A Prayer of Ascents

Oh, Lord.  I have strayed too often from these thoughts of trust and prayer and reliance on Your love and energy and power.  I have trusted in my hand and not Yours.  Why do I do this?  Why do I get the wrong meanings twisted and contorted?  Is there not a God in heaven to show me the next step?

Have I found too much at my own hand?  I have not seen the greatness that I have desired. Yet, I have seen much greater than imagined in lives and hope and changed outlook.

There is You.

There is You.

There is You.

You guide my heart and hands and words and writings.

You guide me to bless and encourage others into a new and living way beyond their expectation.

How can I not now see the hand of provision of all that is needed over all I do and endeavor?

This year, You have been great to me.

Continue Lord.

That is my expectation and preparation of my heart.  I look only to see You greater than all.

Have a Gorgeous 2012, Friend.

Gorgeous in common vernacular means extremely good, pleasant, fulfilling.

So that is my prayer for your 2012.

May your days be extremely good in their outcomes before you go to bed.

May your thoughts be pleasant and expectant of goodness all the days of this year.

May mercy fulfill your wishes beyond what you imagined and crop failure cover your mistakes.

Have a great 2012 and beyond, Friend.  Surely God is on your side to see you strong and blessed.

Phil Larson 405-388-8037 508 Tumbleweed Dr. Yukon, Ok 73099
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Blog: http://prayermetrodevotion.blogspot.com
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Merry Christmas. Feliz Navidad.

The last few days created joy in many hearts. None of the joy was easy. All of the joy was easy.


Los pocos días anteriores crearon la alegría en muchos corazones. Ninguna de la alegría era fácil. Toda la alegría era fácil.


Just arrived back from a five day trip to Matamoros to extend gifts and hope from many churches in Oklahoma City to children, families, men, and moms. For five days we were in rain and fog. Most of our outreach was outside at night. Go figure we would find a cold and rainy weekend in Mexico, when the weather should have been beautiful.


Sólo llegado atrás de una cinco excursión de un día a Matamoros para ampliar regalos y esperanza de muchas iglesias en Ciudad de Oklahoma a niños, familias, hombres, y mamás. Durante cinco días estábamos en lluvia y niebla. La mayor parte de nuestro para exceder era fuera por la noche. Vaya la figura encontraríamos un fin de semana frío y lluvioso en México, cuando el tiempo debería haber sido hermoso.

People came in the mud and rain. By the hundreds they came in their neighborhoods, at the medical clinic, at the church. They came to hear of hope and receive a gift for a child.


La gente vino al barro y lluvia. Por cientos ellos vinieron a sus vecindades, en la clínica médica, en la iglesia. Ellos vinieron para oír de la esperanza y recibir un regalo para un niño

It is easy to give. The strength that comes far exceeds the energy expended.


Es fácil dar. La fuerza que viene lejos excede la energía gastada

A kiss on the cheek from an excited mom.


Un beso en la mejilla de una mamá excitada.

A deep hug from a pastor receiving support and encouragement.


Un abrazo profundo de un pastor que recibe apoyo y estímulo

Te amo. Again and again and again, those words ring in my ears from hundreds of people. Gracias. Dios te bendiga.


Te amo. Una y otra vez y otra vez, aquellas palabras suenan en mis oídos de cientos de personas. Gracias. Dios te bendiga.

The smiles say as much as words. Sonrisa is smile in Spanish. What a beautiful word for smile. It is a Son Rise. It is the love of Jesus rising from deep. No, the Spanish word has no root in either the English son or rise. But, how like God to create such a word that communicates in two languages even as the smile on the face has no boundaries of culture or language or place.


Las sonrisas dicen tanto como palabras. El Sonrisa es smile en inglés. Qué palabra tan hermosa para smile. Esto es una Subida de Hijo. Esto es el amor de Jesús que se eleva de profundamente. No, la palabra española no tiene ninguna raíz en el Son inglés o en rise. Pero, como como Dios para crear tal palabra que se comunica en dos lenguas justo cuando la sonrisa en la cara no tenga ningunos límites de cultura o lengua o lugar.

May your Christmas be as full of joy as I am today reflecting on the goodness of a God that can reach through mud and pain and wind and rain to bring out a smile. Just enjoy your time and family. Merry Christmas.


Deje a su Navidad ser tan llena de la alegría como reflexiono hoy sobre la calidad de Dios que puede alcanzar por barro y doler y viento y llover para sacar una sonrisa. Sólo disfrute de su tiempo y familia. Feliz Navidad.


www.facebook.com/prayermetro  Plenty of short video and pics so you can join us in the field.


Mucho vídeo corto y pics entonces usted puede afiliarse a nosotros en el campo

Phil Larson 405-388-8037 508 Tumbleweed Dr. Yukon, Ok 73099

Stirring the Call

Stirring The Call  http://prayermetrodevotion.blogspot.com

"God's gifts and his call are irrevocable" Romans 11:29 

A friend reminded me that green grass may be the byproduct of a broken sewer line. Another reminded me to stir the call. 

What does that mean? Stir the call? 

Paul admonished Timothy to remind himself of whose he was. He encouraged power and love and a sound mind to activate results and dispel fear. 

Luke reminds us that it is a power of the Holy Spirit that engages us into effectiveness. 

John encourages us that perfect love casts out fear, puts it in the street and out of the house. 

Stir the call. 

Sunday, I spoke at Fairview on the passion of Eleazar. This warrior entered Pas Dammim with a sure call. Pas Dammim is the boundary of blood. This section of land was contested over and over between the Philistines and Israelis. No one ever won. Just lots of blood at the boundary. 

Eleazar fought until everyone else had fled. Alone he stood with his call and his confidence. No friend stood with him. No enemy withstood him. 

Calls can be lonely sounding. They resonate in the soul and push us into action. They enable and motivate. And mostly start out alone. 

Of course all Eleazer's friends showed up for the victory feast. Each took a piece of his conquest home as a prize for watching. Eleazer took home his pride and his resoluteness and a smile from his Father. That's all a call needs for reward. 

Prayer: Father, You are the Author of the call.  Give us courage to engage what You call into being.  Give us tenacity to take the life offered and offer to others.

Phil Larson 405-388-8037 508 Tumbleweed Dr. Yukon, Ok 73099
Facebook - PrayerMetro
LinkedIn - Considerwell
Blog: http://prayermetrodevotion.blogspot.com
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Stirring The Call

"God's gifts and his call are irrevocable" Romans 11:29

A friend reminded me that green grass may be the byproduct of a broken sewer line. Another reminded me to stir the call.

What does that mean? Stir the call?

Paul admonished Timothy to remind himself of whose he was. He encouraged power and love and a sound mind to activate results and dispel fear.

Luke reminds us that it is a power of the Holy Spirit that engages us into effectiveness.

John encourages us that perfect love casts out fear, puts it in the street and out of the house.

Stir the call.

Sunday, I spoke at Fairview on the passion of Eleazar. This warrior entered Pas Dammim with a sure call. Pas Dammim is the boundary of blood. This section of land was contested over and over between the Philistines and Israelis. No one ever won. Just lots of blood at the boundary.

Eleazar fought until everyone else had fled. Alone he stood with his call and his confidence. No friend stood with him. No enemy withstood him.

Calls can be lonely sounding. They resonate in the soul and push us into action. They enable and motivate. And mostly start out alone.

Of course all Eleazers friends showed up for the victory feast. Each took a piece of his conquest home as a prize for watching. Eleazer took home his pride and his resoluteness and a smile from his Father. That's all a call needs for reward.

Prayer: Father, You are the Author of the call.  Give us courage to engage what You call into being.  Give us tenacity to take the life offered and offer to others.

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Receiving the moments of You in prayer.

Matthew 6:34 So don't fret about the next moment, because that moment will present opportunity enough. Each moment has enough to handle of its own. (Phil's version)

Reasons to Receive and Reasons to Reject

Each of us finds reasons to receive a moment and reasons to reject a moment during holiday seasons. This morning I read through a letter from the speaker of the house in Alabama thanking me for prayer. A thank you is a reason to receive with rejoicing. Yesterday, my car's heater sprung a leak. It is 15 degrees outside. That is certainly a reason to reject at 150 miles from home. However, the moment had to be received to be handled. A quick trip to Wally world for some miracle fluid to get me home and a quick call to my faithful mechanic and the car is in the shop and will be ready tomorrow. It had to be received to get to rejoicing. Glad there is a repair fund with a few bucks set aside.

Predecessors

Now the car heater had been preceded by a water heater at the house and the batteries dying in my bionic ears during some critical discussions and my phone / belt-hanging computer cutting in and out and, and, and..... Each moment has to be received, handled and can end up in rejoicing. Now the letter was preceded by a great discussion with a business analyst in New York and a new client coming on board and good days strategizing with two business teams. All of those are easy to receive and rejoice.

The Moment

Every moment presents the opportunity to receive and eventually rejoice. Some are much tougher than others. But, we make it through when we persist. In Dicken's Christmas Carol, the ghost of Christmas present says, "Know me better, man." In other words, enjoy what you have. Receive it, get it into it, and take all the enjoyment you can out of it.

Prayer:

Father, let You have some great moments this week. Whether they start good or bad or interruptive or encouraging, let them result in rejoicing. Enable You to receive and engage with each moment with a certainty You are on our side. As the press of all that needs done needs done looms and days shorten in reach, put a deep smile of confident expectation of good wrap around the heart of You. Give peace for the journey with strength for the moment, and I will be faithful to remember You in each of them.

Phil Larson 405-388-8037 508 Tumbleweed Dr. Yukon, Ok 73099
Facebook - PrayerMetro
LinkedIn - Considerwell
Blog: http://prayermetrodevotion.blogspot.com
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