What Does "Amen" Mean?

Whenever we pray to God.. to Jesus... We end our prayer by saying "Amen"... But what does Amen really mean?? I always thought it meant - A Man... not sure why... maybe because of the spelling? In my study today... I finally learned what it meant....

Amen comes from a Hebrew word meaning "trustworthy" or "true". Therefore, saying amen means that you agree with what was prayed and that God is trustworthy to answer the prayer. Sometimes Jesus even begins his teaching by saying, "Amen, amen," which means, in essence, "you can take what I'm about to say to the bank."

Thought this was pretty cool and wanted to share....




**photo from Flickr

Not Trusting Enough.. again

A friend called me yesterday on the phone... She had seen that I called her cell earlier that day and did not leave a message... She thought that I may have called her about my mom and her recent surgery... I had called her because I wanted to talk to my friend...

As we talked about what's been going on in my life lately - she asked if she could pray with me... So she prayed for me over the phone....

In her prayer she said that I trusted God to take care of me.. My mom.. my children.. my marriage... And in that prayer I realized that I had stopped trusting Him... I was taking control again.. And I realized in that moment that I had to let go..... again..

** thank you Roxanna for calling me.. praying with me.. and knowing my heart..

Psalm 40:1-2 I waited patiently for the Lord to help me, and he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the pit of despair, out of the mud and mire. He set my feet on solid ground and steadied me as I walked along.

John 16:33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on Earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have over the World.

Romans 5:3-4 We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they are good for us - they help us learn to endure. And endurance develops strength of character...

1 Peter 1:8 Though you do not see him, you trust him; and even now you are happy.

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, whose thoughts are fixed on you!

Pray for Haiti

Today Haiti's capital Port Au Prince was hit with a 7.0 earthquake. The biggest in over 200 years. The damage is intense - there are thousands of people killed, injured and missing.. The hospitals cannot keep up with the injuries. On the news tonight they said there were dead on the streets...

There is still so much unrest in Haiti - please pray for peace.. Please pray for the families who have lost loved ones.. Please pray for those who are injured.. Please pray that medical personnel will be able to come into Haiti to help those in need. Please pray for all the volunteers who are headed there right now...

According to news reports there is complete damage - due to the structures of the buildings not being earthquake safe.. Haiti has a long road of recovery ahead of them.. My heart goes out to them...... My prayers go out to them.

Please watch this video from today - no commentary just raw footage... Warning it may be too difficult to watch.

When Your Hut Is On Fire!

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small,
uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him.

Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to
protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions. One
day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in
flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had
happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief,
grief, and anger. He cried out, 'God! How could you do this to me?'
Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship
approaching the island! It had come to rescue him!

'How did you know I was here?' asked the weary man of his rescuers.

'We saw your smoke signal,' they replied.

The Moral of This Story : It's easy to get discouraged when things
are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in
our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that
the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It
just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God.

Crazy Feet Are Prayer Walking To A Town Near You

Today I was wondering what I was thinking... What was I thinking to say yes to being a part of the women ministry leadership team..... I am more of a back ground kinda gal.. I love to give ideas... but I don't want to be the one putting myself out there and gasp* public speaking..... I could feel my stomach tossing and turning.... before I had to talk... but something happened.... I started talking.... but the words were not just my words... Granted I was nervous still... granted I could hear my voice shake... but the words I wanted to say came out... the words that I did not know how to say came out.. My true depth of feeling came through... my excitement on where God is leading was known... not just to the women I was speaking to but to myself.....

We had the opportunity yesterday as a team to learn how to prayer walk.. How to pray while you walk - so as not to be obvious.... One big thing I learned - do not I repeat do not close your eyes while prayer walking.. especially on sidewalks, streets, and/or stairs... it's amazing how many things there are in our community to pray for.. the people, the schools, the spiritual battles, and so much more.. Yesterday I practiced praying in the church sanctuary... at first I just welcomed God into His home.... as we were going down the pews - I started to picture different families and people groups who sit in the pews I was walking by... Suddenly my prayers started to become more specific... more detailed... more loving... more God in complete control... I was having an out loud conversation with God and it became so personal... so incredibly eye opening... heart attacking... inspiring.. and I am just sitting here writing this and one word comes to mind... awe... I was in awe of Him..

Next Sunday will be our first "Big" prayer walk.. We are going to Huntington Beach pier in Southern California... Did you know that Orange County, California is the 2nd largest human trafficking area in the United States? Huntington Beach pier is a very common place for children, teens, and young adults to be preyed on.... by the predators from the Internet.... from sex and drug dealers... and so many other scary things...

We are going to prayer walk the pier - Main Street. And if someone we pass by on our walk needs a prayer - I look forward to praying for them.. Yes, you heard it right - me - Miss I will never pray in front of people... wants to pray for strangers.... crazy things are happening.... and my crazy feet are taking me on a journey... a prayer journey... with God.... can't ask for better company .. can you?

Being A Teen Is Tough

Blessed are those
who do not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
but delight in the law of the Lord
and meditate on his law day and night
Psalms 1:1-2

Being a teen is tough especially when
the cool kids are the mockers and
do not care about God and
do not obey their parents...
It's especially tough when your kid
is attracted to those kind of kids..

I must pray day and night
I pray that my kid will want
to have friends who are pure in heart
to want to do what is right
to want to follow the rules....
To make friends that will last a
lifetime...

Prayer Chain For Multiple Sclerosis

For many years my sister Debbie has been suffering.. She never complains - that is not her style.. She is the person who is more concerned about others.... She is a wife to Kurt for almost 29 years and the mother to two incredibly beautiful and talented daughters, Kristin and Lindsey.. She has done an amazing job and she is a big sister that I can and always will look up too.

I want to say it's been over twenty years that Debbie has been having spells - sometimes she would even pass out.. She has been subjected to almost every evasive test known to man - and never any conclusive results..... Debbie was told that she probably has fibromyalgia and maybe she does... but we all knew that there had to be something more - her symptoms did not add up to just fibromyalgia....

About four years ago - Debbie was out golfing and suddenly she did not remember how she got there - did not remember much - she called her daughter and was taken to the emergency room. At the hospital, one wise doctor decided to give her a MRI of her brain - the MRI showed many white lesions - which made the doctors believe that Debbie probably had Multiple Sclerosis (MS).

Having a HMO I believe slows down the process of getting to the right doctors to get the right treatment... Since that day four years ago - Deb has had spinal taps, more MRIs, nerve conduction tests, and so many other painful tests... The doctors believe she does in fact have MS and now diabetes on top of it... But she always has to wait to see the doctor after the tests have been done... sometimes she has to wait months.... and she continues to suffer.. She is taking meds and some work but many don't... She does not want to take the shots - they have been discussed and the doctor believes they will help elevate many of the symptoms..... but the HMO wants more documentation. .. to authorize the shots - I have been told they are very costly....

I have been reading several blogs lately - many of these incredible people are also suffering from this painful and often debilitating disease of MS. God has put it on my heart to pray... Pray for healing.. Pray for peace.... Pray for God's presence to always be known. Please pray with me. Please pray for my sister Debbie - Please pray for the others that are suffering.
Please link up and invite others to pray for a cure.. pray for peace.. pray for understanding.. and pray for awareness. Thank you .

Adam's New Heart

Six months ago my friend Jenni gave birth to a baby boy. A beautiful 8lb 3 oz black haired angel.... What should have been a joyous time turned quickly into a sorrowful one. A few weeks after the Adam came into this world - he started having convulsions and stopped breathing....
The doctors were able to revive Adam - after a million tests they determined that his heart is bad... very bad. The doctors told the new parents that Adam would need a heart transplant.. I don't know the medical terms and I did not ask - I just wanted to be a presence for my friend.... for her husband... for their baby Adam.... Whatever they needed - I wanted to do it....
When Adam was five months old - Jenni and Bryan got the call.... Adam had a heart....and it was going to be at the hospital within a couple of hours. The doctors were already at the hospital and things were already moving along.
Before the surgery - I went to the hospital to pray and be with the family.... be errand girl if needed.... I wanted to be useful.. When I walked in the waiting room - the sight before me was something I will never forget.... and every time I think about it I can not help but get chills..
In the pediatric waiting room in a public hospital was my friend Jenni, Bryan, several family members and friends... They were all in a circle around six doctors dressed in scrubs.. They each had a hand on a doctor or the person in front of them.... Strangers saw this prayer circle and joined not even knowing why - but was called to prayer...... I quickly joined them and laid my hand on the person in front of me and we prayed..

Prayed for God's blessings
Prayed for Adam's new heart
Prayed for Jenni and Bryan
Prayed for the family that lost their baby and gave Adam a chance to live
Prayed for the surgeons
Prayed for peace....

This was an amazing experience for everyone that was involved... Adam made it through the surgery and he is home today.... and his little smile would melt your heart. Please pray for Adam, Jenni, and Bryan.... Please pray for continued good health and good spirits.

Obama Denies Flyover During Military Rally

I received this video the other day and I could not believe what I was watching... what I was hearing... President Obama denied a flyby during the 'God & Country Rally on July 7, 2009. This is the first time in 42 years a flyby was denied... Why you may ask.. Because of its Christian Nature.... Huh? Double Huh?
This is a rally that honors our military... This is a rally that honors the lives of the men and women who gave each and everyone of us the Freedom we enjoy today..... There were thousands of people attending this Military rally - Seventy (70) recruits were sworn in to fight for our country.. The attendees were looking forward to the flyby - it has been a tradition for 42 years...
The Official Pentagon Response was this:
"Air Force and DoD policy prohibit support for events which appear to endorse, selectively benefit, or favor any special interest group, religious or ideological movement." Again I must say "huh?" This is not a "religious" event - it's a "honoring event"..
What has changed to make this honorary event against Pentagon policy? A new President who at every opportunity denies anything religious.. Anything to do with Jesus.... With God... With Faith... Recently, President Obama was giving a speech at Georgetown University - before he spoke he covered the cross on the stage and a sacred sign for Jesus.... Why?
Here we have a President that refused to participate in the National Day of Prayer - Refused to allow the Government to participate in it but he would embrace and hold a large party and reception at the White House to celebrate Gay Pride Month this past June.... Huh?
What is most upsetting to me is this - Our Commander and Chief - the "Big Guy" of our country - the "Head" of our Military..... refuses to honor them..... I just cannot wrap my mind around that.. can you?

Making It Count For The Kingdom

A friend of mine called me on the phone today... I could hear so much sadness in her voice. I could tell that she did not want to go into detail about what was wrong - so I did not ask... What I did learn was that each family member was battling their own wars..... I wish I had the words or the power to take away her pain... I wish that this sweet and gentle friend's life was filled with constant joy and no sorrows..... But I got the feeling that is not what she wants..... I believe that in everything - good and bad.... My friend... my sweet dear friend is glorifying God with her actions and words... She told me today that "This too will pass".... She will use this lesson.. this sadness.. this challenge and she will make it count.... Make it count for God's Kingdom.. For God's Glory.. because that is the kind of woman she is.... The kind of woman I want to be...

Dear Friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you many be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 1 Peter 4:12-16

Expecting The Worst In People

Tonight I received an email from a borrower who's mortgage loan I just closed. He received a really great loan rate and saved over $575 on his monthly payment. When I first started working with him, I sent over his loan application for him to sign... He immediately sent me back an email accusing me of lying to him and that the payment I quoted him was not the payment on his loan application.. Well, he neglected to realize that the mortgage payment was exactly what I quoted him and he was adding his taxes and insurance that he already pays into the payment... He jumped to the conclusion that I was cheating him... After I explained in detail - he realized his mistake and all was well.
Well in tonight's email he is once again accusing me of fraud and not following through on my promises... The guy once again jumped to the wrong conclusion and I will be happy to clear this up for him tomorrow.. What is really bothering me is that he automatically assumes that I am cheating him... Here is a quote from the email I received tonight - "If the problems can't be resolved reasonably soon, I intend to report everyone involved to the appropriate Federal and State authorities. As a lawyer and former official with HUD in Washington, I have no intention of allowing what seems to be a clear case of fiscal/accounting chicanery go unnoticed" In this borrower's case he just doesn't understand that a mortgage accrues interest in arrears and when he makes his May payment he is actually paying for the month of April.... no biggie - I can clear it up for him.. I just hate the fact that he assumes the worst.. in me and my staff.. To further impress or intimidate me, he has stated that he was an official with HUD.. If that were true, he would understand the loan process....I am telling myself that I have to let it go.. don't point fingers... show grace....show kindness....show the other cheek..
When I think about what happened tonight, I realize that as humans we often jump to the wrong conclusions about people. We often assume that the person that we are dealing with is not being truthful or is trying to "get something" from us. We know that we are being truthful and honest but we don't believe others are...so why do we expect people to trust us when we are not trusting?
Tonight, I am praying for patience and forgiveness for this borrower.. Praying that God will give me the right words to say that will glorify Him. I know it is hard to show grace when you are being accused of something you have not done.. and as Followers of Christ we need to just do that.....show grace... forgiveness.. and respect... and Not assume the worst in people..

Dinner Time Prayer

My husband Dusty was raised Lutheran and at meal time the prayer was always the following "God is Good.. God is Great.. Let us thank Him for our food.. amen... It's funny because now that my girls go to a Christian school our dinner prayers sound something like this:
Nikki - "Dear Lord, thank you for this day.. thank you for all that you have given "me".. please help "me" and Kara not to fight so much...and help "me" to get a good grade on my math test tomorrow...oh, and please bless this food that we are about to receive.. in Jesus name amen..."

Kara - "Lord, "I" just want to thank you for today..and thank you for the blue skies.. Please help "me" and Nikki to not fight.. and that Mom does well on her loan processing and Dad on being the boss and help "me" to keep getting good grades.. and bless this food we are about to receive and I hope it's good..amen."

Me - "Father thank you for this beautiful day and please bless this food.. In Jesus Name we pray... amen..."

Dusty -"God is good.. God is great.. Let us thank Him for our food.. Amen"

What cracks me up is that my kids try to fit all their prayer time at meal time... the other night, Nikki's prayer must have lasted about three minutes and she forgot to bless the food... This led us into the discussion on the difference between "family prayer and blessing food" to "our alone time in prayer"... I gotta love it though.... especially the "help me and Nikki/Kara to not fight"... This statement has been a part of their prayers at dinner for over two years... and before the end of dinner one of them would have already said a wise crack statement to the other...

"Lord save me from preteen/teenage girls...."

Saturday Morning Prayer List and Request

I have decided to start a Saturday Morning Prayer List and/or Request. I have thought about doing this for some time and I believe it to be a very big responsibility so I had been putting it off - but you know what? It's something that has been on my heart and mind so much that I have decided today is the day.. Today is the day - I say I'm going to pray -
"Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. "For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it shall be opened. "Or what man is there among you, when his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone? "Or if he shall ask for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:7-11)

Prayer Requests

Maria - pray for peace in her last days here on Earth and pray for her family
Debbie - pray that her brain tumor and MS symptoms lessen and go away
Brooke - pray the Leukemia leaves her body and let her be a healthy 16 year old
Zaida - pray that her dreams of the mission field become a immediate possibility
Rox - pray that her back pain goes away
Our Nation - pray for peace and understanding
The Unreached People Groups - pray that they are reached and meet their savior Jesus Christ
Pat - pray that her hip and fractured pelvis heal quickly so she can go back to work
Tammy - pray for her hands and feet to no longer hurt.
Dusty - pray that his gout goes away...
Pray for my friends who are going on a Missions Trip to Peru soon
Pray for the Missions Trip to West Africa.
Pray for Nikki's Missions Trip to San Diego

"God promised to answer our prayers and give us everything we need and more (Mark 11:24, John 15:7). But a wise parent will not give a child everything he or she wants. Similarly, prayer is not a magical trick to get anything we want or a "quick fix" for problems that we should be solving ourselves. God answers prayer requests in His own way in His own time (Psalms 40:1-3), and will not grant requests that are against His holy and wise purposes (1 John 5:14-15), are selfish in nature, are not in our best long-term interest, or those made with impure motives (Psalms 66:18, Proverbs 28:9, Isaiah 29:13, Isaiah 59:2, Hebrews 11:6, James 4:3). Often, we must be persistent in prayer (Luke 11:5-13, Luke 18:1-8). The answer, when it comes, may be in a form radically different than we expected, and we must be alert to that possibility (Deuteronomy 3:23-27, 2 Corinthians 12:7-9). Sometimes, the answer must come from within ourselves and persistent prayer will help us find that answer. We may need a new attitude or a different way of looking at things, or we may need to make amends with somebody." (taken from Nelson Thomas Publishers)

Please join me in prayer. If you have a prayer request you can leave a comment or if you want it to be just between you and me that's okay too...you can email me at KMLDRL@aol.com and in subject type Prayer Request....

Just received a call from Maria's son - Maria went to Heaven today at 12:30 PM my time. She will be missed by all that knew and loved her.. You are free, Maria from all your pain and you are in the Presence of God..Thank you for loving me and being a woman who I could always look up to and strive to be...

The Confidential Prayer Request..

In my Sunday school class a couple of weeks ago we talked about someone having a confidential prayer request. Praying for someone but not knowing what we are praying for... At first, I thought it sounded a little strange..I think that was my immaturity peaking out..but then I thought about it. There are so many things in our lives that we don't want to share with the open world... Not that it's bad so much but we do have our privacy.....The power of the praying Christian is powerful...if we pray for a confidential prayer...it is heard...God knows what is on the person's heart...
There is this pastor who lives in Atlanta... Each week he would go to his prayer warriors and they would pray for the needs of their congregation.. Pray for healing, a new job, a person coming to faith, and many other prayers...even confidential prayers in the church family.... During these prayer meetings he would ask his team to pray for his confidential need... They would pray together..not knowing what the Pastor needed. Every week the same thing...pray for others and then they would pray for the Pastor's needs..months went by...years went by....
One Sunday, the Pastor stood before his congregation and announced that he was getting married the following summer.. He also shared that every day he prayed that God would lead him to a woman that could become his wife to share his love and life with. He did not want to declare out in the open he was looking for a wife..he was afraid of all the well meaning parishioners introducing him to too many women.. He wanted God to lead him... So every week during the prayer meetings this was his confidential prayer request.
On a side note, the pastor had been happily married for forty years. His wife had passed away several years before...and he wanted to love again...and God answered his confidential prayer...

My Sister Debbie

My sister Debbie is a mother of two girls. Her oldest is finishing up her Master's Degree this May and getting married in June. Her youngest is a Junior in college and is a dancer in the Disneyland parade. Debbie has been married for twenty-eight years and is still in love with her husband. Debbie is my sister and my best friend.

For many years, Debbie has worked full time, raised her daughters to become incredible individuals, taken care of her husband, Kurt, and has stayed faithful in her walk with God. She is the person that people rely on to lift them up and to nurture them through their trials and tribulations...She is the person that will always say yes and lend a helping hand..even if she has to postpone something for herself... She has sacrificed her happiness on many occasions for others.... She never complains or whines...I believe she is happy to help. I believe her spiritual gift is serving others because that is where her heart and time go...

Debbie has been suffering in silence for many years... She started fainting... No one could figure out why. This went on for years. Then the fainting became worse... she would lose track of time and days. Still the doctors could not figure out what was wrong. In all this time, Debbie never complained. She was still taking care of others...never asking for help. A couple of years ago after a very bad "spell" she went to the hospital where a MRI discovered brain lesions... combined with her medical history and the MRI many of the doctors came to the conclusion that she has Multiple Sclerosis (MS). What is still very frustrating, after two years the doctors believing it is MS still have not Completely diagnosed it as MS. She fits all the symptoms...leg dragging, memory loss, stiffness, lack of motor skills, and list goes on... About six months ago she went in for another MRI to see if there were more lesions.. During that MRI, not only did they find more lesions...they found a brain tumor!!!

Today she is taking home her youngest daughter from the hospital who had her thyroid removed yesterday because of tumors..still waiting for the biopsies on that.. She is helping her oldest with finalizing the June wedding plans, She is helping our mom who has cracked her pelvis bone, and She is still waiting for yet another MS specialist to see her. She does all this without complaining and whining... She is still... She is quiet... She is waiting on God...While she is waiting she is calm...because she knows that God is in control.

I ask you friends and followers of Christ to please lift up my sister Debbie in prayer that the doctors will finally be able to treat her. That her brain tumor will be manageable without surgery, that she will be strong and healthy for her daughter's wedding, that her youngest daughter's tumors are benign, and to keep Debbie peaceful and in His embrace and love...

How And Why Do I Pray

I am not good at praying in public. Many times at Church we would have a round robin prayer group where everyone would take turns praying out loud. I am the one in the back that prays in silence. I find that praying in public is much like speaking in front of a large group....terrifying! Why you may ask... I think it comes down to being afraid of sounding dumb...not to God...He loves my prayers, I know..it's the women who I look up to as my spiritual leaders. I'm sure if they were reading this...they would say, "Kelly, you are so silly!" and they would be right. But all of us have our little issues, don't we? Thankfully, you don't have to pray in public for God to hear our prayers!

When Jesus was teaching His ministry, His disciples came up to Him and asked Him to teach them how to pray. Jesus said when you pray you say:
"Our Father in Heaven, Hallowed be your name, Your kingdom come. Your will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one."

I am sure you have heard this prayer or at least some version of this prayer many times before. Like many people you probably have no idea what it really means. Neither did I.. So here's a little bit of an explanation. Father is God... Hallowed - is a form of respect and intimacy with God, it means that God is Holy. Your Kingdom come refers to God's promises. Your will be done - is submitting to God. Give us our daily bread this means that we are all dependent on God for all of our needs. Bread does not necessary mean just food, Forgive us our sins and just as God has forgiven us - we must forgive others, do not lead us into temptation - is asking God to for spiritual leadership and protection. Deliver us from the evil one - is asking God again for protection....from Satan.

I pray at the most different times... The shower is the most popular place for me. It is usually when I have the most privacy... I ask for His guidance and every day I ask Him for His forgiveness.
I pray after I drop my kids off at school. I pray for their safety away from me and for them to have friends that are good for them. I pray right before I fall to sleep at night. I thank God for my day and for loving me as I am and I pray for the next day to be good. In between these prayers, I will pray for others who need prayer. People who are sick, lost, and just need a little something extra. God wants to talk to us about everything. There is not anything that is too small to go to God with.

Why do we need to pray? God wants a relationship with us. He wants to bless us. The more we pray the more we are in fellowship with Him. It's kinda of funny how that works. I know from personal experience that when I pray..I become more aware...more loving...more discerning... and more forgiving. Give it a try....I know you will be blessed!