As fires burn, Friend, find a place of blessing.

Isaiah 43:2 New King James Version (NKJV)

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.

When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.

Traveling on vacation through Colorado, my wife and I stopped a motel short of Colorado Springs. Every hotel that I checked online was full. So, we just pulled off and picked a motel and walked into the foyer. It was full of people. It was chaos.

As we checked in, we found we had been given a spacious room beyond what we hoped to find for the price. It is a blessing. It is great.

Out the window smoke is covering the sky. It is thickening by the minute. The fires west of Colorado Springs are growing and people are evacuating. The hotels and motels are filling rapidly. The air is filling.

Sure, we are 20 miles from the fire, but it is affecting lives around us. It is affecting us.

As fires burn, Friend, find a place of blessing.

There are many emotional and financial and physical and spiritual fires of disruption around us right now. We don't have answers for many of them. Friends are struggling. Life seems full of fires of disruption.

As fires burn, Friend, find a place of blessing.

Life has moments like this. They come. They go. As we drive, we read scripture out loud. We pray. We sing psalms of release and praise. We enjoy the sights and sounds of life around us.  Surely, God knew the timing of the fires.  Our vacation was scheduled two years ago for this week.  He knew.  He provided.

As fires burn, Friend, find a place of blessing.

Over life, I've walked through many fires of disruption. Some have been personal. Some have been for others I love. Some have been for friends and congregants and community. In every case, we have walked through. Maybe we smell a little smoke after the walk, but the odor dissipates after a while.

As fires burn, Friend, find a place of blessing.

We have a God able to walk us through a fire with a blessing bigger than our hopes and imaginations. He is on our side. He is on your side.

Prayer:

This is a wonderful day in Your world, Father. Of course there are fires that disrupt. The smoke chokes us and clouds our vision of the next step. The smoke will clear. The fire will quench. We will be standing on the other side with You beside us. Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound of deliverance. They shall walk, Lord, in the light of Your countenance. In Your name shall they rejoice, all day long. In Your righteousness, they will be exalted. You are our defense and our deliverer. You are our strong tower. In days of fire, let my friend walk with confidence and consolation. There is a bigger place of blessing in the middle of the fire and most certainly on the other side.

Phil Larson 405-388-8037 Add:508 Tumbleweed Dr. Yukon, Ok 73099
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Abiding in the Shadows

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Psalm 91:1 NKJV

 

Some days, it is required to just get into the shadows.  The heat of living gets so hot, you need the shadow, you need to be hidden in a secret spot. 

 

The enemy of our soul knows how to seek us out.  He is accomplished at digging deep into our peace and disturbing our thoughts.

 

Those moments repeated over and over become more than we are able to handle.  That is when you need the secret place.  That is when you need a shadow to hide your troubled face and relieve your burning skin for a few moments.

 

Don't get rattled in those moments.  Hide.  Get into that secret place of prayer and relax in His embrace.  Take advantage of His shadow.  Let Him cover you.

 

Prayer:  Father, take Friend into that secret place of Your protection.  Shadow over and relieve from the heat of daily pressures.  Whisper a breath of cool inspiration of Your Spirit into the soul of Friend and let emotions be calmed.

 

p.s.  Out of pocket over the next two weeks.  Stay blessed.

Phil Larson 405-388-8037 Add:508 Tumbleweed Dr. Yukon, Ok 73099
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Fathers Count, Friend.

“The father of the righteous will greatly rejoice, And he who begets a wise child will delight in him.”Proverbs 23:24 NKJV

 

Happy Father's Day.  At least, I hope it is happy for you.

As a certified trainer with the National Center for Fathering, I've found many are not so happy as fathers with their father or with their husband or ex husband, who is the father of a child.  Research tells me that.  Face up experience with thousands of fathers and children tells me that.

That is sad.  THE FATHER selected this relationship to be His example of our relationship with Him.

So, I encourage you to enjoy the heck out of the best of your fathering relationship.

Sure there are disappointments and maybe even extreme pains and memories old and present.

 

Today, I bless the fathers reading and related.

Be blessed to enjoy your children.

Be blessed to think of them in goodness and kindness.

May your heart be turned to be a blessing to your children.

May you find fulfillment as a father even in mistakes and especially in the great moments.

May you be blessed in sharing the joys of your children.

 

Today, I bless the children reading and related.

Friend, you are a child.

Everyone of us is a child of a father.

Be blessed with a greater relationship with The Father from which every father get's his commission.

Be blessed to see you father with eyes of forgiveness and acceptance.

May your heart be turned to be a blessing to others.

May you find fulfillment as a child and in family and friendships.

May you, Friend, be blessed in sharing the joys of your family and friendships.

 

A Prayer You Can Pray For A Father

Based on Ephesians 3

¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ from whom the whole family of ___________ in  named, ¹⁶ that He would grant _______________, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,¹⁷ that Christ may dwell in __________'s heart through faith; that _______, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— ¹⁹ to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that ___________ may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Phil Larson 405-388-8037 Add:508 Tumbleweed Dr. Yukon, Ok 73099
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Strong eyes for Friend.

In II Chronicles 16:9 the prophet comes to Asa and gives him insight and correction.  Hanani chastises Asa, the king, for looking to others for help instead of looking to God.  He instructs him that the eyes of the Lord are always searching back and forth to find loyal hearts and show Himself strong.  Why would Asa go anywhere else for help.

 

Asa had a son.  His name was Jehosaphat.  Later, when Jehosaphat is king, he does an act of ultimate trust by sending the singers out in front of the army.  He fights the war with absolute trust in God no even his own soldiers.  It works.  In my mind I envision Jehosaphat listening next to his father while his father is corrected.  I imagine Jehosaphat saying to himself, "I'll learn and be as strong as and stronger than my father.  I'll use this wisdom later in my life."

 

This weekend is father's day weekend.  Asa did some great stuff and some not so great stuff.  However, somewhere Asa embedded some great stuff in Jehosaphat that lasted into a powerful moment and more.  He exposed his son to the right stuff.  Sure Asa made mistakes and he listened to correction.

 

My prayer for you, Friend, is that you find blessings in the instructions and corrections of those that have gone before you.  Even if they made some big mistakes, there are still good lessons to be learned.

My prayer for you, Friend, is that you find insights to pass on to others, who look up to you, that will guide them in years when you are not around for all the decisions they have to make.

My prayer for you, Friend, is that you find rest for your soul in knowing that God is looking for a perfect heart, not a perfect act.

May He show Himself strong on your behalf and the behalf of those who look to you to lead.  Whether they are one year old or 60+ or whether they are one or many, may they find good that will serve them later in life and be able to forget the mistakes and move on.

Phil Larson 405-388-8037 Add:508 Tumbleweed Dr. Yukon, Ok 73099
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An other's pair of shoes

(Note:  If I have not answered your email in the last few weeks, I have not forgotten you.  Life has been busy.  Anyway, in the last few weeks, I have received about 20 times the normal amount of personal prayer requests and notes.  This week, I will catch up.)

An other's pair of shoes

"Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, The power and the glory, The victory and the majesty; For all that is in heaven and in earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, And You are exalted as head over all." 1 Chronicles 29:11 NKJV

Little kids have little intimidation. Big kids learn to worry and stay within boundaries. Adults look for confinement.

Something seems wrong with that picture.

A friend suffers dementia. It is normal. Used to be called "getting old". Others want to correct her thoughts and tell her she is wrong. You cannot correct the thoughts of a person suffering dementia. Maybe it would be best to let her mind wander a little. Maybe we are afraid that we are next and want to control the wandering?

Another friend's father passed suddenly. Sure he was ill, but no one expected imminent death. It was a good funeral. My friend and I were together working with an outreach in Matamoros at the time. His father lived there. It was good to walk alongside my friend and his family at such a time. It was good to be there and share his world and grief and joy and family.

My father-in-law passed a few weeks ago. The weeks preceding were grueling. My wife spent many evenings caring for him. Her sister took care of him in her house. Before that, their brother cared for him daily. It is the right way to pass. Being among family is the right way. It is also tough.

Yet, another extended family member decided to end life early. There is no way to know what was in his mind at those frustrating moments leading up to such a decision. All of us are dying. He reached the other side earlier than we would like. It is painful.

Right now, a five year old is passing. Another extended family member. The final days of morphine and meds will usher her out of this existence. Cancer is cruel. Her parents and others have worked hard to make sure she has enjoyed every moment of her life possible over the last years.

Shoes - Zapatos

Over all the times of sharing life events, there were two two year olds. Each of them playfully would put their tiny feet in some adult's abandoned shoes and walk around. With my granddaughter, we spent over an hour one day as she held my hand and walked in high heels of another. It was fun.

In all of the death and destruction and pain and passing, these little ones have an enormous capacity to imagine themselves bigger than their current life would permit. For them, to walk in bigger shoes is the expectation of the future.

How good it is when we embrace life with the expectation of a little child. Instead of limiting ourselves and others, we have the capacity within us to imagine there are no limitations and no walls. We can live bigger than our existence. We can walk above the pain and grief and see a bigger life. We can walk in bigger shoes even when our feet are so small. It just takes holding on to our Father's hand.

I am wearing a big pair of shoes this morning that are smiling shoes.  My expectation of a good day and a good week are high.  My Father and I are going to take a walk all week long in those shoes.

Be Blessed.  Put on some shoes that are bigger than your present experience.  Maybe one day your feet will be big enough to fill them and you will need to look for even bigger shoes.

Phil Larson 405-388-8037 Add:508 Tumbleweed Dr. Yukon, Ok 73099
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Empty Yet Full

The Irregular Daily Dose ( Welcome for one time to legislators from across our nation. If you are a legislator and want to receive such between sessions, just reply to this with a note.  Otherwise, you will only receive prayers during legislative season and a few times during elections.  These notes are more 'teaching and instructional' in nature than the prayers and snippets you normally receive and go out about once a week.)

Micah 7:1 I feel so empty inside—like someone starving for grapes or figs, after the vines and trees have all been picked clean

Empty

Now that is a poor place to be. Every been there? You have exhausted yourself, come up empty, turn to look for some source of refreshment, and find not only is there no refreshment in sight, there is none for miles around you.

Some days can be like that. Others are better.

Building

After a 7 mile run in the mountains, I sprinted the last quarter mile. It was hot, windy, steep, dusty and longer than any normal run. For months I have been reconditioning my body so it would have more source. It had run dry from prior years of wear and tear. Muscles had become laggardly. Weight was pulling me down. Eating habits were lax. Just last year a mile on a flat surface inside was out of my reach. That 7 mile mountain run was the result of six months of conditioning and there was energy at the end.

What it takes.

It has taken changing my eating likes and dislikes. If it builds, I like it. If it lathers on fat, I don't like it. Choices.

It has taken honest introspection. Why did I let my strength wane? What happened to get me out of fit shape?

It has taken counsel. My doctor found a problem, a change in my system that was contributing to my condition. He told me fix it or live less.

It has taken courage and prayer. There is no reason to approach any area in life without prayer. The scripture is a ready source of strength. When the grapes are gone, God is good.

It has taken encouragement of friends. How often has a comment or compliment been really meaningful? A friend who notices is a friend who encourages.

Full

Micah 7:8 Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; When I fall, I will arise; When I sit in darkness, The Lord will be a light to me.

Turning our attention to the real source of strength brings eventual refreshment. It may not appear in a Pentecostal second. It may not drop from the sky in our path. It will come.

When it comes, recognize the source of your refreshment. Look to the future. Don't go back to the points and habits and haunts and relationships that build weakness.

Empty Yet Full

Most empty moments are not accidental. Some come from the curse of the universe, most come of our own choices. They are not caused by some amorphous external force out of our control. We reach them of our own accord and habits and relationships and actions. God is the God of abundance and provision. His vines and trees are always full of fruit. Turn to Him. Invoke His help. Follow His lead.

Every empty moment is full. It is full of His mercy, His grace, His provision, and His help. In the crucible of empty we can find the cup of Fullness.

Prayer:

And, Father, You are the source of all comfort and strength and energy and wisdom that lasts. Grace us. Give us wisdom to engage the empty moments with as great an expectation of receiving what we need as we do the full moments. Put a vision in our eyes for plenty in the middle of poverty. Show us how. Show us why. Most of all, open our hearts to be sensitive to change to be more like You and our eyes to be illuminated to see what we have missed.

Phil Larson 405-388-8037 Add:508 Tumbleweed Dr. Yukon, Ok 73099
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And that is just the way it is, Friend.

Psalm 149:4 The LORD is pleased with his people, and he gives victory to those who are humble.

And that is just the way it is, Friend.

Random thoughts on humility...

Humility is not the lack of confidence. In fact, humility is accompanied by victory and accomplishment.

Humility requires confidence so great that it does not need repetitive public acknowledgement.

Humility realizes at any moment our weaker components can overwhelm our greater components and bring us crashing to defeat.  Yet, keeps a keen sense of advancing the greater to prevent the crash.

Humility acknowledges the contributions of others.

Humility stands at high altitude on the shoulders of those that have gone before and paved the path, acknowledging that without them we are nothing.

The humble know who they are and are glad about it.

They are content in who they are.

They are firm in who they are.

And they have victory with others as an accompaniment.

Prayer:

Father, teach us humility with victory. Bring us accomplishment with acknowledgement that we never did anything of ourselves. Bring blessing to all those around us who help us and advance our cause. Give, Friend, victory this week alongside companions. Let humility be our attitude and acknowledgement of others set our altitude.

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