Praying for families in recovery today.

 “Family connection is harm reduction.” Michael Nolan

It’s Thursday and a great day for recovery for your family. No one said it would be easy but anything good is worth working towards. Yes, a day at a time, as speculating about the future can be overwhelming. Praying for anyone who needs a jump-start, anyone hitting a wall, and anyone who has the glow of finally getting it and overcoming, today.

Change comes. Change hurts, sometimes. Change must occur for help to come. A phrase I use a lot it seems is “Nothing changes if nothing changes.” It’s recovery related and can mean, if you keep doing the same old things expecting different results, it’s not going to happen. Change is essential to life. And life as we know it, will never be the same, it seems. But it can be better in Jesus’ name.

Just as there is no "one way" to recovery, there is no one way to be their family, either. My motto is "Do what you can live with." Some days I can live with what would be entirely impossible to live with for an entire life. That's why we do it one day at a time. In my case and many others, it's with the Lord. So let His praise ever be on our lips this day as we pray for those in a recovery walk and those who need to be. Open their eyes to reality and that there is always help available if they want to be well.

Praying for families, today

 A good thought from Chuck Swindoll: 'What seems frustrating and wrong and unfair is not the end of the story. It is just the end of a chapter."

"My story is more than the sum of my experiences. It is more than what I have seen and done and endured. It is more than what has happened to me.

I, too, am more than the sum of my chapters. I am more than my past or my present or my future. I am more than my history, forgotten or remembered.

I am His.

No matter what.

And that is my story."--Alece Ronzino

Lord, we wanted to live happily ever after, but You alone, will be our happiness. Let us look for that today as it is Monday, a good day to praise the Lord as we pray for families and those who love them. And for those in a season of grief or experiencing a recent loss of a loved one, or the death of a dream, please hold them close, Jesus.

Please send Your strength, help and protection to families, today. Please give us vision and hope as we look to You. And as always, I pray You wrap Your great Father arms around the one who is hurting the most.

Grief Prayers

 

 I read an article by Lori Hatcher and she put in a anonymous quote about grief that said, “I felt like my body had been cut open and all my happiness pulled out.”

 

Is there anyone else that can relate to that quote? As we go toward this week when on the 20^th it will be a year since I received the call that breaks a parent’s heart, it is very relatable to me.

 

We pray on Saturdays for those who have lost loved ones to death. The many senseless deaths in our nation and even our cities bring us once again to our knees. We must go back to the proverb of trusting the Lord with all of our hearts and leaning not on our own understanding. The evil is from the enemy of our souls. He is against our families, our nation and our very lives.

Many among us have lost loved ones, mates, children and young adult children. The most unnatural thing in the world they say is burying your child. I now, can attest to that as being so very painful.

 

Lord, send your strong father arms of comfort to those who are grieving.

Give them strong memories of good times with their loved one. Grief takes time and it is different for each person, so when we don't know what to say, praying is the best thing we can do. Though families are worn, give them new strength and vision for life. Give them the hope to press on and the ability to have joy again.

 

He is Faithful for our Families

One day I would love to sing this song, together with my family. Who could add words to lyrics like these? They are God-inspired and written by a brother who has paid his dues through pain and heartache, yet he sings on. How many of us will do the same?

It starts off:

"Here we stand, here we are

With all our wounds and battle scars

From all the storms and all the wars we’ve weathered together

We had no way of knowing when

We started way back there and then

How the road would twist and turn and bend

We just knew we belonged together

And if it wasn’t for God’s mercy and His grace

There’s no way we would be standing in this place

But because He has been faithful

Every step along the way

Here we are together."

Lyrics poignant to me are: "And we’ve crawled on our hands and knees

Through valleys cold and dark and deep

Sometimes not even sure if we could make it out alive together.

And if it wasn’t for God’s mercy and His grace

There’s no way we would be standing in this place

But because He has been faithful

Every step along the way

Here we are together, together."

I am so grateful that the Lord allows people to take the pain that they have suffered in life and create a beautiful song of hope to heal the brokenhearted. That is my prayer for today, hearts be healed, families by restored, and sweet comfort be given. Today!

"Together" by Steven Curtis Chapman

Repost of an old blog

 

I found this old blog and am reposting. I thought I wished my life was different back then, but would go back to it, if I could still have all my children alive. Tomorrow will be the eleven-month anniversary of Amber’s homecoming to the Lord.

Blog written several years ago.

 Right now I’m thinking of the kid’s book, Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst, as a way to describe my day. Or maybe I’m having what may be called a Velveteen type day. I think this song is so poignant and I come back to it often.

When perfect (never quite, but that is the lyrics) turns to perfect mess and all I have is Your love, Lord, left, I’ll be as real as real can be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF29lM8Hz5I

 

But sometimes I’d rather live a different life, a better life, a life where good hair days are the norm and when you eat the proper amount of protein, you lose weight instead of gain it. Sometimes, I have to admit I want to be a Walton’s family where everyone takes turns saying “Goodnight” to their mom and dad and everyone is at home. You know where everyone you love is, and that makes you happy. Because you know they are safe.

A day like this is the kind of day where I go back and reread journals and find once again, wonderful quotes that enhance my day. And I’m hoping, maybe yours.

‘‘It is only the women whose eyes have been washed clear with tears who get the broad vision that makes them little sisters to all the world’’—(Dorothy Dix) A quote like this is made for a  sister, a mother, a daughter among us and all the groups like Somebody’s Mother Online Prayer Support Group, Thrive, Silver Linings, Winning Women and others. One thing we all have in common is eyes washed clear with tears. Tears that shine like diamonds to the Lord and others who meet us.

“And I never knew if you were the lighthouse, or the storm.” (anon) I put that one in my journal. I feel something about it concerning Jesus as the Lighthouse but he also allows storms and brings us through the storm. But I also feel it deeply concerning people. Hopefully we can shine a light to help others through their storms. The storms of pain, trauma, and family division.

 

“Beginning today treat everyone as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the love, care and kindness you can muster, and do it with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.” (anon) If I choose to do this, I’m sure my life would totally change. It is something I aspire to do.

I’m still looking over an old journal and some of the letters I wrote to people over two years ago would make you cry. I know I’m writing through tears but  Glory to God! We’ve been through a whole lot more than a bad hair day and survived and even thrived. I’m grateful for every little bit of healing that Jesus has brought to our family and looking forward to much more.

 

Memorial Day, Facebook tests and the Word of the Lord from Zephaniah.

 Memorial Day, let us be truly grateful and also pause to remember those who sacrificed all for our country.

Yesterday I saw one of those Facebook games and my daughter, Regina Lee, posted where if you touch the chair, you will see who is always with you. It said her grandmother, and that was absolutely true, as my mama, Nanny, to Regina was her biggest fan and constant helper. There are a lot of ways that Regina reminds us of my mama and that is a compliment as my mom had the biggest heart around.

Then I took the test, I tapped the chair, and it came up your Father. Well, I immediately dismissed that, as I probably never met my biological father, and grew up with an assortment of “dads” and substitutes that were at times, less than loveable.

But immediately in my heart, the Lord reminded me, that He, my heavenly Father, was exactly what was said on the chair test. HE WAS ALWAYS BY MY SIDE, AND HE ALWAYS WATCHED OVER ME!

I have a much deeper relationship with the Lord, than I ever might have had if I’d grown up with a good earthly father. I ran to the Lord early and clung to Him through much heartache and pain as a child.

I know and believe that He was always watching, sometimes weeping, at the things I went through when younger, but he never turned away and always gave me a WORD to hang on to. One of the best gifts in the world to me is the WORD OF GOD.

So, yes, I’ll accept that My Father, was not only sitting next to me, but holding me, escorting me and rejoicing over me, my whole life through. I don’t have to wonder why the circumstances of my birth were the way they were. I don’t have to wonder why I have the DNA that I have. I’ll take the DNA of the Lord my God, and heavenly Father any day.

Yesterday Pastor Jim asked had the Lord spoken to any of us that day? The Lord did before church with the test and then reminded me of the very same thing while at church. I would’ve gotten up and testified this story and the good thing is, I know I’d have the freedom to do it there, but since it involved Facebook, didn’t. I took the same test today, thinking it probably would give different results, but it still said, FATHER. So, thank You ABBA DADDY for your word of love towards me.

This is the Word of the Lord to me today:

“The LORD your God is in your midst,

A Warrior who saves.

He will rejoice over you with joy;

He will be quiet in His love [making no mention of your past sins],

He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy. Zephaniah 3:17 Amplified Bible

And perhaps to you, too. Peace and blessings to you and continue to hold up the people of Uvalde, Texas.

Asking for help for the people of Uvalde

 

Today is the day we pray for deep, unspoken prayer requests.  We continue to pray for those in Uvalde, Texas. Lord, heal their hurts and send Your Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to surround them during this time, we pray in Jesus name. Even give a holy numbness to help the grieving parents through this day. I know there will be testimonies of Your great help coming forth.

 

Joel Osteen says, “God wants you to ask Him for big things. Ask Him for those hidden dreams planted in your heart. Ask Him even for the unborn promise that might otherwise never come to pass in the natural. Ask Him to restore your broken ties to family members and other loved ones. Ask Him for a life free of illness. Ask Him for a full blossoming of your talents. Ask him to fulfill your highest hopes and dreams.”

 

I’m asking, Lord.

 

Psalm 2:8 “Ask Me and I will give you the nations as your inheritance.”

The Porter's Gate - Daughters of Zion (feat. Casey J & Urban Doxology) (Official Live Video) - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zh9JgvRQsM

Got Tears? Dedicated to the families of Uvalde, Texas

 

 

Instead of our normal prayer topic of recovery for today, I ask that everyone touch and agree and hold up the family members of those killed in Uvalde, Texas. Lord, we are numb with grief and sorrow and just unbelief, that people in our world can be so callous and cruel. To shoot a family member, then many children and teachers is unbelievable. Yet we know that the enemy of our soul wants to destroy families and he delights in the sin of humans. There is evil in our world and it consumed first the predator and then used him to hurt the vulnerable innocent children and teachers. Lord, all we can do is plead Your blood and ask for mercy for America.

I call my thoughts on this tragedy: Got Tears?

You number my wanderings; Put my tears into Your bottle... Psalm 56:8 NKJV

On Tuesday, May 24,2022, a horrible tragedy occurred once again with many school children murdered and a community shattered.

Nineteen children – and two adults -- were shot and killed while at what probably started out as a normal school-day; a day where everyone was looking forward to finishing the school year and having a summer of fun.

This attack in the predominantly Latino town of Uvalde was the deadliest school shooting in the U.S. since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Connecticut, in December 2012.

We want to say a tragedy like this is certainly abnormal; but with more frequent shootings, we may not be able to continue to say such a statement. We weep anew each day as we hear more about this tragedy and pray their families are finding solace in their faith, family and friends.

The grief process takes time and I pray that our great Father God will wrap arms of comfort around those whose family was affected.  Hopefully they will find comfort in the fact that the Lord sees our tears and bottles them in heaven.

In the eyes of our Father in heaven the tears we cry may look like liquid diamonds. They are so precious to Him that He stores them as jewels that He will uncover within us at the day of His coming.

When the tears you have cried are stored in His bottle and you are drained, He becomes your Restorer, Strength and Hope. Got tears? Yes, we all do, but we will be amazed at the beauty of those glistening bottles waiting for us in heaven. Our tears will be there, but our loved ones will be there as well. Trust that God, even still, has us close under His wing.

Donna Collins Tinsley

I will still post our recovery day song, though.

 Restore Them To You - YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEzbIrTF5KE&t=23s

Pray for the people of Uvalde, Texas

 

We hold up the people affected by the tragedy in Uvalde. Lord, we ask that You wrap arms of comfort around those who are grieving. We, as a nation, grieve. May peace reign once again in America we pray. We ask everyone to stop and pray for these people throughout the day, today.

Today the prayer focus is also on single parents. May the Lord be your Help, Fortress and Great Provider, Jehovah Jirah. So, we pray especially that You, Lord, give blessings and special favor to single parents and their children. Put them on a path that You can bless and let them know there is no lack with You. Send journeymates to encourage them, I pray. Put our children and grandchildren on a path that You, Lord, can bless every day of their lives. We speak grace to our mountains and ask that we all press on and don’t give up or run away.

We also pray for those sick, recovering from surgery or in the hospital. For those who are sick or still in the hospital I pray for healing mercies and thank the Lord for His tender mercies new every morning. For those who have had long, painful suffering I pray that You will do what is the very best for them. Thy will be done, thy kingdom come.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mC-zw0zCCtg

Don't miss, “Your Words Are Powerful Be Careful What You Speak: Encouragement for 365 Days” by Suzi Yelvington!

 

“Your Words Are Powerful Be Careful What You Speak: Encouragement for 365 Days”

by Suzi Yelvington uses the scripture, “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, speak life,” (Proverbs 18:21) in a powerful way.

 

I’ve told many people, read your Bible and read Suzi Yelvington. I think I have nearly all her books now, and I treasure each one. I’ve given always countless books so that I can feel like I am on the “same page” with those I love, as each day, we are reading the same book.

 

Woven between life experiences, Suzi speaks common sense ways of living and loving to us each day. You would think these were written by a much older woman, but she has beautifully learned wisdom young, because I believe, God knew she wouldn’t waste one gift that He gave her. There were so very many one sentence quotes that got me, or became words that I passed on, or just powerful words that I could hold on to.

This is a long overdue review. I want Suzi to know how much I appreciate her faithfulness to the Lord, our God. Although I am much older than she is, I recognize the gifts and knowledge within her and I am blessed every time I open a page of “Your Words Are Powerful Be Careful What You Speak! “

 

Here are just a few powerful quotes:

 

 Do not let what you see happening allow you forget the promises of God.”

 

“Declare: Today I am going to make everything around me beautiful, this will be my life.”

“The Lord hears his people when they call. I depend on God alone.”

“When it’s not in God’s plan, you cannot force it. But when it is in the plan of God nothing can stop it.”

And this might be my favorite quote: “Let God put you back together right in front of the ones that broke you. You are somebody’s blessing.”

 

In the years that I’ve been following Suzi Yelvington on Facebook, I’ve become more aware of my words. It seems, at times, that I’ve become quieter, as the message has sunk deep within my soul. But hopefully, also when I speak it will be with words of life. I truly recommend this book and all other books that Suzi has written. It makes me happy to say Suzi is local to the Daytona Beach area and is also a speaker.

Proverbs 18:2: Death and life are in the power of the tongue, speak life.

Donna Collins Tinsley