Prayer Journal

I always thought there were only four seasons, until I learned there are actually FIVE.  How did I discover this?  The information came from a very reliable source… someone I can trust and who is knowledgeable.

Yep, yesterday Trent informed me that we have now entered ‘beard’ season.  No, not bird season, beard season.  This is the season when all the guys grow beards in honor of hunting.  I must admit I was shocked.  I never even knew there was such a season.  How could I have missed that?!

Anyway, there you have it.  It’s a real season, sandwiched between fall and Christmas.  Actually it is also found before ‘SHAVE’ season, which is the season when wives have had it with their faces being scratched to a bloody pulp by those hunting beards.  Hmmm…  Beard season only last a few weeks, but I think shave season lasts most of the year!

We started a family tradition years ago.  Every fall we would go to an apple orchard where we would savor homemade apple dishes and fresh cider, go on hayrides, find our way through corn mazes, pet an assortment of animals and carry home handpicked apples.  Since this took place in Minnesota it was usually windy and cool…or down right cold.  We couldn’t wait to get home and have some chili or soup and snuggle up by a fire.

Happily we have continued on the family tradition right here in AR!!  A few years ago we discovered the Wild Things Farm in OK which is a lot of fun.  They have a petting zoo, corn maze, tractor rides for the kids and pumpkins.  The only sad thing is they have no apples.

This year we (the family consisting of Nate, Evan with Matthew and Samuel, Trent and Jess, Jake and Sheena with Jeremiah; Joanie and Ben and last but not least, me and Kevin) started our fall day out in Fayetteville at the Farmer’s Market.  If you’ve never been there it is a must.  The fresh flowers and produce were outstanding and so was the fresh coffee and cinnamon rolls.  Yummmmm…

After loading everyone back in cars we went to the Applefest and to Appletown in Lincoln, AR.  If you like the feel of a festival with rides and inflatables, craft tents and fair foods, you’ll love this.  It takes place the first weekend of October which was today and the weather turned out to be perfect.

We love fresh apples and if you do too, be sure and visit Appletown.  They have delicious jams, jellies and apple butters plus they serve homemade apple dumplings that looked delicious (but ran out before we got to eat any)!!  We did buy a bunch of apples for eating and cooking though.

We ended up having a late lunch at Ruby Tuesdays.  It was great and eventful as it always is with little ones!!!  Ask me about Samuel and I’ll tell you his story!!!  Ewwwwww!!!!  Matthew decided he wanted to ride home with us instead of his mom and dad.  Not far down the road I feel asleep and so did he… with a smile on his face.  Fall is such a wonderful time of year for families to get out and enjoy the beauty of the season.  WE sure did!!

If you haven’t started a fall tradition, why not give it a try? (Oh yeah…and I bought some DECENT decaf. Ahhhhhhhh….)

We just recently ran out of coffee..or I should say I just recently ran out of coffee.  I drink decaf and Kevin has digressed to his former addiction to caffine.  Enough said about that.

Anyway, he has been drinking Starbucks Pike Place and LOVES it.  Sooooo we decided that Starbucks DECAF Pike Place would be just as good.  Take my advice and DON’T try it….ever!!  If it is ever offered to you, run the other way.  Yes’ it’s that bad.  It is acidic, green and bitter.

There you are…consider yourself warned.  Of course since we bought a 5 pound bag of it I guess I will just have to choke it down.  I want to go back to Starbucks and demand a full refund.  I wonder if they would give me my money back if I brought in the unused portion???

For any of you trying to decide who to vote for, here is a word for the wise…

Look at each candidate and then see what special interest groups are endorsing them.  Special interest groups endorse a candidate not for their stance on all the issues, but for the candidate that will help create an environment that will allow their interests and influences to increase and thrive.  If those special interests groups do not uphold biblical standards, then run the other way with your vote.

It’s as simple as that.

I was tagged by Jake on a blog, rules as follows:  I have to write 6 random things about myself.  Then at the end of my entry I have to tag 6 people who HAVE to also do what I am about to do (random write).  My 6 random things are…

1.  I think toes are funny.  Especially big toes.  They are funny but necessary.

2.  I have made it a personal goal to make myself eat something I have hated and LIKE it.  I don’t want to be picky or ungrateful at anything put before me.  Of course things like insects and grubs don’t fall into this catagory.

3.  When I see chubby, cute little kids I just want to squeeze them ’til it hurts.  Not really.  I don’t want to hurt them just squeeze them, especially their little chubby parts. (Hey this was the TAG thing, it wasn’t my idea to share all this stuff).

4.  Chewing on tin foil or hearing nails on a chalk board has never bothered me.  I think I might even like it.

5.  I want to go to Jerusalem again and just sing over it out of my spirit.  I will do it before I leave earth.

6.  I would love to have a dog farm and have all kinds of dogs to love and play with.  I don’t think there’s much money in it though.

I am now tagging…  Fred, Kelly, TL Sadler, Matt N., Carrie Martin, Scott Hodge

Today’s the big day!  This morning I am finishing up some packing and will be off to the airport in a few more hours, the Ukraine being my final destination for a Prayer Conference.  Once there, I will be ministering a full schedule from Sunday through Tuesday night and will start the journey home on Wednesday.  Sunday morning Pastor Lynne and I will be speaking in twin churches…  Lynne will be at one and I at the other.  (The pastors are married to each other…Gelena pastors one and Gregory the other!!)  We will have less than an hour break and will minister all afternoon.  Monday and Tuesday mornings from 10:30-1pm I will minister to their Bible School students.  In the afternoons Pastor Lynne and I will minister to the leaders who are attending the Prayer Conference.  Following this will be the Prayer Conference from 4-9pm both days.

I share all of this with you so you will have a heart to keep us in prayer.  There is a hunger for prayer and a need for Word of Faith teaching.  We are believing that as a result of our time there, a spirit of prayer will sweep this nation.  Please stand with us for supernatural strength and energy of the Spirit to fulfill all our assignment there.  Also for our protection, health and for effectual doors of utterance to be opened to us!

I titled this entry “Here WE Go” because you are with me.  I am a sent  one from this body, which means when I go, you go too.  Thank you for partnering with me in taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.  As I have internet access I will keep you updated on this adventure!!

Yesterday, on my way to the airport in Minneapolis, I saw a sight that made me remember and cry.  On one of the overpass bridges standing shoulder to shoulder was a line of Firefighters holding American flags.  To their right was a fire truck with lights flashing.  There they stood, stoically in the rain and cold.  As people drove by they were waving and honking their car horns to show their support.  It cast a solemn mood over us all.

For 7 years now, there have stories circulating regarding what really happened that day, as people have struggled with 9/11.  But to me the truth is evident and clear.  This wasn’t just a natural occurrance.  It’s roots are spiritual.  America was birthed by God for this hour and we have been given a clear mandate to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world and to stand by Israel’s side and defend her right to exist.

The attacks on 9/11 were not a product of our nation being bad (thereby hated by Islamic extremists), nor was it self-inflicted as some people have ignorantly, yet boldly proclaimed.  We are not a bad nation.  We have done more than any other nation to bring blessing and freedom to nations and peoples.  We have fought tyranny, injustice, famine, disease and poverty.  We have sent countless missionaries around the world with the message of light and love.

We are hated by Islamic extremists, not because we are bad but because we are seen as a CHRISTIAN nation and for no other reason.  We could negotiate and give them everything they ask, but the truth is they will still hate us.  They have no tolerance for anyone or any nation who isn’t Islamic. Why is that?  It is a spiritual battle, it isn’t natural.  This is a war between the kingdom or darkness and light.

So as we refelct on the happenings of 9/11 let it fuel us in this noble fight to stand for Truth and Light.  THANK YOU to all who are serving so selflessly in our military and to all who paid the ultimate price.  I pray for the families who are living without their daddy, or husband or brother or sister or mother and for all those who lost family memebers on 9/11.  We must never forget!!!

It’s finally here.  After waiting months and months and months, fall is finally here.  I am writing from my front porch where the cool breeze is gently blowing the coloful blossoms of the mums that top my table.  Football is back (Go Alma!), cool nights are in store and sweatshirts can be worn.  (Actually Kevin is wearing some kind of medication to dry up the poison ivy he has on his arms and legs.  We never knew poison ivy could be such a colorful vine in the trees this time of year!).  The windows are open letting the fall air refresh us and mulled cider candles are burning.  I absolutley love this!  Welcome fall!

What an amazing service last night!  Everything God put in our hearts to pray and we prayed before the meeting came to pass during and after the meeting.  Oh the faithfulness of God.

This morning I was suddenly awakened by shouting.  Yep.  Kevin was standing over me yelling, “SUSAN!!!  There’s somethin on me!!”  It scared the tar out of me at first and then I laughed.  I have a feeling that nothing is going to be the same after last night.  Not in our lives, in our home or in any of YOU either!  We’re getting the revelation of the blessing.  We’re walking in it.  The blessing is ALL OVER US!  Isn’t it wonderful?

I Corinthians 13:11 says, “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; now that I have become a man, I am done with childish ways…”

As we grow up spiritually there are childish ways we are to get rid of.  One of those childish things has to do with our speaking.  Children have reactionary speech.  They speak out of their feelings, their emotions and their circumstances. They do not understand their mouths contain the power to create life or death.  Consequently, they say what ever they feel like saying.  They let anything come out of their mouths!

As children of God we are NOT to speak that way.  We are to CHOOSE our words wisely, and fill our mouths with the truth of God’s Word.  In essence, we are to decide AHEAD of time what our words will be in any given situation.   Proverbs 16:23 says, “The heart of the wise TEACHES his mouth and adds learning to his lips.”  We have to learn how to speak the right words.  We have to train ourselves by building God’s Word into our speech before we encounter situations that test us.  We must take time to instruct our mouth in the words that are allowable and rid our speech of words that are contrary to the counsel of God.

Words are tools that will either build us up and propel us into the plan of God, or they will be destructive and will put obstructions in place that will hinder us in walking out God’s plan.

Christians that are growing up spiritually are also growing in the amount of Word that comes out of their mouths.  We are growing in our understanding that our words frame our world, just like God’s Words framed  the heavens and the earth.  Let’s make the training of our mouths a priority.  Let’s be like the psalmist David, who writes in Psalms 17:3 “I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.”