appointed prayer

week of July 27

O God, the protector of all who trust in you, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy: Increase and multiply upon all your faithful people your mercy; that, with you as our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, for ever and ever. Amen.

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Anna, Isaac, and Haley the Christmas dogSolomon tells us that “a happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing” (Proverbs 17:22, AMP). God undoubtedly has a sense of humor; we need only look at some of the animals He created (it’s hard not to smile at the sight of a hippo, a monkey, or a puppy). Or think of some of the married couples you know: don’t you think God was smiling at the wedding as He looked ahead to the interaction of the wildly different personalities that will be living together?

And as if often the case, medical science is proving the wisdom of Solomon’s Spirit-inspired words.

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posts tagged fear

the beauty of the Lord

Sunday, September 3, 2006 · meditations · no responses · comments closed

Psalm 27 has long been a favorite of mine. About 7 years ago, I regularly prayed the first verse over Zachary and helped him memorize it to combat frequent nightmares:

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?

Taken by itself, this verse is encouraging, but it could be read as if David is simply asserting a theory: “God is on my side, I shouldn’t be afraid.” The next two verses make clear that he’s not talking theory; he’s talking certainty…

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trading freedom for fear

Thursday, June 1, 2006 · living the life, movies and music · no responses · comments closed

I saw V for Vendetta Tuesday night; it’s about the overthrow of a totalitarian government. It’s also very much about the power of fear. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realize that oppressive governments trade in fear — -Iraq under Saddam Hussein is a clear picture of that. V for Vendetta did a better job of making this clear than other films I’ve seen in this genre, in part because Evey, the main character, has to overcome her own fears to make a difference in the world around her….

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time for practice

Tuesday, April 18, 2006 · meditations · no responses · comments closed

This morning, I had to do something I was dreading. I had no good reason to dread it, but those of you who have had problems with anxiety or panic attacks know that the lack of a good reason for fear doesn’t make the fear any less real. My emotions were about to get the better of me in spite of my mind saying, “There’s nothing to be afraid of.” So, as I was on my way, I prayed. I said, “Help me, Jesus!” Immediately, I heard the Spirit tell me,…

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“consult not your fears”

Tuesday, February 21, 2006 · vision and goals · no responses · comments closed

Consult not your fears but your hopes and your dreams. Think not about your frustrations, but about your unfulfilled potential. Concern yourself not with what you tried and failed in, but with what it is still possible for you to do. — -Pope John XXIII

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the familiarity of the cockpit

Thursday, February 9, 2006 · reading, vision and goals · no responses · comments closed

In Pursuing Your Life Dream, Eastman Curtis tells of a conversation he had with a trainer of fighter pilots in Vietnam. This trainer said that most of the pilots who were shot down could have escaped from their planes…

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fear: the anti-goal

Wednesday, November 16, 2005 · vision and goals · no responses · comments closed

Every week, I eat breakfast with Jeff, Chris, and William — -we are, to use John Eldredge’s term, a “band of brothers.” Our conversations range over a wide variety of topics, from movies to marriage and politics to prophecy. However, we always make it a point to talk about our goals, and we have worked our way through some books to help us be more purposeful and focused.

Jeff’s been reading Chris Howard’s Turning Passions into Profits, and he told us about Howard’s idea of having goals you move toward (positive goals) and those you move away from (anti-goals)…

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    DanReflections on a Christ-centered, grace-filled life. Writer and teacher Dan Butcher's blog takes an eclectic approach to faith.
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