Lines from Linda

Save Me, O God!

Have you ever watched a fly struggle to break free of a spider's web? The more the fly struggles, the more entangled it becomes. Unless something more powerful than the fly intervenes, it will perish.

When we become entangled in sin, we're just like the fly. Without help, intervention, we are doomed. We all need help from time to time. And, even though we can help each other through times of trials, sometimes only God can help us.

The Prodigal Son came to a point where he was beyond human help. He could either reach for his Father, or die. David reached that point, too, and he cried out, "Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary with my crying; my throat is dry; my eyes fail while I wait for my God" (Psalm 69:1-3).

I, too, have been overwhelmed with mire, and waited on God to help me.

Does God really listen to our cries for help? Yes! He cares for us and wants the best for us.

One of the most encouraging passages in the Bible for me is found in 2 Kings. Remember King Hezekiah? Hezekiah was deep in the mire, too. The king of Assyria taunted him, and Hezekiah was sick to the point of death. The prophet Isaiah came to him and said, "Set your house in order, for you shall die and not live" (2 Kings 20:1). Then Hezekiah prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly, begging for his life. A few verses later we read God's answer, "I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you" (verse 5).

God heard Hezekiah. He saw his tears. He hears us. He sees our tears. And He cares.

Balance: Building the Best Foundation Part II

Note: Because balance is such a challenge, I've expanded this section into a second part. Much of the material from these two lessons has come from my book, The Prodigal Daughter.

Let's take a closer look at Joshua's challenge: Choose you this day whom you will serve...

CHOOSE. Imagine before you an empty gallon jar. If you were to fill it to the top with rocks the size of your fist, would you say the jar is full? What if you poured in some small pebbles and filled in the gaps between the rocks, now is it full? Add some sand to fill the gaps. Now, pour water over the rocks, pebbles, and sand. If you put the pebbles, sand, and water in first, could you put in the big rocks? Not a chance! But, by placing the big rocks in first, you were able to place many other items in the jar.

Suppose those items are our choices. Once we make the really big choices, the other choices seem to fit around them with ease.

Choose YOU. The challenge Joshua issued was personal. Each of us must consider our personal priorities. We can't attempt to do something because someone else thinks it's best for us. Right or wrong, it must be OUR choice, otherwise, we won't put forth the effort to see it through to completion. Consider the items on your goals list. Are they there because YOU want to attain those goals, or has someone in your life told you to accomplish them? Personal goals give us the motivation to trudge through whatever becomes necessary to reach the end.

Choose you THIS DAY. We must choose DAILY to strive toward our goals. Every day. Some days we'll stay in balance with our priorities more than others, but if we make a daily choice to work toward our goals, even if we stray from them for one day, we can get right back on track the next. Keep a daily list of tasks necessary to help you work toward your goals. If you have never done this before, your list may be long and overwhelming, but keep writing. Chances are, whatever you wrote down first has been nagging you the longest. Do it first and keep marching down your list. If you do this everyday for a month, it can change your life. Pray about your list and ask God to give you the strength to work through it. Focus on the results of accomplishing your goal. How will you feel when you've reached your goal? Carry that joy in your heart to motivate you!

Choose you this day WHOM. Our only choices are really self or Savior. If our goals aren't aligned with God's will, our lives will be out of balance. Some people have not chosen to serve God because they want "freedom." They don't wish to be bound by or responsible to anyone or anything. No matter what our choice is, we still have a master. By choosing self, we become imprisioned by sin and all the burdens associated with it. The real freedom comes from God. Choosing to commit to God will set us free. Free from worry. Free from guilt. Free from indecision.

Choose you this day whom you will SERVE. Yes, life is about service. To the Lord, to our fellow man, to ourselves. If you're uncertain what your personal ministry is, pray about it. Listen for God's answer. Investigate what needs to be done, evaluate your talents, and determine what you're willing to do. Soon, you'll fit right in where you were meant to be. And your life will become very fulfilled.

I hope you have a blessed day!

Bible Reading Schedule: Genesis chapters 10-11

Why Blog for Prodigals?

I am excited to share Partners In Prayer for Our Prodigals with you. One cannot think about a prodigal without referring to Luke 15: 11-32; the parable of the lost son. While the dictionary defines a prodigal as “rashly or wastefully” I appreciate the deeper spiritual lessons and blessing found in Luke; consequently, I have used this parable as the foundation for my blog.

A few years back, as Director of Care Ministries, I received a frantic phone call from a mother whose son was incarcerated for beating up a prostitute. After struggling with a drug addiction for years, he was currently in jail for one crime while waiting to be charged with selling drugs in another Country. She asked if I knew of a support group for moms whose children were wayward. Did I know of any other mothers? Surprise! She was speaking to another mother, whose son, while not yet in prison--was on a similar road to disaster.

We met on Friday mornings, just the two of us, to support, encourage, and pray! Eventually, other women joined us whose children were involved with drinking, drugs, and minor criminal offenses. Within a few weeks, it became apparent, we would need an agenda, and the research began. Soon, Partners in Prayer for Our Prodigals unfolded into a weekly support group.

Each week we covered a topic that, while our children struggled with different issues in their "pig pens" (vv. 15, 16); each topic was nonetheless shared by each mother as we struggled to love our prodigals home.  Issues studied and discussed included "letting go," surrendering, tough love, isolation, fear, and guilt. When you have a prodigal, so much of your energy is spent on him or her; worrying, seeking answers, anxiety-ridden days and sleepless nights. Crisis after crisis--you dedicate all of your time trying to hold the prodigal's life together. As mothers, we knew, WE needed help to hold our own lives together.

I was thrilled to be part of that eight-women-support group for more than a year. This February, with some prompting from my dear blogging friends Cindy and Lisa, I began the second leg of Partners in Prayer for Our Prodigals: my blog. My mission statement is to blog openly and honestly about standing in the gap for prodigals; to edify, to encourage, to support, and to provide a venue for other people as we come together and pray for our lost loved ones.

Recently, we had our first-ever blog banquet: a Homecoming Celebration for Dawn’s

son, Kevin. And with much anticipation, my prodigal and I will be traveling to Denver in July to meet Dawn and Kevin personally! At this very moment, Kevin is praying for my son…..God is faithful as He continues the good work He has begun! The prodigal becomes the prayer warrior!

This strengthens our faith as we stand in the gap for our prodigals, reminding God daily of His promises and His character! After all, in the parable of the lost son, guess who the Father represents?!?!?!? God runs to meet each and every prodigal; He longs for and has provided the way home for each of us! Define that? That’s GRACE! That’s MERCY! That’s AMAZING LOVE! That’s GOOD NEWS for all prodigals!

First Thursday in May

According to traditional holidays and observances of the United States, today, the first Thursday in May, is the National Day of Prayer.

I doubt that any Christian feels their prayer life is adequate. The Bible says to "pray without ceasing," and it's hard for me to be in prayer at a basketball game when I feel as though the referees need a seeing eye dog to guide them across the court. Or in traffic when a car cuts in front of me, nearly taking off the front two feet of my three-foot long car!

In Chapter Ten "No Longer Worthy" of my book, The Prodigal Daughter, I discuss how I revived my comatose prayer life on my homeward journey. One thing that helped me more than anything as I struggled to return was keeping a prayer journal. I sought out scriptures about prayer, wrote out my prayers, dated each entry and annoted answered prayers. As soon as I received an answer, I offered a prayer of thanksgiving. This prayer journal strengthened my faith more than any one thing I did along the path toward home.

I think I should begin a prayer journal again.