CONTINUOUS PRAYER

Browsing through some articles I have written and found this from June 1, 2006. Isn't it interesting that the preacher's statement in Ecclesiastes "there is nothing new under the sun" is so true? I am still writing about prayer. I have been writing recently about the comment "I never say amen." Isn't this the same thought with different words? I have deleted some of the post and changed my age reference from 69 to 74 to 81. (Smile) Obviously about every six or seven years I feel the need to share. Just felt this is worth sharing again.

The longer I live the more I pray. It would seem you would get better at it as time goes on,but in my case I just realize each day how much I need God's help for anything I do. The "pray without ceasing" admonition has become my motto.

God is so good to me that I must spend so much time just thanking Him for the blessings of the day. Then someone gets sick, and I must go to Him for peace and healing. Before I realize it, someone in the church is in trouble spiritually or physically or mentally, and I need to talk to God about them because who else can we turn to.

So on and on it goes and the day is over and it is time for rest and he gives it to me every night.There is a saying someplace about "giving your cares to God before you sleep because He is going to be up anyway" :-) And I do try to do that. Once I go to bed I usually have very little trouble sleeping.

I do try to keep my lines to God open by continuous prayer...I can see His hand in all my life from the smallest of details in the day to the overall of the 81 years I have lived.I would encourage you to go to His Word and then to prayer

My prayer for today is that you who read this might be uplifted and encouraged to talk to God and never say amen. Clella

MEMORY OF MOTHER

As I read and edited the following paragraphs for a chapter in Thread of Love, I was reminded more vividly of my mother and her outreach of love to all who were part of her life. She must have been in her late 20’s when many of these family members lived with us. How did she do all that washing and ironing and cooking and cleaning? When I think back my memories are not about her performing any of those duties. My head is full of laughter and food on the kitchen table where we gathered each evening to share our ideas, our plans and our experiences of the day. My memories are of the joy and love I felt around that table. I realize now that all of this happened because of a young mother’s love not only for her two young children, but for her in-law brothers who had recently returned from war and the results of that war. They came home to my mother’s love. A love they never questioned.

I honor all those women in my life who have at some point shown me that unquestioning love, but none quite like the woman I called Mother. What a woman! Today again, I thank God for her.

Excerpt From THREAD OF LOVE

My parents were in love with one another.  It was a fact of life for me.  I never questioned it. We never talked about it and I didn’t realize the importance of the love between my parents until I was much older. Perhaps not even until I began to love a man myself.

 My father had several brothers and sisters and all of them at some time or another lived with us. My father was the oldest and the most stable one in his family.  A sister (my aunt) began living with us after the death of my grandfather I have no memories that do not include her as a part of our home and she became my older sister .Other of my father’s brothers and sometimes their wives lived with us at different times. Usually the new residents came when someone was without a job or returning home from the armed services or recently married or divorced. Few questions were asked.

 The understanding in the family was that my mother and father would care for you until you could take care of yourself.   Paying bills and providing food and a place to sleep for long intervals (sometimes months) for his siblings was not an unusual action for my father. And tying all of this together was my mother-cooking, cleaning. laughing, crying but most of all just loving.  Parenting the entire family-not just her two children. And twined throughout it all was the love my parents showed to one another and the community.

Your comments about the preceding paragraphs which I am editing would certainly be appreciated. Thank you.

SHARE MY STRUGGLE

Writing a book is a struggle.  Not only do I struggle with finding the perfect word or phrase, but in this book, I am also struggling with becoming a bit more personal than in my previous writing. My thought for the next few months is to share this struggle and some victories (I hope). Each Monday I intend to post my journey in writing THREAD OF LOVE (Things Your Mother Never Told You).  Title is up for change, but that is it for now. I hope you will comment as we go on this path together. So that’s my plan!

INTRODUCTION TO THREAD OF LOVE (book content)

Eighty-two years of life, sixty-four years of marriage, two children, four grandchildren and four great-grandchildren give a person many stories to tell.  My idea is not to tell stories but to share my experiences in such a way that someone else may learn or gain from my years on this earth. I am aware that because God has been an integral part of my life most of my experiences will be wisdom from God.   And God is Love and the thread of God’s love ties all worthwhile wisdom together. THREAD OF LOVE is an instruction book, not a memoir.

MONDAY COMMENTS: I am still struggling with title. This intro is basically an explanation for book. What do you think?  Do you want to read this book. I intend audience to be young women age 20-40, married or planning marriage.

NAMES OF GOD →

When I am working on a manuscript for a new book, I always wonder if this is really God’s plan for me, or if I write because it is my plan for me. I like to play with words, I have all these ideas. Surely they need to be put into print. Writing lets me express myself. My, My, Me. . And always the question of how worthy am I to write anything about the Godly life? My post this week stems from a new book I am using and the thoughts I am having this week about a new manuscript. Please pray with me and for me. Thank you

DEVOTION

Recently, I finished a 10-week course with our local congregation, and as a closing gift we were given a little book entitled THE NAMES OF GOD, by George W. Knight, published by Barbour. Our leader suggested choosing a name of God from this long list of references as part of our daily devotion. Yesterday my point of reflection was ABBA FATHER. Easy for me, as my image of Father is good.  My earthly father was a good man and my memories are positive and pleasant. Yesterday, I was encouraged. I thought of this approach to God several times during my day.

However, today my name listed JUDGE OF ALL THE EARTH (Genesis 18:25). The scene here is the city of Sodom and Gomorrah. Surely God would not destroy the good people. My day has started rather early and it is now 10:00 a.m.  Already I have reflected on this name and situation several times. He is judge of all the earth, and I am asking how HE is contemplating our situations today? Much like Abraham of old, I am thinking, “Surely God would not destroy the good people?” and, Lord, many good people are still here in our world.  And how my mind does wander!

I am one of those good people, aren’t I? See how I enjoy my blessed life; appreciate my country, witness my Christian faith. It is those other people, in those other places, living those other life styles of sin and destruction in “all of the earth” that he is Judging. Surely not my family and my friends and my environment.

However, as my thoughts were on the name of God as Judge of all the Earth, I realize He certainly is judging me! I pray I may be judged worthy in His eyes. It will be interesting to discover the name of God for my meditation tomorrow. I may share it with my reader in the future.

And I thank our pastor, Robert Megill for sharing this book with me.