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Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Matthew 6:9-10 (NIV)


While searching for a hymn about God our Father, this more contemporary song from Don Moen popped up. Our Father is based on the Lord's Prayer. As children of God, we have the privilege of calling him "Father."



Then this song showed up in my feed on Father's Day. While not overtly religious or spiritual, it talks about a father having problems getting close or showing emotion to his children. Daddy Cut My Hair, by Michael Kelly Blanchard, performed for the Gaither Music TV, follows the relationship between a son and his father. Watch the teary-eyed people in their audience. It also talks about the power of forgiveness in real life.



My own father became a hugger and a sayer of "I love you" later in life. I'm not sure what changed, but it came as a welcome surprise. I don't remember much about my childhood years and expressions of affection and emotions; I'm sure it was there, but perhaps not demonstrated as much as I would have liked. I know we were loved and that our parents were proud of us.


Perhaps now is a good time to reach out and give a hug and say I love you - particularly to a father who just may say "I love you" back.


 






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Writer's picture: Lori LowerLori Lower

Note: It has been suggested that I post the worship portion from the weekly prayer email that I share with my home church, Ashland BIC. I will be trying to post these weekly. I may or may not expound upon or expand the original message. So if you follow both this blog and get those emails, I hope you are doubly blessed!

 

Let the gift of undeserved grace and the understanding that come from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ help you keep on growing. Praise Jesus now and forever! Amen.

II Peter 3:18 (CEV)


This hymn, More About Jesus, popped into my head when I was praying about which songs to use this week. This selection is sung by the gospel group, the Blackwood Brothers. (You know me - I like all styles!) I hope this becomes your prayer for today.



Sometimes, however, it seems like God is distant and that we can't understand what He is doing in our life. This song by We Are Messengers, Close, expresses the hope that God uses through our circumstances to draw us to Him. This gives us opportunities to learn more about Jesus and to trust Him no matter what.



Maybe the why just don't matter

What if it's not for me to know

Maybe the point is just to trust You

Find the faith to let it go

Where do you find yourself today? Yearning for more of Jesus? Going through circumstances that have you questioning what you know to be true of Him? I pray that God will meet you wherever you are in your journey - all you need to do is ask Him.

 




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Writer's picture: Lori LowerLori Lower

Updated: Mar 24, 2022



A lot of people are asking "Are you ready for Spring?" I have to admit that I am eagerly awaiting spring-like weather; more so than in other years. While the winter has not been that rough in terms of the number of snowy or even extremely cold days and the amount of snow on the ground, there have been a couple of storms that did wreak havoc on our area. The older I get, the less I like winter and the more I look forward to spring.


However, there's another question that people should be asking, "Are you ready for Jesus to come back?" If you have been on any type of social media lately, there are a number of articles and posts questioning (or even proclaiming) that we are in the end days, that Jesus will be returning soon. There are arguments and debates going both ways. Some are empathically claiming it is so, while others are just as emphatically claiming not. Others are laying out timelines and events that they claim must happen before Christ's return.


Our pastor even interrupted his current sermon series this past week to address the same type of concerns. He focused on Matthew 24 (which would be good for all of us to read); verse 36 states that no one knows, not even the Son (Jesus). One of his PowerPoint slides simply stated, We. Don't. Know!!!


While I don't want to delve into all the theological possibilities and implications, I simply want to remind us that "Jesus is Coming Back."


I recently wrote the following for the weekly prayer email that I send out to our church family.


For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return

will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.

I Thessalonians 5:2 (NLT)


I have been reminded lately that we, as Christ-followers, should be looking forward to the coming of Christ, as well as being ready for his return. I remember this song from my childhood where we sang it on a regular basis during our Sunday evening services. Here is "Jesus is Coming Again," sung by the Melody Four Quartet.



For those who might appreciate a contemporary song about Jesus' return, I really like Jordan Feliz's, "Jesus is Coming Back." It might even have you dancing!



We should be looking forward to that day, but we also should be living in the here and now, doing what Jesus has charged us to do, "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." (Matt. 28:19 NLT) Jesus did not tell us to passively sit still and wait.


While there seems to be a lot of chaos in the world and a number of things about which to be worrying and fretting, we need to remember that God is God and He is still in control.


"Be still, and know that I am God!

I will be honored by every nation.

I will be honored throughout the world."

Psalm 46:10 (NLT)

 

About the blogger:


Lori Lower and her husband, Gary, live in Ashland, Ohio. They attend the Ashland Brethren in Christ Church, where she serves as the prayer ministry coordinator and on the worship design team. She retired from Ashland Theological Seminary/Ashland University in May 2016 after almost 28 years, where she served most recently as Registrar of the Seminary programs. She enjoys walking, Pilates, participating in Cowboy Action shooting, music, and reading.


She is a licensed minister with the Brethren in Christ U.S.








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