Times and Seasons

Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God for ever and ever: for wisdom and might are his: And he changeth the times and the seasons: he removeth kings, and setteth up kings: he giveth wisdom unto the wise, and knowledge to them that know understanding: He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him. I thank thee, and praise thee, O thou God of my fathers, who hast given me wisdom and might, and hast made known unto me now what we desired of thee: for thou hast now made known unto us the king's matter.

Daniel 2:20-23

I've always loved autumn. I love the spring too, but there is something about cool, quiet fall mornings. Leaves of all shades, slowly falling onto the earth below. Farmers have finished their harvests. The sun gives us all a break. We get firewood prepared for a long winter. I usually start calling my dad and brother asking when they think will be the best time for me to sit on a stand and if they've seen any deer on camera.

Our two oldest are October babies. Our youngest was born in November on Veterans Day. I'll be 31 just days after Arrow turns 3. She is our last baby, so all of her first tend to make me happier than normal, but all of her first are also my 'last first' and they tend to make me a little sad. Even though I'm thrilled she is potty trained and putting all sorts of her thoughts together into sentences, it's the last time for me to teach a child to wash their hands, how to identify colors and allow them to figure out how to dress themself.

This is the first fall we've lived out of Kansas. At our old home we were surrounded by trees that often turned the most beautiful shades of red, orange and gold. I'm anxious to see what colors the trees outside our new home turn. Soon, Grant and I will put Christmas lights up for the first time on this home.

The other day I was driving from Kansas back to Missouri
and I said to Raylea something along the lines of,

"we will be home in this much time..."

She said, "hey, you just said "home.""

I said, "yes?"

She said, "you always have called only Kansas home and you've always just called the Missouri place "the house."

I replied, "well, I suppose I'm starting to feel at home there."

I told my father in law today about that conversation between her and I on our way home from
the store. I told him although I am feeling more at home in Missouri, I am also working on trying to not get so attached to a "place." I'm learning that if I will see that life is too short for me to refer to one place as home. When in reality... I've not yet made it home.

I always thought we'd remain in Kansas, stay in my comfortable bubble with our churches, our home, our friends and our routines. But, I am reminded over and over again how God changes the times and the seasons as it says in Daniel. Who am I to say "this is where I'm going to live for the next 70 years of my life." (Boy, can you imagine me as a 100 year old??) But seriously, I wander sometimes do we as Christians put God in a bubble much more than we care to admit. I know I have.

So few people want to marry someone out of their one town, afriad they'll have to start over again. We Americans can be close to a zombie if you think about it.

We fall into this routine of

wake up

do our job

go home hungry

eat

watch TV

go to sleep

wake up and do it again.

For many Christians that order is no different.

Maybe they squeeze in 15 minutes to pray and read. Maybe they are really extra awesome and they attend a bible study and go to church a few times a week. We get into this routine of "this is comfortable and this is good."

I beleive for a revival to start in your life,

it will only start with prayer.

No man can make a decision that is God led without it being first covered in prayer. No woman will ever understand what it is to be a helper to their husband rather than a hinderance without much prayer. No person will ever know what it is to have true communion with God, unless they make prayer the top priority in their life, rather than a box to check at the end of the day.

We make time to eat, to fellowship with others, to clean our homes, to bathe, to make several meals a day and clean up the messes, to work 40-60 hours a week.

We make time. We make time for what is important.

You want to see your child saved, yet you can't remember the last time you've prayed or prayed/fasted for them.

You want to be free from gossip, yet you don't lay your tongue down on the altar and let God be your friend.

We make time to watch things on television, sometimes for several hours.

We will stay up until midnight surfing the internet, all while dust is forming on our bibles.

You say, "I go to church, I teach a class, I sing a special occasionally, I even tithe. God knows my heart. He knows I'm just so busy."

Well, I don't beleive God knows your heart. Not when this routine has went on for weeks and months and now years.

I beleive He is all gracious, and oh, how I am so thankful for His beautiful grace upon my life. I need His grace every day! But, the more I recognize and understand what grace really is, the more I want to stay at His feet. The more I want Him to get junk out of me.

This is only made possible during prayer.

Yes, you need to read your Bible, you need to attend church, you need to be obedient to God and follow his commands.

But, you won't do any of this in the right heart or attitude and dare I say, you'll simply be a religious person, if you don't season your soul with mounds of prayer.

If Jesus himself needed to get alone to pray, why on earth would we be any different. We live in a sin sick society and at every turn there is something that could be used to draw you away from God. Perverseness, girls who don't know how to dress modestly (they are in the church, too, sadly) gambling, drugs, alcohol, gossip, times you could tell a white lie. Sin doesn't play nice or fair! The devil is a lion who is wanting to finish what he has started in your marriage. To kill that daughter of yours. To temp you with one little sin that will lead you to being backslid. He wants to cause division amongs Christians. Please! Hear my cry today. Don't let him have any more control over your life. Over your thoughts. Over your relationships. We are all imperfect people and we do make mistakes. I have had to appologize just as much as I've had to accept appologies in life! Be quick to forgive. It may be you soon asking someone for forgiveness. It says so clearly in the bible if you don't, God can't forgive you.

I'm working on an entry that I soon will publish which is about godly friendships. Oh, how they are so important. Even if you have just one friend, if they are a God fearing individual, you are very blessed. Don't take this person, or those few people for granted. A big reason why I deleted my social media account over five years ago was because I wanted real, raw, honest, godly friendships! Not a bunch of people who will push like or leave a little comment on a photo of my cute kid. No, I want something deeper.

I believe for every David out there, there is a Jonathan.

For ever Naomi, there is a Ruth.

For every Moses, there is an Aaron.

For every Elijah there is an Elisha.

Sometimes, there is no friend for some, and to you I say this, you have the Best Friend of all, Christ.

So, as you see those leaves fall, I want you to be reminded over the next month that God is in control of it all. The times and the seasons are in His hand. You don't have time to waste to not pray anymore. You don't have time to waste to remain in this bubble any longer. I love this home, as I now refer to it, but if the Lord wills, and we are to move one day, I will gladly go because He is in control of the times and the seasons. Not Hannah. I hope that one day when I'm gone, at my little funeral, I sure hope every person there can walk past my casket and say, "She lived her life to please God." I don't care what else I'm known for. I don't want to even be known as a talented writer, I know millions are more intelligient than I. I don't want to be known for having well educated kids or being a "good friend" to others. I understand some of those are okay to be said, but I hope you understand, whoever you are reading this, that a Christian must have one purpose in life and one purpose only. To live every day for God as though it may be their last and to have a strong desire to win souls. Someone you know or someone even reading this may not still be alive for Christmas this year. Maybe one of you won't reach your fourtieth birthday. Call your siblings and tell them you love them and you're praying for them. Buy someones meal in the McDonalds line.

Forgive the unforgivable.

And remember this.. God knows how to restore what appears to be wasted years.

Start new today. He is waiting for you.