J.A.W.S. living? or P.R.A.Y. living

© 2012 Julie Crane All rights reserved

Yes! It's shark week!

Make your life a prayer. And in the midst of everything be always giving thanks for this is God's perfect plan for you in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18)

Lots of acronyms for praying. I would have to say my life is a continual cycle of them. Some Praising, Repenting, Asking and Yielding. (P.R.A.Y.)

I am in and out of those all day long. Sounded like a tall order at first. I picture "official" prayer as head bowed, hands folded, "prayer closet"... but we all know prayer comes in many forms and its really just turning our thoughts to God at any given moment.

A life of prayer? Or a life of...
J. A.W.S.
Judging others. Being critical.
Acting in arrogance. Thinking I know better, thinking I could do it better.
Whining. Complaining. Never satisfied. Always wanting something else.
Stepping in to fix things. A compilation of the first three put into action. Taking over. Taking control. Leaving no room for God and His Spirit to act.

I am humbled by these thoughts. And with greater awareness, certainly desire and choose that which is better and most pleasing to my God. May I continually fight for a P.R.A.Y.ing life and continually repent from slipping into a J.A.W.S. life.

Thank You, Jesus.

What are you never-ceasing about?

© 2012 Julie Crane All rights reserved

I got a song stuck in my head this morning. The line before the chorus says that my whole being never ceases to worship the Lord.  Hmmm...

I'm afraid I think about God in the morning and then get on with my day.

What I AM good at never ceasing about is - worrying. I can think of something to be anxious about any time of day. But do I - can I - think of God throughout the day? Can I worship and praise Him - morning, noon and night?

I started thinking about a tree. Can you imagine a tree complaining:
"I'm stuck here. Same ol' same ol' every day. Literally, rooted / fixed to this spot. What if the river rises? What if there's a drought and the roots can't reach any refreshment? What if there's a fire? I can't move! Can go anywhere. Can't do anything. Just stand here."

Nope. The tree has its arms extending to the sky all the time. Probably praising God for providing water and other nutrients as needed. Probably praising God for the ability to make maple syrup at the proper time. Or fruit in the proper season. Probably praising God for the gift of leaves that dance in the breezes. Simply being. Simply satisfied with being blessed with whatever the Lord sends. Ceaseless praising tree.

You know what? My faith, my trust in God is unceasing. Unwavering. I will always have hope! My seeking of God will not be stopped. My confidence in Him will not be shaken! Ask me anytime, anywhere - I love the Lord for all He's done for me. Now that's ceaseless worship and praise!

Praise the Lord, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise His holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all His benefits -
Who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
Who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. (Psalm 103:1-5)

One great devotional!

Due to renewed interest, I am having a reprint of the devotional I wrote. Order your copy now! I'll be placing the order in the next 24 hours or so. If you happen to live in the Holland, Grand Rapids, or Lansing areas, I will be making deliveries once the books arrive. I can also mail copies. If you have an Amazon account, it may be less expensive for you, especially if you can get free shipping.
Just send me an email: auntie.ju@hotmail.com
Thank you!

What people are saying:
 Each and every page is full of inspiration and motivation. Well worth the small investment!
The devotions are always inspiring and easy to relate to daily life.
 It was an awesome work. I'd recommend to anyone. Julie has a real gift.
This book is a plan talk book, and is very up lifting. I have bought 3 or 4 and given them to people who are important to me. 
 Julie's book is a great encourage to anyone who wants to grow in their faith by drawing closer to God.

My non-productive prayer

© 2012 Julie Crane All rights reserved

I'm armed and dangerous. I've got my prayer list, my bible, my journal, my coffee, and my devotional. Fully prepared for some real quiet time with the Lord before jumping into my to-do list of the day.

I'm reading. I'm writing. I'm powering through my prayer list. But I don't know... something's not right. Today's scripture just isn't "clicking" with me. Today's prayers for others feel lackluster or rote. There's no real drama going on in my personal life ; no high anxieties for the day that require intense pleading. I'm kinda just sitting here - anxiously rambling helter-skelter, seeking that divine connection - through my attempt at productive prayer.

And suddenly... suddenly... I am stopped.
"Put everything down. Everything. Just sit. Close your eyes. Breathe in and out. That's all."

But what about...

"Breathe in and out. That's all. Just sit to embrace My divine presence. Savor this thing you call quiet time - by being quiet."

He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet water,
He refreshes my soul. (Psalm 23:2 NIV)

He offers a resting place for me in His luxurious love.
His tracks take me to an oasis of peace, the quiet brook of bliss.
That's where He restores and revives my life. (TPT)

He provides me rest in rich, green fields
beside streams of refreshing water.
He soothes my fears;
He makes me whole again. (VOICE)

Precious in His sight

My husband and I visited a bird sanctuary recently. There were birds from every part of the world. Big, beautiful, colorful birds! And I thought to myself, "Thank goodness I don't have to rely on rolls of film anymore, limiting the number of photos I can take!" There were enclosures from every continent, showing off the best of the best. And there was also a space sectioned off labeled "endangered species". A lot of beautiful birds there too. But as I was leaving, for some reason, I looked down to see the little brown birds there as well. Endangered too. But hardly noticed.

And I can't help but think - am I, or you - feeling like a little brown bird? When so many others around us are striving, driven, reaching for the stars and successfully nabbing them, I am sometimes limited by physical or emotional weaknesses. Some days there is no energy or drive.

Often times I am just up and I'm going through daily, well-established patterns. Much of which are not really noteworthy. Pretty mundane in fact. You too? Going to your job. Cooking dinner. Laundry. Reading or watching TV. Perhaps babysitting. Or on the phone. Sometimes getting up is the achievement of the day. Sometimes a load of laundry is an accomplishment. 

But I'm still here by God's will and purpose. God sees me and knows me and is not disappointed in me.

Like the little brown birds - the regular, run-of-the-mill brown birds - you are cherished by God. More so than you can even imagine.

We may not get noticed by others because of some stunning, beautiful "feather in our cap" achievement. But God sees every little thing.

Look at the birds in the sky. They do not store food for winter. They don't plant gardens. They do not sow or reap - and yet, they are always fed because your heavenly Father feeds them.

His eye is on the sparrow...

And you are even more precious to Him than a beautiful bird. If He looks after them, of course He will look after you. (Matthew 6:26 VOICE)

I know He watches over me...