It was February 2011 when the Lord first asked me to call family and friends to join me in prayer and fasting and I created this blog. Again in March 2014. Since then, I have forgotten about this until now that the Lord prompted me to call for another fast. So many things have happened since then. As thiese words from James remind us, we do not know what will happen tomorrow. I would not have imagined that I will not be walking with my husband now. Life is truly a vapor, now here for a little while and gone tomorrow So what do we do? Live life to the fullest. Savoring each day. Thanking God for the gift of each day. It has been 2 years and 7 months since my husband passed from this life to be with the Lord. Time does go by so swiftly.. I am reminded of the Psalms of Life by Henry Wadsworth. See below. I love this poem. Grave is definitely not our goal...nor happiness...nor sorrow....but to act that each tomorrow finds us father than today...Seize the Day! Carpe Diem! For tomorrow is not even guaranteed to us. And in this battlefield..in the bivouac of life...where we live as but a transient passenger...just passing by...."be not like a dumb, driven cattle"...did the pandemic remind you of this?....Let us instead be A HERO in the Strife! Yes!..so trust no future...let the dead Past bury its dead..but Act,— act in the living Present! Heart within, and God o’erhead! Amen!
As in the book of Ecclesiastes. Read it when you get a chance. Chapter 12 is when the wisest man who has ever lived, King Solomon, ended saying...Remember your creator .. for ...Meaningless , everything is meaningless.... and He concluded in .verses 12-13
Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.
13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.
Some may not like to hear about God who will judge because we only want to hear our Creator to be loving , compassionate and merciful. He is all that but He is also Holy God..His nature will not be able to stand sin..and God cannot be mocked.. Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived: God is not to be mocked.
So I invite all of you my friends and family to join me for a time to rest , be at peace and quiet our soul. Time to turn off the noises around us so we can hear the voice of our Maker...our Creator...who has the perfect design for our life. Psalms 139 He planned each day for us. His plan is not for us to fail but to succeed. That is why He has given us everything we need to do that. "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence" 2Peter 1:3.
So with the lingering pandemic still upon us, the war in Ukraine and global instabililty not just politically but the financial impact that has concerned many, so may hearts and soul getting weary, let us as Joel 2 asked us to do...
“Even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting and weeping and mourning.”
13 Rend your heart
and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God,
for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love,
and he relents from sending calamity.
14 Who knows? He may turn and relent
and leave behind a blessing--
grain offerings and drink offerings
for the Lord your God.
15 Blow the trumpet in Zion,
declare a holy fast,
call a sacred assembly.
Join me for a time of fasting and praying and seeking our Lord.. In this battlefield of life,, God our creator has a post for us and work to do. Let us listen to our Commnader-in-Chief and receive instructions. And Seize the Day with our Creator!
Join me for 30-day Fast and Prayer, from March 16th to April 15th. We will end on Good Friday and the first day of Passover. Please see the article on fasting on this blogsite too. Pray for what kind of fast God maybe asking you to do. I also was prompted to fast to pray for a friend who has a brain tumor and undergoing surgery on March 30th. I also have 3 other friends with Stage 4 cancer needing a lot of prayers. Prayers as well for healing not just the body but the heart of so many. So if you want to join us, let me know and send your prayer request. There is a form on this blogsite for prayer request Note if you want to keep it anonymous or private. There is also information on how to pray the scriptures to help you at this time of devoting your next 30 days in prayers. I will send a daily blog to encourage and please feel free to add comments of encouragement as well and share whatever it is the Lord is teaching you and showing you at this time. I am so excited with what God is gong to do.
Love you guys and cant wait to hear from you.. Feel free to share this to anyone.
Linabelle
A Psalm of Life
by
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Next
What the Heart of the Young Man Said to the Psalmist.
Tell me not, in mournful numbers,
Life is but an empty dream!
For the soul is dead that slumbers,
And things are not what they seem.
Life is real! Life is earnest!
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul.
Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,
Is our destined end or way;
But to act, that each to-morrow
Find us farther than to-day.
Art is long, and Time is fleeting,
And our hearts, though stout and brave,
Still, like muffled drums, are beating
Funeral marches to the grave.
In the world’s broad field of battle,
In the bivouac of Life,
Be not like dumb, driven cattle!
Be a hero in the strife!
Trust no Future, howe’er pleasant!
Let the dead Past bury its dead!
Act,— act in the living Present!
Heart within, and God o’erhead!
Lives of great men all remind us
We can make our lives sublime,
And, departing, leave behind us
Footprints on the sands of time;
Footprints, that perhaps another,
Sailing o’er life’s solemn main,
A forlorn and shipwrecked brother,
Seeing, shall take heart again.
Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.
This poem is in the public domain.