Slugabed (Mark 1.35)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is “slugabed.”  What an awesome word!  I remember playing sports and doing a ton of extracurricular activities while I was in high school.  It seems that I never had enough time in the day.  And then something happened.  I accepted Jesus somewhere around my sophomore year.  I was pretty new in the faith and had a lot of good mentorship, pointing me in the right direction in a relationship with God.  Part of this was adding prayer to my routine.  It did not seem tough at first, but when I realized that I had to actually set some time aside to now and again, it caused me to have to rethink my schedule.  It’s taken me several years, and even now sometimes I struggle with getting away to spend some time with God.  I always lean on today’s verse in my quest to fit that time in, along with a busy schedule. 

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. ~Mark 1:35

My question is: how do you fit prayer into your routine?  JC was no slugabed by any means… he made sure to sneak away before the day started on this occasion to make sure he got some good time with his Father.  It’s not necessarily even that you have to get up early in the morning or stay up late at the end of the day to do so.  Spending time in prayer, and investing in your relationship with Jesus, must be a proactive piece of your life.  And, even though we are supposed to pray always, we do need to find time to set aside to allow God to speak to us.  My prayer is that you do just that; carve out a little bit of time for God today and allow him to speak to you.  You will be amazed with what he might have to say.

Praying for you,

MO

Subfuscous (Psalm 113:1-9)

Good morning ladies,

The word of the day is "subfuscous.”  I have been to more Christian camps then I know what to do with.  The funny part is, I didn't really start going until I was a senior in high school.  I actually remember what Kevin went through to make sure that I was able to fit camp in my schedule prior to that school year.  From then on, I was hooked.  I began to do more, serve more, and be at more camps each summer.  My favorite was always junior high camp.  Those kids are awesome!  They are all over the place, and their faith, as well as the rest of their emotions, they wear on their sleeves.  The following verse sticks out in my mind and reminds me of junior high camp every time I read it.

“Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.” ~Ps. 113:1-3

My question is: how do you praise God?  My favorite song to ever sing at camp was one that included these verses.  I can still remember like it was yesterday, as I sing them in my head.  That song and that verse made such an impact on my life that it will be etched in my memory forever.  From the early morning sunrise, to the waning subfuscous hours of the early evening… God will make his name known.  My prayer is that you have more encounters with God where he impresses upon your soul and writes on your heart his words.  The more you read and hear God's word, and the more you actively remember, the more affect it can have in your life.

Praying for you,

MO