Prodigal Thinker

"When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars that you have established; what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?"

Psalms 8:3-4 NRSV

Have you ever just laid down on the ground and stared up at the night sky for a while? It is absolutely breathtaking, especially when there’s not a lot of city lights and light pollution to take away from it all. I don’t do this often, but about a year ago I had hit a VERY low point with my mental health. So, after I finished taking the trash can to the road for the next day’s pick up, I just laid down on the driveway. As I did, my anxiety and feelings of being overwhelmed seemed to diminish when compared to the vastness of the night sky. I was praying to the Father and asking Him to help me want to keep going. I knew I wasn’t strong enough to carry on another day on my own. Slowly, the tears began to slip from the sides of my eyes. After about 10 minutes, my oldest son came out to check on me. I heard the words, "Hey, dad. You good?" I didn’t want to spew out all of my junk on him, so I replied, "Yea, buddy. I’m just chillin’ for a minute." I figured he’d just go back inside, but he came over next to me and laid down close to me. I doubt he knew the battle I was fighting in my heart and in my head. Another 10 minutes passed and we hadn’t said a word. He didn’t have to say anything. Just him being there was the "grounding" I needed between the night sky and the condition of my mental condition.

You see, as I looked at the stars in the heavens, my mind kept going back to the creation narrative where God breathed out the stars. He is so amazing and powerful and awesome. Why would he stop what He was doing to check on me? I mean, in the grand scheme of things, I didn’t feel I was important. But when my son came to check on me and he just joined in the silence, I knew I was not forgotten. I was not alone. Our heavenly Father is ALWAYS there for us. You may not hear him, but he is with you. If you are having difficult days or going through a season where you would rather not be on this earth, please know that you are not alone.

If you ever need prayer, you can reply to this email or catch the Prayer Requests – Prodigals group on Facebook. You are loved and prayed for, my friends.

Photo Credit: Andy Vu via Pexels

~PRODIGAL MIKE

"For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all, training us to renounce impiety and worldly passions, and in the present age to live lives that are self-controlled, upright, and godly,"

Titus 2:11-12 NRSV

No, this isn’t a picture of me, but I felt a bit like this fella on the inside over the last few weeks. I won’t go and spew out all of the details because, honestly, it doesn’t really matter. What IS important for me to share is that we have a couple of choices when life takes a swing at us below the belt. We can either be derailed by life’s storms or we can ask our heavenly Father what He wants for us to learn or to take away from the situation. In the first example, there is a tendency for some to dig their heels in and fight. For others still, they allow the difficulty to overwhelm them, mark them for life, and define who they are oftentimes identifying as a victim. What if, instead, we allowed ourselves to be in such a state of surrender to the heart and will of God that when storms are brewing and bearing down on us, we just took a deep breath and with our exhale, we asked our Father to give us eyes to see what He sees. To ask our Father to surround and protect us, but to also give us wisdom to know what is true and what is false.

Our Father has our best interests at heart. He doesn’t cause chaos. He brings peace to overwhelm and guide us through the chaos.

If you ever need prayer, you can reply to this email or catch the Prayer Requests – Prodigals group on Facebook. You are loved and prayed for, my friends.

Photo Credit: Andrea Piacquadio

~PRODIGAL MIKE

As I was perusing the interwebs over the last few days, I remember reading something that said "Remember to take care of yourself. You can’t pour from an empty cup." I understand what the phrase means, but what does that look like when you flesh it out? What does it feel like to NOT be exhausted (mentally/physically/emotionally) all of the time? I might have little sunshine moments where the sun is able to shine through and warm my soul, but this is not often. (Maybe a couple of times per month, if I’m being generous.)

What do you do to not be empty?

If you ever need prayer, you can reply to this email or catch the Prayer Requests – Prodigals group on Facebook. You are loved and prayed for, my friends.

Photo Credit: Madison Inouye

~PRODIGAL MIKE

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer."
Psalms 19:14 NRSV

So, for those that don’t know, I work a secular job in the manufacturing field. Why do I mention it is a secular job? Well, the language that is freely spoken throughout the plant is, well, I’ll say it is "colorful" to say the least. When I first started working here I was overwhelmed with the obscenities that were just so casually handed out with each statement. Over time, I hear the words, but I’m not really phased by the language. Am I judging those who speak in that manner? Absolutely not. My desire is to love each person as God has shown me love. No exceptions.

I mention this because for most of the folks I’ve encountered, when they find out that I am a follower of Jesus, they IMMEDIATELY change how they speak and act. They "clean up" their language and how they respond. Honestly, this hurts my heart more than the language. Why? Let me ask this… Does our heavenly Father require us to get all cleaned up (language/actions/habits) before we can seek Him? Goodness, no!! He accepts us as we are, where we are. He doesn’t focus on our failures. He focuses on the steps we are making toward Him, toward Christlikeness. With time in close relationship with Him, through grace and the amazing work of the Holy Spirit, those things that we feel we need to "clean up" will fade away.

If you have been told or been made to feel that you are lower than pond-scum and that you have to get right before you can even try to talk to the Creator, I’m sorry. You weren’t told the Truth. There is grace that God gives, grace that even goes ahead and prepares the path to salvation in our hearts and lives. If you want to know more about that, HERE is an article about "prevenient grace." When I found out about this grace, it was a total game-changer for me. If you have questions about it, just reach out. My details are below.

If you ever need prayer, you can reply to this email or catch the Prayer Requests – Prodigals group on Facebook. You are loved and prayed for, my friends.

Photo Credit: PIXABAY

~PRODIGAL MIKE

"Pray for those who have fallen into sin, that meekness and humility may be given to them, so that they may submit, not unto us, but to the will of God."

Courtesy of Christianity.com

"Repent therefore, and turn to God so that your sins may be wiped out,"

ACTS 3:19 NRSV

I received the verse above in my email inbox today as the "Verse of the Day" from Bible.com and I was suddenly hit with a multitude of thoughts (my thoughts usually show up as pictures). Within a few seconds, I thought about the new year > new year, new seasons of life > repentance > turning away from sin > a.k.a. "Turning over a new leaf." (Strange thought process, I know, but hey, that’s just how my neuro-divergent brain operates.) So, this verse got me thinking about my personal experience with repentance that led to asking Christ into my life. I remember the waves of grace and forgiveness that I experienced (and still do experience). That overwhelming feeling of a life not lived as close to the example of Christ, the frustrations of the world and my response to it, and the guilt and shame I feel for allowing my focus to be diverted from our heavenly Father. Yes, THAT overwhelming feeling, when in the face of grace and forgiveness, just slowly melts away…over and over again. That is the work of the Holy Spirit working on you and through you.

Are you overwhelmed? Are you stressed? Anxious? Feeling alone? Not able to find the words to pray? As we face this new year, what if we turned to our heavenly Father who is eagerly awaiting an intimate relationship with us rather than turning to the world, or turning inward? The Father tells us that He will not only wipe out our sin, but if we feel burdened, He will trade with us as His burden is light. Also, your brothers and sisters in Christ can also help share the burden with you, this way you are not overwhelmed and become discouraged. Our Creator is ALWAYS with us and when we can’t find the words to say/pray, the Holy Spirit speaks in groans on our behalf. Let’s not forget Jesus. Not only did he face all of the same temptations for sin and for feeling the same way we do when the world tries its best to beat us down. He overcame all of those things and showed us how to follow suit.

So, how can I help you? How can I pray for you or encourage you? I’m here for you…

If you ever need prayer, you can reply to this email or catch the Prayer Requests – Prodigals group on Facebook. You are loved and prayed for, my friends.

Photo Credit: Life of Pix

~PRODIGAL MIKE

So, I was having a "dude chat" with my two sons last night. It was a really cool time where I removed the proverbial "dad hat" and just hung out with these two awesome fellas who are growing up WAY too fast. Each of us were sharing things from our hearts that trouble us, hurt our feelings, and different ways we deal with the pressures of life. The conversation was spurred on as I’ve been reading this book called "Better Dads, Stronger Sons", written by Rick Johnson, over the last few days or so. The contents of the book really has me thinking. I will say that I learned a while back that reading a book is good, but the content needs to be viewed through the word of God. If certain ideas or thoughts don’t line up with God’s word, then those portions are "take it or leave it."

One point that I focused on last night was the connection between respecting others and serving others. Unlike what many of the social media platforms seem to impress on us, it is completely possible to respect someone without agreeing with their life choices. Each of God’s children are called to go out and make disciples and part of that is living a life that is a reflection of Christ’s example. Jesus ate with and hung out with sinners, people who were living in sin and against God’s laws, but Jesus didn’t let others’ sins keep him from showing them compassion and love. He looked beyond the sin, into the hearts/souls of those who surrounded him. That doesn’t mean he agreed with their way of life. I mean, he laid his life down for ALL OF US! Even before we knew the heavenly Father. So the question I posed to my boys was something like this: "Can you serve others in a manner that is reflective of Christ’s example without respecting them?" Immediately, I saw the gears in their heads start to turn. I could tell they were really thinking about this concept, trying to make sense of it, and how it applied to how they serve their family. We chatted a little more and I just encouraged them to think about it for the next day or so until I can read some more of the book. (I’m an extremely slow reader.) They both seemed pretty excited about our next "dude chat." I’m pretty excited about it too.

What are your thoughts on this idea? My only guidance on this idea about respecting others is this… We will NEVER look into the eyes of a man/woman/child, that God doesn’t love unconditionally, whether they love Him back or not.

If you ever need prayer, you can reply to this email or catch the Prayer Requests – Prodigals group on Facebook. You are loved and prayed for, my friends.

Photo Credit: ARTEM PODREZ

~PRODIGAL MIKE

Hello there, my friends and followers.. my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Here we are at the end of 2022 and I would like to thank all of you who continue to read along and follow my journey. That is, WHEN I post something. In the past, I have used this format as a sort of journal of my life and the things that I am learning as I do my best to continue on the path toward a Christlike life. I am looking forward to what God has in store for my family and I in the new year. I will do my best to share those things that I’m learning as often as I am able to type things out in a sensible manner.

I will continue to pray for you all and hope that God will continue to bless all of us and shine His light upon us.

Here’s to a new year! Blessings, my friends.

If you ever need prayer, you can reply to this email or catch the Prayer Requests – Prodigals group on Facebook. You are loved and prayed for, my friends.

Photo Credit: Anna-Louise

~PRODIGAL MIKE

HELLO FRIENDS!

BELOW IS A LIST OF PRAYER NEEDS AND UPDATES IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN IN PRAYER. IF YOU HAVE PRAYER NEEDS OF YOUR OWN, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LET ME KNOW. YOU CAN REPLY HERE OR SEND A DIRECT MESSAGE ON FACEBOOK. PLEASE KNOW YOU ARE PRAYER FOR AND LOVED, MY FRIENDS.

HELLO FRIENDS!

BELOW IS A LIST OF PRAYER NEEDS AND UPDATES IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN IN PRAYER. IF YOU HAVE PRAYER NEEDS OF YOUR OWN, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LET ME KNOW. YOU CAN REPLY HERE OR SEND A DIRECT MESSAGE ON FACEBOOK. PLEASE KNOW YOU ARE PRAYER FOR AND LOVED, MY FRIENDS.

ONGOING PRAYERS

THOSE WHO NEED SALVATION (LOVE/HOPE OF GOD)
THOSE NEEDING HELP WITH MENTAL HEALTH
THOSE SERVING AS FIRST RESPONDERS
STUDENTS/TEACHERS/STAFF ALL SCHOOLS AGAINST VIOLENT ATTACKS
THOSE WHO SERVE OUR COUNTRY (GOVERNMENT / POLITICAL PARTIES) FOR GOD’S WISDOM AND DIREC-TION TO LEAD
THE CHURCH (WORLDWIDE) THAT WE WOULD RETURN TO THE HEART OF THE FATHER IN WORD AND DEED