When Autumn Comes

Winter summer spring and fall,
There are times I love them all.
Each so sweet and oh so fair,
All have something for which I care.

Summer brings the warmth of sun,
It brings around the misty fun.
Hazy and lazy sour sweet,
Bright summer sun warming my feet.

Spring and winter one and the same,
Yet so different you know they came.
Sliver and white flowers and gold,
Both are a beauty to behold

But there is one that's better than most,
One that I love from coast to coast.
My sweet little season autumn my dear,
I'm very glad to have you here.

You've been away for so long,
I've waited for you with a song.
Waited for your presence and crispy chill,
I've been hoping on the hill.

You're back again with falling leaves,
To rake them up I roll up my sleeves.
Gold and orange yellow and red,
Pretty colors fall on my head.

When autumn comes it sets things right,
It takes the earth and makes it bright.
Leaves and pumpkins cider and home,
In this beauty you're never alone.

Calm and quiet watching wait,
There's a tranquility in this fate,
It comes around but once a year,
But in that time remain here.

Autumn autumn here you are,
Golden sunlight from afar.
Time for jackets and scarves to wear,
Fall's here and none compare.



Photo Credit: Pinterest

Fellowship - Prayer Blog

My dear readers, let us not forget our brothers -  new believers who have just committed their lives to God. Seekers who have found an answer in God's love, and desire to learn more about him.

Too often we forget about these hopefuls. Seasoned Christians forget how hard those first few steps of faith can be, how lonely the beginning can be, how easy it seems to turn around and go back to life before faith. New believers have just started down the path of a life lived for God and they have questions; they want to know what faith is about, they need guidance.

I'm sure that most of you - in fact, most of the church - knows one or two new believers, and, as brothers and sisters in faith, let us not forget the newcomers; let us take them under our wings, teaching the ways of God, showing them his wonderful hand at work in their lives. Let us set them on the straight path towards life eternal. Let us become of one mind - the mind of Christ - nurturing the newcomers, bringing life where there is none. Let us all be the hands and feet of Christ and bring in joy to the dark places of the world. Let us, brothers and sisters, not forget those who need us most. Let us bring answers to those who have come seeking them; let us remember all who come searching.

Prayer:
Dear God,
Give us all a heart for new believers, people who have committed to you and desire to walk in the way that you have set for them. The Bible says that even heaven rejoices when one new person enters eternity, so let us be joyful also. Give us joy for the newcomers; let us rejoice and teach them. Give us a heart to see the world reached. And, Lord, let us all - new and old believers alike - have eyes to see the lost and hurting, those who have no hope. Fill our hearts with your love, that the whole world may know who you are and experience your love overflowing.

Photo Credit: Fellowship Bible Church

Prayer Blog - Everyday Prayer

How often do you pray, if at all? Once a day, before meals, when you're about to walk into that important meeting and you need a little extra help, before you turn off the lights before bed, with your kids at the side of their beds before their bedtime?

I've noticed that there seem to be designated times in Christians' days when they remember to pray. They need help or they're stressed so they give God a tap and ask for the situation to go away. Christians remember to pray before eating because that's probably what they were raised doing. Even if you didn't grow up in a Christian household, your parents most likely said grace before a meal, because that's just what they did. Praying with your kids seems like a no-brainer; it calms them down before lights out and reminds them not to be afraid of the dark. These are the times of the day when Christians are most likely to pray because it's force of habit; they pray at the same times every day, most of the time saying the exact same words, and then they can move on with their days because they've done their duty.

Praying at the same times every day is not a bad thing; in fact, it is is encouraged in the Bible. Matthew 6:6 says, "But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your father who is in secret. And your father who sees in secret will reward you." God encourages believers to set time aside from their lives to read his teachings and to dwell in his presence. But, sadly, most Christians take this too seriously. They set certain times of day to pray, stop what they are doing, open up their Bibles, and then pray the contents of their hearts to God. The bad part of this is that believers get to set in their ways. They make sure their Bible study is at the exact same time every day. They read the same verses, pray the same prayers, and ask for things they want instead of giving God glory. They forget why they set this time apart; they forget that God wants us to enjoy our time with him.

Christians should enjoy their time with God. "Pray without ceasing," says 1 Thessalonians 5:17. So, more often than not, time set aside for God should be spontaneous and Spirit-led. Christians shouldn't have to worry about staying within a certain time limit or being overrun by work. They are to enjoy God and love the time they spend with him.

Prayer -
Dear Lord, help us to enjoy your goodness and glory. Never let us forget that we serve a great and mighty God who we should never stop praising. Let us not become weighted down by our earthly responsibilities; instead, let us only be concerned with glorifying you, God. Let the Holy Spirit prompt us at unlikely times to praise you and to give you our time. And put on our hearts new prayers to you that we have not prayed before. Let us enjoy your presence by never ceasing to glorify you. 

A challenge to my readers: Be spontaneous this week. Pray to God just to praise him. Give him some time in your week that you would never have thought of before.

Prayer Blog - The New Year

Oh, where oh where did the year 2017 go? It's hard to believe that we've all lived through another year on this earth, we've all come through another 365 days and are ready for another year to begin. No matter how your year went, whether it was a good one or bad, I want you to look back upon it one more time before we face 2018.

What was the best part of the year - maybe when you finished school and graduated, or maybe you finally paid off you house loan. Maybe the best part was that special moment when you drove your new car for the first time, or maybe when you found that your family of two was about to turn into three. I'm sure there were many wonderful and happy moments; I'm sure that the memories of them will stay in your mind for a long time.

But, of course, there were sad times too. Times when you wished that the year would just end so that you could move on to next year, and you just wanted to start over. Maybe your pet died or maybe a very good friend or family member. Perhaps money was tight and you struggled to make ends meet. Maybe things just didn't go as you had planned and no matter how hard you tried you just couldn't dig yourself out of the hole you seemed to have fallen into.

And, true, every minute of every day is filled with ups and downs, and no year is ever the same as the last. But, no matter how good or bad things get, there is always hope, because you are never alone. God is always with you, year in and year out, through every trial and joy and in every season of life. You never need to be afraid because God will be there to walk with you in hard times and carry you when you can't go any further. The Bible says, "He will not leave you or forsake you," and those are words you can trust.

Prayer:
Dear God,
We pray that you will be with us in the new year, that you will enable us to enter it gracefully and without fear. We pray that you will help us trust you this year and give you all the glory that you are due, in every moment of every day. No matter the problem, let us give you all that we have this year. Never let us forget that we owe you everything and that we are never complete without giving you all we can. To you be the glory in this coming year.


Thank you to all my loyal readers for a wonderful year in which you've shown me a lot of support. I hope you have enjoyed what 2017 brought you on this blog and I hope you will continue to read it in 2018. Have a wonderful new year and a blessed year in general. 
                                                                                                                            - Your Author

Prayer Blog - People of the World

What an amazing world we live in; what a great beauty it holds. Not only in the many varying landscapes but also in the people who inhabit this land. We often forget how many different people there are in the world; you can look at your neighbors and the people in your city and forget that there are people not at all far away who look, act, and even sound completely different. How beautiful a world of diversity is! How gorgeous the contrast of the world's people is! It truly gives testimony to a glorious and creative God, who had the wisdom to see that our world would be awfully boring if we all looked the same.

Look on his creation today. See how wonderful his people are - how beautiful they were created, no matter their skin color, heights, weights, eye color, or background. They were all created specially by a caring God who loves each and everyone of them.

Pray -

Dear Lord,
What an amazing world you have created and what beautiful people you have filled it with. We thank you that you love us so, and we celebrate what you have done for us. We desire to be like you, so please give us hearts to love those you love. Give us opportunities to demonstrate your love through works, and be glorified through it all.

*****
If you want a better look at just how different and special the people of this world are, check out PRAYERCAST, a free website with prayer videos for every country under the sun.

Prayer Blog - Hopelessness

It is really quite sad to see someone who has no hope. A person who is so sad or angry that they have lost all faith in the world around them and the people in it. It's much easier to become hopeless then you might think; in fact I can safely say that every one of us has been hopeless many times in our lives. Times when we just give up trying and resign ourselves to melancholy.

I believe that there is one simple reason for hopelessness and one simple fix. We have lost sight off what really matters: God created us to be perfectly happy and to be joyful in his love, never wanting for anything except him, casting our eyes to him. But, because of this fallen world, our vision gets clouded more often than not; our worldly problems overshadow God and as a result we become hopeless. Cast your eyes once more to God, give him your problems, and you will have hope.

Pray - 

Dear Lord, please give us your strength. Let us once again desire to see you and know you. Let us put aside our worldly problems and hopelessness and look for you with all our heart. And, dear Lord, we pray for those who do not know you and therefore have no hope at all. Dear Lord, reach them please; give them a reason to hope again.

Pray Blog - Anger

Anger - Definition.

A strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility.


We all get angry; it's part of our fallen human nature. But think about that definition for a moment. Annoyance, displeasure; it's true. Doesn't all anger stem from some sort of annoyance? You might get angry at that person who cut you off on the road, or your family when they're being loud and you just want quiet. How about your boss who asks you to complete one assignment when you wanted to do another, or anything that disrupts your natural routine? Yes, you can get angry at all these things, but they all started from annoyance - a little problem that you blew up all out of proportion and now you can't get around it. That is what all anger is: annoyance or displeasure that you are letting rule the moment.

Next time you feel annoyed, take a moment to think. Is this going to continue to bother me, will it make me angry? Maybe take a breath or walk away from the annoyance. Just remember: annoyance leads to anger.

Pray:
Dear Lord, you never intended for anger to happen; it was a byproduct of sin and a fallen world. Let all of us keep our anger at bay; help us to glorify you by staying calm and seeking you when we feel annoyed. There is no getting rid of anger while we are on this earth, but we can ask for your help in keeping our anger at a minimum.

Prayer Blog - American Tragedy

Brothers and sisters, America has been hit hard by hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Many people are without their homes and jobs; some may have even lost their loved ones in the terrible storms that tore apart our coastlines. What a time for these hurricanes to hit, only days before the anniversary of one of the darkest times in American history - the day that terrorists hijacked four planes and flew two of them into the World Trade Center, killing thousands.

Yes, we must be sad for the lives lost during 9/11and those lost during the hurricanes, but let me say this. Both these events are tragic and sad but they also have one other thing in common: Americans. In times of hurt and tragedy, Americans have come together as one nation, no matter their skin color or religion or background. They've come together because people needed their help, people who are just like them. Americans. We've come together as a country before and we are doing it once again, because we're Americans.

Prayer:
Dear Lord, we pray for those affected by the recent hurricanes in Texas and Florida. We pray for the people who have lost their homes and jobs, that they would stay safe and lean on you as rescue teams begin to put things back in order. We pray for the rescue teams, that they would be able to help those in need quickly and effectively and that they themselves would stay safe. And finally, Lord, we pray for our country, that we would come together as one nation in the wake of tragedy. That we would lean on you for protection and guidance. You make everything work for good and your cause; perhaps these hurricanes will pull us together as a country just like 9/11 pulled us together 16 years ago. Please bring us back to the country we're meant to be. Amen.

Prayer Blog - Beautiful Morning

Morning. The time of day when the world is just beginning to wake up from its hours of sleep.

What do you do in the morning? Probably the following: jump (or slide) out of bed, shower and get dressed, brush your hair and teeth, and then slide into the kitchen for breakfast. After eating your cereal, toast, or pancakes, drinking your coffee and brushing your teeth again, you either rush to find your shoes, jacket, and work papers, or plop down in front of the TV for a few minutes before getting in your car and driving off to work.

This is what your morning is generally like and it is a good way to start the day. But there is another way you could be spending your first waking hours.

When you wake up, have you ever pulled open the window and just breathed the fresh air? Have you looked at the beautiful sunshine, and have you considered who made such a gorgeous world for you to live in? Too often as busy human beings, we rush off in the early morning without seeing the newborn sun that paints the fresh green grass, or hearing the morning dove cooing to the buzzing bee. I suggest we try to appreciate our world much more, taking some time to step back and enjoy God's creation. And what better time to do that than in the beautiful early morning?

Prayer:
Dear God, what a beautiful world you have created for us to live in! Everything in it - from the smallest blade of grass to the highest mountain peaks - shows the obvious hand of a maker who cared and wanted to create something beautiful. Help us then, Lord, to be grateful to you and to appreciate the world you gave us. Put it on our hearts to take time out of our busy mornings to look out the window, to see the new morning and all the beauty in it and think, "Thank you, God, for this beautiful morning."

Prayer Blog - Prayer

This blog post is going to be a little different, so let's just say it's an experiment to see if you guys like this type of blogging.

Prayer Blog - Prayer
Prayer is a very important part of daily life; the actual definition of prayer is "a solemn request for help or expression of thanks addressing God." Just think about it for a moment: prayer is a way for you to communicate with the God of the universe, a personal phone call that lets you praise our creator. As such, you can also ask God for help when needed - help for yourself, family, or friends, and even people you do not know personally. Prayer can be spoken any time in the oddest of places because no matter where you pray, God will hear it; so right now as you're reading this, let's take a moment to pray the words below:

Dear Lord,  

We gather together to thank you for all that you do for us, for all the love you bestow on an unworthy world. A people who would put you to death are still in your heart for you to love and save. Thank you for your gift of prayer, a way to praise and honor you, a way for us to ask you for anything, a personal lifeline to the greatest being in the universe. Thank you, God, for our lives, and help us to use them for your glory.

It doesn't matter if you didn't pray the written prayer; just pay attention to the words and know that they are true.

I hoped you liked this little experiment; I might just do more prayer blogs in the future.