Christian Counseling & Educational Services

The focus of our devotionals this month has been prayer. It’s such a needed part of our daily lives, but sometimes it seems overwhelming. A dear friend once exclaimed, “There’s so much to pray for! My prayer list is so long that I can’t even get through it all.” I understand what she means. Believing that prayer is one our best weapons against the struggles and stresses of life, as well as a primary means of worshipping our Heavenly Father, it seems we could shut ourselves in our prayer closet and be there all day and night.

My first year of teaching was in the fourth grade classroom in a Christian School just outside of Detroit, Michigan. Everything was new and exciting, and I especially loved the Bible curriculum. To this day I still remember some of those lessons (I wonder if any of the students do?) One of my favorites was on prayer. The book presented this simple little acrostic, ACTSS, as a reminder of what we should include when we pray. In it we find all the elements that are in the model prayer that Jesus gave to His disciples, but by putting them in this format, it’s easy to remember–easy enough to teach to a child!

In Matthew 6 when Christ gave the famous Sermon on the Mount, and again in Luke 11 when the disciples asked Him to teach them how to pray, Christ gave a sample prayer for His believers to follow. We often refer to it as The Lord’s Prayer, yet truly it would be better named The Disciple’s Prayer or The Believer’s Prayer.

In the last few weeks I’ve talked to a lot of people, both in and out of my counseling office, who are going through really intense and difficult times. It seems in every one of those conversations, at some point we’ve touched on the importance of taking all those concerns to God and seeking His wisdom, direction, and provision. But should our prayers be reserved only for those times when things are rough? Of course, not!

Every once in a while a story comes my way that’s just too good to keep to myself. This one really made me think. I wish I knew who the author was so I could send him/her a big thank you for such a thought provoking message!

We’re getting ready for open house at our office! As I walk from room to room making sure everything is in order and sprucing things up, my mind pulls up memory after memory of how it all came to be in the fall of 2001.

Everything concerning our move happened so quickly! The office I had been renting was sold, so I had to move. The purchase of another older building was immediately available and it all seemed so right, but still, there was a multitude of uncertainties in my mind. I wondered, What about our declining economy? What does the future hold since the tragedy of September 11 just a few weeks ago? How long will I be unable to work after my upcoming facial reconstruction surgery? I wanted to make sure buying this property was right. I prayed over and over, “Lord, if this isn’t the right thing to do, please stop us.”

As counselors, we see people nearly every day who are looking for some type of change in their lives. In studying the Scriptures, we find that there are five elements necessary for complete healing and change. These are woven throughout the text of nearly every chapter of The Search for Significance—my favorite book next to the Bible. Author Robert McGee stresses that all five ingredients are absolutely essential for lasting change and complete emotional and spiritual healing to occur. Those elements are:

As the July 4 weekend approaches I always find a mix of emotions swirling in my heart and mind. While I rejoice over the great gift of freedom we have as Americans, I also recall the year when my mother lay dying. Instead of celebrating our nation’s independence, I was praying for God to set her free from the bondage of sickness, disease, and dementia. God answered that prayer on July 6, 1998 so today marks the 10th anniversary of her death. May I share with you some thoughts that I shared at her funeral?

By Heather Anne Kehr

Recently week I had the privilege of planting 10 tomato plants, 5 different varieties of pepper plants, sweet basil, and also doing some general watering of other plants and flowers. The days are beautiful, and I have to admit that I love a project when I’m outside. Especially if it doesn’t involve weed whacking or weed pulling . . . let’s just say I hate weeds!

Knock, chip, sand, smooth, paint, glue . . . It was fun watching the young people at Vacation Bible School this week as they cleverly and enthusiastically fashioned their individual race cars for the upcoming derby. No two cars were the same, not in design, shape, size, or color. Each was uniquely and proudly created by tender hands and an eager heart.