Pray for believers around the world who are being persecuted and wrongfully criminalized for their faith.
Monday Musings: Not according to plan
It’s still Monday, at least in my time zone, but I normally post much earlier than this. Sorry this is so late; surely you haven’t been holding your breath all day waiting for my Monday post! š
I just got home from five nights on the road between Texas and Georgia for my twice-annual Residency Weekend trip. This is the first (and last – LOL) time that I’ve driven instead of flown. The roadtrip had its ups and downs, and I don’t regret driving, but I’m glad to be back in my own home with my own bed & pillow.
Unfortunately, I came home to a 6yo who had urgent-care dental surgery this morning to repair a displaced permanent tooth that he knocked out of sorts on an inflatable yesterday. Instead of coming home to relax, I had to figure out how to make do with school lunches for the next two weeks when he can only eat liquids and soft foods. His lunch bag tomorrow consists of pudding, applesauce, diced peaches and a drink. Poor guy – he’s taking it in stride, though. Now that it doesn’t hurt anymore, he’s riding the novelty wave of being the first one in the family (including me) to ever haveĀ braces. Thankfully, they’re just temporary, but still – they had to wire most of his top set of teeth, since he’s already missing so many from recent baby teeth losses. I’m very thankful that they were able to salvage the tooth and reset it.
All that long story is to say: I got nuthin’ for you today. I don’t have the energy or creativity to write a poem. I’ll try to pick back up with Monday Musings next week.
Prayer prompt for Monday, August 22
Paul was an early church leader, but he didnāt fly solo. He had a vast support network. If you arenāt in a Life group, pray about why not.
What is your citizenship worth? (Prayer devotional for the week of August 21)
We talked last week about Paulās peculiar testimony. In Acts 22, he shared the outrageous story of his conversion with the religious leaders who brought him in for questioning. The folks in charge were not too happy with Paulās comment that God had sent him to minister to the Gentiles (i.e., non-Jews), and they ordered him to be flogged.
Paul cooperated and let them stretch him out and chain him up to prepare for his flogging, then he turned to the guy strapping him down and casually asked if it was legal to flog a Roman citizen who had not been proven guilty. The stunned guards were terrified. They could have gotten into big trouble for beating a Roman citizen!
They tattled to the commander who came and questioned Paul about his citizenship (verses 27-29). The commander made the smart-aleck retort: āI had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship,ā as if flaunting his wealth would trick Paul into admitting that he was lying about being a Roman citizen. Paul answered him simply, āBut I was born a citizen.ā Back in those days, being a Roman citizen carried with it special privileges, and the commander was rightfully frightened about the possible repercussions for having put Paul in chains.
As for us, I would venture a guess that most of us were born on American soil and gained our citizenship by birth. Others waited, studied, waited some more and then took a test to earn citizenship by naturalization. The latter way is expensive and takes a lot of time and effort. The naturalization process carries most of the perks of citizenship, but birth citizens still have more privilegesālike the ability to run for President.
I am proud of and thankful for my American citizenship, but what about our heavenly citizenship? What is it worth? Is it worth the time, effort and potential backlash to let the world know that weāre followers of Christ? This story in Acts 22 was just the tip of the iceberg for Paul; he spent much time in prison and getting beaten up for the sake of the gospel. What is heavenly citizenship worth to you? It was worth more than life to Paul.
Prayer prompt for Sunday, August 21
Paul could have stood up to his assailants sooner; instead, he took the heat for his faith. Put yourself in his shoes: what would you do?
Prayer prompt for Saturday, August 20
Is your citizenship in heaven? Itās simpler than applying for a passport, and it never expires! Talk to a Crossroads leader to learn more.
Foodie Friday: Travel snacks
I’m on the road, as we speak (or read, as the case may be). At the beginning of each semester, I have a Residency Weekend to attend in Georgia on-site at my university. I enjoy going, because I get to meet and reconnect with the classmates I normally only converse with online.
The past couple of times that I’ve gone, I flew, but airline tickets are so expensive these days, I decided to take a road trip. That leads me to this week’s topic: travel snacks. What to bring on the road to keep from eating junk all weekend?
As a low-carber, I like to munch on beef jerky and nuts. Beef jerky is pretty low in carbs (unless you eat the whole bag, which I admit that I’ve done before). Nuts are a good choice, as well, but the same caveat applies. I’m not a big snacker, in the first place, so I don’t usually take much food on trips, but it’s good to have some on hand, in a pinch.
The thing that gets me when I’m traveling is breakfast. Most continental breakfasts at hotels consist of: muffins, donuts, waffles, bananas, orange juice and coffee. Hmm, looks like coffee for me! š¦Ā So, I like to bring (or buy, if there’s a grocery store nearby) microwavable frozen omelets. They taste good, are very low-carb, packed with protein and super easy on the go. When everyone else is having a sugar crash at 10am, I’ll still be awake! š
Prayer prompt for Friday, August 19
Help us to see the people around us through your eyes today, Lord, even if it brings us to tears like Paul. Help us not become complacent.
Prayer prompt for Thursday, August 18
Do we put as much effort into studying Godās word as we do our school work, business, etc.? Use Philippians 3:7-14 as your prayer today.
Writing Wednesday: Favorite characters
I’m currently reading A Storm of Swords from the Game of Thrones series. Without giving any spoilers, allow me to vent that some of my favorite characters have died or disappeared. Some of my favorite characters have lost everyone dear to them (so they believe, at least), and they are alone in the world.
One of the chapters I finished recently talked about how one character broke a stick “sword” against a tree to release the grief and anger that had welled up inside. It’s an awful feeling to lose someone dear and to feel like no matter which way you turn, all roads are equally dreary. There have been times when I’ve done manual labor-type of jobs around the house because I needed to get out my frustrations. Weed-eating, for instance, is not particularly fun, but it looks nice when it’s finished, and it’s a good arm/shoulder workout. Shredding blades of grass to smithereens helps to clear the weeds out of my head, too.
I appreciate how the author is candid about the characters’ grieving process. Some bottle it up and try to forget it, put on their strong faces and deal with the here-and-now. I’ve been in that place before; sometimes, you just have to do what you have to do to survive the moment. Other characters wail and mourn openly. I’ve been there, as well. Some characters channel their grief into vengeance, purpose, drive, etc. I’ve experienced that resurgence within my own spirit at times, also.
One of the things I dislike about such strong character development in a novel, however, is that I get “close” to a character. I learn to like them and relate to them. I don’t like it when they die. š¦
faith, sweat & tears 