Back From the Beach... Report and Such...

We got back from the beach a little while ago. The weather was wonderful every moment that we needed it to be. When we were in the indoor pool, it poured outside; when we walked to the Flag Day Parade route at Ocean Shores, it began to pour just as we got back after enjoying the parade. This morning it rained buckets while the girls were swimming indoors again, and as we were leaving, we had just enough time for a quick trip to the beach for a bonfire to make s'mores for the girls. Even Jackie's van space wasn't taken the one time we had to relinquish it when we drove to the store for kindling and some wood for the bonfire!

I was praying strategically all weekend long, not daring to tell anyone because if it had rained at the "wrong" time, it might have given others the impression that prayer doesn't avail much.

Truth to tell, I wanted to tell the family I was praying, but was fearful God might not answer all the prayers because the weather pattern all around our hotel looked pretty dead set on rain. How's that for a lack of faith in the power of my personal prayers to God? I should have had more faith and proclaimed the prayers aloud, but I just kept thinking, "God undoubtedly has better things to do than making sure the clouds don't rain on our outings." But guess what? Despite everything else that God rides herd on, He has all the time in the world to answer picayune requests like the ones I lifted to Him this weekend. Isn't that amazing?!)

I spent about five hours this weekend getting to the tail end of a book I'm studying, Praying the Names of God. At one point, two of the girls (Lizzie,9 and Casey, 6) asked me what I was doing. I told them I was doing a Bible study. Lizzie asked, "All by yourself? Aren't you supposed to do that in a group?" I said, "When I can, yes. But I live alone and I want to study God's words a lot more often than that -- so I study alone when I'm alone or when others are busy doing other things." Lizzie asked, "What have you learned so far today in the book?" I looked up and she and Casey both were intent on learning what I had learned, so I spent about five minutes telling them. It was the best five minutes I spent with them all weekend, because they focused. They were riveted. They learned something, and agreed it was good stuff to know.

I think the more they see us doing this kind of activity, the more they will realize the importance of learning more every day about how to strengthen our relationship with God. These girls attend church regularly and we now have a Bible study going on at Jackie's Sunday nights after dinner (using the Bible and The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren as our texts). While the adults do our study, the girls watch one of the Nest Publications Bible stories. Sometimes Lizzie comes by afterward and sits in on ours. I can tell she really is into it. She gets miffed if anyone takes a bite of food before the dinner prayer. The bowing of her head and closing of her eyes are reverent, not ritual. I see a deep sense of wonder and reverence in her now that she's nine. It's a lovely thing to see! I think all the girls will eventually get to that point.

Youngsters (and grown-ups, too) need to know in this unsettling world that God is always eager to be at our side and that all we need to do is bow our heads and ask. I can't imagine growing up in today's world (post 9-11) without this knowledge as a foundation. It's crucial. Absolutely crucial...

I think part of the problem that today's kids face that we didn't in the 50's is that they are being raised more or less feeling like a pinball in a pinball machine. They don't feel they have any control over their destinies since most are taught we're just an accident of nature, an evolutionary step up from apes, no different really than any other species on Earth. We just "got lucky" that we can think, and learn, and love, and recognize life spans, and plan our finances accordingly...

"Poppycock!" as my favorite doctor would say!

Our design is fashioned to reflect the Designer. When we understand that, it gives us a pattern to follow. When we follow the pattern, what we become is something extraordinary, special and very much needed. What we become is a blessing...

There are some amazing real-life stories in Praying the Names of God (by Ann Spangler). It's another book I can recommend without hesitation. But get LEARN THE BIBLE IN 24 HOURS first. That way all books you read after it (including the Bible, if you haven't yet studied it) will be given the respect and due diligence owing to them...