100 Lunch Breaks With God, Day 18

Prayer

Lord,

Thank you for all of your blessings.  Thank you for being approachable to your children.  I have a need Lord.  It's not a selfish need, like it may seem to others, but you know my heart God, and this thing that seems impossible to me, is possible with you.  You created everything;  this one little thing is easy for you.  God,  I ask for this not as much for myself as for my family.  With you all things are possible.  Please do not let my faith in your promises waver.

In Jesus' name,

Amen

100 Lunch Breaks with God, Day 17

Leaves

Yellow, gold, and green slow dancing in the  breeze.

How delicate, how lovely, they decorate the trees.

One by one they lose their grip and flutter to the ground.

No longer yellow, gold, or green, but various shades of brown.

In the summer you gave me shade from the burning rays of sun.

How regal, how majestic a sapling has become.

Only God could create such beauty that I see,

This tree that most just walk on past is such a masterpiece.

100 Lunch Breaks With God, Day16

Waiting on God

Lord, shall I just sit here and wait?  My flesh wants to eat, go somewhere cool, take a nap, write a poem.  I realize I must seek you first to find all these things.  You are the reason I am here, it's no longer for my own reasons.  When you first asked me to spend 100 lunch breaks with you, I had my own, selfish, reasons for doing it.  Things I hoped to achieve from it.  Now, I am here solely to hear from You.  Today, I am not going to pray, not going to ask.  I'm just going to wait.

100 Lunch Breaks with God, Day 15

A Vision

I saw a vision.  We were at church praising God. There was no song being sung, just every individual praising and worshiping God, as individuals, yet as one mind.  As the praises went up, so did my spirit.  I went up to the ceiling, and looking down, I could see God's praises rising all around me from the congregation, like rays of light, and as they went through the roof, I did too.  The noise could be heard outside.  As I rose high above the church I could see the whole city and surrounding areas.

As the sound of praise came bursting through the roof toward heaven, I could see the Ballpark at Arlington, and at the same time the crowd there stood to their feet to cheer for what was happening at the Rangers game.  Though the multitude was much larger than the crowd at church, and their voices much louder, it was the voice of the church praising God that rose up high enough to be heard in heaven.  The voice of the multitude cheering at the game only rose up out of the stadium, then fell back to earth, heavy and silent, with no power and no effect on the world.  As the cheers fell back down amongst the crowd, they sat back down in their seats, the excitement and joy being short lived.  As the multitude sat, a few of them at the game remained standing, and turned their heads toward our church with a look of longing in their eyes, as if they too heard the sound of praise and joy that rose up from the church.

These people were the lost that wanted to be found.  They are seeking truth.  They long to know God and be known by Him.  They knew that the joy found at a baseball game was temporary and superficial, and they long for the true joy of the Lord.  They are the lost, and it is up to us to carry God's banner , to shine a light to help them find their way to salvation and eternity with God.

So, I asked myself, how can I reach them?  How can I make them hear my voice, and follow Jesus?  How can I lead and guide them to Christ?  How can I know who they are, where to find them?  Will I have the right words to say?

100 Lunch Breaks with God, Day 14

Stressed out from a hectic week at work and parenting troubles, I got a Frappachino and drove to the park to pray on my lunch break.  As I prayed, I began to feel the stress leave my body like heat from a fever.  A nice, cool breeze blew through my car windows and smelled faintly of  flowers.  It was very quiet, except for a bird chirping.  There was that distant sound of traffic on the highway, but it was soothing, like the hum of a fan putting you to sleep on a summer night.

Thank you God for the good things.

100 Lunch Breaks with God, Day 13

I feel a grumble and complaining in my soul.  I am brokenhearted and despairing for my children.  I want a happy family with a happy life, where everyone feels loved and accepted, like they belong.  God, please let my children see the good in each other and learn to appreciate and enjoy each other.

100 Lunch Breaks with God, Day 12

My Prayer

Lord, inspire something within me.  Let Your words flow from you, through me, that express Your love for all. Let Your words like a river flow from my heart to printed form.  Father, You are good, righteous, holy, and true. All things that You have made, in their way, worship You.  Help me put you first and seek you with my whole heart.

100 Lunch Breaks with God, Day 11

The leaves blow down the road as if they know their way.
Bouncing, dancing, frolicking by on a warm, breezy day.
They cannot wait to run and tell of the glory of the Lord,
For if we stopped praising Him the rocks would do it; it says so in His Word.
Holy is the Spirit, the Father and the Son,
The One who was, the One who is,
The One who is to come.
I'll seek you first O Lord my God
And listen for your voice.
Speak to me O gracious God
And leave me with no choice
But to hear and be heard by You.

In the splendor of my life
I long to be your servant Lord, your child, and your wife.
Reveal to me your secrets, let your thoughts to me be known.
I sacrifice myself to you, for I am not my own.
Envelope me in arms so strong, that no longer will I fear.
Kiss my cheek with holy lips and wipe away my tears.
Hold me close, that when you sigh, your breath will brush my skin.
Engulf me with your spirit Lord, without and within.
For I am Yours and You are mine, my Father, Husband, God.
I want to lose myself in You and on holy ground I'll trod.
Let me say I do not fear and neither do I stress
The Lord is with me, there is no strife, only love, peace, and rest.

I give myself to you Lord,
My body, spirit, soul.
To take and make me what you will,
For then I will be whole.
Inspire me to do great things
That brig honor to Your name.
Humble me that I not take pride
Or seek for worldly gain.
Forgive me God for all the years,
The weeks, and the days
That I did not serve you,
All those minutes lost, wasted away.

100 Lunch Breaks with God, Day 10

My Random Thoughts

God, give me the words that sing your praise,
That express how great you are.
Words so beautiful and so true that they bring tears to the eyes of those who read them.
I want words that bring you honor and poetically describe how majestic, powerful, and omnipotent you are.
I think that you created me with this love of words I have
To write things that bring you glory;
Yet everything falls short of it.

Give me your words, God
That the lost need to hear.
Give me words so beautiful that whoever reads them comes to tears.
Elegant and poetic,
Powerful and true,
Give me words that describe and glorify only  you.

Absolute, magnificent, terrible, real, true, powerful.
Holy way lead to happy days.

100 Lunch Breaks with God, Day 9

A bird is chirping in a tree right outside my window.
Singing praises unto God in a tongue that no one knows.
The bushes and the trees wave their branching arms
Worshiping the King of Kings with raised, leafy palms.

100 Lunch Breaks with God, Day 8

A Prayer for my Children

Dear Lord,

I love you.  I thank you for my children.  God, I ask you to help me be a better mother.  Please help me to encourage my children and not discourage them.  Give me the wisdom to know how to steer them in the  right direction and not make them want to turn away from You.  Please forgive me for the mistakes I have made with them, and help me right those wrongs in some way.  Thank you for hearing this prayer and for helping me raise my children for You.

In Jesus' name,

Amen

100 Lunch Breaks with God, Day 7

My Translation of The Lord's Prayer 

God, my Father in Heaven, you are holy, righteous, and true.  Lord, let your will be done on earth and in my life as it is done in Heaven.  Thank you for providing all of our needs and forgiving me of my sins.  Help me to forgive others as you have forgiven me.  Please protect from all temptation and keep me safe from evil.  The kingdom, all power, and all glory belong to you for ever and ever.

Amen

100 Lunch Breaks with God, Day 6

The Glory of the Lord

The glory of the Lord is all fulfilling.

The glory of the Lord is over spilling.

The glory of the Lord is all our strength.

The Glory of the Lord goes to great lengths.

I asked my God to save me,

"It is done", was his reply.

His love knows no boundaries

So I didn't ask Him why.

I stumbled and I fell,

And fell short once again.

He picked me up and brushed me off

And forgave me of my sins.

His mercy is all forgiving

And like a might river goes

Through the world saving all

Who gather where it flows.

Undeserving we may be

Of the mercy of the Lord,

For we were all just sinners

Saved only by His blood.

100 Lunch Breaks with God, Day 5

Communion

I sat on the second pew, respected and well thought of in my small church.  I secretly hated communion Sundays.  If I had known ti was a communion day I wouldn't have gone.

Traditionally, in that type of church, the pastor would admonish the parishioners to do a self-examination and if your heart and life were not 'right with God', you shouldn't partake of the communion, because in the past, some had taken it unworthily and gotten sick, and some had even died.  This always caused a lot of anxiety for me..  It put me in a position.  i knew I was unworthy, but if I didn't partake of it, the whole church would notice and think that I had 'back-slid' and was living in sin.  On the other hand; I didn't want to get sick and die.

I begrudgingly accepted the cup of wine and small piece of bread and stood with the rest of the sinners and saints while the pastor ceremoniously prayed over the communion 'meal'.  As he prayed over the cup, or the wine, I bowed my head and said my own little prayer telling God that I knew that I was unworthy to take the communion, but I also knew that no one else in the congregation was any more worthy of it than I was.  As I prayed this frustrated, confused, but honest prayer a peace suddenly came over me and it was as if Jesus said to me, "You're right, you are not worthy and never could be, but don't you know that it is my blood, that this very cup represents that makes you worthy?  Partake of this drink and of the bread,  because it is representative of the fact that you are not worthy, and yet my blood was spilled to make you worthy, and now you are made worthy by me."

What freedom and what joy came to me with this new understanding.  I couldn't believe that his simple concept as not obvious to me before.  Now, when I'm in a communion service, I  no longer worry and fret and do a self evaluation to determine my worthiness.  Now I joyfully thank Jesus for His blood that has made me worthy of partaking in he communion meal.  It is amazing to me how when I just talk to God in a heard felt and informal prayer, that is where I hear back from him.  His mysteries are revealed.  His presence and His gifts to me are made known.  I am reminded of Exodus 33:11 where it says that God talked to Moses face to face, like a friend talks to a friend.

God is so good, and I am so thrilled that I can talk to him like a friend.  He's my best friend, my only friend.

100 Lunch Breaks with God, Day 4

Lord Jesus

Lord Jesus, hear my prayer so that I may know that you are there.

Lord Jesus, hear my cry and help me recognize your reply.

Lord Jesus, I praise your name so that sorrow cannot remain.

Lord Jesus, I give my life that cannot compare to your sacrifice.

100 Lunch Breaks with God, Day 3

My Prayer

Lord Jesus, I praise you for this beautiful world you have given us.  I'm so thankful that I don't have to continue to live a life of sadness.  Why are there so many sad-faced, miserable Christians out there?  I thank you that you have given me the understanding that serving you is all joy!  Because of the freedom I have found in You, I don't have to be sad and serious all of the time.  I want to know joy that is unspeakable and full of glory.  I am so thankful that, even though I'm not perfect, you will continue the work that you started in me, and will perform that work in me, until I am risen to perfection in Heaven with you.

Amen

100 Lunch Breaks with God, Day 2

Not My Will, but Yours

Not my will, but yours oh God

For nothing is my own.

Not my will, but yours oh God

I would fail on my own.

Not my will, but yours oh God

Remove from me my shame.

Not my will, but yours oh God

I'll never be the same.

Not my will, but yours oh God

I no longer live in fear.

Not my will, but yours oh God

You've wiped away my tears.

Not my will, but yours oh God

Lead me where you will

Not my will, but yours oh God

And I will praise you still.

Not my will, but yours oh God

Your will I do accept.

Not my will, but yours oh God

Remember how I've wept?

Not my will, but yours oh God

I will praise your name.

Not my will, but yours oh God

Let your spirit reign.

100 Lunch Breaks With God, Day 1

Redeemed

My God, I give to you my sacrifice of praise.
My God, it is for you that I live out my days.
The dirt beneath my Saviors feet is cleaner than my soul.
I long to let the world know how you have made me whole.
All alone I lived my life, drowning in such shame;
But you, O Lord, redeemed my soul, I'm free in Jesus name.
I lived in sin, that horrible pit of misery and pain.
But You picked me up, and with Your blood, removed those filthy stains. 
Now my soul is free at last, my heavy heart made light.
You've taken every broken part of me and somehow made it right.
I thought it would be hard to do, impossible it seemed.
But I am a new creature now, for I have been redeemed!