Confessions of a Hypocrite

Aren't we all less than we hope to be? Don't we all fail at times to do the very things we want to do and find ourselves mired in the muck of what we earnestly wanted to avoid?

I have often wondered where we would be if the apostle Paul had been a hypocrite and not admitted to the struggles he had. As he continued to try to reach the prize of knowing and serving Christ Jesus faithfully, he said he did not do what he should and did the very thing he did not want to do. He knew he needed a divine rescue.

It was this humble admission and his obvious need for Jesus, for the grace offered at the cross, that kept Paul going. That is what keeps us going too. If someone makes the accusation of hypocrisy against you, you can humbly admit you have missed the mark, and say this is the exact reason you need a Savior. Perhaps such an accuser may understand and admit that they too need a rescue from God! Doma

Hope Still Lives!

The prescription for man's sin is written in red.
Our Father God sent His Son
To fill it.


The Hope of the world came as a child
And what did we do
But kill it.

But Hope lives forever
He rose from the dead, and nothing and no one
Can still it! Doma 02/25/09

Disappointment: Often self-inflicted

Ever been disappointed? Sure you have and so have I. Sometimes the disappointment comes slowly like the unraveling of a favorite sweater, until there's a big hole and the garment is no longer wearable. Or the disappointment may catch you so much by surprise it's like having someone trip you and you fall face down and it hurts so much.

Take an honest look at two things before you become distrustful or frustrated beyond belief. What were your expectations, and what was your reaction to being let down? You may have had some unrealistic ideas of how someone was going to act, what you were going to do, or how you were going to deal with situations.

By far the greatest cause of disappointment is setting the bar too high for yourself or for someone else in regard to their behavior and your reaction. This creates such an atmosphere of false hopes that nobody could meet your ideal, least of all you.

So-cut yourself some slack and let others just be who they are. Here is where the slogan "accepting the things (or people) we cannot change and ... having the wisdom to know the difference" really can help. Just think about how much of our disappointment started out between our own ears. Doma

Seeds of Prayer

Seeds of prayer sown in darkness,
Watered by your earnest tears.
Seeds of prayer and late night watches,
You hope for growth, for fruit, for yield.

You get discouraged, think it's all in vain
To pray for dear ones who don't seem to change.
You look for answers, want results
But God is working, there is no doubt.

You must continue to pray, to do your part.
You must press on with all your heart.
Trust God and wait; (you can't make seeds grow.)
Lean on His promises, don't let go.

Dear Lord of harvest, seed and bud
Help me be steadfast in your love.
Help me to trust you and be secure
Knowing seeds of prayer will become mature,
That plants of faith take time to grow
To bear the fruit that pleases You.

Prayer Revisited

After the last post about prayer, I did a lot of thinking. It seems to me that the heart attitude is what really matters most when approaching God in prayer. If the only prayers you know are memorized prayers, but your heart is tender toward God and you really mean what you are saying, God knows it. My favorite prayer is the Our Father or Lord's prayer and it covers so much ground:

1. Recognizing who God is, that He is sovereign ruler and His will should be done here just as it is in heaven,
2. asking for God's provision,
3. asking for forgiveness in the same measure as we forgive,
4. asking for deliverance from temptation and evil.

All these things are in this beautiful prayer given to us by Jesus, (who is an expert on prayer).

To clarify things further, I know I have told God with tears many times that He is the only one who can understand my situation and do something about it. I have cried out to Him without any preliminary praises, worshipping or thanksgiving. I knew He was my only refuge.

David, the psalmist and king knew it too. Many times he cried out and God answered. And sometimes God did not seem to answer him though David was described as a man after God's own heart.

Some of the biggest hindrances to prayer are disobedience, wrong motive, and wrong focus. You can read about these things in the book of James and in Psalms. Check it out. Doma

Disappointment with God

So you prayed and God did not answer! Maybe your disappointment has shaken your faith. What happened? Well, don't think you did not figure out the formula or choose the right words or not have enough faith, because this is most likely NOT the case.

Since prayer is communicating with God, you need to examine both your relationship with Him and your prayer life.

First, if you were talking to a friend, wouldn't you greet him or her before you ask for something? Would you only talk to that person when you were desperate? Would you know and value your friend's character? Would you recall all you have shared and be grateful? Review your relationship with the living, loving God very carefully before you accuse Him of not answering your prayer.

As for your prayer life, is it an endless litany of requests or do you use it like a parachute, in case of emergency only? Do you habitually think that when all else fails you can pray? Do you believe that repetition of rote prayers recited without thought is actually a conversation with the Creator of heaven and earth?

As Augustine said, "God thirsts to be thirsted after." He longs for you to come to Him. Come honestly. Worship Him by using the Psalms, or think about who He really is and then you will become aware of your own sinfulness. Clear the air between you by confessing your sins to Him and use I John 1:9, "If you confess your sins He is faithful and just to forgive you your sins and to cleanse you from all wrongdoing." Also, remember to thank Him for everything, "...for this is the will of God concerning you." And then, lay your needs out before Him and do your asking.

You will not be disappointed. Taste and see that the Lord is good. Come thirsty! Doma

A Message To Readers

Out there, wherever you are, I want you to know I appreciate you! When I post something it is with you in mind, until lately that is. I have started to include my poetry, and not everyone likes poems. I promise not to print anymore if you will just please give me comments letting me know how you feel about that.

Having a great variety of topics on my mind, and choosing exactly what to post is a challenge. Often, the LORD puts an idea in my my mind that just won't go away and it soon develops into a topic. Sometimes a current event or an event from the past that might help someone now comes to my mind. But, lately, it's just the poetry.

I will end this post with one quick poem; possibly the last one I will post.

Adam, when God came to call,
Was hiding, but that wasn't all,
He was all leafed and vined,
But he couldn't find
A pocket to hide the apple core in! Doma

Hope Hiding

Before Spring is official, I find myself looking for signs of it: A single blade of green grass, a birdsong I've not heard all winter, anything to let me know it's coming soon. I poke among the old, dead growth hoping to see something. Do you?

I went out to see the hope today,
It was there, green and shy,
Beneath the snow-matted thatch,
Among the remnants of Winter's last stand.
I knelt and parted the rubble.

Those who have eyes for hope
Can see it hidden there,
Long before it comes,
Nourished by the decay
Of what was hoped in before.

The ice is gone, the creek is free.
At first it courses leisurely
But then it assaults its banks again and again
Carving and gouging, then quietly subsiding
Leaving behind the debris of late Fall.

I went searching for the hope today
That only Spring can give,
And I was not disappointed. Doma

God Calling

"I want to make you see,
To call you out of your winter of despair,
To clear the vision of your tear-worn eyes
And summon the sounds of life back into your hearing."

"So, I place black lace trees against a golden sky,
As you begin your day,
And caress the frigid, sparkling earth
With every warming ray."

"I call to you in birdsong
And in wind through oak and pine,
But you are too busy looking back
At all you've left behind."

"At dusk, I trace in pinkest peppermint
And hint of orange on blue,
Bringing in magenta and then a purplish hue.
Finally, in the velvet black when night voices call,
The whisper of the owl asks
Who? Who loves you best of all?"

"The answer is that I do.
Dear child, O don't you see?
The way out of your deep distress
Is to give your life and heart to Me." Doma 12/08