_My mom has been looking for quite some time for a new Church. She asked me a couple of weeks ago if I would help her by attending with her. I have not yet started my new church so I said, sure. Now my mom has a check list. It has to have a Baptist theological standing. A great, teaching the Bible preacher. An awesome, outgoing choir. Not too big of a Church but also not too small. It must have Sunday school, Sunday night and Wednesday night services. It must be active in missions and outreach. "OK, mom, I told her, I am not sure this Church exist. I think you are going to have to let some of this go." She responded back, "God will take me to the right one and I will know it."

So I have been thinking and pondering this notion of finding the perfect Church. Should we look for what we want or wait for God to show us what He wants. But if we know that a  particular Church has a boring preacher or fighting members or only meeting on Sunday mornings...would God want us to go? If He knows we would be bored, anxious or unhappy? Or is it that God will takes us where He wants and give us the peace in the things we may not like? Maybe these "things" are the things He wants us to help improve? To help pray for? To help encourage?

God has been calling me to a contemporary Church for the next stage of my life. Now I have been blessed in that I have been to many, many Churches and experienced every style and kind of preaching and service imaginable. So to me, where God wants me isn't that big of a deal. But even so, you know what you can handle and what you can't.

Lord, thank you for making us change. Thank you for opening our ears and  our minds and our hearts to YOUR will. Thanks for not allowing me to get stuck in what I want but move into what YOU want. Amen.

Romans 8:27
And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

This week God has been overly speaking to me about prayer. Prayer as with most Christians is a constant battle. From how much time you spend with God to the quality of that time. From structure to whatever, from listening to music to not talking at all, etc. I have to admit I do get caught up in legalize sometimes. I allow the enemy and sometimes believers make me feel that prayer life has to be a certain formula. Now don't get me wrong, you can get too free and not pray at all. But what I am saying is I am learning to not be as hard on myself when I miss it. When my prayer times aren't as rich as I like it. I know this is my journey and I AM closer than ever because I AM spending more time than ever.

I guess the real issue is I want more of Him. More direction, more peace, more focus, more love, more help, more, more, more. I hate being out of His will. I hate looking at my life and not seeing God in all of it. I want every decision, every thought, every spoken word, every action to led by Him and about Him. I don't want there to be any of me anymore..just ALL of Him.

I know I can't be ALL of Him without spending time with Him. You know how sometimes married couples begin to look like each other over the years. That's because they spend so much time together, everything about themselves is the same. Well, my prayer is that I spend so much time with God that I begin to look like Him.

What about you?
2 Corinthians 3:18
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

This week God has been in my face about more time praying. Prayer is something I struggle with...not so much praying or speaking to God but with not allowing everything in the world to distract me. As a singles leader, trainer, director, and all the other things I do, I know how critical it is to have a consistent prayer life. I know the enemy doesn't want me to succeed. He will through so many of his darts at me. He will whisper lies. He will thwart my efforts.

But my victory and my strength is IN the prayer life we are all called too. So if today the enemy managed to distract you. If your morning quiet time became your time in the car driving. If your time allowing God to speak to you competed with your boss telling you what to do, then stop now, go to the bathroom, sit in your car, turn off the phone and talk to God.

It's never too late for prayer. But don't forget to listen.
Exodus 9:29
Moses replied, “When I have gone out of the city, I will spread out my hands in prayer to the LORD. The thunder will stop and there will be no more hail, so you may know that the earth is the LORD’s.

Last week I had to call my bank for a personal matter. I called the 800 number as I knew things would go faster. I ended up getting a guy named David Belton from Roanoke, VA. He was able to fixed the things I needed. Then out of the blue he ask me what "The Singles Network" was. I am used to this question as most folks think its a dating site. I quickly shared what it was and what I did. We continued to talk for over 30 minutes about the needs of singles and what society things about them. We talked about the breakdown of the family and the increase of singles living with other singles as well as singles living alone. We also discussed how emails and texting have affected relationships. That the next generation isn't learning how to deal with conflict. He appeared to agree with me on every point leading me to ask the question of where he went to church. I didnt't think he was necessarily a believer but he didn't seem at all afraid to talk about God or the Bible. He said well, I don't go to church. He said he grew up in church but found it hard, unforgiving, judgmental and full of hypocrites. He did read the Bible, however, but instead of the "traditional church" he belonged to a group called "Wicca". I also lost my breath. He ask if I was familiar with Wicca. I said yes. He said, the group he is involved with is family focused, caring, supportive and nurturing. That they care about nature and each other. I told him the only connection I had with Wicca was a group in New Bern, NC who worshiped the devil. He proceeded to say his group did not and that the devil was found only in the Bible. He said he found a group of folks that showed real love and that the traditional church did not to him.

So, hmmm, this made me start to think. As far as Wicca, maybe there are other groups that do different things. The thing here to me isn't so much what he belongs too (of course he is lost) its more about where he found support, encouragement and a family that cared for him. I felt sorry for him that his experience with a church was so bad that Wicca was more attractive. I felt sorry for the "Church" as a whole who has not done their part.

So OK, what does this mean to me. It gives me food for thought. I want to stay connected to this guy. I told him my email address and other contact information. I want to pray for him, for his salvation for his life. So if you would, please join me in praying. David even said he felt no connections were by accident. Boy, if he ever knew how true that is. God wants David. I am thankful for the messed up with my bank that allowed me to speak to David.

Psalm 65:2
You who answer prayer, to you all people will come.