Dec 2, 2025 – First and next
The next inspirational thought that was on the digital frame yesterday was from Oprah Winfrey:
“DOING THE BEST AT THIS MOMENT PUTS YOU IN THE BEST PLACE FOR THE NEXT MOMENT”
I have a great example for this. Last night Carrie instinctively, and mistakenly, reached in her dog’s mouth to take out some questionable food he ate at the park, and experienced how much he wanted to keep that food in his mouth as he bit through her left ring finger with his strong back teeth. She wouldn’t accept help from the bystanders who reacted to her scream nor from the neighbors in her apartment building who called after they saw the trail of blood leading to her door. She wouldn’t even go to the ER, preferring to treat the wounds herself at least for a while.
I prayed her through the night, but the concern ramped up this morning when she text’d that she was on her way to urgent care! The “doing the best” I did in that moment was to text my small group for prayer; and, in the moments that followed (and since then), that concern melted away as I trusted God to work all things out for good. And then I was feeling even better when I also got to speak with her and hear that she wasn’t weak from the treatments (needles) like usually happens in medical situations.
PRAY FIRST is the Church of the Highlands mantra. Don still wears the black stretchy bracelet they gave out years ago. Prayer makes all the difference, not only in outcomes but also in coping.
JA – “I long for you to thirst for Me, your God, more and more. Thirst is a very powerful appetite; this is necessary because drinking sustains life even more than eating. Pure water is a much healthier choice than canned drinks full of sugar or chemicals. Similarly, thirsting for Me first and foremost is crucial for your spiritual health. Though other things may seem to satisfy you for a while, they will not slake the thirst of your soul. Rejoice that what you need most is free of charge! Joyously draw water from the springs of salvation.” Isaiah 12:3
New p.126 – Luke 19:47-48 – “And he was teaching daily in the temple. The chief priests…were seeking to destroy him, but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were hanging on his words.” Slawson writes, “A patient waits for a doctor to come in and giver her results from tests or surgery.” She shares several other examples and then points out that, “All of these are times when we hang on every word another says. Consider the power of Jesus’ words…. Jesus spoke the world into being…. All creation responds to the sound of His voice. He is the Word of God in human form…. How important are those words to us?” And how important is it for us to go to Him (and His Word) to receive comfort and guidance? She offers this prayer, “Lord, Jesus, create in me the desire to cling to Your every word. Give me ears to hear when You speak.”
Prevail 336 – James 4:7 – “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” Larson writes, “The word submit in the passage above is a military term and means to get back in rank. We’ll never have authority until we’re under authority. On our own, we’re no match for the enemy. But when we stand in Christ’s authority, he’s no match for us!” I was standing on my own a bit last night, with Don for sure, and I wasn’t wringing my hands over Carrie, but still the enemy, in any way he can, “attacks because he sees an opening and he takes it.”
Larson reminds us, “Check your attitudes and get back in rank if you’ve stepped out from under God’s protective authority….. If we could see into the spiritual realm, we’d see some Christians cowering in fear because of enemy opposition. And in other cases, we’d see the enemy running for cover because of the Christians who’ve learned to stand in their authority. Stay in rank. Stand in faith. Send the enemy packing.”
JC – “I am the Prince of Peace…. You need My Peace each moment to accomplish My purposes in your life. Sometimes you are tempted to take shortcuts…. But if the shortcut requires turning your back on My peaceful Presence, you must choose the longer route…. enjoy the journey in My Presence.”
Utmost – “It is a snare to imagine that God wants to make us perfect specimens of what He can do; God’s purpose is to make us one with Himself…. In a fallen world…. I am called to live in perfect relation to God so that my life produces a longing after God in other lives, not admiration for myself. Thoughts about myself hinder my usefulness to God. God is not after perfecting me to be a specimen in His show-room; He is getting me to the place where He can use me. Let Him do what He likes.”
Streams – Hebrews 2:10 – “…perfect through suffering.” Cowman tells about several things that are produced from two things such as “Steel is the product of iron plus fire.” She continues and also shares thoughts from Cortland Myers, “In the same way, the development of human character requires a plus attached to it, for great character is made not trough luxurious living but through suffering. And the world does not forget people of great character…. Someday God is going to reveal this fact to every Christian: the very things they now rebel against are the instruments He has used to perfect their character and to mold them into perfection, so they may later be used as polished stones in His heaven yet to come.”
Power – Isaiah 30:21 – “And your ears will hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way; walk in it, when you turn to the right hand and when you turn to the left.” Joyce writes, “People frequently pray for God to tell them what to do in specific situations…. Discerning the voice of God will take some practice – you need to practice listening – and you will probably make a few mistakes. But don’t be afraid to step out faith. Be willing to listen, to learn, and to be lead.”
Adding specifics to Oprah’s words from above, Praying first “puts you in the best place for the next moment.”
