A Prayer for Election Day

By:
SCOTTY SMITH
The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.” And the twenty-four elders, who were seated on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was, because you have taken your great power and have begun to reign. Rev. 11:15-17
Dear Lord Jesus, it won’t be long before we will stand and sing Handel’s magnificent rendition of the grand affirmation of this text: “And He shall reign forever and ever, King of kings! and Lord of lords! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!” It’s hard to believe Advent season is upon us. And yet we don’t really need to wait. Election Day is a perfect day to rise to our feet, or fall to our faces, and worship God with peace-filled and joy-laden hearts.
Lord Jesus, you are the King of kings and Lord of lords. Your reign has already begun and your reign is coming in fullness. Not a breath will be taken from our lungs, nor a day taken from our lifespan, apart from your decree. No premier or president, emperor or autocrat, dictator or potentate is a threat to you, or necessary to your purposes.
Demons tremble at your name and stars sing your praise; fierce hurricanes become gentle zephyrs, and placid lakes become roaring oceans at your bidding. Lame legs walk, deaf ears hear, mute mouths shout at your command. Loved ones are taken to heaven and sufficient grace is given, all in keeping with your purposes, timing and glory. The Lord gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of our Lord.
On this Election Day, we bow to you and cast our votes. The brokenness in our country, hearts and world leads us to cry out, “How long, Oh, Lord? How long before you return, Lord Jesus, and finish making all things new?” Until that Day, we will seek to “Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.” (1 Pet. 2:7). We will seek to live as good citizens of two kingdoms—the city of man and the City of God. We will seek to adorn the gospel and serve you faith-fully, wherever you place us in the community and culture.
Whatever the results of this Presidential election, (as well as the many, many other offices which will be decided today), we affirm with renewed confidence and in-this-moment gratitude, that you, Lord Jesus, are the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Hallelujah, what a Savior; Hallelujah, what a salvation. And you shall reign for ever and ever! So very Amen we pray, in your loving and triumphant name.

1000 Gifts and Counting

1120. Feeling that Spring is coming, spied beautiful crocuses

1121. A gift in water...Rainy Monday...I can choose to focus on the dark, dreary day or on the gift that the rain will usher in growth and life soon
1122. a gift in wind....Listening to Nater read Ephesians 3:14-21
1123. A gift in white....White Internet page...lecrae quote.... Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass, it's about learning to dance in the rain.
1124. days warm enough for kids to play outside

1125. Sound of downpour while in BSF speaking of Gods awesome power

1000 Gifts and Counting

We thank you, O God!!  We give thanks because You are near.

Psalm 75:1

I am so thankful for the big and little things as I clean and box up our belongings.  Here are just a few....

1094.  Large paper drawings that kids have drawn for me over the years that have served as the decoration in my bedroom.  Now they have to be preserved in a photo because the original is in bad condition.

1095.  Reminders on white shirts in my closet that this is real - it's not all in my mind or that all this work is for nothing.

1096. Seeing the boxes begin to stack up....

1097.  Friends who come over to help and work with us....that is a blessing as well...that we can work in the same room instead of working seperately throughout the house.....any time together is a blessing

1098. Pizza & slush to reward hard work!
1099. Blackboard where I can write the reminder for our family that we are bringing shalom into this chaos with our hearts and actions and words

 1100.  More friends!  They played the whole time, but that was a blessing too!

1101.  Handmade gifts that are treasured by us, covered in soot, but we are able to get mostly clean. (this head garland was made by Amy Cooper)

1102.  This rainbow silk was made by Amy Cooper and myself when we lived next to one another on Ash Street.

1103.  Risk frenzy in the midst of chaos....kids having game after game....all precipitated by Nater's constant requests of one and all, "Wanna play Risk with me?"

1104.  Seeing Nater decked out in knight/mosquito protection as he shoots bow.

1105.  Lessons God whispers into our situation as I begin in another room and uncover more soot.  How often we want to deny that there is any sin issue we need to address in our life (similar to Ted's insistance that there was nothing out of the ordinary going on in our house when I would complain of the dirty house or carpets) and also how when we start peeling back and taking spiritual stock of our heart - we begin to see how insidious sin really is and how prevealent it is (just like here in the classroom after I took down our 13 colony timeline).  Only then can we do the work to remove it - first we have to see it!

1106.  Amy B. & KC both supporting, praying, listening to me before I had shalom in this chaos
1107.  Yummy meal that Amy brought that we spread out for days!!
1108.  Sunshine - name and the person behind the name who guides me thru this process

 1109.  Jake's music echoing through the house as I work....makes me smile now! His song about time.

1110.  Natalie letting me borrow more Ray Vander Laan to listen to as I work!  Kids are also listening to him in other rooms.
1111.  Changing my focus off self and onto thankfulness and the reminder that in every circumstance I'm building His church and to be bringing shalom into chaos.

1112.  hearing things like "it's like the sky or heaven", "it's white like us after Jesus washed our sins away", "it's like the color of honey because remember Taste and See that the Lord is good!" coming out of my kid's mouths as they try to convince each other what color they should go with for their rooms

1113.  Time in the Word to refresh my soul....helping me to go to Him for all my needs

Hebrews 4:16 

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.  

There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

1114.  Boys - amazing helpers anytime I ask!

1115.  Farmers Insurance - each time I start working in a new area of the house and see all the soot, I whisper how thankful I am for the insurance company covering this - without their help we'd be stuck living in it.  Which in turn - spurns me on to thank Christ each time as well, for the price He paid to wash my sins aways.....Where would I be without Him????

1116.  Washer, dryer and dishwasher  to clean things - each day all are loaded many times with sooty items to clean - every time I pull out something I'm blown away with thankfulness.

1117.  Chemical sponges - lifesaving tool to clean pictures!

1118.  Exhaustion at the end of the day

1119.  Soot.....I am thankful for it, for how it has reminded me once again of what truly is important in this life - what is lasting - what I want to focus on - not on things but on those He has put in my life to love and care for and for His Word!!

Ties You In Knots

Lately, I've felt tied up in knots because of all that seems to lay on my shoulders to prepare our home and family for what is just around the bend - a restoration company coming in to clean our home from top to bottom of soot.  The other day, as I was trying to help Isaiah and Ben work in their room, while I was working in Maddie & Nate's room, I could hear Jake in his room singing away and playing his guitar.    At one point, as I was rushing to go downstairs, I stopped at his door to tell him something he could do to help, but I held my tongue and just listened (totally the Holy Spirit at work!).  He was recording the drums for a song that he was creating, so I just laid on his bed and listened to the lyrics.  This is the song that he was working on and I think God is soooo COOL that He had Jake working on this song right at this time, right when I needed it!  When the song was over, I asked if he would just play it for me and sing so I could enjoy watching him and he did and I was overcome with emotions once again by how gifted he is and how beautiful it is to watch him sing and play.  The song is light-hearted and yet powerful - I love the lyrics at the end of the chorus: "She's the queen of your life, you don't wind her up, she ties you in knots."  I don't want to live this next week, this next month, any moment of my life - at the mercy of this lady and full of regrets....I want to live in the center of Christ's peace - the peace He gives me as I focus my heart and mind on Him. That is what Jake's music did for me that day - God reminded me through a child where my focus should be.  Since that day, my heart's been lighter - I randomly burst out the chorus as I'm cleaning and boxing and bless God throughout the day for this process, this mess, this home, these children, His Word and His love.

Enjoy and be blessed as well!

V1

Eight-thirty, stop by the nearby coffee shop.

Nine o'clock, head off to work.

And at ten, run through your hair with your ten fingers, again.

Ten thirty, finish the papers

Eleven, sip your cold mocha,

And twelve wish you were home...

Chorus

Typical days, spend them in the same ways in a different place;

Day after day, after day, after day, they all start to look the same.

Now if you look at the clock, you'll see she never stops,

She's the queen of your life, you don't wind her up,

She ties you in knots.

V2

Nine o'clock at night, fighting another fight.

Ten-thirty again, throw off the covers and head for the kitchen

After taking a drink, You head for the sink,

Where you look in the mirror again

Wondering if he'll ever be your friend?

Repeat Chorus~

Bridge:

Cut the days in half and you'll get 12 hours

Cut to the chase 'cause life isn't a race

So stop runnin' off the clock again

Time is a'chasin' we all know it

Twenty-seven thousand two hundred and five days

That's all it takes before you're 75 and still looking at the time

You wonder where did it go

You can let that old clock rule you with it's iron hands

Or you can take a stand

Just be a man

Repeat Chorus~

What Road are You On?

Francis Chan challenges, in a good way, those of us that justify our Middle Road journey, instead of walking just like Jesus walked.

Blessings

These past couple of days have held some really sad and scary events for our family and those we love.  A kind and giving man, who we had the privilege to know for a short time, gave into the enemy's lies, leaving behind so many who miss him and one of our dearest friend's was in a serious accident while on the job and could've died, but instead lives!!  Tonight I couldn't sleep, so I'm praying for our friend, Jeff, and his family and I'm praying for the Bailers and for all those whose lives have been touched by these tragedies and wonder where God is in these circumstances.  My heart is heavy for our church body as well.

I find myself drawn, compelled, to bless God...to bless Him for everything...each day...whether it holds joy or tragedy...He does love us.  This song has been on constant repeat in our home.  Blessings by Laura Story.

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You're near?

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can't satisfy?

And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?

We Can't Afford to Get It Wrong

The idea that we can understand God's ways or God's thoughts is so humbling, because we cannot...we don't even come close.  The idea that God would not judge anyone to an eternal hell is man's attempt to blind our eyes and close our ears.  Listen to Francis Chan all the way to the end - here is a teacher who humbly encourages everyone to seek the Holy Spirit's guidance through scripture - God's Word...God's thoughts.  This man is a talmid of Jesus.