Y’all, I am doing a new thing! Golf.
My husband has played golf off and on for years, when there’s not fishing or hunting to be had. Our youngest son played on the high school golf team, then enjoyed it as a hobby in college. This sport is one for any age and can last way up in years of gray hair and great grand babies. Well, I definitely have the gray hair (thank the Lord for coloring), but grandbabies are not here yet. Starting a new hobby, at the young age of almost fifty-six, has been gratifying.
As much as I am reveling in learning this new hobby by practicing as often as I can, watching videos of professionals, soaking in advice from professionals (who I am savor conversing with on the range), observing others, and…let’s be real…buying new, fun outfits…this all made me ponder on what one is passionate about.
What are you passionate about?
One thing that truly thrills my soul is praying. Whew, having a conversation with God is non-stop in my head. As a matter of fact, it was three o’clock in the dark hours of the morning and God kept me up to chat. (He never sleeps.) Now, our chitchat has led me to type this journal entry at 4:00am.
Prayer changes things! Read below the accounts of Peter’s miraculous escape from prison from Acts 12:1-17.
I would love to encourage you to pray. Pray continually. Pray passionately. Be earnest and specific in your conversations with God. He is listening (and always awake), and will answer. His answer may or may not be what you are expecting, and His timing is not the same as your timing, but His ways are definitely perfect.
Blessings to you and yours,
Stephanie
About that time King Herod Agrippa began to persecute some believers in the church. 2 He had the apostle James (John’s brother) killed with a sword. 3 When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter. (This took place during the Passover celebration.) 4 Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. 5 But while Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him.
6 The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. 7 Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. 8 Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered.
9 So Peter left the cell, following the angel. But all the time he thought it was a vision. He didn’t realize it was actually happening. 10 They passed the first and second guard posts and came to the iron gate leading to the city, and this opened for them all by itself. So they passed through and started walking down the street, and then the angel suddenly left him.
11 Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders[c] had planned to do to me!”
12 When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer. 13 He knocked at the door in the gate, and a servant girl named Rhoda came to open it. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the door, she ran back inside and told everyone, “Peter is standing at the door!”
15 “You’re out of your mind!” they said. When she insisted, they decided, “It must be his angel.”
16 Meanwhile, Peter continued knocking. When they finally opened the door and saw him, they were amazed. 17 He motioned for them to quiet down and told them how the Lord had led him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers what happened,” he said. And then he went to another place.
