In this fast-paced world of instant gratification, it can be a challenge to wait on the Lord.  Prayer is personal.  People pray in different ways.   When our intentions are good and our actions are kind Jesus is grooming us to become closer to him.  When we do something less than desirable, he is there to help us get back on our feet, we simply need to ask with good intentions and a perspective of love.   Quick results are not always apparent.  It is difficult to wait for direction, but in hindsight, my intended path has proven to be worth…

When we take the time to learn from the struggles that we go through, those struggles get us one step closer to Jesus, a place where we completely surrender.   Our family watched my mother move through struggles daily, for years.  What I found was each struggle brought my mother closer to Jesus.  Each mountain we climb requires us to reach further and deeper into complete reliance on him. I was given the opportunity to help my mom live the last leg of her journey here on Earth.  That journey opened my eyes to how connected she was to Jesus and…

It is much easier to change ourselves than it is to change others.  When I am not pleased with what is going on around me, I look inward to what I am contributing and pray for direction and understanding.   It is rare for someone to change at the suggestion of others.  It is much more likely to create change from within.  What that means is I have to be willing to create an environment around me that is something a particular person or others would like to be around. In most situations, kindness, love, and compassion create change in people…

Life is much easier to navigate when I take responsibility for my actions and words.  I figure I am at least 50% to blame for the issues that arise in my life.  Very often guilty about contributing much more when I am not careful.  There are many issues I create that I don’t even know that I have created until it is too late.  Even worse are the issues I have created that I am unaware of and have few ways to rectify. Included in my prayers is a request to make me aware of areas in which I…