Re-thinking Prayer

Pray at all times, pray at all times, God is always listening. Pray at all times, pray at all times, says Ephesians 6:18

Try singing the above phrase to the tune of “Clementine.”

I used to sing that with the church school children and at preschool VBS.  It’s a great scripture passage and I find myself still singing this little song in my head as a reminder of the power and importance of constant prayer.

We can all think of times when we intentionally stop what we are doing to pray. Before meals, at bedtime, during daily devotions, during worship, when we are stressed about a test, worried about a loved one, thankful when a child returns home safely….. Scripture tells us, however, to “pray at all times” (Ephesians) and to “pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) That seems impossible, doesn’t it? Overwhelming, at the least. Yet that is what God is asking of us. So how can we make that a reality while still doing all of the other things that are required of us each day?

Batter Up!

Since it’s stewardship time at FoC, I know my turn at bat is approaching fast. I also know I can count on my fellow teammates to do their part. They have all done their jobs quite well.

It’s OK to be a Square Pumpkin in a Round World

With Halloween just around the corner, I’m reminded of one of my all time favorite Halloween books, “The Legend of Spookley, the Square Pumpkin,” by Joe Troiano.  It’s about a little pumpkin born in a farmer’s patch. But Spookley is different: some say ‘odd,’ others ‘unique.’ Spookley is square. All the other pumpkins tease him because he isn’t round, and Spookley wishes to be like them so he can “roll” like his friends. Then one night a horrible storm comes to the pumpkin patch and all the round pumpkins are rolling to and fro…but not Spookley. He stands firm.

Losers

A facebook post of a friend caught my eye today. She had a link to a music video and she had written “for dog lovers everywhere…” so of course I HAD to check it out! Not only is it a great video, but the message behind the song got me to thinking.

Here are the first few lines…

“There will always be someone better than you, even if you’re the best. So let’s stop the competition now or we will both be losers.”