Praying for America During Lent

If you would like to join me in praying for our country during this season of Lent, this is a list of things I have come up with to pray for day by day.  I believe these are things God wants for us and have included a scripture for each.  These are just suggestions and are by no means exclusive; feel free to pray in any way the Holy Spirit may lead you.

Wed, 3/5 – Praise God for His sovereignty (Acts 4:24)

Thu, 3/6 - Praise God that He is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love (Psalm 103:8)

Fri, 3/7 - Ask God what areas in your own life you need to be cleansed of and confess those to Him (Psalm 51:10)

Sat, 3/8 - Pray for the theory of evolution to fall to the ground and die (Genesis 1:1)

Sun, 3/9 - For marriages and families to be strengthened and the divorce rate to fall dramatically (Matthew 19:6)

Mon, 3/10 - For children to be taught to respect their parents (Ephesians 6:1)

Tue, 3/11 - For any sexual activity outside of the marriage between a man and a woman to be regarded as sin (Hebrews 13:4)

Wed, 3/12 - For our leaders to fear God and seek His will in leading our country (Psalm 2:10-11)

Thu, 3/13 - For the people of our country to honor God and His word (Romans 1:21)

Fri, 3/14 - For same-sex marriage not to be acknowledged in any state (I Corinthians 6:9-10)

Sat, 3/15 - For God’s protection from our enemies (II Samuel 22:4)

Sun, 3/16 - For us to honor the Sabbath as a country (Isaiah 56:2)

Mon, 3/17 - For our welfare system to not support those who are capable of working (II Thessalonians 3:10)

Tue, 3/18 - For the word of God to go out in our country and not return void (Isaiah 55:11)

Wed, 3/19 - For Christians to band together and stand up against the evil (Romans 1:32)

Thu, 3/20 - For the Ten Commandments and other scripture to not be banned in any public buildings (Isaiah 59:14)

Fri, 3/21 - For the worship of idols to be replaced with a fear of God (I Thessalonians 1:9)

Sat, 3/22 - For the truth about God’s role in our nation’s heritage to be taught in our history books (Psalm 77:11)

Sun, 3/23 - For our children to be taught God’s truth so they can share it with the next generation (Psalm 78:5-7)

Mon, 3/24 - For our judges to use God’s commandments as their standard (Leviticus 22:31)

Tue, 3/25 - For God to have mercy on our nation (Psalm 143:1)

Wed, 3/26 - For courage for Christians for stand up against evil (Ephesians 6:13)

Thu, 3/27 - For unity among believers (Psalm 133:1)

Fri, 3/28 - For spiritual revival in this country (Psalm 85:6)

Sat, 3/29 - For many to repent and be saved (Romans 2:4)

Sun, 3/30 - For our president and other leaders to acknowledge God and allow Him to direct their paths (Proverbs 3:6)

Mon, 3/31 - For churches to grow and be strengthened (Acts 16:5)

Tue, 4/1 - That the fear of offending God would be greater than the fear of offending man (Ecclesiastes 5:7)

Wed, 4/2 - For our news media to focus on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8)

Thu, 4/3 - For our country to seek God’s solutions to our problems rather than man’s (Isaiah 55:9)

Fri, 4/4 - For children to be cherished as gifts from God (Psalm 127:3)

Sat, 4/5 - For God’s definition of marriage, between a man and a woman, to be the only definition (Genesis 2:24)

Sun, 4/6 - For truth to be taught in public schools (Matthew 18:6)

Mon, 4/7 - For our leaders to have wisdom that comes from God (James 3:13)

Tue, 4/8 - For abortion to become illegal (Psalm 106:37-40)

Wed, 4/9 - That Christians can band together across denominational lines and work together for God’s glory (Romans 15:5-6)

Thu, 4/10 - For parents to be diligent to teach their children God’s ways (Deuteronomy 6:7)

Fri, 4/11 - For believers to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to spread God’s word (Acts 1:8)

Sat, 4/12 - For believers to hold on to God’s truth and not believe the lies of the world (II Timothy 4:3)

Sun, 4/13 - For believers to demonstrate kindness and gentleness in correcting others (II Timothy 2:24-26)

Mon, 4/14 - For our country to view all forms of sexual immorality as wrong (I Corinthians 6:18)

Tue, 4/15 - That we will not seek to do what is right in our own eyes, but in God’s eyes (Proverbs 14:12)

Wed, 4/16 - That those who walk in darkness will know the light of Christ (Isaiah 9:2)

Thu, 4/17 - That God will turn the hearts of our leaders to Himself (Proverbs 21:1)

Fri, 4/18 – Thank God that by the blood of Jesus, we are saved eternally from our sin (I John 1:7)

Sat, 4/19 - That our rulers will acknowledge that their power comes from God (Romans 13:1)

Sun, 4/20 – Praise God for offering eternal salvation through Jesus’ death and resurrection for those who believe (Romans 10:9)

“And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.” Colossians 3:15

A Prayer for Mercy

I recently read the book, The Harbinger, by Jonathan Cahn.  It is written as a captivating novel, but at the same time making a strong point: AMERICA IS IN TROUBLE.  While I’m not sure I agree with everything in the book, I strongly agree that basic premise.

Our nation was founded on Judeo-Christian principles, dedicated to God at the outset. 

[O]n the morning of the day on which our illustrious President [George Washington] will be invested with his office, the bells will ring at nine o’clock, when the people may go up to the house of God and in a solemn manner commit the new government, with its important train of consequences, to the holy protection and blessing of the Most high. An early hour is prudently fixed for this peculiar act of devotion and . . . is designed wholly for prayer.  (The Daily Advertiser, New York, Thursday, April 23, 1789, p. 2) 

Following this time of prayer by the people, Washington was inaugurated, and then he and other founding fathers gathered together to pray and worship in a little church in New York City, which was then the capitol of this fledgling country.  

In the years that followed, as a nation, we sought to honor God and follow His principles.  And He has blessed and protected us.  We have become one of the most affluent nations in history.  We have been a political superpower, seemingly immune to the problems that other countries suffered.  We have enjoyed freedoms unheard of in other parts of the world.  We are a land of promise that others long to come to.  God has blessed us abundantly because we sought to honor Him as a country.  

Until around 1960. 

It seems we suddenly felt we didn’t need God or His commandments anymore.  We took prayer and Bible reading out of public schools.  This led to an inability to teach children right from wrong.  How can you say something is wrong if there is no standard?  So instead they more or less began to be taught that it was perfectly acceptable to do anything your carnal urges led you to do.  And why not?  If there is no God, then there will be no judgment.  This not only led to the acceptance of nearly every kind of sexual sin, but to disrespect of elders, and eventually even to the killing of people who may rub you the wrong way, whether that be a fellow student, a teacher, a parent, or an unborn child that is a by-product of your sin.

In order to pretend there is no God, we must teach our children that the world just “evolved,” that there was never a Creator.  We all just happened by chance and are really no different than animals.  And we must re-write not only our science books, but also our history books, taking out the references to the God that our founding fathers served.  Check the literature books too – there might be a passage or two from the Bible still left in them.  That must be removed as well.  After all, we can’t “offend” anyone who doesn’t believe in Him.

Over time, we have sought to remove the Ten Commandments or any other mention of God from public places. Our courts no longer use God’s commandments as a standard.  Judges now try to force those who do still have a fear of God to forsake it and give approval to those who choose a sinful lifestyle.   Nearly every type of sin is actively promoted by the media.  We worship idols in the form of the Internet, cell phones, beauty, materialism, food and many others.

Somewhere along the way, "political correctness" came in.  We apparently decided we feared offending man more than we feared offending God.  It didn’t matter what HE thought anymore.  We either thought we could protect ourselves, and handle our own money, without any help from Him, or we were so arrogant as to think He would continue to bless us anyway, that we somehow deserved it, regardless of our attitude toward Him. 

We seem to think we can fix our problems with a band-aid, with man’s solutions instead of God’s.  Are people killing each other?  No need to teach them that God says not to kill, let’s just take away their guns.  Is homosexuality becoming rampant?  Rather than teaching people what God says about it, let’s just defend their right to live however they want to, even trying to change God’s definition of marriage to accommodate them.  Are venereal diseases resulting from sexual promiscuity an issue?  Don’t worry that God says sex is only for marriage; let’s just teach our children how to protect themselves when they do have sex . . . with anyone they want to.  That will fix it.  And what about those pesky pregnancies that may result from it all?  We’ll just take care of those with a “simple” procedure.  It doesn’t matter if God calls that murder.

Where was that church where our founding fathers gathered to dedicate this country to God?  It was St. Paul’s Chapel, in New York City.  It’s still there.  Just barely noticeable.  At Ground Zero.

Yes, the place where our country’s Godly roots began is the same place that the first crack occurred in our protection after we turned our backs on Him.  And thus began a chain reaction of events that may well lead to the economic collapse of our country. 

Did we see it is a warning from God and turn to Him in repentance, acknowledging our sin and our need for His protection?  It seemed for a few days after 9/11 that we might, but we quickly went back to our old ways.  Rather than being humbled by our helplessness, we arrogantly sought to restore our country in our own strength.

We sent our military out to defend us.  We tightened up security in airports, essentially taking freedoms away from our own citizens.  And as the money ran out, we took drastic measures to keep the economy going, all the while going deeper and deeper into a hole that we can probably never bring ourselves out of. 

And Christians, for the most part, are standing back and letting it all happen.

God is a God of wrath.  He will not let our sin go on forever.  But He is also a God of mercy.  I believe He sent us a warning on 9/11.  He desires for us to repent of our sinful ways and turn back to Him, so He can continue to bless us.  But if we refuse to repent, His next warning will likely be much worse.

Lent begins this Wednesday, and I am planning to fast from sugar (probably my biggest vice) and pray for our country.  Tomorrow I will be posting a list of things I will be praying for.  I invite you to join me in praying urgently for our country during this season of Lent.  I believe that binding together and praying and standing up against all of this is what we are called to do during this critical time.

“If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”  II Chronicles 7:14

The Aftermath

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. “  Isaiah 55:8

I was shocked.  Stunned.  NO WAY could America have elected Obama AGAIN!  NO! WAY!  And how will we survive four more years?  What will become of this country??

Since then I have had a little time to mull it all over.  And I have talked to other well-informed Christians who are not depressed about it all.  And I have questioned why.

What am I putting my faith in?

Was I putting my faith in Mitt Romney, that he could undo the damage that I perceive Barack Obama has done and thus save our country? 

Or was it in the Republican party?  Even though I wasn’t thrilled with Romney as a choice, I was sure that any Republican could do a better job than Obama!  After all, Republicans know what’s right.

Maybe it was in the American people.  I can sort of see the logic people had in electing Obama four years ago.  They were ready for change, and he promised to bring it.  They were willing to give him a chance.  And indeed he has brought change, but it has all been negative, in my opinion.  We’re much further in debt, prices are rising, and the future of our healthcare is at stake.  Socialism threatens to rob us of our freedom.  I believed the American people would see all that and make the logical choice: to remove Obama from office before he does any more damage.  Just vote him out, like they have done with bad presidents in the past.

Guess what?  All of these people have failed me in what I thought they should do. 

So what do I have left?

Oh yeah.  God.  The One who never fails.  The One who others I know are putting their hope in, those people who have remarkable peace about all of this.

I didn’t forget Him altogether.  I did pray daily about this election for months, believing that He would answer my prayer by putting a good Republican in office, and that would be His means of saving our country.  Of course.  It was logical.

But my way of thinking is not always God’s way of thinking.  I don’t know what His way of thinking is.  I don’t know how He can be using all of this to work all things together “for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).  But He is.  He may be using this to discipline us as a country.  Can anybody claim we don’t need  or deserve that?  Or He may be using it to protect us from something worse that we may never even know about.  Maybe it is to teach us or bring us to revival.  Or maybe all of the above.

Thankfully, God IS in control.  Thankfully He has a plan.  But He does give us a role: “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”  II Chronicles 7:14.

Our vote has been cast.  And if you’re like me, you didn’t win.  Thank goodness God is in control.  Let’s bow before Him and plead with Him to heal our broken land.

Cooper Update

Thanks so much, those of you who have been praying for Cooper. He is doing much better, and we should get to go home late Sunday or early Monday. Meningitis has to be treated with antibiotics intraveneously for 2 weeks, so that's why we have had to stay so long. He's been feeling pretty good since the second or third day we were here.

Don and I are hanging in there too. He had to go back to work this week, so with that, in addition to taking care of the dogs and coming to visit us, he is getting pretty worn out, but today should be his last day of doing all that. I have had friends come to stay with Cooper four days this week so I could get out for a bit and go home and see the dogs. Also, when Cooper is not hooked up to an IV, we're free to take him out of the room, so we have been strolling him around, outside when the weather permits, or inside the hospital, so I haven't gone completely stir-crazy.

Cooper doesn't seem at all bothered by all of this. He's been here nearly 1/4 of his life -- I'm not sure he even remembers home. We're thankful, though, for the medicine to cure this illness that could have been very serious, for medical insurance, for a nice hospital facility with great staff, for all of the friends and family who have prayed for us and supported us in countless ways, and most of all, that our baby's health has been restored.

Pray for Cooper

Cooper is in the hospital and has been diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. This can be very serious, but we caught it early, and his prognosis is good. Still, we need lots of prayer for our little guy. It's so hard to see him going through all this, and we will probably have to be here at least 2 weeks. Don and I need prayer too, for strength to get through this: the emotional aspect of it, the exhaustion, and with at least one of us having to be with Cooper here at all times (I can't leave him for long since I'm nursing him), while dealing with the other necessary things in our lives: work, taking care of the dogs, etc. Thanks so much.

A Wild Few Days

Well, things have been a little crazy for the past few days, which included a trip to the emergency room and an overnight stay in the hospital and some other unpleasant things I won't bother to mention.

I am having pregnancy complications. Apparently, I am carrying the baby in an odd way, which is causing me some big problems. This is something that happens only in very rare cases.

As of now, thankfully, the baby is fine. The doctor was planning to do a procedure on me this morning (under anesthesia) to try to resolve the problem, but lots of people are praying for us, and when he checked me out he said things were looking a little better and decided not to do it. This is not to say he won't need to at all, but I am choosing to believe God is answering our prayers, and this procedure can be avoided.

This is a time in my life when all I can do it trust in God, because things are completely out of my control. I want very much for this baby to be okay, but I know that whether it is or it isn't, God has a plan that's greater than mine. I would very much appreciate any prayers for the baby and for Don and me.

. . . and here's a "sneak peek" we got yesterday.

Remembering 9/11

I put a flag in my window this morning in hopes people would see it and remember. Remember that horrible day eight years ago. The helpless feeling of wondering if that day would be your last, wondering if you would ever see those you loved again, if our country would ever recover from this tragedy.

How many of us cried out to God for mercy that day? How many of us realized just how blessed we were when we felt the threat that all we had could be taken away?

If you’re reading this, you survived 9/11, but it is still true: none of us knows which day could be our last, which goodbye to a loved one could be the last, or when anything or everything we have could be taken away from us.

Everything, that is, except God. If you have Him, you have something that cannot be taken away from you. You could be forbidden from reading the Bible or praying, but God will still be there. You could even be killed for what you believe, but you will spend eternity with Him. If you know Him. If Jesus is your Savior, you have the greatest possession of all, and you will never lose Him.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing?

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?" Matthew 7:15-16

I'm sorry for those of you who are bored with my blog. This is my third one in a row about politics, which I try not to do, but that's what's been on my mind lately.

There has been so much outrage about the President's speech to school children for the past several days, and then it was, as a friend put it, innocuous. Hardly objectionable. Even those who spoke out against him doing it are admitting that it was a good speech.

It was a good speech. There was truth in it. But knowing our president's history and his associations, I find it hard to believe there's not some underlying motive, maybe to get everyone's guard down so he can take a few extra liberties next time.

But I'm trying to be optimistic. I'm trying to try to believe that all the outrage forced him to tone it down. That our voices are being heard in Washington. And that for the same reason Van Jones, the President's czar who was a self-declared Communist, resigned this weekend. I want to believe that our prayers are being answered and God is having mercy on us, holding back the power of those who might not have our country's best interests at heart. I hope I'm right. But I'm not letting down my guard, because even though God wants us to trust Him, He also tells to watch out.

Rodica

About 20 years ago, when I was newly out of college, I lived for a short time with a roommate named Rodica, who had recently come to the United States from Romania. She was living out her dream, coming to the “land of the free,” something she had desperately wanted to do her entire life.

I was young and had no concept of a life so different from mine. She was bitter and hardened. She told me stories of standing in line all day long for a piece of bread, and when she finally got to the front of the line, they had run out.

Our washer and dryer were a novelty to her. I had to get after her several times for washing one garment at a time. She had no concept of how to match clothing. Apparently she had always worn what she could find, with no concern for whether or not it matched.

She didn’t know how to drive a car. It was nothing to her to walk several miles to the grocery store on a hot day. She had never tasted ice cream. It was such a wonderful thing that she didn’t mind that it was basically “soup” by the time she got back from her walk to the grocery store.

I could go on about this unique experience I had. But my point is this: she grew up in a Communist country. She had never known the freedoms or the “luxuries” we in America basically consider everyday essentials. She had never gotten to choose the job she wanted, the food she would eat (if she got to eat at all) or the clothes she would wear. Communism is an ugly thing.

That's all I'm going to say. Except "don't ignore what's going on in our country right now." Pay attention to our leaders and their agendas. And their "czars." And pray. Every day. For God's mercy on us.

Praying for Others

"Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." James 5:16

One of the things I find people do on blogs and Facebook a lot is to share their prayer requests and ask their friends to pray for them. I often comment and promise I will. I send up a brief prayer, but how often do I follow through and continue to pray for and support them? I have so many friends with needs right now: the loss of parents or other loved ones, health problems, a recent miscarriage, a new school, financial needs, and more. So I have started a list so I can keep track of them all.

It means so much to me when someone tells me they will pray for me and then later asks how things turned out, reminding me that they have been praying for me.

Praying for each other is so important! How often do we promise to do it and then forget all about it? If this is something you, like me, have been lax on, I challenge you to join me in trying to be more faithful and consistent. It will be rewarding, both for us and for the people we pray for.

Merry Christmas

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16

My prayer today is that if you don’t know Jesus as your Savior, this Christmas you would allow God to give you this, His greatest Gift of all.

Merry Christmas, Friends.

Election Day

Well, election day is here. I have seen far more passion and fervor in this political season than I ever have before. I believe the battle between good and evil in this country is getting stronger and stronger.

I have done everything I can. I have tried to get the word out about what I sincerely believe to be true, that Obama would be a bad choice for us. I have cast my vote. I have prayed, and prayed, and prayed. Now we have come down to what was really true all along: it’s in God’s hands.

It may be that Obama wins. It is still in God’s hands. It may be that the days ahead are going to be much harder than any we have ever known. It is still in God’s hands. If McCain wins, that is in God’s hands too. The truth is that, even if he wins, McCain is not our savior; Jesus is.

Please join me today in praying for our country and that those who cast their votes today will make wise choices, that the votes will be counted fairly and accurately, and that God will have mercy on us all.

"Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." Matthew 6:9b-13

Fasting and Praying

"So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer." Ezra 8:23

Don and I were talking this morning and decided that we would set aside this Friday, October 17, to fast and pray for our country, for the economy, the upcoming election and for God’s mercy on us. We have also been praying for revival in America. I feel like we are at a crossroads. The next few weeks are going to be crucial for our country, depending on the outcome of the election and what happens with the economy.

Will this election be an honest one, or will it be manipulated by those who don’t have our country’s best interests at heart? Will the government’s attempts to save the economy work or could they backfire and the country go into a depression, possibly worse than any we’ve seen in the past? Will we soon be too far down the road to socialism to turn back? How will the next president handle the terrorists who seek to destroy us? Will he continue to try to defeat them, or might he even aid their efforts?

These questions haunt us and keep us awake at night. We can’t answer them, but God is greater than any of these issues. I would ask you to join us as the election season begins, fasting on Friday if you are able to and praying without ceasing over these next few crucial weeks.

Community Bible Study Update

A couple of months ago I asked for prayer for my new position at Community Bible Study, as a leader for first through third grade homeschooled students.

It is going great! I am up to 7 students now, which is a good size class. It has been fun having my nieces in the class and getting to spend time with them, and I have grown to love the other children as well. My "lectures" that I was so worried about are going fine. I am loving the study of Genesis.

We are on fall break right now for the next two weeks, and I really miss it! I would sincerely appreciate any continued prayers on my behalf. I believe God has called me to this and given me these children to minister to, and I want to do it well.

Bailout Plan

I am not happy that this "bailout plan" passed in the Senate last night. I think it is a recipe for disaster. Historically, the things that the government gets control of, they never give back, and they get more and more power. If we’re not careful, we could end up slipping into socialism.

I have always been a supporter of President Bush, but in this case, I am really disappointed in him. I can only conclude that he wants to fix our economy temporarily so he won’t go down in history as the president when the great depression of ’08 began. I realize that the problem itself isn’t his fault and that he tried to resolve it before it came to this point, but I don’t think his solution now is a good one.

So what is the answer? I think Dave Ramsey proposes a good plan on his website. He says we need to pray for our political leaders, that they would have wisdom and not fear. Then he gives a series of financial steps that make much more sense for both the short and long term than what is currently going through Congress.

I wrote my Representative, Jim Cooper, last night, asking him to vote against the bailout plan (even though he voted for it the first time through). I should have done this sooner, writing my senators too, but better late than never. This is one thing we can all do.

I don’t know what the next few days will hold for our country, but they may be life-changing. I have to remember that God is in control and continue to pray that He will have mercy on us all.

SYATP – Reporting Back

I attended the See You at the Pole rally at Lakeview Elementary School yesterday. This is a school where Christians have truly had to fight for their rights as American citizens, even being taken to court by the ACLU (the judge said they could have the same privileges as any other group that meets on school grounds). Thankfully, the event yesterday was peaceful, and it was a blessing for me to be there.
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It was led by students who welcomed us and asked everyone to gather into small groups to pray as prayer requests were read aloud: for the school, the principal, teachers and other staff, the superintendent, our military, and others. Then we all sang “God Bless America” together. It was a beautiful thing to see these children, their parents and others gathered together with their heads bowed, praying for these things, and it made me so thankful for the freedoms that we have.

See You at the Pole

See You at the Pole is held the 4th Wednesday in September of each year. This year it will be on September 24, and the theme is: "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening!" 1 Samuel 3:9b. Students from schools around the nation gather at their schools’ flagpoles in the morning before school begins and pray together for their school, their communities, their country, or whatever is on their hearts. I think this is a great opportunity for students to take a stand for God, band together as Christians, and pray for important issues. It is entirely legal, even in public schools; any attempt to prohibit it by school officials is against the law.

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It was started in 1990 by a group of high school students in Burleson, Texas and has grown each year. Even if you are not a student or parent, you can support a school of your choice in your community by attending this event. What a wonderful thing to be a part of: students around our country, and even in other countries like Canada and Australia, uniting together in prayer around the flagpoles of their schools.

H&R Block

We are quick to tell others when we feel a company has done us wrong, but I think we should also spread the word when one has done us right, so that is what I will do.

We filed our 2006 taxes through H&R Block. We were thrilled when they told us we had a refund coming of $2,500. We were even more thrilled a few weeks later when we got a notice from the IRS saying that our refund was not $2,500, but $5,200. Their reasoning seemed logical, so we took their word for it and told them to send it on.

Recently we got a notice that the IRS had overpaid us $2,700 for 2006, and now they wanted it back, with interest. Needless to say, we were less than thrilled about this, especially since it came at a time when things are tight for us financially. I considered 2 possible scenarios, neither of which was appealing: 1) We would have to pay it; 2) We would have to fight the IRS.

Don took the notice to H&R Block to have them look it over. When he came home, I hesitantly asked him what the verdict was.

"H&R Block is going to pay it."

"WHAT??"

"H&R Block is going to pay it."

I had a meltdown. They have always given us good service, following up on things, and even not charging us when we re-filed our taxes one year, but this was a complete surprise, not to mention a relief. When Don took the IRS notice in, the lady there had found the problem: the H&R Block person who did our taxes in 2006 had written down a number wrong.

H&R Block offers "peace of mind insurance" for an extra $30, which means that if they make a mistake that costs you extra money on your taxes, they will pay the difference. I don’t usually go for these things, but since our taxes were a little complicated that year, Don chose to purchase it. I had completely forgotten about it, and I think he had too.

I would also like to say that this was definitely answered prayer as well. God knew, even a year and a half ago, that we would need that insurance and gave Don the nudge he needed to buy it. We had been praying since we got that notice that we wouldn’t have to pay the extra money. God already had an answer!

P.S. Happy Birthday Dad!
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September 11: I Remember

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." II Chronicles 7:14
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If you are an American over about age 13, you probably remember vividly what you were doing on September 11, 2001.
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It was the scariest day of my life. Reports of attacks kept coming in, and I didn’t know when they would end. I feared I would never see my family again or know life as it was before.
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I’m sure most of you had similar feelings. That day was followed by a surge of patriotism and by a brief period of people turning to God as they were reminded of their own helplessness: Bible sales and church attendance went up, and even the media carried prayers for our nation and other references to God.
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I think our president and those under him, particularly our military, have done an excellent job in warding off further attacks; so good in fact that many people have seemingly forgotten that we ever had one. Liberals are shouting that the war is useless and needs to be ended, and our need for God has been forgotten.
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What happened? Now it seems we are back where we started, if not worse. The hostility toward God may be greater than ever before.
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We were founded as a Christian nation, and God blessed us with strength and prosperity, such that we have become the greatest nation in the world. But now we are turning away from Him, going against His principles and even denying His existence. We are really not very different from Sodom and Gomorrah, and if you want to know how God handled them, you can read about it in Genesis 19.
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What will it take to bring us back to Him? Will it take another day like September 11 or something much worse? Those of us who do seek first the kingdom of God should be on our knees regularly praying for revival in our country and for God’s mercy upon us.

First Day of Class

Well, yesterday was my first day back at Community Bible Study and my first day leading the kids’ class. It actually went pretty well. I had 5 kids, ages 6 and 7. Two of them were my nieces, Grace and Hannah. So far it is a very calm and well-behaved but enthusiastic group. Hopefully this will continue. I am excited about studying Genesis with them this year. I would appreciate your continued prayers as I go through the year.

Cool Thing to Know: Cain and Abel are the most well-known children of Adam and Eve, but Genesis says they had many sons and daughters. The only other one mentioned by name is Seth, who was an ancestor of Noah and therefore of you and me.