This young lady, if you can catch her "still" is really going to become a star in her own right! She is another princess with amazing beauty.
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Jake's birthday celebration 2006
What a great day yesterday turned out to be... the day after a nice 1.5 inch of badly needed rain that fell on a very thristy land. The guys did not get done with harvest, but are very close and will this coming week. And ole Jake pulled in to our surprise a bit early on Friday night... which is ok with us anytime the kiddos make it home... That was awesome, then on Saturday, Phil and Austyn stopped by, and then Jonathan and Randi and Kaitlyn came up and later on Paul, Heather, Andrew and Madison made it over and we had one awesome birthday feast for Jake's 24th Birthday! Jamie, Terri, Faith and Grace along with Andrew also joined us for dinner Sat. Night to help celebrate Jake's Bday. Jamey is Jake's Welding Instructor and one of the nicest men we know... (His family is awesome as well!). Andrew is a graduate of Jamey's and is a fellow welder as well. Now, Faith and Grace are a set of beautiful young ladies... Twins, who immediately caught the eyes of the two oldest grandsons!! haha... oh my goodness... to be young again... well, nope don't think so, I kind'a like where I am, haha...
Saturday, June 17, 2006
Can you see who I "ran into" walking yesterday morning? He was at the double gates on Brush Creek waiting on me and the dogs to come through and this morning I started at 5:30am so it was still very dark!!! Makes me think I might need to walk a bit later in the day... haha.. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you... Stinky LePew, cousin of Pepe LePew!
Stan Moffat
Cutting wheat 2006 west of our home... with a rain coming.. see the diesel smoking... the wind was blowing about 40 miles an hour... but the neatest part of this story, if you look through the pics, you will see a man who is 2 years older than Great Grandma Moffat operating it! Yes, Lester is not quite 90... and he puts in as long a day as many young men, and the machine never stops except to fuel!!! From doing this for several years, that is a feat not many can say they have done!! Enjoy the day...
Stan Moffat
Friday, June 16, 2006
Welcome - Stan and Ann's Ramblings
If you like to watch babies... here is a live streaming video of baby eagles in a nest in Idaho i think.. anyway it is kind of addictive... hahah enjoy the day!
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Ann and I went to another of Austyn's Wee Tee Ball games sponsored by the YMCA. He is really into playing this year and he can not believe the season is about over. It was interesting and it was HOT!! Getting too old to set in the sun for an hour.. haha.. but he did really good. I think there is a video of him hitting a "home" run that I will put online later today if I get time. Needless to say, Grandma Ann and I were very very proud of him and his team. And of his dad too, as Phil helped coach this year, too. Paul did too for Andrew and he served as head coach, and discovered a whole nother world in doing so... haha... more on that later. Andrew's season is over for this year too. I know he is glad and so is his dad. It was starting to get really hot at those games, but then they are played were there are concession stands for folks who are thirsty, etc.. but the players find there way to them as well.. enjoy the day!
It was a beautiful morning for a walk, except it was still hot and dry, and a lot less humidity. My feet were only wet about half way this time in my almost 6 1/2 mile walk. It takes two hours with a camera.. sometimes alot longer.. haha.. and about 95 mins if I do not take the camera!! Now that there are 4 dogs going with me, I see less wildlife. I am tempted to leave them at the house tied up, so I can see all the animals and the birds that fly from them... and not me! Looks like the wheat might start being cut this am. and the pond, that was full from the only rain we received this past year is slowly but steadily going down. Neat things going on at work. we are about to get our first CD out with the Nick Gibson Band. It is a country cd. This young man will be a force to be seen... He is really solid and good and his audiences are growing as they perform. I get to talk and meet with lots of famous folks .. that is always a treat. I learn how the fast world lives.. haha.. rock and roll baby, rock and roll!!! Enjoy the day....
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
The clouds this am at sunrise were... unforgetable.... and unbeliveable too.... no matter how it's spelled.. they were AWESOME... and cool too... but still really dry!! Baby turtles, big water turtles and Sugar's turtles... sort of changed up the photos today... along with some other shots of the day... enjoy!
Monday, June 12, 2006
Sunday, June 11, 2006
Have you ever looked at natures handicraft? Amazing things are waiting on you to discover... I know I wake up in a new world every day... haha, but then my family knows that only too well... haha... love to all, enjoy the day, and live like it's your last one, cuz you never know when it just might be...
I still believe, in spite of
I still believe, in spite of everything,
that people are truly good at heart... Anne Frank
that people are truly good at heart... Anne Frank
The heart, like the grape, is ...
The heart, like the grape, is prone to delivering its harvest in the same moment it appears to be crushed.
-Roger Houseden (submitted by jrnorwood)
-Roger Houseden (submitted by jrnorwood)
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Inspiration exists, but
Inspiration exists, but it has to find you working.
-Pablo Picasso (submitted by serena xxi)
-Pablo Picasso (submitted by serena xxi)
Thursday, June 08, 2006
Interesting walk this am...
I am not sure what I saw swimming in our south pond this am, but it was not a dog, a cat, nor an animal I am used to seeing.... I took some video and pics but was a long ways from the ?. It had a wide fore head and it's eyes and ears were above the water. When it stopped swimming, it's body sort of floated to the surface too and was about three feet long..... hummmmmmmmm...... I don't know.. am loading the video and pics now onto computer from camera ... am really anxious to see something... if I can... have a great day.. will post something if I learn more...
S
S
A happy person is not
A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes.
-Hugh Downs
-Hugh Downs
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Success is not
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
Uncle Ivan sent this along...
Subject: May 1 Boycott stats
On May 1st, as a result of the Mexican boycott, national retailers reported 4.2% lower sales for the day, with a 67.8% reduction in shoplifting.
Buenos dias.
On May 1st, as a result of the Mexican boycott, national retailers reported 4.2% lower sales for the day, with a 67.8% reduction in shoplifting.
Buenos dias.
When you put your hand to the plow
Today's Quote
When you put your hand to the plow, you can't put it down until you get to the end of the row.
-Alice Paul
When you put your hand to the plow, you can't put it down until you get to the end of the row.
-Alice Paul
Monday, June 05, 2006
There were many others wanting some of the rain that was close by too. As you can see from some of the pics from today, the grass is drying up and even the weeds and trees are dropping some extra leaves due to drought. I guess this pic depicts life on the prarie this time of year.. some will make it, some will not. Wheat that was planted on time is now ready to cut. That wheat that did not come up till the last and only shower we had is still green, and most of the rye did not sprout till that shower so it is green too.. but all in all, everything could use a drink... and there was the promise of rain on the horizon, and yet as you can see, this is looking east.. so it also shows an opportunity missed! Enjoy the day...
Stan Moffat
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Friday, June 02, 2006
5 Winning Smart Answers For 2005
5 Winning Smart Answers For 2005
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smart Answer #5:
A flight attendant was stationed at the departure gate to check tickets.
As a man approached, she extended her hand for the ticket and he opened his trench coat and flashed at her.
Without missing a beat....she said, "Sir, I need to See your ticket not your stub."
*****************
Smart Answer #4:
A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but she couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked a stock boy,
"Do these turkeys get any bigger?"
The stock boy replied, "No ma'am, they're dead."
*******************
Smart Answer #3:
The cop got out of his car and the kid who was stopped for speeding rolled down his window. "I've been waiting for you all day," the cop said.
The kid replied, "Yeah, well I got here as fast as I could."
When the cop finally stopped laughing, he sent the kid on his way without a ticket.
*******************
Smart Answer #2:
A truck driver was driving along on the freeway. A sign comes up that reads, "Low Bridge Ahead." Before he knows it, the bridge is right ahead of him and he gets stuck under the bridge. Cars are backed up for miles.
Finally, a police car comes up. The cop gets out of his car and walks to the truck driver, puts his hands on his hips and says, "Got stuck, huh?"
The truck driver says, "No, I was delivering this bridge and ran out of gas."
*******************
#1 SMART ANSWER OF THE YEAR 2005.......................
A college teacher reminds her class of tomorrow's final exam.
"Now class, I won't tolerate any excuses for you not being here tomorrow. I might consider a nuclear attack or a serious personal injury or illness, or a death in your immediate family, but that's it, no other excuses whatsoever!"
A smart ass guy in the back of the room raised his hand and asked, "What would you say if! tomorrow I said I was suffering from complete and utter sexual exhaustion?"
The entire class is reduced to laughter and snickering. When silence was restored, the teacher smiled knowingly at the student, shaking her head and sweetly said "Well, I guess you'd have to write the exam with your other hand."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Smart Answer #5:
A flight attendant was stationed at the departure gate to check tickets.
As a man approached, she extended her hand for the ticket and he opened his trench coat and flashed at her.
Without missing a beat....she said, "Sir, I need to See your ticket not your stub."
*****************
Smart Answer #4:
A lady was picking through the frozen turkeys at the grocery store, but she couldn't find one big enough for her family. She asked a stock boy,
"Do these turkeys get any bigger?"
The stock boy replied, "No ma'am, they're dead."
*******************
Smart Answer #3:
The cop got out of his car and the kid who was stopped for speeding rolled down his window. "I've been waiting for you all day," the cop said.
The kid replied, "Yeah, well I got here as fast as I could."
When the cop finally stopped laughing, he sent the kid on his way without a ticket.
*******************
Smart Answer #2:
A truck driver was driving along on the freeway. A sign comes up that reads, "Low Bridge Ahead." Before he knows it, the bridge is right ahead of him and he gets stuck under the bridge. Cars are backed up for miles.
Finally, a police car comes up. The cop gets out of his car and walks to the truck driver, puts his hands on his hips and says, "Got stuck, huh?"
The truck driver says, "No, I was delivering this bridge and ran out of gas."
*******************
#1 SMART ANSWER OF THE YEAR 2005.......................
A college teacher reminds her class of tomorrow's final exam.
"Now class, I won't tolerate any excuses for you not being here tomorrow. I might consider a nuclear attack or a serious personal injury or illness, or a death in your immediate family, but that's it, no other excuses whatsoever!"
A smart ass guy in the back of the room raised his hand and asked, "What would you say if! tomorrow I said I was suffering from complete and utter sexual exhaustion?"
The entire class is reduced to laughter and snickering. When silence was restored, the teacher smiled knowingly at the student, shaking her head and sweetly said "Well, I guess you'd have to write the exam with your other hand."
More people would learn from
More people would learn from their mistakes if they weren't so busy denying them.
-Harold J. Smith
-Harold J. Smith
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not
Today's Quote
Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things only hoped for.
-Epicurus
Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things only hoped for.
-Epicurus
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Monday, May 29, 2006
Something special this week....
I just remembered something special will take place this week.
On Thursday, June 1st, 2006, Uncle Ivan and Aunt Freda Moffat will be married 61 short years! FANTASTIC! It seems that the bar just gets higher and higher with time...
Happy Early Anniversary to you two, and many many more!!
S
On Thursday, June 1st, 2006, Uncle Ivan and Aunt Freda Moffat will be married 61 short years! FANTASTIC! It seems that the bar just gets higher and higher with time...
Happy Early Anniversary to you two, and many many more!!
S
If the only prayer you ever say ...
Today's Quote
If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.
-Meister Eckhart
If the only prayer you ever say in your entire life is thank you, it will be enough.
-Meister Eckhart
A lone outlook on this mornings walk. Some great and colorful shots in yesterdays photos and some great sunrise photos from this morning in the albums. On thing to remember when looking at todays photos.. there is always, ALWAYS, cause and effect, in nature. As the sun came up in the east, I tried to show you the effect on the western skies this am, including the showers 'not touching' the earth. Have a great day... we had a super nice time with family yesterday. Jake came home from Woodward and points west, and Phil and Tammy and Austyn and Heather, Madison, and Andrew came over for a last minute holiday lunch! We had a good time and it was fun to watch the boys in the pool... I had some great videos but did exactly what I did for Andrew's last Birthday. I used Ofoto to download from camera and then deleted photos not remembering that ofoto does not download from it the video... sigh. some day I will grow up.. haha.. enjoy this day we have. It will soon be gone never to be lived again...
Stan Moffat
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Beginning today, treat everyone
Today's Quote
Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.
-Og Mandino
Beginning today, treat everyone you meet as if they were going to be dead by midnight. Extend to them all the care, kindness and understanding you can muster, and do with no thought of any reward. Your life will never be the same again.
-Og Mandino
Wednesday, May 24, 2006
Don't worry that children never listen
Today's Quote
Don't worry that children never listen to you. Worry that they are always watching you.
-Robert Fulghum
Don't worry that children never listen to you. Worry that they are always watching you.
-Robert Fulghum
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Head Start students learn from the garden
Life - Head Start students learn from the garden
By Laura Wilson
Staff Writer
(Photo in today's Stillwater NewsPress shows Teacher Tammy Moffat and students with appropriate caption)
The Head Start community garden became a classroom without walls recently.
Carl Barnes and Al Toops of Conservation Organization for the Restoration of Native Seeds and Dick Ortez, local grower and owner of El Sueno Enterprises, guided 90 children and a dozen teachers, parents and volunteers in planting the three sisters — corn, beans and squash.
Each child planted a corn, bean or squash seed in the outdoor garden, alongside other vegetables planted by community volunteers.
CORNS has led classrooms across the United States in this traditional Indian ceremonial planting. Barnes, who was awarded the Cherokee Medal of Honor in 2001 for his work, and Toops have also assisted Cornell University in developing gardening curriculum, available on the Internet at .
The children also examined fresh-cut broccoli and green onions pulled from the garden, along with ladybugs, worms and other garden curiosities. Classes had previously planted seeds indoors, along with radishes and other seeds in their outdoor plot, and recent art projects and other activities had a gardening theme.
“Our work with the children has really been aided by having the community garden this year,” said teacher Lucille Duncan.
Participants in organizing and planting this community garden are Rachel Toops, manager of Countryside Gardens; Ilda Hershey of Sustainable Stillwater; Cara and Ron Beer, Progressive Interfaith Coalition representatives; Kelsey McCollum, Payne County Extension and participants of her Master Gardener class; Chris Brock, Head Start teacher; and Imad Abouzahr, Head Start parent.
Other volunteers include Phillip Moffat, Fred Causley, Eddie Whitehead, Jo Heiliger, Kevin Drees, Sharla Lovern and Cynthia Drescher.
Compost, seed, plants, fertilizer and drip hoses have been donated by Oklahoma State University agricultural classes, JohnnyÂ’s Selected Seeds Company and several other people and organizations.
Not sure who took this photo but the camera and several folks ran outside to see the beautiful sunset last night from Mom's home. the other pics will be online soon. There was a small front moving out of panhandle into OK last night and when I got up this am at 4:30 it was actually sprinkling here too!! but didn't last long.. enjoy the day... I think maybe Kara or Sharon or Phil might have taken the photo.. but then, I have been wrong on lots of things in my life!! Enjoy
Stan Moffat
Some of Great Grandma Moffat's flowers by her garage last evening in the sitting sun... We all went over to eat homemade Ice Cream and Spanish Rice, etc at the Robinson/Moffat gathering Sharon Robinson and Marilyn started several months ago. A great time was had by all. Food was Awesome and fellowship was GREAT!! Morgan is heading to Japan for a month in August to meet and greet and see about possibilities of studing there next year or so in Kito.. bet this is not spelled correctly... Kara is now in her third week of marriage and all is well, Micheal was last heard from heading to Houston with girlfriend to try to increase his dsl business... etc... Lawrence was on business trip, Madison was sick, Jon's did not make it, and Jake is working 7 days a week, sunup to sundown in panhandle of OK on a triple decker oil rig that he and two other welders are getting repaired on location so the company can get to drilling. Talk about pressure.. haha...
Stan Moffat
Life consists not in holding good cards...
Today's Quote
Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing those you hold well.
-Josh Billings
Life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing those you hold well.
-Josh Billings
Friday, May 19, 2006
Sent to me by a 92 year old online friend of mine...
Wild Pistols Shooting Game Online... Another time waister.. haha....
Be the sheriff of a Wild Western town and get rid of all the bandits!
http://gamesquared.com/gm.shtml?0343.htm
He says this is kid safe.. but let me know one way or other.. later.. have a great day! S
Be the sheriff of a Wild Western town and get rid of all the bandits!
http://gamesquared.com/gm.shtml?0343.htm
He says this is kid safe.. but let me know one way or other.. later.. have a great day! S
Self-pity is our worst enemy and
Today's Quote
Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in this world.
-Helen Keller
Self-pity is our worst enemy and if we yield to it, we can never do anything wise in this world.
-Helen Keller
Thursday, May 18, 2006
It's not how much you
It's not how much you have that makes people look up to you, it's who you are.
Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Today's Quote
Today's Quote
The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.
-Emily Dickinson
The soul should always stand ajar, ready to welcome the ecstatic experience.
-Emily Dickinson
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Mama Taught Me to Pray
Mama Taught Me to Pray
When his sister was seriously ill, T.D. Jakes's tough-minded mother stormed heaven with her prayers.
Reprinted from "Mama Made the Difference" by arrangement with G.P. Putnam's Sons.
Credit: Russ
Harrington/EMI
My mother was a woman of faith and conviction. She definitely helped to secure my belief in God. But she was not a sweet, sappy, super-spiritual saint who carried her Bible everywhere she went and greeted people with “Praise the Lord.” No, she was a real person with real challenges–and she had a real faith in a real God. She had a relationship with Him in the deepest part of her being. It was like bedrock beneath every obstacle she ever faced, every emotion she ever felt, every decision she ever made, and every victory she ever gained. She did not flaunt it, she did not spiritualize it, she simply lived it.
In teaching me to pray, my mother never sat me down at the kitchen table and said, “Now son, this is how you pray. First you say this and then you say that…” No, she taught me through exposure. Now, many of us may have been exposed to prayer through various contexts throughout our lives. We have heard people pray in our churches, and in our schools if we are of a certain age. We may have grown up in a family that paused before mealtimes to thank God for you food. We may have seen people pray on television as we watched state funerals or events such as a presidential inauguration. We may have found ourselves in situations so desperate that we have uttered almost a primal cry to God for help or relief. Then again, we may be people who live by prayer, having plumbed the depths of relationship with God, through the communion of prayer. Nevertheless, like a first kiss from a secret crush, we never forget our first awareness of what it means to converse with God.
My own exposure began around the table. I suppose that is where I first became aware that people talk to God. Of course, growing up in church, I heard people pray in my Sunday school classes and in church services. At times those prayers stirred my soul and at times I did not really understand them. I did, though, believe God was listening and I knew that He could answer. But there came a point when my exposure to prayer solidified into a concrete commitment to heavenly communication
My sister became sick. In her early twenties, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. It was a gut-wrenching, heartbreaking situation, one our family could do nothing about. Of course, we could feed her, and take care of her and ensure that she received the best medical care we could find, but at the core of the matter, we were powerless to heal her. We were helpless when it came to being able to ease her pain or relieve her symptoms. All we could do was pray. My family’s prayers became urgent, fervent, passionate, desperate, and unceasing, as they went forth from our house with the speed, focus, and force of a steady stream of bullets aimed at the throne of God. My mother led the charge.
And let me tell you, nobody can pray like a mama whose baby is deathly ill–even when her baby is an adult. I had never heard anybody pray the way my mother prayed when my sister was sick. I had heard plenty of people pray, but never like that. She would not back down, she would not let down, she would not calm down. She would not get up and she would not shut up as she literally bombarded heaven on my sister’s behalf.
She became a warrior far superior to any epic hero. She became a giant on her knees. With a sword in one hand she battled the enemies of death and disease, and with her other hand stretched toward heaven she kept beseeching God’s help and His mercy.
Have you ever heard the sound of desperation in another person’s voice? I heard it during those days. I am sure the halls of heaven shook with the force of her intercession. She meant business–and she knew how to do business–with God. Though my mother’s prayers were intense and emotional at times, they were not based on emotion; they were based on faith. Her passionate pleas were built on her deep and intimate acquaintance with God, her years of relationship with Him, her knowledge of His Word. She knew who He was, she knew what He could do, she knew what He had promised–and she went to war for those things to come to pass in my sister’s life.
“What happened?” you ask. Let me just say that today my sister is a strong, healthy, beautiful mother and grandmother. She had an excellent education and a distinguished career in her profession. She has authored books, she is a public speaker, she is a delight to our family, and she is a trophy and a testimony to the power of prayer....
Like so many other lessons, I believe prayer is best taught by example, and I encourage you to begin passing along a prayer legacy to you children if you have not already started. A child who sees and hears you pray will learn to pray in his or her own way. You can provide guidance by encouraging children to pray before meals, when they have a test to take at school, when someone is sick, or when their feelings are hurt. You can remind them to thank God when prayers are answered. The point is to help them realize that they are not alone in life and that they can appeal to a source of help beyond their parents or any other human being. They need to know that God loves them, cares about them, wants to be involved in their lives, is cheering for them, has a great plan for their future, knows best, can be trusted, and loves to hear their voices. Teach them to talk to Him often. Tell them that they need not bow their heads, close their eyes, and fold their hands in order to be heard, but that they can commune with the Maker of the universe in the privacy of their own souls. Let them know that if they will only turn their thoughts toward God, He will listen and respond.
There will always be situations and circumstance that you cannot change for yourself or for your children. There will always be something over which you are utterly powerless–and it may be something potentially devastating. In such moments of crisis, there is no substitute for prayer and there is no source of strength and comfort like prayer. I am reminded of a line from an old song I have known for years: “King Jesus is a-listening when you pray.” Let your voice be heard in heaven–and let me assure you that God is listening when you pray.
Homework for the heart: When did you hear your mother pray? On what occasion would she talk to God? What did she teach you about prayer and communicating with Him? How does this affect the way you pray today? What would you like to tell God that you’ve been reluctant to say to Him? I encourage you to open your heart to Him and listen for His voice.
When his sister was seriously ill, T.D. Jakes's tough-minded mother stormed heaven with her prayers.
Reprinted from "Mama Made the Difference" by arrangement with G.P. Putnam's Sons.
Credit: Russ
Harrington/EMI
My mother was a woman of faith and conviction. She definitely helped to secure my belief in God. But she was not a sweet, sappy, super-spiritual saint who carried her Bible everywhere she went and greeted people with “Praise the Lord.” No, she was a real person with real challenges–and she had a real faith in a real God. She had a relationship with Him in the deepest part of her being. It was like bedrock beneath every obstacle she ever faced, every emotion she ever felt, every decision she ever made, and every victory she ever gained. She did not flaunt it, she did not spiritualize it, she simply lived it.
In teaching me to pray, my mother never sat me down at the kitchen table and said, “Now son, this is how you pray. First you say this and then you say that…” No, she taught me through exposure. Now, many of us may have been exposed to prayer through various contexts throughout our lives. We have heard people pray in our churches, and in our schools if we are of a certain age. We may have grown up in a family that paused before mealtimes to thank God for you food. We may have seen people pray on television as we watched state funerals or events such as a presidential inauguration. We may have found ourselves in situations so desperate that we have uttered almost a primal cry to God for help or relief. Then again, we may be people who live by prayer, having plumbed the depths of relationship with God, through the communion of prayer. Nevertheless, like a first kiss from a secret crush, we never forget our first awareness of what it means to converse with God.
My own exposure began around the table. I suppose that is where I first became aware that people talk to God. Of course, growing up in church, I heard people pray in my Sunday school classes and in church services. At times those prayers stirred my soul and at times I did not really understand them. I did, though, believe God was listening and I knew that He could answer. But there came a point when my exposure to prayer solidified into a concrete commitment to heavenly communication
My sister became sick. In her early twenties, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor. It was a gut-wrenching, heartbreaking situation, one our family could do nothing about. Of course, we could feed her, and take care of her and ensure that she received the best medical care we could find, but at the core of the matter, we were powerless to heal her. We were helpless when it came to being able to ease her pain or relieve her symptoms. All we could do was pray. My family’s prayers became urgent, fervent, passionate, desperate, and unceasing, as they went forth from our house with the speed, focus, and force of a steady stream of bullets aimed at the throne of God. My mother led the charge.
And let me tell you, nobody can pray like a mama whose baby is deathly ill–even when her baby is an adult. I had never heard anybody pray the way my mother prayed when my sister was sick. I had heard plenty of people pray, but never like that. She would not back down, she would not let down, she would not calm down. She would not get up and she would not shut up as she literally bombarded heaven on my sister’s behalf.
She became a warrior far superior to any epic hero. She became a giant on her knees. With a sword in one hand she battled the enemies of death and disease, and with her other hand stretched toward heaven she kept beseeching God’s help and His mercy.
Have you ever heard the sound of desperation in another person’s voice? I heard it during those days. I am sure the halls of heaven shook with the force of her intercession. She meant business–and she knew how to do business–with God. Though my mother’s prayers were intense and emotional at times, they were not based on emotion; they were based on faith. Her passionate pleas were built on her deep and intimate acquaintance with God, her years of relationship with Him, her knowledge of His Word. She knew who He was, she knew what He could do, she knew what He had promised–and she went to war for those things to come to pass in my sister’s life.
“What happened?” you ask. Let me just say that today my sister is a strong, healthy, beautiful mother and grandmother. She had an excellent education and a distinguished career in her profession. She has authored books, she is a public speaker, she is a delight to our family, and she is a trophy and a testimony to the power of prayer....
Like so many other lessons, I believe prayer is best taught by example, and I encourage you to begin passing along a prayer legacy to you children if you have not already started. A child who sees and hears you pray will learn to pray in his or her own way. You can provide guidance by encouraging children to pray before meals, when they have a test to take at school, when someone is sick, or when their feelings are hurt. You can remind them to thank God when prayers are answered. The point is to help them realize that they are not alone in life and that they can appeal to a source of help beyond their parents or any other human being. They need to know that God loves them, cares about them, wants to be involved in their lives, is cheering for them, has a great plan for their future, knows best, can be trusted, and loves to hear their voices. Teach them to talk to Him often. Tell them that they need not bow their heads, close their eyes, and fold their hands in order to be heard, but that they can commune with the Maker of the universe in the privacy of their own souls. Let them know that if they will only turn their thoughts toward God, He will listen and respond.
There will always be situations and circumstance that you cannot change for yourself or for your children. There will always be something over which you are utterly powerless–and it may be something potentially devastating. In such moments of crisis, there is no substitute for prayer and there is no source of strength and comfort like prayer. I am reminded of a line from an old song I have known for years: “King Jesus is a-listening when you pray.” Let your voice be heard in heaven–and let me assure you that God is listening when you pray.
Homework for the heart: When did you hear your mother pray? On what occasion would she talk to God? What did she teach you about prayer and communicating with Him? How does this affect the way you pray today? What would you like to tell God that you’ve been reluctant to say to Him? I encourage you to open your heart to Him and listen for His voice.
My mother had a great deal of trouble
Today's Quote
My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.
-Mark Twain
My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.
-Mark Twain
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