Great Lines From Movies: Finding Nemo

“Keep swimming. Keep swimming… “  At the edge of a pitch dark cavern in the ocean, Dory, a cute, blue fish, encourages her friend, Marlin, a clown fish, to “keep swimming”.  They have to search the mirky depths for something important they’ve lost.  Funny, cute,and a little scary; it’s one of my favorite scenes in the movie, Finding Nemo.  watch..

Sometimes life can seem like a bottomless pit.  It’s scary to go forward, to “keep swimming”.  Here’s some verses to cling to in the dark:

“When I am afraid, I will trust in You…In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid. What can mortal man do to me?  In God whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise — In God I trust; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?” Psalm 56:3-4, 10-11

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”  Isaiah 41:10

Feeling small?  Swimming in the dark?  Pray the “Little Fishies Prayer”:

“Oh, Father in Heaven, my savior, my friend (John 15:5).  The way seems dark and scary, and I can’t see how I’ll make it, but I’ll trust in You.  Help me to hold Your hand, to keep reading my Bible, keep praying, keep trusting you in the dark.   In Jesus’  name, amen.”

“For I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.”  Isaiah 41:13

Walking in the Dark

my son, Andy (15)

Walking in the Dark…

“ Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.” Isaiah 50:10b

My husband, Dave, and I, and son Andy (that’s him in the picture) and Andy’s friend Taylor are all in Colorado to climb Pikes Peak — AGAIN!  (see earlier Pikes Peak posts)  Second time this summer.

our Bed and Breakfast

In fact, I’m typing this at the base of the mountain in the kitchen of a cozy Bed and Breakfast.  And tonight I’ll be sleeping in my cozy Bed and Breakfast bed

– but not the boys.

They’ll be climbing  Pike’s Peak in the dark, starting at midnight!  They’ll only have headlamps to guide them.

Midnight At the start of the midnight Pike's Peak Climb. l-r: my son's friend, Taylor; husband, Dave; son, Andy

Why this craziness?!

Because they want to celebrate my son, Andy’s birthday on the summit at sunrise, of course.

Tomorrow he’ll be 15.

We all have mountains to climb, don’t we?

Not always by choice.

And when the trail is dark, it’s nice to have a few promises on hand to light the way…

Sunrise above the clouds on Pikes Peak, July 2009, photo credit: the Shumperts. The Shumperts are a 60-something souple we met at Pike's Peak who climb 14-ers for a hobby. They took this at sunrise after camping just below the summit.

“…The LORD my God illumines my darkness.”  Psalm 18:28b NASB

“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”  Psalm 119:105 KJV

“And if you give yourself to the hungry And satisfy the desire of the afflicted, Then your light will rise in darkness And your gloom {will become} like midday.

“And the LORD will continually guide you, And satisfy your desire in scorched places, And give strength to your bones; And you will be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water whose waters do not fail.”  Isaiah 58:10-11, NASB

My son, Andy, with his head lamp glowing, halfway to the summit.

The mountain climber’s prayer:

Oh, Lord, you keep my lamp burning; You illumine my darkness.(Ps. 18)  Your Word shows me the safest places for my feet, and places to avoid putting my feet.  (Ps. 119)

Help me to think of others, try to meet their needs, even when I feel gloomy and dried up. (Is. 58)  You promised to brighten my gloom, and meet my needs even ”scorched places” when I do.  And you said I’d “ be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters do not fail. (Is. 58) That’s what I want my heart to be, a garden full of light and beauty!

In Jesus’ name, Amen!

Flower Delivery

Telaflora "Be Happy" Bouquet

My daughter took flowers to work today for her friend who’s been having a hard time.  They made her day!

Flowers are so cheerful, so full of hope and promise.

Do you need some flowers?!  Well, here’s a fresh bouquet of promises from Someone Who loves you!

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 Do you have questions? Need answers?  Call to Him.  This verse promises He will answer.

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” Romans 8:26

Are your prayers weak?  Don’t know what to pray for, like the verse says? Well, take courage!  You’re not praying alone.  When you call to Him, this verse says His Spirit is calling out both with you,  and for you “with groans that words cannot express.”  It’s complicated sounding, but very comforting, nonetheless.

Lizzy's flowers for her coworker

God says He’s praying for us several times in this passage from Romans.  That’s what intercede means –

“seeking the presence and hearing of God on behalf of others” (Vines Expository Dictionary)

“And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.” (:27)

“Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-more than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.” :34

And, did you know your prayers smell good to God, like flowers? Really! See for yourself.

It’s recorded in the book of Revelations.  Revelations a book full of prophecy about the future.  The apostle John sees a vision of heaven and one of the things he sees at the throne of God is this~~ “…golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.” Revelations 5:8b

(note: when the Bible says “saints” its talking about us; not just Mother Teresa, but ALL of us who have asked Christ to be our Lord, who love Him and want to follow Him)

So, God loves your prayers, they smell good to Him, so to speak, like flowers!

You know the nice thing about this promise bouquet?  It will never rot.  You can keep it forever!

Do you know the promise delivery man?  click here to open the door to Someone Who will change your life forever

ALL Faith

This is Katie — “Princess Katie”  

She has Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia, or “ALL” for short.

She was just diagnosed this summer and now has Swine Flu on top of that!

Could you please pray for her and her family?**

Katie’s disease, ALL, reminded me of all the ALL verses in the New Testament that are encouraging in hard times.  They are lifeline promises that we can pray and claim for ourselves and others.

 I’ll list them here for you all.   Maybe you’d like to memorize some, or, better yet, ALL:

“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”  2 Corinthians 9:8

“And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.  Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Ephesians 3:17b-21

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Romans 15:13

And here’s a good reminder of why we’re here on this planet:

“For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.  And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.”  2 Corinthians 5:14-15

**You can read more of Katie’s story here: https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/princesskatie