Lauren Sparks

The Sparks Notes

Praying God’s Word Wednesday: 2 Corinthians 12:9

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We cannot escape pain.  I try to.  I shop, I eat, I binge watch TV, but it only distracts from the pain for a moment.  Sickness, cancer, physical pain, the economy, moral failure and the lingering effects of the pandemic.  Those are just the painful things I’M personally experiencing right now.  Add on the heartache all around me.  Mass shootings, protests, racism, political fighting, countries at war – you name it.  We will never run out of things to pray for!

 

The apostle Paul knew a little something about pain.  He mentioned a thorn in his flesh.  We don’t know what it was – even if it was physical, mental or emotional – but we know it tormented him (his words).  He pleaded, he said, 3 times for God to take this thorn away from him.  God’s answer came in 2 Corinthians 12:9.

 

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

 

I don’t know Paul, but I feel certain this is not the answer he hoped for.  And although it may not have seemed so at the time of Paul’s request, God gave him a better gift than removing his pain.  God gave him the grace to bear up under it.

 

By keeping Paul in a place of weakness, Paul’s dependence on God grew.  Complete dependence on God was Paul’s greatest strength.  And God’s presence and companionship trumps any other gift He could give us.

 

Paul wrote about this to encourage us through our hurts and heartaches today. When we petition the Lord, He often takes away our hardship.  But He just as often walks with us through our suffering.  My prayer:

 

Father, pull ________ in so close during times of weakness that she has no choice but to lean on You.  And pour out Your generous grace on her in situations that she doesn’t even recognize weakness.  Thank You for loving us that much.  Amen.

 

Replace the pronouns with the appropriate ones for the person (or yourself) that you are praying for.  And if you are praying for your kids, say their names before the Father.  I am doing so here in the privacy of my home.

 

Praying for you in this.  And don’t forget to share on social media or with a friend who could benefit.  It would mean so much to me.  And if you don’t want to miss a Praying God’s Word Wednesday, subscribe over on the right hand side of this page.

Lauren

Evening in June

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evening in June

“On an evening in June, it can get so sentimental.”  – Van Morrison

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Sentimental sounds about right now that my youngest is officially a high school senior.  What?  I’m not ready.  And you probably aren’t either since I will most definitely be in my feels for the next 47 months.  But I’d better get to telling you about our summer time happenings before I get too misty!

 

Speaking of misty – Chuck had a PET scan and the results are great!  Nothing on the scan or lab results to be concerned about.  We are so thankful.  Now he gets to work harder than ever on eating more calories.  Once he is 100% by mouth for 1 month without loosing weight he can pull his feeding tube.

 

After getting these results, he asked me if it sounded crazy that he felt like he finally had permission to be well.  No, it doesn’t.  He went back to work on Memorial Day and has nothing scheduled from this point on but follow up appointments.  A little more normalcy every day.  Go be well, my dearest love!

 

I still continue to manage pain in my back and elbow.  Blah, blah, blah.  Nothing as exciting as the hubs’ news.

 

Even though Chuck jumped back into the grind on Memorial Day, we enjoyed some family time over the weekend.  We celebrated my niece’s graduation, enjoyed a yummy Italian lunch provided by my in-laws and drove out to my parent’s house for a visit.  We also, unfortunately, drove to Waco for the funeral of my great-aunt Barbara.  I had not seen her in many years, but adored her as a girl.  The reason I now own my sweet Yorkie Meg is because Aunt Barbara had one many years ago.  She kept her hair in ribbons and I thought she was the cutest thing I’d ever seen.  Until I found mine, of course.

 

The Fun Stuff

 

The first weekend of this month, we drove down to Chuck’s parents house on Canyon Lake to see family and attend the wedding of a friend’s daughter.  Not just any friend, actually.  One of my best friends from elementary through high school.  She invited several of the old gang and it was the most fun mini reunion.  Most of us sat at a table together for the reception and laughed and caught up and laughed some more.  It reminded me that sometimes old friends (I really shouldn’t be throwing around the word “old”) are the best friends.

 

The wedding was absolutely stunning and I even got a two step or three in with Chuck.  So much fun.  And I hope to see those friends again very soon.

 

The day after the wedding we had a four hour drive to take Shelby to a fairly new camp for Special Needs Adults – Beloved and Beyond.  It went beyond our expectations – with her camp buddy being a nursing student!  And getting lost – twice – on the way to pick her up with my good friend Terri was a hoot!

 

Speaking of Terri, I started a bible study at my home with her and another neighborhood friend.  We are working through Jennifer Rothschild’s Psalm 23:  The Shepherd and Me.  I agreed to the study for friend time, but God knew I needed it.  Time with Jesus and with my friends fills my cup!

 

I am not much of a water recreation person, but I got to bring my sister and nieces to the REC of Grapevine (where I work) to play at the indoor pool and slides and I also played at Great Wolf Lodge with my grandkids – who came down to visit from Illinois.  The aforementioned nieces danced in a Greatest Show themed dance recital and the grandkids went with me to the Perot Museum and the Rainforest Cafe.  Lots of playing for Aunt Lauren/ Lolli.

 

Entertainment

 

With that high school senior  I told you about, I shopped, grabbed lunch, got manis and pedis and watched her pose for senior year book pics.  I told her that I probably won’t say no to much that she asks me to do with her for the next year.  It could get expensive!

 

I got to hold a baby kangaroo at work.  Her name is Lilly and I wanted to take her home.  Until they told me she would grow to about 7 feet tall! 

 

When not socializing or trying to spend all of our money I read Waves of Mercy by Lynn Austin.  I’m really enjoying her books lately.  The hubs and I went with fun friends Karen and Bert to see Top Gun: Maverick!  Let’s give that some more exclamation points!!!!  I loved the action and nostalgia and everything else.  I wanted to go see it again, but haven’t made it back.

 

At home we went on a true crime spree.  Not committing, but watching Candy and Under the Banner of Heaven on Hulu.  Both are eerie and thought provoking.  When we needed something lighter, Abbott Elementary fit the bill nicely.  I also heart Obi-Wan Kenobi.  Much more my speed than the other new Star Wars series.

 

That hits the high lights.  I’ll be here hydrating and staying indoors until the triple digits have disappeared from my rear view mirror.  I would love to hear what you have done or plan to do with your summer.  Drop a comment below.  And as always, I thank you, I love you and I hope July treats you well!

The Link Up

 

I know I’m not the only one who feels heavy right now.  From gun violence to skyrocketing prices to political poohockey (throw in some stifling heat here in the south).  Linda Stoll’s post Porch #47* A Summer Palate felt like a welcome breeze.  Hop over and lighten up like I did.

 

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Praying God’s Word Wednesday #54: John 14:13-14

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Pucker up!  It’s National Kissing Day!  Ok, maybe I don’t know some of you well enough for that yet.  So what if we pray John 14:13-14 together instead?

 

“And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.”  John 14:13-14 NIV

 

Verse 13 gives us an incredible promise of God.  A praying person’s blank check.  Or is it?  Only in the words “in my name” do we grasp the full understanding (or as much as that is possible for us this side of heaven).  To ask in Jesus’ name is to ask in accordance with His mind and His will.  And Jesus lives solely to bring glory to God.

 

When we pray for things that don’t align with the will of God, He will answers us.  But that answer will be “no”.  We receive exactly what we ask for when what we ask for what glorifies God.  It may sound simple, but is anything but.  Spending as much time as possible in prayer, Bible study and fellowship with other believers brings us ever closer to knowing and understanding the will of God.

 

Verse 14 reiterates this same idea, for those of us who really need something explained on repeat before we get it.  Because God is just that kind.  Thank you for speaking in two’s for me, Lord!

 

Today I’m praying this scripture over my sweet husband:

 

Replace the pronouns with the appropriate ones for the person (or yourself) that you are praying for.  And if you are praying for your kids, say their names before the Father.  I am doing so here in the privacy of my home.

 

Praying for you in this.  And don’t forget to share on social media or with a friend who could benefit.  It would mean so much to me.  And if you don’t want to miss a Praying God’s Word Wednesday, subscribe over on the right hand side of this page.

Lauren

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