Pen Pals

Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. (Matthew 7:7, GWT)

My nine year old has a pen pal who lives on the Mainland. Last Tuesday, she sent a letter to her pen pal. The same day she mailed the letter, she started checking the mail twice a day expecting a letter in return. 

Every day, without fail, she has checked the mail twice a day fully expecting a letter in return.

Every day, without fail, she gets excited that her letter may be in the mail today. 

When she checks the mail and discovers the letter hasn’t arrived yet, she makes comments like, “I’m sure my letter is on it’s way.” and “I can hardly wait to see what my pen pal has to say!” and “Maybe my letter will be here tomorrow.”

My child sent a letter to her pen pal fully expecting a letter in return. 

These pen pals have a sweet relationship. My daughter has confidence in her pen pal. 

When I ask things of God (1 John 5:14-15) on behalf of myself or my friends, I fully without fail, expect to receive. Every day, I check to see if the answer to prayer has arrived. Every day, I get excited to see how prayer is going to be answered. And if the prayer wasn’t answered “today”, I know tomorrow just may be the day our prayers are answered. 

I expect and believe until I receive. 

Why? Because we have a sweet relationship. I have confidence in Him. 

Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. (1 John 5:14-15)

My Baby Brother is a Cowboy

Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible." (Mathew 19:26, NLT)

My baby brother is a cowboy. A real cowboy. He walks funny from riding too many bulls. I've only seen him wear something other than Wranglers a handful of times my whole life. Thankfully, he still has all his fingers even though he has "swung a many a rope". When we talk (he lives in Oklahoma), he is always going to pick up a horse, drop off a horse, or check on some cows.

Recently, I was teasing him and told him I was going to take him scuba diving. He said I could take him as soon as I figure out a way for his cowboy hat not to block a scuba mask and regulator and as soon as I figure out a way for his Wranglers not to create too much drag. In other words, he always wears his ten gallon hat and won't exchange his jeans for board shorts and forget the idea of a speedo. Sis won't link up with that!

When I look at him I see no difference in him and the cowboys who lived in the "cowboy era". We could plop him down in that era and no one could pick him out of that crowd.

Today I was walking the beach thinking about him and the cowboy time in history. As a huge jet flew over my head, I thought, I wonder what those cowboys would think today if they could see huge jets fly.

It was once said it was impossible for people to fly. What those people said didn't make today's truth any less true. The ones who didn't believe it, didnt stop the ones who made it a reality. Today hundreds of thousands of people fly all over the globe every day. What once seemed impossible is now taken for granted.

Jesus looked at them intently and said, "Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible."

Jesus told the dead to raise.
The dead obeyed.

Need your marriage raised from the dead?
Need your health to raised from the dead?
Need you finances to raised from the dead?

Call it forth and give God the glory. Nothing...no thing...is impossible with Him!


Romans 4:17
Ephesians 5:1
Colossians 3:23
1 Corinthians 10:31

The Tiny Lightsaber

I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours. (Matthew 11:24, NLT)

We are currently renovating a rooftop apartment. Last night, we were at Lowes picking out tile, doors, windows, paint, etc.

Our youngest, Gracie, saw a light wand of some sort. A little trinket flash light that looks a lot like a tiny lightsaber. Gracie is a huge Star Wars fan. I saw her face as she inspected it. She turned it on. She turned it off. She turned it over. She turned it around. She inspected every aspect of the trinket.

I don't buy trinkets. She knew not to come to me. I have a rule. We don't buy something every time we go to the store.

But Daddy, Daddy blesses his baby girls! She said, "Poppa, can I please have this light? It's like a tiny light saber!" Daddy is also a Star Wars fan. He "gets" Gracie.

As we were walking out of Lowes, she was skipping across the parking lot (tiny lightsaber in tow) and grabbed my hand. She said, "When I saw the lightsaber, I prayed and asked God for it. I believed I would get it. And now I have it! Thank you Mommy!"

The tiny Lightsaber life lesson:

Pray
Believe
Receive

Key point:

She knew to ask her Father.

Since her father provided her with something as seemingly insignificant as a trinket, how much more does a perfect Father provide what we need! (Luke 11:13)

I tell you, you can pray for anything, and if you believe that you've received it, it will be yours. (Matthew 11:24, NLT) Even tiny light sabers.

Popped

For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:10 NKJV)

One of my friends posted the following link on my Facebook, mahalo David Johnson, enjoy!

http://vimeo.com/katkapruskova/flowerstimelapse

As I was watching the flowers pop open, it occurred to me, that is exactly what we look like when we received Jesus Christ as our Lord! (1 John 4:15) As He made us a new creation, we popped for the first time ever, we reached for The Son, and produced beauty! (2 Corinthians 5:17, Matthew 7:17)

I noticed one of the flowers in the video had a flower within a flower. As we continue to reach for Him daily, we continue to produce beauty to everyone who comes into contact with us shining our light before men glorifying our Father! (John 15:5, Matthew 5:16)

What about you? Have you "popped" yet and received Jesus? If not, I encourage you to today. Just repeat the following out loud with me.

Father God, I need you and Your Son, Jesus! I believe Jesus shed His precious blood on the cross for me! With all my heart I believe that You, God, raised Jesus from the dead! I accept Jesus as my Savior and according to You Word, I am born again! Thank You for your unlimited grace! Thank You for Your perfect plan for my life because You are perfect! Transform my life and make me new in the name of Jesus! (Jeremiah 29:11, Romans 10:10, 2 Corinthians 5:17)

If you said that prayer for the very first time, welcome to the family! Get connected with a solid bible based church. If you need help in finding one, please let us know, mahalo!