A Hundred Prayer Journals

Over the last year I have enjoyed more than my share of victory.  Our Heavenly Father has blessed me abundantly and I have faith that more blessings are chasing me right now.  I know the Lord wants me to achieve great rewards.  I believe He wants to take the talents He gave me and expand possibilities beyond even my own imagination.  If you know anything about me at all, you know my imagination is quite vivid on it's own.  Now imagine my future in God's hands....imagine your own future in His hands.  There are endless amounts of blessings.  Everything good and true comes from Him. 

I am on a mission.  I want to share the secret behind my success and my strong faith.  I made a commitment to God about 14 months ago to improve my prayer life.  I have always considered myself to be an excellent communicator.  I mean, hand me a blank sheet of paper and I can churn out a creative short story, a fierce business memo, or even a sharp political commentary.  Hand me a microphone and I will give you thirty minutes of uninterrupted persuasive speech.  However, my communication with the Almighty was not where it needed to be.  I wonder why I have neglected utilizing my communication skills with Him?  I made a change, and for that He has rewarded me tremendously.  I keep a journal next to my bed and in my desk at work.  I make it a priority to write to Him daily.  I have a journal dedicated to prayers for good health, and a journal dedicated for financial and business success.  I realize that prayers don't have to be written down, in fact, God loves it when we just sit and talk to Him.  I write my prayers down because I like to track my own progress and keep up with my spiritual thoughts.  The point I want to get across to you is that writing it down assigns accountability.  It gives a sense of personal responsibility to yourself and to God.  Every page has a date and a time.  I make every attempt not to miss a day because it is there in black and white.  I am keeping up with my relationship and communication for many purposes.  The changes in my life are evident.  I have never been more successful, happier in my personal life, my friendships, or had more zeal for my faith.  I believe changing my prayer life has shaped me into a stronger and more proud Christian.

Recently I had a discussion with my employees about our success and my personal growth over the past year.  They noticed that I was always writing in journals in my office.  I even bought a journal for my assistant.  This morning I noticed one of my associates sitting at her desk, writing in a journal and smiling.  It's a wonderful feeling to know she is looking to our Father for blessings and I know He will reward her just as He has me.  I want all of my friends to do this.  I want all of you to enjoy the blessings He has laid up for you.  I am on a mission to get 100 friends to start a daily prayer journal.  Even if your prayer life is in great condition right now, what could it hurt to add another prayer in written form?  Imagine how you or your loved ones could enjoy going back and reading your thoughts and your pleas to God?  At the very least, it could be a wonderful keepsake for a loved one.  Please tell all your friends to read this entry on the blog and pass the link around Facebook.  I want to see just how many prayer journals we can get filled up in the next few months.  Imagine how this could increase the number of prayers going up to the Father.  I know it improved my prayer life and for anyone else who is not completely satisfied with how things are going, this could be a great way to make a positive turn.  We can't go wrong by praying more often.

Please let me know if you are on board with joining the journey to improving your prayer life.  Post a comment on the blog or on my Facebook page.  In this challenging world, let's stand out by showing our personal commitment to our Heavenly Father.  Let's celebrate the abundance of blessings the Lord showers on us simply because we ask Him.  "...in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."  Philippians 4:6.

Emotional Well-Being

Friendship is a gift from God.  In fact, love for your fellow man is arguably the best quality any person can possess.  I truly believe the relationships we form in this life are intended to teach us the true meaning of eternal love.  The Father wants us to long to be with Him and enjoy everlasting life, but He knows we are human and there is only so much faith in the unseen.  We can’t see Him, but we can see our loved ones in the flesh.  When someone we love dies, we always say that we long to be with them in Heaven.  I firmly believe we will be reunited in glory and we will know each other.  The love we share on this earth will be magnified in paradise.  Relationships are practice for eternity.  Whether it’s a romantic relationship, or simply a friendly relationship, the journey we take with another person can change our lives.  I am thankful for those who have shaped my life.  I dedicate this entry to all of my friends.

Today I had the opportunity to work with ten beautiful friends who either suffer from depression or have a loved one who does.  It’s a new program at our church called “Emotional Well-being.”  Before anyone arrived at the building this morning, I sat in the dim light and said a prayer on behalf of the congregation and the work we are doing at the Ohatchee Church of Christ.  I prayed that the Lord would bless each one of us and empower us to be open with one another.  He delivered!

We spent about two hours talking about personal struggles with the loss of loved ones, physical illnesses, childhood problems, divorce, and several other causes of depression, bipolar disorder, and other mental illnesses.  The goal was to create an environment where no judgment exists and each person can share their pain and seek encouragement and healing.  I was moved by the comments from my brothers and sisters.  We were in complete agreement that no more would we be ashamed of our plight. 

There are three commitments I believe we have to make in order to conquer emotional issues.  The first is pray about it.  Take everything to God in prayer.  I used to make excuses and say that I just hurt too much to pray.  I also felt that I was not worthy of God’s help because my faith seemed to be slipping.  What I had to realize is that God wants me to turn to him in my hour of need.  As a Christian, I finally conformed.  There is nothing in life I can accomplish or even want to accomplish that I don’t take to Him first.  I am one of those guys who tries to track everything I do, so I write it down.  I have a daily prayer journal and I write down my feelings, desires, needs, etc.  God is the first person I go to before my best friend, family, etc.

The second commitment is talk about it.  I will never make the mistake again of bottling it up inside.  It almost cost me my life several years ago.  Hiding from your problems will only make them worse.  True friends are there to listen even if they can’t do anything to help you.  Once I have told my thoughts to God, I can tell them to anyone.  I am no longer ashamed to say I can’t always control my emotions.  I refuse to allow society to dictate how I live my life.  I encourage anyone who suffers from depression or related illnesses to confide in your friends and family.  It assigns accountability to yourself for your own actions.  It can keep you alive.  In addition to talking, you will find yourself actually listening.  In the emotional well-being workshop we each were able to gain tips on handling certain situations and realize that we were not alone.

The final commitment is be about it, which means do something.  Don’t be idle.  Be about it.  Get out and make something happen.  Go to the doctor.  Get some exercise.  Read about it online and find out what you need to do.  Most people find medication to be helpful.  The most important thing to remember about taking medication for depression or related illnesses is that we are all different.  What works for someone else’s chemical imbalance may not work the same for yours.  Also, there is a need for trial and error.  Our bodies are always changing and if one medication does not work, another one will.  You have to take control just as if it was a physical illness.  You have to manage it exactly the same.  Please do not be sedentary when dealing with mental illness.  Mental illness is no respecter of persons.  It happens to men, women, and children of all races and nationalities.

Philippians 2:2 says “Agree with each other.  Love each other.  Be deep spiritual friends.”  God instructs us to reach out to one another in an effort to prepare us for eternal love and eternal life.  We need to make every effort to be great friends with one another.  Small thoughtful acts of kindness are more important than grand gestures.  Friendship is built on equality and caring for one another.  I encourage everyone to cultivate circles of friends to walk with you along this journey of life.  It’s been a good day!

Ohatchee Sundays

As grown-ups when we look back on our childhood there are experiences we remember that truly shape who we become. I am one of those people who loves to reminisce about times gone by. Today I look forward to Sundays because they were so special growing up. Mom and Dad worked hard all week in the local cotton mills so they made the most of what would often be their only off day. Sunday was a day to spend with family, enjoy great southern food, and make lasting memories.

My Mom is a great southern cook and she really enjoyed preparing a “feast” for as much family as possible. My Dad’s family, “The Goodwin’s” were from Ohatchee and our family was abundant. My dad, affectionately known to his six siblings as Ray had two brothers and four sisters. He was born as the fourth child of Floyd and Ruth Goodwin. Floyd and Ruth were perfect grandparents to me. They existed to make sure I was spoiled. The things I would get in trouble for at home were completely acceptable at Maw Maw and Paw Paw’s place.

My grandparents lived in a small white house in the Boling Springs community of Ohatchee. They were founding members of the Ohatchee Church of Christ and even though I know they had their share of ups and downs in life they remain the sweetest married couple in my memories. I can still see him sitting in the rocking chair on the front porch as we pulled up in the driveway. My grandmother would walk out on the porch, apron tied around her waist and the screen door popping behind her. It’s a vision etched in my mind that I hope never fades.

My Aunts, Irma, Barbara, Doris, Mildred and their families would come and go throughout the day. It was great to be around so many cousins and have such a great time running and playing. Occasionally my Dad’s brother Alton and his family would travel over from Georgia, this would make things even better because we loved our cousins so much and enjoyed seeing them. The front yard at my grandparents house was lined with skinny pine trees. My cousins and I would run around the trees like squirrels, zipping from one to the other. It was such a safe and innocent time. The bonds we made with one another would secure life long relationships of love and respect.

In my grandmother’s kitchen, I can remember this beautiful yellow top table. It had matching bright yellow upholstered chairs. We would sit around that table throughout the day laughing and talking about everything. Maw Maw was never satisfied with the amount we ate, she always wanted us to eat more. I can remember her saying over and over, Robby, do you want some peas? I would always say I have some, and she would reply, “but do you want some more?”

My grandparents and my Dad have gone to be with the Lord. I know they are enjoying their much deserved eternal reward. The little house is no longer there, but the love and the memories remain. I found my way back to Ohatchee in a sense. Even though many years have passed since those family cookouts, I enjoy being a member of the Church my grandparents helped to build. Several of our family members still worship there and come and go through the years, but it’s great to serve the Lord in the place where two people I dearly loved, also served. My Sundays are uplifting and filled with love in a different way now, but the values and traditions of the old days still remain. I cherish my Ohatchee Sundays…both then and now.

Box Of Cards

I will never forget the morning of October 7, 2003.  Our family had been gathered at Jacksonville Hospital for almost 24 hours.  Granny (Bertie Mae) had been admitted early on the previous day.  She was about 25 days shy of turning 95.  Throughout that day her sugar levels sky rocketed to near 700 and she suffered several heart attacks.  It was amazing to us how she kept battling back, even sitting up in bed at one point in the evening and speaking with us.  She was so strong and amazing throughout her entire life, it shouldn’t have been a surprise to any of us how she demonstrated that same strength in her final hours.  In the wee hours of the morning, she was losing the battle and suffering cardiac arrest one final time.  Everyone was hysterical.  I stood by her bed and cradled her in my arms and whispered to her quietly as she slipped away from us.

After some time had passed and we had the energy to go through her personal items, one of my aunts brought me a box with my name on it.  Inside the box was every single card I had ever given my grandmother.  She had taught me at a very young age to write your feelings down.  She always mailed cards to her friends and relatives not only when they were sick, had a birthday, or for Christmas, but just because she was thinking of them and wanted to let them know.  I picked this habit up from her and she was my favorite person to send a card to.  As I sat down and opened every one of them individually it brought back so many memories of the two of us and the private moments we shared.

Through the years I have developed a reputation with friends, colleagues, and family for mailing cards.  In fact, some of my friends nickname me “mushy” because of how often and what I write in their cards.  It’s a great habit that I picked up from Bertie Mae.  Never miss an opportunity to let the people in your life know how much you love them. 

It’s been seven years now since Granny passed away.  I know she is in such a better place and there is a mansion waiting for me right next door to her.  During her funeral I read a poem that truly personified her legacy and what I thought her message to her loved ones would be.  “I will make a wish for you, and hope it will come true;  that life will just be kind, to such a gentle mind.  If you lose your way, think back on yesterday, and remember me this way; remember me this way.”

I keep that box of cards in a cedar chest in my bedroom.  When I am missing her I find a great deal of comfort in knowing how much she treasured our relationship as well.  Love like that is such a blessing from God and reassures me that He fully intends on a glorious reunion.  What a glad day it will be!