Letter Thirty-Six - From God

 THIRTY-SIX

My Dear Child:

This is the season of grief in your life. Everyone goes through this at some point and now perhaps it is your time.

I want to say some things to you about this time in your life.

This loss you are experiencing will pass in time. That may be a difficult thought for you, but it is true.

Meanwhile, know this.
I am here. I am with you in the middle of your grief. 

I AM HERE!

I’ve never abandoned you.

Shed tears if you like.
Talk with a trusted friend or advisor. They are there to help you as a part of my plan. Reach out to one if you will.

And hold onto this thought: “Do not fear. I am with you; I am your God, so do not be shaken. I will give you strength and I will help you. You are held by my righteous right hand.”

Your God of Strength,

P Michael Biggs

Hope Encouragement Inspiration

Thoughts on Prayer

 Thoughts on Prayer

And what about prayer?

What is prayer all about and how do you do it properly?

If you’ve ever tried to pray, perhaps you have your stories of struggle, of staying awake until the “amen” and of making a coherent string of thoughts in prayer so that God is pleased with you, and you get a gold star for the day because of your prayer.

Hmmm. Consider this:

“Just patch a few words together 

and don’t try to make them elaborate. 

This isn’t a contest but a doorway 

into thanks, and a silence in which 

another voice may speak.” 

Mary Oliver – Poet

Mary was not a theologian nor a biblical scholar. She was in touch with life in her own way as a poet and writer.

However, I think she was onto something with this quote.

Praying is not a contest to see who can pray the most eloquent thoughts, or the most beautiful phrases or string together the perfect synonyms for creative thoughts on God.

Praying is based on sincerity, humility, and intent of the heart.
I love Mary’s analogy of prayer as a “doorway into thanks”. Simple thanks.

Ann Lamont wrote once that “‘Help’ just might be one of the most profound prayers ever uttered.

When the burdens are heaviest, when the way is darkest, when the mind is cluttered with too much information or not enough of a sense of God, then perhaps “help” is the most appropriate prayer we can pray.

I’ve used that one a few times in my life.

Perhaps you have too.

I have some mulling to do on Mary’s last thought.

“And a silence in which another voice may speak.”

Silence. Isn’t that one of the eight deadly sins of the church? We can’t sit still and silent for too long for fear that half of the congregation will fall asleep.

Ah, what if we use that silence as a true tuning in time? What if God wanted to say something to us and was waiting for us to simmer down, hush up, and quite yakking long enough to whisper an important thought into our minds?

Now, wouldn’t that be something.
That’s the kind of praying to which I can relate. It goes like this.

Come in, with no agenda, no prepared speech (prayer) and no worries about what I am going to say and no fear that I’ll say the wrong thing or leave out someone or something for which I should pray. Whew.

And then, in the stillness, the quiet quieter than quiet, what if God whispered to you and me? What if He started with something simple like, “Hey you. I love you.”

That would really be something.

A real, honest-to-goodness God-moment.

P Michael Biggs

Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

Letter Twenty~Six From God

TWENTY-SIX

Dear Child:

The world says “Look like this.  Wear these clothes.  Eat our food.  Listen to this music.  Follow our dogma.  Think these thoughts.  

   Do more.  

      Be more.  

         Achieve more.  

           Earn more.  

              Spend more.  

                Work more. 

Is that how you feel?  I grow weary sometimes of how your world has twisted and misinterpreted my principles. 

I want you to focus on just three words.

YOU ARE ENOUGH!

I created you in my image.  I made you with a blueprint for successful living.  I’ve put talents inside of you that are just below the surface and simply require a bit of exploring and discovery.

You are enough. 

You don’t have to wear the latest fashions.

You don’t have to go to the right school.

You don’t have to believe strange doctrines.

You don’t even have to eat sushi if you don’t want to.

I want you to accept that I made you.  I chose you and put qualities that are unique to you to help you succeed.  You have enough to do what your heart longs to do. 

Be you.

You are enough. 

Your Personal God!

One-Hundred Letters from God,

Offering Hope~Encouragement~Inspiration

P Michael Biggs

From my book – The Letters

Letter Number Eight ~ Letters from God

Letter Eight

Dear Child

You have secrets; stuff you haven’t told anyone else.  I know.

I also know your fears and regrets over some of these secrets.

Did you know that everyone has secrets?  Some are so terrible they don’t ever want to talk about them or think about them.

I’ll keep your secrets for you.  We can talk in total confidence.  You can trust me.  I won’t blab.  I won’t sell your secrets to the highest bidder. 

When you want to talk, we will talk.  I’ll hold your place.

Have you ever considered writing me a letter about your secrets?  Write it, then burn it, flush it, or do whatever you desire.  No one need see it, read it, or concern themselves with your secrets until you are ready.

I have designed you so that sometimes a good unloading is good for one’s soul.  That unloading can come through human-to-human contact, and it can come through purging your soul by writing your thoughts. 

Either way, I’m listening.

I’m good at keeping secrets.

God

One-Hundred Letters from God,

Offering Hope~Encourgement~Inspiration

P Michael Biggs

From my book – The Letters

Peace - The Third Word of Christmas

Peace – The Third Word of Christmas

Peace at Christmas.  A fantasy?  A dream never to come true?  Life for some is anything but peace. 

~My friend, just yesterday, lost her husband after an extended illness.  That’s not peace. 

~Another might be dreading THE Christmas gathering because of an estranged family situation.  Will we fight again this year?

~A few will fight the financial strain at Christmas.  “There’s just not enough money to do everything we want to do for a proper Christmas,” they say.

~And don’t forget the world situation.  Peace does not exactly invade all lands.  There are threats, wars and rumors of wars, … you name it, it’s happening somewhere in our world this very moment.

Oh my.  We long for peace.  We desire it.  We seek peace.  Where is peace found, exactly?

Perhaps this “peace” we speak of starts as an inside job.  Christ came to give peace to each of us.  It is a personal and individual peace.  Peace within ourselves, peace with God.  It is a relationship peace that we most need, a kindred peace with God at the center of our focus.  And when we get there, it is amazing how all else comes into focus.  It’s amazing how this elusive “peace” will flood our hearts and settle our minds. 

“Shalom” is a word you have heard, perhaps.  It is a Hebrew word signifying “peace” or “more than well.”

What might “more than well” look like?  I am at peace at this moment as I write these thoughts.  Yet, I am “more than well”?  Wow!  Let’s think about that for a moment.  This time last year I was facing surgery.  I survived.  I’m better.  To use the above thought I’m “More than better.”  I am at peace and I can truly say “All is well.  All is very well.”

While we wait for peace on earth to arrive, perhaps, we should open ourselves up to peace, and as the song I once sang says, “And let it begin in me.”

Wow!  You and I might just be the agents of “peace on earth, good will to men”

~Maybe we show a touch more grace in sticky relationship situations.

~Maybe we let the driver move into place in front of us instead of honking and waving a less-than-honorable finger of dishonor.

~Maybe we forgive a slight, a misstep, a harsh tone.

~Maybe we give a helping hand instead of an angry exchange.

Maybe we are to help “PEACE” break out across our land.

Now wouldn’t that be something?

Internet Church Blog Site

P Michael Biggs

Hope Encouragement Inspiration