Put Away the Cares of the Day

“The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.”  Romans 13:12

“But, you don’t understand!” a young man shouted at me. “When I was child . . . “

You fill in the blank, because we have all sheltered darkness, like a familiar black house-cat, within our soul. The hate, the disappointment, the pain that we experienced as a child, became so familiar, so part of who we are, that we don’t want to let it go. We would feel empty, and grief is better than emptiness.

Okay, I understand that. We know that people develop defense mechanisms to deal with difficult situations or even get us through long periods of our lives. We cannot lay down the only defenses we have, for if we do, we would be defenseless in a world we believe is not safe. We chase ourselves around in the cage we alone have built. In order to be free of all the negative systems we have created to protect us, we have only to put a different mechanism in its place.

We are nearing the end of the season in which we celebrate the birth of Love, Forgiveness and Light. My dear friend, 2014 is nearly over and a new day will dawn on Friday. Let 2015 be the year you put away darkness and put on the armor of Light. Choose Love today.

“Okay, my friends, behind the door on the left are darkness and pain! Behind the door on the right are Love and Light! It is not a surprise. You know what lies beyond the portal. You have to wager everything: your health, peace and joy, your success and every good thing in your life if you choose darkness again. I know the left door is more familiar than the door to Love, but if you ask Jesus to walk with you, the joy of discovery will be yours!

For the New Year ahead of us, and for those days that remain, my Sweet Joy, please choose Love. Your poor choice of darkness will not change my life, but your healthy choice of Light will change yours beyond anything you can ever imagine. Join those who walk the well-lit path of Light and Love from this very day forward. The choice is yours. Let us pray:

“Holy Father of Light, I bow before your Heavenly rays. For those who choose Light and Love, we will walk the golden streets of your glorious home even now. I ask, Dear God, that my choices each day keep me on the path I choose to walk with your son. May I say something, or do something that I am not even aware of, that will lead another to the portal of Love. I don’t want to know who it is or under what circumstances it happens; I want only to be your humble servant. Forgive me when I fail to speak your truth to darkness, for I know I have deepened the shadows when that happens. Let me sow Love, so that you can harvest Light, oh Lord. In the name of your son, Jesus, whose birth we have celebrated and continue to sing, I pray. Amen”

Doris

"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.”

Copyright 2014 Doris Gaines Rapp

Books by Doris Gaines Rapp

Novelette:

News at Eleven (Glo Magazine Jan, Feb, March, and April 2015 – now on newsstands and online)

Collection:

Christmas Feather, one of eight short stories in a wonderful collection titled, Christmases Past

Novels:

Length of Days – The Age of Silence

Escape from the Belfry

Smoke from Distant Fires

Hiawassee – Child of the Meadow

Length of Days – Beyond the Valley of the Keepers (January 2015)

News at Eleven – A Novel (April 2015)

Children’s:

Lincoln’s Christmas Mouse

Non-Fiction:

Waiting for Jesus in a Can’t Wait World – Advent 2014

Prayer Therapy of Jesus

Promote Yourself

Let's Celebrate Love at Christmas

“While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.” Luke 2: 6-7 (NIV)

I made Aunt Catherine’s cranberry salad for our early Christmas dinner yesterday. The fascinating thing is—others, who aren’t even family, follow my salad recipe. No, no, that’s not the best part—they call it, “Aunt Catherine’s” cranberry salad!

What traditions have you established during this season of Love? I know one family whose father always rants and raves and gets drunk on Christmas day. The beautiful day of our Savior’s birth is not a celebration of Love for that family and it may never be. There are no blessed memories in their quiver of arrows that can fight off fear and depression when the hour of doubt comes.

But, healthy, loving families pass on scenes of Christmas that come to mind each time the birth of Jesus draws near:

• Christmas Eve services with flickering candle lite and the lighting of the Christ candle. The whole family seated together singing carols of praise and amazement over the arrival of Love.

• Stockings stuffed with cookies, wrapped in festive wrap, baked by loving parents just for the holidays

• Pajama’s stuffed in fancy bags and opened the night before the arrival of the Christ Child so Christmas morning would be new and fresh.

• An angel on the top of the tree who flutters over the room the same this year as last and the year before that, proclaiming, ”Be not afraid. For unto you is born this day, in the City of David, a Savior who is Christ the Lord.”

What are the Christmas traditions you are placing in the heart of your family? Fear and trembling— because Mom and Dad are so stressed out over lack of money, lack of time, and lack of energy! Or, warm memories of time together: games around the kitchen table; songs at the piano; and the story of a baby-king who was born in a stable and for whom room is made in the hearts of each one of us? Make memories of love and joy over the birth of the Christ Child this week, so when your children think of the Christmas of 2014, they will remember scenes full and overflowing with Love. Let us pray:

“Holy Father, you have always been and will remain for evermore. For your persistent Love, I give you all praise and glory. May this be the Christmas when my eyes are opened to your true treasure, your son, Jesus. When the Christ Child came into the world, He brought Love, Song, Forgiveness, Salvation, Eternal Life, and new Creation. Forgive me when I have believed that was not enough, when I asked, ‘But, what will you do for me today, God?’ . . . when I sought more, glitzier, bigger and best. Those desires have nothing to do with the baby in the manger. Let me sow Christmas seeds of Love this year, with the Christ Child at the center of my celebration. Hosanna in the highest! He was born and He continues to live in the hearts of those who claim His love. In the name of that same Jesus, the center of the spotlight from heaven, I pray. Amen”

Doris

"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.”

Copyright 2014 Doris Gaines Rapp

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If you want to read posts you have missed, go to www.prayertherapyrapp.blogspot.com

Books by Doris Gaines Rapp

Collection:

Christmas Feather, one of eight short stories in a wonderful collection titled, Christmases Past

Novelette:

News at Eleven (Glo Magazine Jan, Feb, March, and April 2015)

Novels:

Length of Days – The Age of Silence

Escape from the Belfry

Smoke from Distant Fires

Hiawassee – Child of the Meadow

Length of Days – Beyond the Valley of the Keepers (January 2015)

News at Eleven – A Novel (April 2015)

Children’s:

Lincoln’s Christmas Mouse

Non-Fiction:

Waiting for Jesus in a Can’t Wait World – Advent 2014

Prayer Therapy of Jesus

Promote Yourself

Get Me Under the Tree on Time

“While they were there, the days were complete for her to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” Luke 2: 6-7 (NIV)

He is coming soon! So is the day we celebrate His coming, His birthday – Christmas! They tell us, “Today is the last day to mail Christmas presents,” and have them arrive under the tree on time! Wow – is that all we think about during the Christmas Season? What we get? Or, is it what we give?

What do we get at Christmas? Do we get: anxiety, depression, stress, headaches, or maybe, fear of offending someone with the wrong present?

Or, do we get Christmas love, peace, forgiveness, joy, song, and eternal life?

Under the tree is where we bury our treasures! Put Christ’s Love under the tree this Christmas. It can’t be late. It can’t be the wrong size, color or style. One size – Large – does fit all. Wrap joy and love in the most valuable package you own – your heart – and give the golden treasure away this Christmas – in full measure, running over and with a song on your lips. Let us pray:

“Father of our Lord Jesus, the Christ, I bow before the manger of your son with joy and thanksgiving in my heart. You allowed Love to be born in all of our lives when he came - for those who are willing to receive your gift. Heaven truly did come down that night so long ago. May this be the Christmas when I accept your gift with no reservations or conditions. I lift up my eyes and see the star, announcing his birth. He lived in history; he was, and is, and will be evermore. I reach out my hand and rock the cradle of our Lord, knowing that he will grow to become the cradle of love and salvation. I praise you, Lord God, for all your gifts. Forgive me when I reject one of your blessings because it did not come when I ordered it, in the size or color I wanted. None of your gifts are ever wrong, or are ever delivered late under your tree of life. For this I thank you and praise you, in the name of your son Jesus, the Christmas child. Amen”

Doris

Merry Christmas! Say it as often as you can; as joyfully as you can, for ever as long as you can!

Doris Gaines Rapp

"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.”

Copyright 2014 Doris Gaines Rapp

Books by Doris Gaines Rapp

Collection:

Christmas Feather, one of eight short stories in a wonderful collection titled, Christmases Past

Novelette:

News at Eleven (Glo Magazine Jan, Feb, March, and April 2015)

Novels:

Length of Days – The Age of Silence

Escape from the Belfry

Smoke from Distant Fires

Hiawassee – Child of the Meadow

Length of Days – Beyond the Valley of the Keepers (January 2015)

News at Eleven – A Novel (April 2015)

Children’s:

Lincoln’s Christmas Mouse

Non-Fiction:

Waiting for Jesus in a Can’t Wait World – Advent 2014

Prayer Therapy of Jesus

Promote Yourself

Christmas – Detoured Through Walmart

“When his (Zechariah’s) time of service was completed, he returned home. After this his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and for five months remained in seclusion. “The Lord has done this for me,” she said. “In these days he has shown his favor and taken away my disgrace among the people.” Luke 1: 23-25 NIV) 

“’I know the source of my great joy,’ Elizabeth might have said. She certainly knew she was blessed, and, if blessed, she knew whom she would acknowledge and thank.” [Waiting for Jesus in a Can’t Wait World by Doris Gaines Rapp] 

How is Christmas shopping going for you? For me? – Not so much. But, where in the Bible does it say, the road from Nazareth to Bethlehem went through Walmart? At this most joyous season, when the angels sang and the star shone so brightly we still include lights in our celebration, have you found the source of your joy? Have you discovered who has blessed you? Have you found the peace of Christmas?

No? Perhaps you and I need to stop stewing about Christmas presents and start praising the Lord God for the miracle of his Christ Child – the only reason to celebrate! Make straight your path, from your heart for the love of the Christ, to your knees beside the manger, with no detours or meander bends through the department store. He is waiting for you in the hay stack display near the back of the store. Let us pray: 

“Precious Father, God of kings and Lord of my life, I bow before you on this eighth day of Advent as I prepare my heart for the coming of your son. Miraculously, he came, and comes again each new Christmas Day. Fill my heart with the awe of his presence, that I may be blessed anew by the amazing gift of the new Baby Jesus. Let this be the Christmas when I stop running around, and start being around – at the foot of the manger, knowing that it leads to the foot of the cross. May I finally “get” your gift of Christmas, the time when you brought Love into the world. I want to be a messenger of that Love to all those around me, and to places I had never dreamed of going. For I know, you will go before me, like the star of Christmas, lighting my way. In the name of your son, the Christmas Child and my savior, Jesus, I pray. Amen.”

Doris

Doris Gaines Rapp

"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.”

Copyright 2014 Doris Gaines Rapp 

Collection:
Christmas Feather, one of eight short stories in a wonderful collection titled, Christmases Past Novelette: News at Eleven (Glo Magazine Jan, Feb, March, and April 2015) 

Non-Fiction:

Waiting for Jesus in a Can’t Wait World – Advent 2014

Prayer Therapy of Jesus

Promote Yourself 

Novels:

Length of Days – The Age of Silence

Escape from the Belfry

Smoke from Distant Fires

Hiawassee – Child of the Meadow

Length of Days – Beyond the Valley of the Keepers (January 2015)

News at Eleven – A Novel (April 2015)
Children’s:
Lincoln’s Christmas Mouse 

Waiting for Jesus in a Can't Wait World

The angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; . . .” Luke 2: 30-32 (NIV) 

“The Messiah will come.” The people of Israel had waited for his appearance for generations. Today, we can’t wait for twenty-five days, the length of time from the first day of Advent (yesterday) to Christmas Day. And . . . we don’t even have to call the season Christmas any more. In my book, Length of Days – The Age of Silence, set in 2112, the people call it Gifting Day. The economy needs the holiday; they just don’t need Jesus any more. 

Let this be the Advent when the Christ is expected, not a furry feel-good toy, a huge TV, or a small cell phone. Lift up the joy of Christmas in prayer and jubilation, every day. Find a devotional book that can aid you in daily worship. Let the world around you know that you are waiting to celebrate the birth of Jesus, not the coming of Santa Claus.  

Have the patience to wait, in love, this Advent season. Before we all say, “Happy Gifting Day,” seize the privilege of saying, “Merry Christmas.” Let us pray: 

“Holy Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Messiah and Savior of the world, I lift up my voice and hands in praise to you. All of Heaven sings your praises. May I be privileged to join them in song that your kingdom may be set up in my life this day. I ask only one thing this Christmas. May this be the year when Christmas comes to everyone, in the form of love, forgiveness and grace. I pray that love wins in the holy battle over evil and hate and revenge. May my belief in Jesus, become one jewel in the crown that finally makes him Lord of all. In the name of the precious Lord, your son of Christmas and my savior, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen”

Doris
Doris Gaines Rapp

"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.”

Copyright 2014 Doris Gaines Rapp

Collection:
Christmas Feather, one of eight short stories in a wonderful collection titled, Christmases Past

Non-Fiction:
Waiting for Jesus in a Can’t Wait World – Advent 2014

Prayer Therapy of Jesus

Promote Yourself 

Novelette:
News at Eleven (Glo Magazine Jan, Feb, March, and April 2015)

Novels:

Length of Days – The Age of Silence

Escape from the Belfry

Smoke from Distant Fires

Hiawassee – Child of the Meadow

Length of Days – Beyond the Valley of the Keepers (January 2015)

News at Eleven – A Novel (April 2015)
Children’s:

Lincoln’s Christmas Mouse

GIVE THANKS FOR THE COMING OF THE CHRIST

“. . . give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

“On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.” Luke 2:21
 

“The name the angel had given him . . . “ Wow! Jesus was the long expected Messiah and His name was written in Heaven before he was even conceived! Give thanks for the coming of the Christ!

 

A very full week has begun. My husband Bill’s birthday and my book signing at Barnes and Noble were on the first day of the week, yesterday, Sunday. Thursday is Thanksgiving and an opportunity to give God thanks for all He has given us: family and spouse, friends and community, meaningful and loved work, and so many more blessings if they were stars in the sky the entire Heavens would be ablaze with light! And yet, many of us set aside only one day a year to be thankful. The rest of the year, we complain about what we don’t have.

 

Starting on the first day of next week, Advent begins and the time until Christmas when we keep our mind stayed on the Child of Christmas, not the gifts or the clamor. Beginning next Sunday, the first day of Advent, remember to give thanks beyond Thanksgiving Day. Churches light the first Advent candle and homes often do the same. My Advent Devotional, Waiting for Jesus in a Can’t Wait World, has a devotional for each day and Social Network “shares.” Tweet or text the young people in your life with questions to dwell on for the day, like, “If Mary and Joseph slept in your garage tonight, where would you put the donkey?”

 

My Advent devotional book is available online at Cokesbury, Amazon, Barnes and Noble and others. Each of these outlets and standing Christian bookstores in your area, have Advent Devotionals of all kinds. You have until next Sunday to browse the stores and online to find the Daily Advent guide right for you and your family. Let this be the year when you are thankful in all circumstances, every day, Thanksgiving and each day leading up to and including Christmas. Practice thankfulness during these days leading up to Thanksgiving and each day proceeding Christmas – Advent. Practice can develop a turning of the mind and heart to God and what He has given to us, His beloved Children. Let us pray:

 

“Father God, Abba – Daddy, I bow before your holy name. Your angels in Heaven experience your glory every moment of eternity and yet, in sorrow, I admit that I do not given thanks always for the wonderful life you have given me. If I would be more faithful, I too would experience your presence as do the multitudes in Heaven. May this be the day when I begin a daily practice of thankfulness and say, ‘To God be the glory,’ speaking these words in my heart and to others around me, before the setting of the sun. Forgive me when I have assumed too much, felt entitled too much, and remembered you too little. I love you Lord, and choose to recognize, ‘To you belong all thanks and glory.’ In the name of your precious son, the Hope of the world, wrapped in swaddling clothes and full of light, love and song, Jesus the Christ of the World, I pray. Amen”

Doris

God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.”

Copyright 2014 by Doris Gaines Rapp

Non-Fiction:

Waiting for Jesus in a Can’t Wait World – Advent 2014

Prayer Therapy of Jesus

Promote Yourself
Novelette:
News at Eleven (Glo Magazine Jan, Feb, March, and April 2015)
Novels:

Length of Days – The Age of Silence

Escape from the Belfry

Smoke from Distant Fires

Hiawassee – Child of the Meadow

Length of Days – Beyond the Valley (January 2015)

News at Eleven – A Novel (April 2015)
Children’s:

Lincoln’s Christmas Mouse

SNOW - A Four Letter Word

“Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:15-18 (NIV) 

“It’s snowing already!” Katy moaned as she hurried back in the house from the mailbox. 

At our house, snow has been a four letter word, something not spoken of and not acknowledged as “good.” Certainly, snow is neither welcomed nor valued. Remember, I said, in our house, not in our family. Our son James’ children love everything white, icy and cold. They have cross-country skis, ice skates and a snowmobile. Under their coats, they have insulated long-johns and socks. They are prepared, not to endure but to enjoy. 

In Thessalonians, we learn to give thanks in all circumstance because that is “God’s will for [us] in Christ Jesus.” Think about those few words. God wants us to be thankful in all things as grateful followers of his son Jesus Christ. Also, if we are in Jesus Christ, inheritors of his peace and grace, we are given the ability to give thanks in everything, through Christ, because that attitude of thankfulness will keep us healthy in mind, body and spirit. We are perfected in Christ in many ways. One way is through the ability to find “good” in all things and give thanks. 

“Love” is also a four letter word. Perhaps if we close our eyes and see “love,” in the embodiment of the Son of God, we can open our eyes to our circumstances, and see that which we can be thankful for, because we are seeing life through the eyes of Jesus. Let us pray: 

“Father of peace and love, I bow at the sound of your sacred name. May today be the day when I see life through the eyes of your son, Jesus, and give thanks. I have prayed for your warmth and have gotten snow. I have prayed for your peace and live in chaos, with new flooring being installed and whole-home  disruption. I ask today, for the ability to choose to see my circumstances through the eyes of your precious son, to let your four letter word be - love, your five letter word be – peace, and your six-letter word be - thanks. You give me the ability to see these blessings so that I will be healthy and strong. Forgive me when I resort to complaining and display an attitude of “ain’t it awful.” May I live in such a way that others may see you, and see not awful, but recognize “awe-full” - full of awe. May my circumstances be seen through the loving eyes of Jesus, that I might give thanks and find health and peace. In the name of your son, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen”

Doris

Doris Gaines Rapp

"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.”

Copyright 2014 Doris Gaines Rapp

Christmas and Advent books by Doris Gaines Rapp available on www.cokesbury.com, www.amazon.com, and www.barnesandnoble.com and others:
Waiting for Jesus in a Can’t Wait World – Advent 2014
Lincoln’s Christmas Mouse – a children’s story and picture book including a mouse that 
          talks, President Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War
Prayer Therapy of Jesus
If you are out and about next Sunday, November 23, I will be at Barnes and Noble, Jefferson Point Mall, Fort Wayne, signing Hiawassee - Child of the Meadow and Smoke from Distant Fires at their Discover Weekend and Local Author Fair, from 2-4 pm

God - My Completion

"I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:3-6 NIV

How is it possible that Christmas advertisements are on TV already and trees adorn the stores? Wasn’t winter just six months ago? Didn’t the crocuses bloom only yesterday? Weren’t the trees full of color a few days past and most are now barren and waiting for the freezing snow? Will I ever make peace with the calendar?

I don’t mind getting older. I mind my life flying by like a movie in speed mode. How can I possibly see everything in my life that is so beautiful? How do I not miss the tiny miracles that fall around me like a mist of diamonds? How do I talk to each blessed soul that comes my way and not miss a single smile or falling tear?

As an author, I spent three hours on Saturday at the Allen County Public Library at a large author fair along with seventy other writers. The wonderful expressions of joy from readers who were obviously comfortable visiting the library on an afternoon were exciting to see. Yet, there was so much, I couldn’t take it all in. I had to wonder what I may have overlooked.

I’ve decided that I don’t have to worry about sights I miss or melodies unheard. God will hold every precious memory in His own heart. "I thank my God every time I remember you . . ." can be thought of in two ways. 1. Every time I think of you, I thank God for your presence in my life. 2. Every time God reminds me of you, I thank him for those memories.

God can hold every moment of our lives close to His own heart and keep it there forever. I can spend eternity seeing the sights and hearing the sounds that I didn’t really missed, I just didn’t attend to as I hurried by. For God holds all that was and is and will be in His heart, and when I am in harmony with Him, He will sing the words of my life over and over to me, so that each darling face will always be before my eyes. Blessed is He, my memory, my daily companion and the joy of my future. May He fill your life to perfect completion as well, both now and in the always. Let us pray:

"Holy Father, wise council, memory-keeper of all that is good, I praise your precious name. May your eternal kingdom come and dwell within me, that I may enjoy the peace of Heaven even as your angels do. Today, I ask that the joy of living may continue in me and spread to all those around me. Take away any fear of doing or saying so that your glory may be visible. Let my life touch another’s in such a way that any fear of living may be healed within them, but do not let me know when, or with whom so that I cannot boast. Forgive me when I have missed one of your children who needed your smile, as testified to through me. Let your peace, presence, love and companionship fill me, and all of us here, to overflowing so that all those who witness our lives may see you. In the name of your precious son, our Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen"
Doris
Doris Gaines Rapp
Copyright 2014 Doris Gaines Rapp

I will be signing Hiawassee – Child of the Meadow and Smoke from Distant Fires at Barnes and Noble, Jefferson Point Mall, Fort Wayne, on Sunday, November 23 from 2-4pm during Discovery Weekend.


Books by Doris Gaines Rapp available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Cokesbury and others:

Prayer Therapy of Jesus - Training in Prayer Therapy as used in all of these devotional prayers
Waiting for Jesus in a Can’t Wait World – Advent Devotional for 2014 including Social Media Shares
Hiawassee – Child of the Meadow
Smoke from Distant Fires
Escape from the Belfry
Length of Days – The Age of Silence
Lincoln’s Christmas Mouse – Reformatted to smaller size – available soon

Calm or Chaos?

“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27 (NIV)

“Now, where did I put my coffee cup?” my husband, Bill asked as he maneuvered through the stacks of furniture piled in the middle of the living room and family room. He is painting the walls in preparation for new flooring to be installed.

Here I am, in my Lazy Boy, in the middle of all the pulled-up carpet and chaos, with my laptop in place, typing out twitter posts, an important email and sending out a message of peace to you all. As long as I focus on the computer screen and not my surroundings, I am clutter-minded free.

November is Native American Month and I think of Hiawassee (Rachel Meadows) and all she went through. She walked from North Carolina into Indiana with her settler husband in the early 1800’s but was shunned by his family, his community and his church. She was never bitter. She chose Christian love and forgiveness, and the Cherokee tradition of balance, over the hatred of those around her.

We too can choose Christ and his peace when we face chaos. Dwell upon these things: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Let us pray:

“Father of peace and love, you allowed “forgiveness” to come into the world when you sent your son, Jesus, to live among us. Holy is your name and greatly to be praised. May your kingdom of peace come to my life today, just as it is in the realms of Heaven. Today, allow me to see those aspects of my life that add to the chaos around me and spill over into the space of others. Forgive me when I have fanned the flames of discord by not seeking your face and when I am intolerant of others who lack harmony. I love you Lord, and I lift my hands to you. May this be the day when I can bring a peace to another, by touching their life with your words and love. Do not let me know when that happens so I cannot brag. Only you are worthy of praise, Father. I pray in the name of, and by the power of your son, Jesus, the Christ. Amen”

Doris

"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.”
Copyright 2014 Doris Gaines Rapp

I will be signing books and meeting readers at the Allen County Public Library Local Author Fair, downtown Fort Wayne, next Saturday, November 8, 2014 from noon until 3 pm. I hope to see you there. It is Native American Month and a good time to read, Smoke from Distant Fires and Hiawassee – Child of the Meadow.

It is also Alzheimer’s Disease and Caregivers Month. I will post an encouragement to caregivers, Al’s Talking, tomorrow on www.dorisgainesrapp.blogspot.com

Don’t forget to vote tomorrow! Read Length of Days – The Age of Silence.

 

COAL OR DIAMONDS

“But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.”  2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

Some people look at their lives and see only lumps of coal. Disappointment, losses, even betrayal sum up lives of regret, sadness and anger.

Beautiful, translucent black obsidian, which we called Apache tears when we would go out on the dessert after a New Mexico sand storm to look for them, is like coal that has been placed under such stress it turns to a glass-like stone. They are gorgeous and can be used in making jewelry. There’s another coal-stone that becomes even more precious when events in the world press in tightly and change it into . . . diamonds.

That is just like our lives. I know that stress can cause illness, damage to the body and a crippled will to change our circumstances. Many of us are not strong enough to withstand the pressure of loss and repeated set-backs. Jesus Christ told Paul, he did not have to be strong because His strength is made perfect in his weakness, and in ours. Jesus would be strong for Paul and for us.

No, God may not give us the desires of our hearts. He may not give us diamonds. But, my friend, to refuse the beauty of obsidian because it does not hold the power we want, is to refuse the gift of sparkling jewels, designed just for us. Let us pray:

“Father God, your name brings strength to my body and my will. It is the precious diamond I had sought when I thought I received only coal. I never looked for the jewel at the center of the lump of my life, because I believed I could not correct my weaknesses. And, I refused to let you find the obsidian that glistened just beneath the storms of my life. Today, I give you my weakness and place my life within your strength. Forgive me when I have let negative emotions weaken me. You are strong and in you I will find my strength. May I help a stranger find freedom from weakness as well, and rest in the secret places of your heart. In the power and strength of Christ’s love, I pray. Amen”

Doris

"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine.”
Copyright 2014 Doris Gaines Rapp

Prayer Therapy of Jesus  should be available on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.  Only the eBook version is up so far.  It will be on Cokesbury.com soon.

Waiting for Jesus in a Can’t Wait World - Advent 2014, is now available at www.amazon.com, www.cokesbury.com, www.barnesandnoble.com and others. This Advent devotional uses the Prayer Therapy of Jesus in prayer formation.
Lincoln’s Christmas Mouse has been reformatted to fit in a Christmas Shoe Box ministry container. It should be available to order on Amazon in a week. Watch for progress on www.dorisgainesrapp.blogspot.com

The Family of God

"Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God's people and also members of his household - (you are members of God's family [NLT]), having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit." (Ephesians 2: 19-21 NIV)

"I’m so glad I’m a part of the family of God," the Gaithers wrote in their song by the same title. We don’t all wear the same tee shirt that says, "God’s Family Member," like we’re attending a large family reunion and each "clan" is identified by the patriarch or matriarch heading it. Come to think of it that sounds nice. "I’m one of God’s family. I belong to the Jesus Clan."

Yesterday, my husband Bill (the pastor of sweet country church) was sick. On Saturday, not a word came out of his mouth. By Sunday, he could squeak. However, not even a well-placed lapel microphone could have picked up his message. So, Sunday morning I asked for volunteers to give prayers, bless the offering, and lead the choruses and hymns before the time of the "message." Then, for the-word-of-God-from-the-people-of-God, I stood in the pulpit and facilitated an expression of love. The congregation was asked to read their favorite scripture and, if they would like, tell why that passage meant so much to them. I read the scripture printed in the morning’s bulletin. Then, eight of our church family gave testimony-through-scripture about God’s presence in their lives through the words He had written on their heart.

What is your personal witness to the work of God in your life? You are the only one who can tell it, and there are those out there who are longing to hear it. Won’t you speak up and speak out, becoming a witness for the Lord our God? Let us pray"

"Holy Father, your family has spread your word around the world. Your children worship in churches, homes and under trees everywhere. May this be the time you bring your kingdom to earth, so we, like the angels in Heaven, may dwell with you. Abba, I hear you calling me to bear testimony to your love, forgiveness and salvation. Your children everywhere are threatened by a secular vision that is trying to kill your message of Love. Extremists are demanding that we hush our voices and sing songs of self, rather than melodies of your love. Forgive me when I have remained silent and give me the courage to speak up for you. Let this be the day when I say or do something for someone who needs your words and touch. May I not know who it was, when it happened or under what circumstances it happened, because I do not wear Glory well. All honor and praise and glory go to you and my blessed redeemer, Jesus Christ, your son, my brother within your family. It is in His name, and by his power, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine." Copyright 2014 Doris Gaines Rapp

Prayer Therapy of Jesus will be available on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com by the end of the week. It will be on Cokesbury.com soon after.

Waiting for Jesus in a Can’t Wait World - Advent 2014, is now available at www.amazon.com, www.cokesbury.com, www.barnesandnoble.com and others. This Advent devotional uses the Prayer Therapy of Jesus in prayer formation.

It's Not About Me

"Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven." Matthew 10:32 (NIV)

"But what if people don’t like my new book on Prayer Therapy? I’ll tell them that the book is finished, if I can make sure they wouldn’t criticize me."

I couldn’t believe I heard myself say those words. Of course some Christian people will criticize Prayer Therapy of Jesus. There are those who think their understanding and experience of God is the only one there is, at least the only "correct" one. I have been posting to this blog for several years. Have I not encouraged those who are afraid to speak out for fear the "good people" around them will defame the body of Christ? How silly is that? It’s not about me. It’s about Him.

God gives each of us a story to tell, a love story of grace and redemption. Along the way, He gave me an understanding of prayer that is not new to me. Jesus Christ taught the disciples, and us, to pray using the Lord’s Prayer. Parker and St. John did a study of the efficacy of prayer, using the Lord’s Prayer, in their book, Prayer Can Change Your Life. About fifteen years ago, I expanded on their concepts and developed my version of Prayer Therapy. I published a book which I have now expanded and re-titled, Prayer Therapy of Jesus.

When we bear testimony to the work of God in our lives, we are not saying, He blessed me just like He touched someone else. We are saying, "This is my testimony. I hope my words will resonate in your heart."

I will speak out and say, the words in Prayer Therapy of Jesus, are the words He gave to me and I give them to you. If you need to be released from negative emotions that bind you in heart and mind and soul, perhaps you too will be set free through the Prayer Therapy of Jesus. In my case, today I will pray for release from FEAR, fear of criticism. You can insert a different negative emotion and pray prescriptively, three times a day, for release from the illness-producing effects. Let us pray:

"Holy Father, your name is above all names. To utter your name in Hebrew, Yahweh, is to make the sound of the very air we breathe [Yaa ...way]. Holy, Holy, Holy is your name. May today be the day when your kingdom comes to dwell within me, as the angels in Heaven exist in your presence. For this day, Father, I ask that you release me from FEAR that can hush my tongue at times. I choose this day, to speak out for you and allow others to speak in their voice. Any criticism I may receive, I ask that you place on your shoulders, for I am too weak to carry it. Forgive me for being impatient, or even hurt, by other people’s Fear, that may be displayed in anger or illness. They are like me and I like them, but neither of us need to remain captive. May I touch someone today who is in FEAR and help free them too from the FEAR that keeps them in chains. Please, do not let me know who, when or under what circumstances it happens, so that I may not boast. To you belongs all glory, Father. In the name of your precious son, my redeemer, Jesus I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine." Copyright 2014 Doris Gaines Rapp

Prayer Therapy of Jesus will be available on Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com by the end of the week. It will be on Cokesbury.com soon after.

Waiting for Jesus in a Can’t Wait World - Advent 2014, is now available at www.amazon.com, http://www.cokesbury.com, www.cokesbury.com, www.barnesandnoble.com and others. This Advent devotional uses the Prayer Therapy of Jesus in prayer formation.

Habits of the Heart

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable– if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you." Philippians 4: 6-9

Where is your heart? What habits of thought and desire dwell within you? When you drive or do everyday tasks, how do you entertain your mind? For me, I create stories that I work on later, or simply enjoy them for their brief moment in my day.

If you tend to argue with your spouse, co-worker or boss in the quiet moments of your mind, as you travel and work, you are wasting good planning time. You are also robbing yourself of energy and you’re creating a tense body. Why? How does that benefit you?

Develop habits of positive thinking. I never put myself down. I say, "I don’t let other people talk to me like that and I’m sure not going to do it to myself." Learn from your mistakes but don’t make them evidence of your character. Whatever you did that didn’t work, is just a possibility you have ruled out. Move on and learn another lesson.

Do not develop a habit of anxious thinking. Trust in God to lead you and love you though all the times of your life. When you hear anxious, obsessive thoughts rattling around in your head, drown them out with hymns and songs of praise, prayers and joyous fellowship with the Lord. Put away anger and learn to love the Lord. Let us pray:

"Dear Lord and father of mankind, I stand in your presence as do the angels in your heavenly kingdom. You are holy and your name is sacred. I ask that your kingdom no longer be far off. May it dwell within me and I in it, just as you are in me and I in you. In your kingdom, I can find rest and peace of heart. Forgive me when I repeat words of complaint and criticism toward your children, including me. I give myself, my thoughts, and my plans over to you, Father. I want to step out into a whole new world where you are both King and my loving father. Thank you for all of your blessings. In the name of Jesus, my Savior and the Lord whom I follow, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine." Copyright 2014 Doris Gaines Rapp - Posted 10/5/14 for Monday 10/6/14

Waiting for Jesus in a Can’t Wait World - Advent 2014, is now available at www.amazon.com, http://www.cokesbury.com, www.cokesbury.com, www.barnesandnoble.com and others.

　

　

Touched by the Son

"While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, ‘This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!’ When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground, terrified. But Jesus came and touched them. ‘Get up,’ he said. ‘Don't be afraid.’ When they looked up, they saw no one except Jesus." Matthew 17: 5-8

Have you noticed the trees? They look like they have been touched by God. Like, he reached down and kissed the tree tops and turned them to gold. His message to the disciples was, "Don’t be afraid."

For me, the message is reassuring. When I see the magnificent color of God’s late-September world, I cannot help but "fear" the snow of winter that will follow. Last winter lasted for nearly six months, as if God had decided to divide the seasons in half, rather than quarters. But then, I had to be thankful. If God himself had placed a different imprint on the world, one that spoke of his global cooling, and even reached down and kissed the earth with his own lips, there can be only good to follow, if I watch for it.

In our lives, God’s son also reaches down and touches our heart, releasing us from fear. Just like the leaves that turn to gold and crimson, our faces shine with his light when he kisses us. Are we wearing the evidence of his hand on us–a smile, a relaxed expression evidence of his peace, friendship and caring? Or, do we show fear on our faces, that the winter of our lives is coming along with the accompanying chill? When Jesus touches us, warmth is everywhere - wear the testimony of his love and grace on your face, regardless of weather, physical or emotional, around us. Let us pray:

"Father God, painter of the glorious masterpiece all around us, we soak in the colors of your blessings. Let, the whiteness of the winter ahead, represent your pure love, not the absence of color. Actually, we know that white is the presence of all colors of your artistic palate. Your name is holy and your presence is warm. May your kingdom come to my life and let me live within your blessed boundary. I ask that today be the day when I see your colors all around me. Each shade is a new blessing. Green is new life, gold–abundant living, crimson is the blood of Jesus, shed for my sins. Your love is splashed across the earth all around me, and all I seem to do is moan about the season to come. Forgive me Father. Let me live today in appreciation of the moment, for you have reached down and touched my world with wonder. In the name of your precious son, Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."Copyright 2014 Doris Gaines Rapp

This Saturday, October 4, 2014, I will be signing my books at Bread of Life Christian Bookstore in Greenville, OH from 11 AM to 1 PM. Location: 107 W. Main Street, Greenville, OH 45331. If you want a signed copy but cannot be there, call the store and order one between 11 and 1. I sign several titles:

Waiting for Jesus in a Can’t Wait World - Advent 2014. Available October 4!

There are two exciting features in this Advent book. Each day, beginning November 30, 2014, following the devotion, there is a Share and a Thought Prompt. These two "brain-rattlers" provide food to feast on each day, leading up to Christmas, rather than a steady diet of "gimme."
1: Shares: (text, tweet, post to FB, blogs, Pinterest, or anywhere.)
The plan: to bring Jesus Christ into the daily thoughts of our family and friends. Rather than thinking about the presents they will get or give on Christmas Day, they will focus on the presence of God, through the Share that you will text, email, or post to them.

2: Thinking about Jesus Thought Prompts:
Also: Fun, Thought Prompts can be posted, emailed and/or texted, so our family and friends can brainstorm about ideas that will fill them with Jesus as they wait for Christmas. When they get home, you can discuss the Prompt around the supper table or in a moment together. Also:

Hiawassee - Child of the Meadow
Smoke from Distant Fires
Escape from the Belfry
Length of Days - The Age of Silence

WRITTEN ON HIS HANDS

"See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands. Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem's walls in ruins." (Isaiah 49: 16 New Living Translation)

God will never forget his children. Isaiah spoke of his love for Israel and even while it stood in rubble, he remembered every name. The marvelous parallel is, Jesus our Savior will never forget us, our names are written in the wounds on the palms of his hands.

I have received several prayer requests in the last few days: physical and mental illness, death, feelings of abandonment and as many more as there are those who are in pain. God will bring healing to his children, in his time and within his plan.

We hear the dreaded news from our physician and pray that we will be healed. We stand beside the bed of our dying loved one and pray for recovery, only to have them slip away. We see our children exercise their independence, the very thing we have trained them to do during all their years of growing up in our home, but feel rejected when they leave. My precious friends, God has your name, and the name of your loved one, written in blood on the hand of his own Son. There is absolutely no way he will let them slip through his fingers, untouched by his love and grace.

Healing of body, healing of relationships, and healing of the pain that follows the death of someone close, will come. It can do no less. Jesus Christ reaches out his pierced hands and blesses us and others, every time we call on him. Let us pray:

"Father, God, I recognize your holy presence all around me. I ask that your perfect will be done in my life and the lives of those I love. Heaven is full of those who went before us, making wide the way first opened by your son Jesus. May Heaven come near and set up your kingdom in my life as I surrender my desires and plans to you. For this day, I ask for your healing hand on my body and on those I name. Take away any fear and anger and anxiety that accompany the illnesses we have. I know that the negative emotions contribute to the weakening of the body. Free me from my desire to control whom you will heal and in what manner. Release me from my need to tell you what is a better plan for me and my loved ones than our perfect plan. I thank you that power and glory are yours alone. I pray all these things in the name of Jesus, in whose palms my name, and the names of all those I have lifted up in prayer, are written. Amen"
Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."Copyright 2014 Doris Gaines Rapp

Other books by Doris Gaines Rapp:
Hiawassee - Child of the Meadow
Smoke from Distant Fires
Escape from the Belfry Length of Days - The Age of Silence

New in October: Waiting for Jesus in a Can’t Wait World (an Advent Devotional book with additional food for thought items for you to email, post and text your friends and family.

Also, in October: Prayer Therapy of Jesus - Second Edition, the prayer model for these posts.

He is Here all the Time

"After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you." John 14: 19-20 NIV

"Why does God seem so distant sometimes?" Have you heard someone say that? I have.

Jesus said, even when the world cannot see him anymore, he will be with/in God, and we will be in him and he will be in us. Reread that. Not just that we will be in him, although that is a marvelous thing, but he will be in us and in God. Therefore, we will also be in God and he in us.

If anyone has moved in this great triangular fellowship, we have. God remains the same. He is not distant from us. We choose to be distant from him. Just imagine, he is here all the time. Let us pray:

"Father, God, you are the rock that anchors me to heaven, to the Christ and to you. You never move away, nor do you sleep. As I enter into this cooler, autumn season I am aware that some of my friends and family are ill or sick of heart. You are at peace, Father, and Jesus is with you and I am with you both. Lay your hand of comfort on me, my friends and family, so that I and they may feel your healing. I know that you have far greater plans for me than any I could imagine and my length of days is written in your book. I also believe that my days are only numbered here, for eternity lies within you, and that is where I am, too. Forgive my need to wish for lesser things than the gold streets of Heaven. I want what you want, Father. I give up my need to try to control you and ask that you be my guide and shepherd. In the name of, and by the power of, Jesus, your son, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine." Copyright 2014 Doris Gaines Rapp

Other books by Doris Gaines Rapp:
Hiawassee - Child of the Meadow
Smoke from Distant Fires
Escape from the BelfryLength of Days - The Age of Silence all four can be ordered from your local bookstore or online in print or eBook form. They are all also available at www.cokesbury.com.
New in October: Waiting for Jesus in a Can’t Wait World (an Advent Devotional book with additional food for thought items for you to email, post and text your friends and family.
Also, in October: Prayer Therapy of Jesus - Second Edition, the prayer model for these posts.

In Its Time

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end. I know that there is nothing better for people than to be happy and to do good while they live." Ecclesiastes 3: 11 - 12 (NIV)

"I’m bored." How often have you heard that? I would like to experience boredom for about ten minutes, just to know what it feels like.


"I hate my job." At a time when many are underemployed or unemployed, if you have a job at all, thank the Lord and live happily while you wait for the next step of His plan. I know that is Pollyanna thinking for those of you who are holding the short end of the job-straw. If living unhappily and full of anger works better for you and your family, keep it up. If months full of anger doesn’t help your relationships and health, then change your attitude. You decide.


"Why can’t my luck change?" Luck? What does luck have to do with the eternity He has set in your heart? If you pray to God for His blessing, and then wish for luck from the Leprechauns, God may step aside and let you continue to seek help from your idols. Are you sure that’s the path you want to take? Do good each day and joy will come to you, a blessing far greater than luck. If God sat with you at every meal, would you still complain that all you had to serve was hamburger? If you do, you will have missed the miracles of every day.


"God makes everything beautiful in its time." An internship may lead to a full-time job. It will take the experience and time of the apprentice work to secure the coveted position. Years spent in graduate school will qualify you for the additional responsibility and enjoyment of a professional career. Time, energy and selfless love, invested in quality and quantity-time spent in a relationship, can yield a lasting marriage. I know the statistics are less favorable than any of us would want them to be. I cannot tell you that I have the magic answer to a long marriage. But, God does. It’s a choice, ". . . to be happy and to do good while [you] live."


We have the secrets of eternity in our hearts, not for power, success or control for us. That is why we do not know God’s work from the beginning to the end. But, our soul knows, the indwelling spirit of God knows, our essence knows. Let the presence and blessings of the Lord, rise to our surface like sweet cream from fine milk, so the blessings of this life become part of our daily experience, because He is buried in our being. Let us pray:


"Father God, creator of all that is beautiful from the beginning to whatever "end" you name, I bow before you. I am amazed that you can take that which is stale or disappointing or inadequate and make sometime beautiful out of it. For today, I ask that you take the lesser-things of my life and make of them the jewels in the crown of your glory. Let me see my burdens sparkle and shine in the light of your glory. Forgive me when I complain about the gifts you have given me. Let me see the beauty in all that is around me, so that I do not miss one blessing. I know, there are no small miracles. Each one has the power to expand in my heart and fill my life with joy. I pray to see your beauty — in the name of Jesus, your son and my savior. Amen"


Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."Copyright 2014 Doris Gaines Rapp


Hiawassee - Child of the Meadow
Smoke from Distant Fires
Escape from the BelfryLength of Days - The Age of Silence all four can be ordered from your local bookstore or online in print or eBook form. They are all also available at www.cokesbury.com.


　


　


　

It is Not Autumn

Psalm 90:10 "The days of our lives are seventy years, if by reason of strength, they are eighty years . . . for our lives are soon cut off and WE FLY AWAY."

"Summer’s over." How many times have you heard that today? My friends, it is not. Autumn begins on September 22. We are rushing through three weeks of our lives - just throwing them away as if they mattered not when we dismiss September 1-21 from our thinking. Every second of our lives should be squeezed through the wringer to get all of the living out of them, every last drop. Life is for living - not for wishing - not for planning the "some-days" of our walk here on earth until we "fly away" home.

We were marvelously designed to be forward-thinking. We live today and plan for the future. But, when our planning becomes our living for today, we will never arrive at our destination, because our destination will simply become something to overlook as we plan for the next "some-day."

Let God plan our days. Let His future be our goal. Let each day be an exciting adventure of faith, living in His glorious kingdom, walking along His paths, each and every day, until we "fly away" to the source of our some-days. Let us pray:

"Holy Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and the Abba of my life, I lift up my heart to you. You are Holy. Your name has the power to change and should never be used for anything but blessings and healing. May I be permitted to live in your kingdom here on earth by faithfully walking each moment of every day in the light of your love. Forgive me when I make plans for you to bless, rather than walking humbly along your way toward the goals and plans you have for me. Let me wake up to your presence in my life, that your heart beat may be the cadence for my foot steps along your path. When you are ready for me to come home, may my flight be directly to the foot of your throne. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen"

Doris
"God gives us stories that testify to His love. Let me tell you mine."Copyright 2014 Doris Gaines Rapp

A huge thank you to all those I met at the 54^th Tecumseh Lodge Pow Wow in Tipton over the weekend. Thank you so much for your interest in my books.