro

Have a blessed day!!

I love you all.

OPPORTUNITIES for HOPE