Answers to Prayer!

miracles God is doing in my life and the lives of people I know personally

Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus

Jesus, Jesus, how I trust Him! How I’ve proved Him o’er and o’er; Jesus, Jesus, precious Jesus! Oh, for grace to trust Him more! Louisa M. R. Stead

Last week I went through the process of having my first full body radioactive scan since having my cancerous thyroid removed a year and a half ago. As with any test procedure looking for signs of the dreaded “c” it can be stressful. Any accompanying fear and anxiety are acerbated by the infernal, seemingly interminable wait for the results.

It’s been said that war is hell and doubtless waiting for test results is at the very least akin to purgatory. Such waiting could be likened walking a gauntlet of faith with fires of doubt, fueled by rampant negative scenarios, licking at your heels.

This time around, in the midst of my wrestlings of soul the Lord brought to mind the title of the old hymn “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus.” As only God can do those simple words ministered faith to me and restored my peace and sanity.

Life’s journeys have a way of bringing all of us to an occasional bitter pool. Invariably we stumble upon bitter experiences when we least expect it and they can have a way rocking us and our faith to our very core. Disease, major disappointments and losses have that effect upon us. At a time when we thirst for sweet water to refresh our weary souls, it seems like all we have to draw from is bitter.

Ironically that is exactly what happened to the Israelites immediately after their miraculous deliverance from the Egyptians when they passed through the Red Sea on dry ground. Three days of wandering in the desert brought them to the bitter waters of Marah. Famished by thirst they all grumbled “What are we to drink?” (Exodus 15:23)

But God allowed this to teach them and us a foundational truth about dealing with the bitter experiences of life. “Then Moses cried out to the Lord, and the Lord showed him a piece of wood. He threw it into the water, and the water became sweet.” (Exodus 15:25) That “piece of wood” is an Old Testament foreshadowing of the Messiah who was to come and the wooden cross that he would bear. The cross, representing Christ’s great covenant sacrifice for sin and our salvation, would have the power to heal and make every bitter thing sweet.

Sometimes when we are standing at a bitter pool and crying out to God as Moses did, it seems like that piece of wood and its transforming results are nowhere to be found. In fact no matter how diligently we ask and seek and knock, the bread we so desperately want is still a rock and the fish still feels like a scaly snake. But Jesus assures us that the heavenly Father will give us what we long for if we persist. And indeed, when we hold a stone long enough, it will eventually turn into bread, and that scary squirmy snake will turn out to really be a fish. (Matthew 7:7-11)

From personal experience I’ve found that to be true. Yesterday after five days of holding a snake by faith it became a fish and I finally got my test results back with a clean bill of health. All praise and glory to God!

One of the great mysteries of God is the way in which He uses the bitter experiences of life to bring sweetness to our soul. And it is likewise awe inspiring to observe how God can take something born of tragedy and nurture it into becoming a life sustaining blessing.

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The Happy Perfectionist

This Labor Day weekend Susan and I, with some trepidation, made the trek up north to check on our vacation home. We had the place rented out this past year and our renters moved out the end of August. Having not been there for some time and only been limited as landlords to periodic reports; we came armed with cleaning supplies, tools and our sleeves rolled up to spend the weekend working.
When we drove up the driveway and walked through the front door all our fears were allayed. We were pleasantly surprised to find everything in good repair, the furniture and furnishings back in their proper places, and the house well cleaned and vacuumed. Even the garage was swept and clean the way we had left it and the lawn mowed. It was as if no one had ever lived there. What a joy! And blessed are the responsible renters for they shall inherit their full damage deposit!
Joy and perfectionism are infrequent companions and the term the “happy perfectionist” is for the most part an oxymoron. Those like me with the perfectionist gene know that perfectionism is a hard task master. Unfortunately the more afflicted a person is with perfectionism the more unlikely they are to be satisfied that things have met their expectations. And by the same token the less likely they are to be happy with the result. Thankfully however, I can say that I was a happy perfectionist with how we found our home.
There are typically only two times when a perfectionist is truly happy. First when they complete a task that measures up to their high standards of excellence and fully meets their expectations. And second, when someone else completes a task that measures up to their high standards of excellence and fully meets their expectations.

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Entertaining Angels Without Knowing It

Most of us do not think much about angels, much less look for their presence in our lives. But that does not mean that they are not looking for us and actively engaged in helping us. Contrary to some caricatures, they are not rosy cherubs floating on clouds carrying harps. They are servants of God, indued with His power and authority and sent to earth to serve His people and His purposes.

Although in some cases they appear as angels, frequently they take on human form. In the Bible we read of the appearances in person of majestic angels like Gabriel. (Luke 1) Those kind of angelic visitations are unmistakable and awe inspiring. Modern day accounts from those whom have had the privilege of seeing angels in person confirm this. But most of the time angels travel incognito and unless the Lord reveals their identity to us we are unaware of their identity. God clues us in to this in the book of Hebrews. We are told that some strangers who come into our lives may actually be angels. (Hebrews 13:2) Imagine having an encounter with an angel and not realizing it until afterward. There were people in the Bible, likeLot, who had that experience. He met two men in the public square, offered them shelter for the night and they turned out to be two angels sent by God to rescue him and his family before the destruction ofSodom.

Last week was a flurry of activity for my wife and I and our extended family. We all were involved to some degree in preparing for the big Saturday departure of our daughter Annie for a two year teaching commitment in Turkey. Such partings are always fraught with emotion, last “good” good-byes and prayers for protection.

Our other two daughters, Sarah and Carrie, took Annie out for a farewell luncheon on Thursday. All three have traveled extensively. Over lunch, as they compared travel notes, they discovered each of them had an angel story to tell. All three of them shared how a stranger had come into their lives, at a critical time of need in their travels.

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A remedy for panic attacks!

“You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3 NIV

Those who have suffered from panic attacks know how debilitating they are. The very suggestion of their onset can send shock waves of fear through a person’s system. Beads of sweat begin to form on the brow, moisture in the mouth begins to dry up and thoughts begin to careen out of control nudging your closer and closer to the precipice of terrified paralysis.

I share this from personal experience because I have had to battle panic attacks in my life. My bouts have primarily been triggered and associated with public speaking. Since I am a pastor, whose job it is to speak publicly with great frequency, this of course exacerbated my problem.

The panic attacks first surfaced during a period in my life when I was going through the stress of making some midlife career adjustments. I would get up to speak on a Sunday morning or at a wedding and find myself battling all the symptoms of panic. It so unsettled me that I would lose my train of thought and feel like the words I was forming were cleaving to my tongue. The accompanying self consciousness invariably triggered a hot flash and profuse sweating and then an overwhelming fear of fainting would put it’s strangle hold on me. Mustering every once of strength and concentration, while inwardly rebuking the attack I would cry out to God for His deliverance. Each time He spared me from what I feared coming upon me and helped me to recover my composure. Seldom were people aware of the inner struggle I was experiencing. But what a terrifying ride!

As I sought God for deliverance from these

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Ode to Charlotte

When first we heard the coming of a princess
With great anticipation we did wait
To behold her beauty and her comeliness
Earnestly hoping she would not be late

Held in suspense her name we longed to hear
While no masterful inquiry revealed
What pleasant sound was sure to us endear
When at her birth no more to be concealed

Her arrival on the thirteenth day of June
With texts and calls sent shortly after five
So one by one each relayed the joyful tune
Charlotte Avery Stuart has arrived.

Proud father and mother for the first time be
Peter and Kiedra surely are aglow
While holding little Charlotte they now do see
The one they want family and friends to know

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