CONSIDER PRAYER

Dad is in Israel. Mom is juggling his four brothers' schedules with him (Nathan) assisting when possible.

A bad fall at practice. A break occurs. Pain ensues. Doctor visit factored into all the schedules. 

Break in collar bone is evident. VERY evident. Surgery is needed soon.

Prayer should be the first consideration. But....anxiety reigns until Philippians 4:6-7 kicks in....in everything let your request be made known unto God.

Consider prayer. Intercessory prayer that is.

When one is 1,267 miles away it's the only consideration that makes sense. (1 Timothy 2:1)

An intercessor is a mediator.  One who pleads another's case. One who cries out to the Lord on their behalf---for healing, peace, protection 

Our example is Jesus Christ who lives to make intercession for us. (Hebrews 7:25) In the same way, my Christian friends/prayer warriors continue steadfastly in prayer for Nathan. (Colossians 4:2)

It's the way intercessory prayer works. Others are there for you regardless of the distance and consider such prayers a privilege!

CONSIDER THE HANDIWORK OF GOD!

The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament shows His handiwork. ((Psalm 19:1)

What great glimpses we've had of the work of His hands as we have traveled the eastern coast of Florida!

From banyan trees and palm trees .....

to bald eagles perching & soaring at May Port......

.............to a sand crane family on the golf course....

and the deep rich blues of the Atlantic Ocean,

God's creative hand has done a great work!

Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord, (Psalm 150.6) let all rejoice
as they consider the handiwork of God.

CONSIDER: FIVE 4 FRIDAY

Happy "Fri-Yay," as toddlers' often dub the day, as you consider this list!
Five journal jottings this week concern Bible Study reminders. Tips, of sorts, for searching the scripture.

Most found in the margins of my "well worn" New American Standard Version" Bible. Mama Davenport used to say, "A well-worn Bible is a sign of a well-fed soul." (Not one of the five but one dear to my heart because it came from her.)

1. Text without context is just pretext. (Ronnie Stevens) Text - Context = pretext.
2. All Scripture is equally true but not all scripture is equally clear. (Cathy Crowe, BSF)
3. Always let the Bible interpret the Bible and let lucid text interpret obscure text. (C. Crowe)
4. Bible is "the" text for relational guidance. (Larry Crabb)
5. Encouragement is like verbal sunshine! (K-Love in the "Sunshine State.")

Consider jotting notes in the margin of your Bible on this "Fri-Yay!"

CONSIDER THE BACK ROADS

For a goal oriented traveler sometimes the backroads get left behind in favor of highways and expressways. 

What a travesty! Had we not veered off the beaten  path yesterday, we might never have encountered the legacy of a kind and caring man----well displayed in the rooms of his former high school. A godly man!

As a child he both painted and attended the Baptist Church in Plains, GA.

These days, at 93, he teaches Sunday School at Maranatha Church just down the road, surrounded by pecan trees! (Don't pick them.)

A man who went from peanut farmer....

.....to President of the United States                    ....to Nobel Peace Prize winner......

from small town to DC & back home again!

to become a humanitarian extraordinare--

always with his beloved wife by his side!

ROALYNN & JIMMY CARTER....71 years 9 mos. of marriage,so far.

....Considered by me a "Storybook Romance " discovered on the backroads of GA.

CONSIDER GIVING THANKS EVEN IN HARD PLACES

This morning as I was praying for friends who suffer from chronic pain, this toe tapping song came up on my playlist.

So, my prayer for them was that hearing it would "move" them to tap their toes.
If it moves you to "tap" your toes, give thanks that you are able to do that. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Beyond that, I pray that it moves you to consider praying for other suffering souls, especially those with chronic pain.

CONSIDER THE EASTER STORY

Consider the "real" Easter story as told from the mouth of a very "southern" 3 year old.

Is our "grand" nephew, Asher, a budding preacher?

CONSIDER LIGHT

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.....(Psalm 119:105).....And the way to my soul, according to Dr. David Jeremiah.

Light shines in the darkness

In Dr. Billy Graham's life, Christ's light shone brightly even at his final crusade, his funeral.

The symbolic light found it's way to rest upon the top of his casket.....

(Picture from Anne Graham Lots newsletter)

......like a BIG stamp of approval Father God bestows on His good and faithful servant.         (Matthew 25:21)

ACRONYMS

Acronyms.
You know......those abbreviations formed from the initial letters of other words and pronounced as a word.

Today's acronym is FRED. I created it as a way to save face and remind me of the positive connotation, regardless of the shape of the bottle and the assumptions of others. I don't know how the distributor, Fred Beverages, in CA came up with the name or if it has its own product acronym.

I just know that it is pocket-sized and filled with clear liquid, of the Rockland, NY alpine spring water variety.

I wasn't prepared for the glances at my "flask" as GAC patrons dubbed it. 

Vodka? It left a "sour" taste in my mouth.

So....in order to turn a negative into a positive, for me, my "bottle" acronym became ....

Fellowship

Requires 

Embracing

Divinity

Friends in the faith will get it. It's a positive for all who embrace the One who is the "Source of living water" and keeps us all connected by His death, burial and resurrection.

TEACHING TUESDAY = WOW

Right now, the only WOW I'm getting is Wifi Outta Whack!

Will try again later!

Well, 5 hrs later, the picture came through---will work on transferring rest of entry.

If you have time tonight, (3/20) I'd recommend going to novel. bookstore to hear Greg Boyles speak!
His story is one of KINDNESS!!

GOOD FAT AND BAD FAT

All physically fit folks know that there is good fat and bad fat. They ignore bad "fatty" foods.

Even dieters know about good fat but sometimes we tend to disregard it when we smell the aroma of fried foods.

Shutterstock

Here's some "fat" to chew on this Friday.

ENVY is a bad fat. Many women and men feed themselves with this sin. (Proverbs 6:16-19)

It seems to be deeply ingrained in human nature. 

ENVY eats nothing but its own heart. (German proverb)

FAT as used by Billy Graham's son, Nelson, at his father's funeral was "fat" of the good variety.

"My father was F-A-T. He was Faithful, he was Available and he was Teachable.....may we all be that way.

Consider the "fats" in your diet! 

I'm just sayin' or maybe I'm singin' to the food choir!