Blog Trolls...Do you have one?

(In case you're wondering, this is most definitely a PMS-induced post. ANY SIMILARITY TO ACTUAL EVENTS OR CHARACTERS IS NOT COINCIDENTAL .)

Ok girls, since it's coming up on two years since I began this journey called blogging, I have been reflecting on the good, the bad, and yes, the ugly.


It got me to thinking about trolls.

Do you have one? Hmmm, maybe you have two or even more. You may have never met your troll. It's even more possible you know your troll personally. Your troll might be your relative, or a close friend. Sometimes trolls are former friends and even church family.

Not sure what I'm talking about?

Blogging Trolls (v.) (1) A person who deliberately posts derogatory or inflammatory comments.

Or as I personally define them...Nosey-Nellies; people who lurk with the intent to gossip or slander. Reading a blog to feed a deep-rooted passion to be in the know.

Most often these trolls know you personally. They find it impossible to pass up the opportunity to take a peek, for no other reason than curiosity. And sadly, they often play a part in holding back the blogger from sharing all that is on her heart. They are takers, plain and simple.

Please don't confuse trolls with lurkers. I LOVE lurkers. They are a precious part of my Blessed... community. These people stop by and spend a quiet moment to enjoy a quick visit. They are faithful and helpful. Sometimes even emailing words of encouragement. I was once a faithful lurker myself.

Trolls are different.

Sadly, my trolls have kept me from sharing quite a bit. They are my reasons and excuses for second thoughts and hesitations. If you only knew how many blog posts I have not shared because of them.

Hmmmm, maybe I need a little prayer about that. Whaddya think?

I wish I could slay my trolls and live happily ever after in my perfect Blessed...kingdom.

I would LOVE to hear how you have slayed your trolls. Or, maybe, you've learned to live with yours.

Which is it?

Our First Time

Prayer has been on my mind lately...alot.

Maybe because my husband and I have been praying together more than we ever have before. The hardships of life have brought us to our knees. Financial difficulties, working in the world and raising children, have a way of bringing that posture upon Christians. Prayer has been what we have slowly begun to work at together. Paul and I didn't pray together for years. As a matter of fact, when Paul and I started going to church my darling husband wouldn't even sing the worship songs. He would just stand and sit at all the right times, but to me he looked like a statue. I thought I was bringing a real big dud to church with me.

But God leaves no life unchanged. Ten years later, my beloved statue is now a godly husband and father...who enjoys singing all of the worship songs at church. God gave us new beginnings and lots of new firsts.

You never forget your "first times."

The first time I remember praying with my husband was after my mother died. Moments after getting the life changing call from my sister, we were in the car driving to meet with the family, to see mom one last time before she would be taken out of her house. For the first time my mom wouldn't be alive when I drove up to my childhood home and when I walked in the front door, screen slamming behind me, for the first time she wouldn't greet me. It was on that drive to see her that Paul prayed with me, for the very first time. I will never forget that.

I didn't grow up around parents who prayed together. Although, I am sure they had their moments when they prayed separately, but I would have probably fallen off of my chair if I'd seen my mother and father, heads bowed, holding hands or even kneeling and praying together.

My children will not be able to say the same about their father and I.

We pray together as a family each morning when we have our family devotions. Our children have seen their parents pray both together and separately. Just this week, Paul and I were in his office praying before he went out for a potential job interview. Our son David happened to walk in as we were standing together, holding hands and praying before Paul left. My prayer closet has been barged into on quite a few occasions. My children find me most often at the side of my bed, facing out of our picture window. I love that spot because when I look out I can see trees and birds and the awesome majesty of the sky and mountains when I kneel in prayer.

Prayer is so very powerful. But like any part of our maturing Christian walk, it is a process. First times are often uncomfortable and don't feel quite normal. But once you repeat the process over and over and over again, the uncomfortable suddenly becomes comfortable. Those first time baby steps of prayer are the beginning of a strong and independant walk with the Lord that will take you as far as you want to go.

"When you draw near to God, He will draw near to you." James 4:8

I have lived long enough to see God's miraculous hand move after the heartfelt prayers of this mother's hurting heart. Prayer has been the salve that helped heal the burns of the fiery trials of my life. Prayer has been the peace giver that calmed my nerves after many a difficult day and prayer has been the life preserver that I have thrown in the direction of many a drowning friend who needed supernatural rescue. When I take time now to pray with my husband, it is with a hopeful expectation that God in all of His infinite wisdom and amazing glory, is setting aside time just for us. It is comfortable now when Paul and I pray together.

But I will always remember our first time.

"To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing." Martin Luther King, Jr.

Galatians 6:2 says, "Bear (endure,carry) one another's burdens, and in this way fulfill and observe perfectly the law of Christ."

...rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer..Romans 12:12 nkjv

Recently I have been blessed to be a small part of a wonderful online opportunity. Two blogging friends of mine have started prayer blogs. For those of you who have prayer chains at your church, this is pretty much the same thing, minus the phone call. To be put on their online prayer lists, all you have to do is go to their sites and leave your prayer request. There are women at both sites who have made a committment to pray for you throughout the week and whatever it is specifically, or non-specifially that you need prayer for.

The first site, Bearing One Another's Burdens, was started by my friend Gina from Chats with an Old Lady. She recently felt a gentle nudging from the Lord to begin this site wholly dedicated to prayer. If you have been a regular reader reader of her blog, you know that she loves the Lord with all her heart and desires to be used in ways that will bless others and bring Him glory. I think her new site does both of those things.



The second site I encourage you to use for your prayer needs is Beloved Mama, or you can leave your requests at belovedmamaprays@yahoo.com. Or, you can leave your prayer requests below. Christelle is a young mommy to three precious boys and her heart is to share Christ's love with others. Her blog does all of that and more.

I pray that you use these sites and pass them on to your friends and family. God is doing amazing things, in our homes, in our churches and even through our blog sites.

Update on Eric...

To all of you gals who prayed for Eric out there, God Bless You! Your comments were so encouraging. I made sure to share with my sister that her husband was being prayed for by friends all around the country. Eric often teases me when I tell him about my bloggy-friends in Pennsylvania or Michigan or Tennesee and Georgia. He just looks down at me, slowly shakes his head and smiles to himself. He thinks I am off my rocker.

Eric is still in the hospital. His white blood count is very high. Apparently his white blood count should be between 5 and 10 and his is at 133. They are doing another spinal tap today and his doctor is doing more tests. His mother Geneva is here now keeping my sister Jennifer company in his hospital room.


So you know who you are praying for, in the picture above, Eric is the bald headed redneck looking guy on the left side.

Thank you so so so much for your continued prayers.

Show me Your glory.

“But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

Being the ‘word’ girl that I am, I am constantly looking up definitions to words. The time I spend in dictionaries is not exclusive to words that I have never heard before. For the most part, I search the meanings to words that I believe I know already. Oh, what surprises I have found when looking up words that I thought I already knew. Recently the word that I looked up was, ‘demonstrates’. The Noah Webster 1828 dictionary defines demonstrates this way: To show or prove to be certain; to prove beyond the possibility of doubt or to be rendered certain to the mind.

Recently while in a Bible study I was reminded of the above scripture in Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” The teacher went on to share that God does not desire to be hidden. If we would only seek Him, He wants to show us in so many ways how much He loves us. I needed to be reminded that God does not get some cosmic pleasure in playing hide n’ go seek with His children. Jeremiah 29:13 says, “And you will seek Me and find [Me], when you search for Me with all your heart.” It does not say that when you search for me I will find a better hiding place. God desires to be seen and desires for us to see Him in our lives. Our part is seeking Him in prayer and in His word and not being afraid to ask Him just as Moses did in Exodus 33:18 “I pray you show me Your glory.”nasb

So often people will ask Christians how they believe in an invisible God. My response to that is, “You believe in the invisible laws of gravity, in protons and electrons, black holes and the unseen laws of physics. Just as gravity has proven itself to be a real thing so too has my Lord and savior proven Himself real and true in my life.”

The picture above is one of my favorites of my children. What an example to me of His glory in my life. In this image, not only do I see His glory in the crashing of the ocean waves, but I also see four of His most precious gifts to their father and I. Another example of how He has demonstrated His love for me. Remember friends, demonstrates means to prove to be certain. If we would only ask Him for Spiritual eyes to see His glory, He will show Himself in our lives. He is faithful to do just that.