Speaking to My Mountains

So far so good!  Yesterday was a tough day for the littlest guy.  He's not so sure he liked giving up his soother or what he liked to call his "wha whoo" (so cute - how do you spell a baby word?!).  I cannot tell you the freedom I feel not having him tied to that thing anymore.  Yes, I know it gave him a degree of comfort, but he's learning to cope without it and we're all on standby to love him even more knowing he's needing some more snuggle time these days.  It means a part of his little baby-ness is gone though and I'm sad about that.  I'm thinking of keeping him in diapers a few more years!.......nah....on second thought, that idea doesn't sound so good.

We read some good verses again yesterday that seemed awfully timely in light of how we are all trying to pray for breakthroughs in areas of our lives....

Mark 11:22, so simple and so profound,

"And Jesus answering them said unto them, 'Have faith in God.'"  You could almost just stop there.  That's it!  Just have faith in God!

verse 23:  "For verily I say unto you, that whosoever shall say unto this mountain, 'Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith."

That's how we're praying - we're speaking to our mountains - Be removed.  Be cast into the sea.  We are trying to believe with all our hearts, not doubting.  God can move mountains.  He has moved our mountains in the past.

verse 24:  "Therefore I say unto you, 'What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them.'"

Of course, this does not mean whatever we want we get.  No.  The things we desire must line up with scripture.  Being free from bondage is a good thing to be free from, but like I wrote about before, sometimes God keeps us in bondage, like Joseph, for a period of time intentionally.  So I will keep praying for freedom, but I know I must be patient.

Then, on into Romans, where our kids are now memorizing....the whole book, I might add.  My goodness, it is a hard book to memorize.  The doctrine in that book is a challenge for the best theologian.  Yet there are verses that are completely simple and straight forward, like Romans 8:24 and 25....

"For we are saved by hope:  but hope that is seen is not hope:  for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?"

I loved that phrase - it isn't hope if you see it!  If you have what you are praying for you don't need hope! Hilarious!  He wants us to have hope by not having what we hope for!  It can mess with your head!  But I know what Paul is trying to communicate.

Verse 25 is great - "But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience."

That was how we prayed yesterday.  We are hoping for what we do not see.  We are waiting for it with patience.  

I could have written out the entire chapter 8 of Romans.  The rest of the chapter goes on to describe how all things work together for good, how nothing can separate us from the love of God, that if God is on our side, who can be against us?  What a wonderful chapter.

Alright - on to another day....I'm sure hoping Spring will come soon and trust me, that is something I do not see right now!  Winter is everywhere!  I heard someone say yesterday that they are giving up "cold" for Lent. I laughed.