Star-fish

     A woman gave her testimony recently, beginning with how her father had left their family when she was a young child to marry an 18 year old woman he had met through his work. Her story was a great reminder of how bitterness can consume our lives. This woman had several terrible loses in her life, including many deaths of family members and friends through various accidents. But the one thing, that seemed to caused her the most grief, was her father walking away from her and her family via divorce.       In our reading this morning, my husband read the  Our Daily Bread  devotional for today and the following scriptures spoke to this idea, "Fools mock at making amends for sin, but goodwill is found among the upright. Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy. The house of the wicked will be destroyed, but the tent of the upright will flourish. There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to ...

       At a recent women's Bible study, the question came up, "How long should I pray?" The question was in regard to issues that one has prayed about for a long time and no answers from God seem to be forth coming. I looked online and found several articles that addressed this issue. I have included the ones that seemed to speak to my past concerns about hearing from God when I pray.      A few scriptures need to be added to this question about how long one should pray: I Thessalonians 5:16-18, "Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."  Matthew 26:41, "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Psalm 17:6, "I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer."  These scriptures indicate that we are to pray continually, pray to stay out of temptation, and trust that God...

     We went to a wedding and left our dog, a 3.5 year old black Cocker Spaniel with a dog sitter. She got sick while we were gone and died 20 days later. The veterinarian did numerous tests and all came back normal. We gave her medicine the vet thought would help, and we prayed...hard. We had many people praying. Our dog was smart, loyal, and caring. She really was a special member of our family. But she died, despite all our efforts, money, and prayers and we were left with no answers as to why she died.      This event left my husband and I with many questions and we  ruminated on them together and separately. We cried and poured out our questions to God. But no answers were forthcoming. A friend was upset too and she questioned me, "If God already knows the outcome, why should I pray?" She was upset too, that she had prayed and God had not answered her prayers in the affirmative for our sweet pup.      How do you  reconcile your...