Weekly Prayer Call and Reflection - Tuesday, Jan. 7 at 8 p.m. EST

What About Your Friends?

Psalm 41:9 Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted,
   who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me. 

Reflection: A quick review of my Facebook Timeline suggests the New Year has arrived with a few “friends” being in love or like “under new management.” Oh, some will remember that 1989 Miki Howard tune where she sings about changes taking place in her love life. My 15-year-old self would sannnnngg, honey, like I knew what she was talking about. I didn’t even know the half. 

For some, both romantic relationships and friendships are currently in transition.

In recent years, friends once labeled “best friends” are now identified as simply “friends.” Time and circumstances have changed the dynamics. The older I get, it seems like the fewer genuine friends I have. My granny says we often just have “associates.” 

While our FB friends may equate to hundreds of people, our real friendships may be limited as way to protect ourselves from hurt or manipulation. I am cautious when someone is quick to establish a relationship with me; I want to know their motives. I want to know what their intentions are. I want to know if they can be trusted with hearing my hopes and dreams. I want to make sure that what takes place in this passage above does not happen to me.

God has blessed me with some of the most amazing friends who are more charitable and patient than I deserve. However, I have come to realize that while earthly friendships are important, the most important relationship is the one I have with God. My earthly friends would call and have me committed if they ever heard some of the conversations we have. In the words of the familiar hymn, “there’s not a friend like the lowly Jesus. No not one, No not one.” If you’re reading this today, my prayer is that you will also know the love and friendship of Jesus. It is also my prayer that friends after God's heart will be sent your way!
 

Prayer: Lord, please continue to bless those friendships that you have ordained for my life. May I be able to discern those relationships that are not in your will? Thank you, Lord, for sending people into my life that will help me to accomplish all that you have given my hands to do. Bless my friends and those who extend their love and kindness toward me. Keep them in your care and allow our relationship to bring you all the honor and glory. Amen!

As always, Look and LIVE in harmony!  

2014: Courage Required

(Highlights from New Year’s Eve prayer call. There was a slight technical glitch after minute 2, but the call can be accessed in its entirety at (712) 432-1202 / Access Code: 597446# )

For many of us 2013 has been an interesting year with many twists, turns, joys and pains, but thanks be to God we made it through. I have been hearing in my spirit the word “courage.” It has been a theme I have heard all last year.

The New Interpreter’s Dictionary defines courage as  “spiritual, emotional and moral fortitude to speak and act without fear in the face obstacles and dangers.”

Day-by-day we confront obstacles and dangers, and to navigate through them we have needed courage. Someone mustered up some courage when you went to ask your supervisor for a raise in 2013. Someone else mustered up some courage when you went and requested a meeting with your child’s principal. There are many instances where we have had to ask God “give me some strength and some courage."

I have been thinking about the past year and I realized that there are some areas in my life where I could have been more productive, but I allowed fear and doubt to consume me and talk me out of some things. There were times where I lacked courage.

You can have book and common sense, but you will also some courage.

My prayer is that we will continue to pray for God to strengthen all of us. So that we can become the people of God we are destined to be and not be overwhelmed by all that we feel may be coming against us.

It takes courage to to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God

It takes courage to raise God fearing children

It takes courage to be single and celibate

It takes courage to resign from your job and pursue your calling or passion

It take courage to while in the midst of sickness tell your medical team that you are healed

It takes courage to undergo chemotherapy and look at the tubes and mumble Isaiah 53:5 “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes I am healed”

It will take courage to believe you can love again, after your heart has been broken or there has been divorce, or abandonment.

It is going to take courage to go on without that loved one who may have transitioned this year.

It is going to take some courage to get through the year ahead.

But I hear the words God said to Joshua after the death of Moses as recorded in Joshua 1:9: ”Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

I am praying that God takes me to some amazing places next year, and I trust God will be with me no matter where I go.

When Jesus summoned those who were sick for their healing, he told them to “take heart.” That’s what he told the woman with the issue of blood. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.”

When the disciples were terrified in the the storm, Jesus said, “Take heart, it is I, do not be afraid.”

People of God, take heart! Take heart and trust God to help you do what you aren’t strong enough to do. Take heart, and trust God to get you to where you need to go in 2014!

As always, continue to look and live! Dr. Lele

Did you get the lesson?

Today we find ourselves breathing through the last Sunday of a year we’ll never see again. God has been speaking to me concerning my own affairs as well as giving insight on things I should share with others. This time of year brings introspection and reflection that some might choose to avoid. I ask you to say “hello” to Gabriel if you have lived 363 day without stress, money problems, fear, pain, or anything likened to human angst. While the memories of some of our joys have been short lived, we remember the pains.

As I reflected on some events in my own life and how I responded or failed to respond, I heard God say “Did you get the lesson?”  Point. Blank. Period.

Did I get the lesson? Did you get the lesson?

At the core of my being I believe God is not wasteful. We may call an abundance of rain a flood while for God there is a providential plan for the waters that disrupt our driving and damage our shoes.

Whether it was a relationship that didn’t go your way or another matter that didn’t end as suspected, know that it was a learning module for the journey.

For months I asked God why a situation turned out the way it did. Why me? Why did it not turn out in my favor? I’m righteous. I’m called. At one point I got a little indignant and said, “Really, God?”  See, in the midst of the situation God sent other messages with words to encourage a different path. Oh, I thanked them for their suggestions then chose to do it my way. Just recently, I had to send someone a note to thank her for the wisdom I could not hear in that season. Now, I am left with God saying, “Did you get the lesson?”

Beloved, I did get the lesson. And because of God’s grace, it is a lesson I learned while being prepared on the backside of the desert before God sends me to lead God’s people.

For some, such lessons are costly. But because God is not wasteful, God will allow us to get the necessary learning before the costs are so great. Will we listen? Will we heed the warnings and embrace the wisdom sent to through priest, prophets and everyday people? God will send us notes through everyday people. Yes, even a dude at a bar who looks at you and says, “You’re not even suppose to be in here.” (Fast forward 16 years :) )

I trust there were many lessons to be learned this year, but it will require you to slow down, take some notes, or review the ones already compiled. No electronic devices needed, but this will require an open heart and mind willing to hear the Teacher’s still small voice.

As always, continue to look and live!

Dr. Lele

A Kwanzaa Prayer for Christian Services

Habari Gani? (which is Swahili for "What's the News?" )

Well, the news is it's the first day of Kwanzaa. While Christians will continue our journey through Christmastide, or the 12 days of Christmas, some of us will also celebrate Kwanzaa.

 I recently participated in a pre-Kwanzaa program where I wrote this prayer that followed a brief discussion about the Gullah-Geecchee culture. I'll likely pray this prayer differently in the future, but this is what God gave me for our gathering a few weeks ag0. 

 Feel free to use it as written, edit for your setting, or read it to inspire your own offering to God. Although Kwanzaa is a secular celebration, for African-American churches it can be beautifully incorporated into our settings. 

 "Faith" is the final principle celebrated on Jan. 1. May you keep the faith this season and continue to Look, Learn and LIVE!

  A Kwanzaa Prayer for Christian Services 

©2013 Arlecia D. Simmons  

Oh holy God, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob...

God of Sarah, Rebekah, Leah and Rachel...

The God who heard Hagar's cries as she sat with Ishmael in the wilderness...

Our God who heard our ancestors’ cries as they crossed the Atlantic Ocean in slave ships; heard their cries as they picked cotton and tobacco; heard their cries through the shouts of Lynch mobs. Our God.

We come (today, tonight) asking you to be in our midst as you have been from generation to generation. Come now, Holy Spirit

Lord, we thank you for allowing us to gather to worship you, and to celebrate the heritage passed down to us.

Even while experiencing the injustices of this life, our big mamas and papas proclaimed you as a just God. Calling on the name of Jesus, who was also a suffering servant.
Lord, we thank you for every prayer our ancestors ever prayed and how you answered them. We thank you for being the lifter of our heads when oppression, racism, segregation sought to keep them bowed down.

May we not be a forgetful people; forgetting our ancestors and forgetting your benefits. May we forever remember that if it had not been for the Lord who was on our side, where would be.

Touch now your people as we give back to you the gifts that you have given to us. 

Bless your children and those whose hands you have placed them in (Optional verse to be used when children are included during celebration). 

We offer this prayer, in the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.

Forgiveness: The Most Expensive Gift You Can Ever Give or Receive

The final column in my Advent series:


http://chronicle.augusta.com/node/570575

I Won't Crash...

As the year ends, we access the hard drives of our lives and find files saved using words such as disappointment, rejection, and failure. In some instances, we have encountered system failure while life events likened to Malware threatened to shut us all the way down. 

This morning as negative thoughts invaded my mind I did a quick reboot and embraced these words offered by the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:28: And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. #Amen 

#Dontshutdownbeforetheupdates