Sent

21 Days of Prayer and Fasting

Once again, a very timely lesson for such a time as this. The things I have been doing and the things on my heart are coming to align with what I am studying and praying about. This has happened quite often since March 17th last year. That's when I began a fellowship of devotionals and Bible studies. Although I had been doing devotionals prior to that, it wasn't quite like what I've experienced since that day.

Today's prayer focus in on being sent by God into the world. Just yesterday, the events of the day led me to crossing paths with someone I am now praying for. Also, after the fact, I felt sent to California last year. One of those trips connected me with Eaton Canyon; which I'll be talking about later in this entry. And one of theChapel's mission statements is that they aren't just a place you go to. It's a place you go from.

The second part of John 11:42 shows Jesus saying, ...so they may believe that You sent Me. He was praying a prayer specifically so that those present would know and believe that God had sent Him. This was the purpose in Lazarus dying in the first place. This is the purpose in my dying to myself and being risen again as a new creation in Christ. So that I can be sent into the world to proclaim the Gospel of Christ. And to pray.

Father, once again, I thank You that You hear my prayers. I also thank You that You have sent me into the world to share the Good News of Your love and the salvation You have brought into the world. Thank You for empowering me with Your Holy Spirit to spread the Gospel and to pray for others. Please give me the strength and courage to always be ready to do Your Will as You send me into the world today.

You have placed each church in a community to send Your disciples into their community, Lord. Help each church serve that ministry. To be Your hands and feet. To be Your messengers to speak love and hope and faith into a hurting world. The mission of the church isn't to serve themselves but to serve others in Your Name. Please help the church know they are being sent and I thank You for providing all they need to complete that mission.

I lift up the pastors to You today. Help them know that as they preach, teach, and minister their congregations, that they have been sent by You specifically for their church. Empower them with Your Holy Spirit to proclaim the Gospel to the people. To be an encouragement to the people they serve. I pray for their families that they too understand they have been sent to minister to them and lift them up as a representation of Your Love for them.

As You send me out, I have one question for You...What are we going to do today?

In Your Name, this I pray...AMEN!

Eaton Canyon

Trigger Warning

I have some thoughts about a place that holds a special place in my heart. Eaton Canyon and the surrounding area were impacted by a wildfire, that began the evening of January 7, 2025. Some of my thoughts might be triggering. I pour out my broken heart for those impacted by this tragedy. I wanted to warn you before you read on. Sometimes, the words need to be written. But they don't always need to be read. If today is not the kind of day to read this, I've collapsed this part of the entry so it can be easily bypassed ❤️

Some thoughts on the Eaton Canyon Fire

Last week, wildfires broke out in LA county California. A lot of people are talking about it. I've only talked about it with my family and those friends who live there. I haven't said anything on social media. I haven't even written about it here until now. I didn't know what to say. I only know how I feel. And those feelings have fueled many prayers over the last several days. I'm grateful that everyone I know there is safe. But so much has been destroyed, it isn't over yet, and people have lost so much. And some have lost their very lives.

Eaton Canyon is one of those areas impacted by a wildfire. It began there and it's a big one that's still spreading! Eaton Canyon is where I had an amazing experience on July 4th last year. I hiked up the side of a mountain from the park and across a large distance at a great altitude on the Altadena Crest Trail. I looked down from the highest point I made it to and saw the foothill below of the city of Altadena. Everything I saw that day is most likely gone now.

I have a personal connection to that place and those who live and work there. Everything that has been destroyed can be rebuilt. But it will never be the same. People work so hard to build a life they love...to only have it taken away by a unrelenting force they cannot control or stop. Although the buildings can be rebuilt, the memories are all gone. Photographs, home decor, furniture, pets...all gone. This hurts me. I cannot imagine how much this hurts them!

I have several photos and a few videos from my experience that day. I've looked at many of them since this disaster began. Everything in those photos and videos...gone. I'm grateful I captured some of it so I'll always remember that day. And it draws me to pray for those who lost everything I saw. I've lost everything multiple times in my life. I know what the loss feels like. It strips away an important part of who you are. Loss of any kind and in any form is so painful. You yourself feel lost. It's as if you were destroyed in the same disaster that took away all you had. Except you remain alive to feel the pain.

I feel as though I was sent there for such a time as this. With my personal connection to that place, I'm able to pray for them. I don't know any one person directly impacted by the Eaton Fire. My friends that live in LA county aren't close enough to have lost their homes. But even the air quality there at the moment makes an impact well beyond LA county. And those I do know, also know someone who is impacted directly. My heart aches for everyone there.

Everyone will be fine, I'm sure. But it will take quite a while and a lot of compassion to get beyond how this feels for them right now. It saddens me that so many exploit these tragedies for their own personal gain or to clout their self-righteousness. It happens every single time. People quote Bible verses, cite climate change, point fingers at politicians, and so on. But none of that helps the person who is standing in front of what used to be their home as they feel the painful weight of all they just lost.

I go through something similar to this annually living here in Florida. Every year since I've moved here, a major hurricane has hit this state. Anyone with empathy and compassion will never get used to how these disasters destroy lives. I've stopped watching mainstream media because they never get the real story right. They only show what gets ratings and keeps viewers watching so their advertisers can keep the money rolling in.

Instead, I pray for the real people that I talk to who spend weeks or months cleaning up. They tell me stories of how such events are bringing people together in their community. Just like a shared experience can grow a relationship, shared tragedy often strengthens bonds between people. Tears of sadness become tears of joy because there really is love at ground zero. Compassion does exist in people. Empathy has bound two strangers together. A neighborhood is destroyed and new hopes and dreams sprout up from the remains of homes that once were.

The two best things I personally can do for the people of LA county are (1) continually pray and (2) pay attention to the hope that will grow from this horrible tragedy. They need to feel restored. Things will never be the same for them...every again. This tragedy will remain a part of their story. But their story isn't over yet.

I'll be back there soon, I hope. Of course, after the smoke clears 😕 I hiked that mountain just over 6 months ago. Today, I'm wearing the same pants and shirt I wore that day. On my walks today, I even wore the same hat I wore that day. There are still stains on my pants from the dirt on the mountain...hehehe I've worn these pants at Disneyland...LOL I don't mind the discoloration the dirt caused. It has even more meaning to me now. I wear LA on my pants...LOL And in my heart ❤️

Here are a few of the photos from that day. I'm both sad and grateful. If that makes sense?

This tree was at the highest point I climbed that day. It is most likely ash or not much more than chared remains now 😕

Many of the houses you see are most likely gone now. Especially those closest to the mountain 😕

My Day

7:55am

What a morning already! I love my morning prayer walk the most, I think...hehehe I love starting my day with prayer and a devotional. I think after this brief season, I'd like to go back to doing some sort of devotional or Bible study in the morning. I used to do that. But when I changed my sleep schedule, I had less time in the mornings. Right now, I have more time as I've gradually moved to a more normal schedule. It has been a blessing. Every morning is a blessing regardless. But mornings like these are ones I feel more connected with God with.

9:00am

My 9am meeting is about to start. But I wanted to hop on here real quick...hehehe Today, I switched to 3 slices of toast for breakfast. I like it. The loaf has 21 slices. 3 a day for 7 days is...drumroll please...21...LOL It fits well with how my brain works...LOL The first and last days will be a little lighter because of the heel. But that's okay.

9:30am

With the assistance of my boss, we discovered the issue with one of our applications that I've been troubleshooting. It's the one I briefly mentioned yesterday as to why I worked a little over yesterday...hehehe I'm glad I walked away from it last night. The issue seems to be a permissions issue with a service account id...LOL It isn't code or configuration. The accounts need the right permissions to work, you know...LOL

I was added to a new daily meeting for user acceptance testing of the systems I'm responsible for. This is part of the big migration I've been working on for 6 months. Things are finally becoming real 😃 This is the season I've been working toward and been looking forward to. I like to solve problems. And with things like a migration, there will be problems. I'm glad I am prepared for this. I've learned so much through this process.

1:30pm

Today's Bible in a Year reading took quite a while. It took me from Job back to Genesis. It was a new section of Genesis where Abram's (Abraham's) story truly begins. So, there was an extra video to introduce the section. That's on top of the reading itself and the recap that follows...hehehe

I'm thinking about building out this plan on my website and linking to some of the resources I come across along the way. If I do, the pages will be in the Bible in a Year format so I can follow along in future years. And anyone else who wants to follow the plan can join in as well. Over the years, I can keep collecting resources that help the study of what is read each day. It could become quite a nice tool to have each day as I continue reading the Bible daily. Plus, as I dive deeper into certain sections in focused Bible study sessions, I can keep building and building. That would be fun!

Work is going really well today. My morning, and the start of the afternoon, has allowed me to keep to my preferred routine today. Unlike the previous 3 days this week...LOL

4:00pm

I'm writing some thoughts about how I am feeling concerning the wildfires in LA. More specifically, the Eaton Fire. You may have already read those thoughts before getting to this part of my entry today. But perhaps not? I'm wrapping it in a collapsible section with a trigger warning. Sometimes, the words need to be written. But they don't always need read.

I think I'll be finished with work on time today. Today has felt more normal than the rest of the week has...hehehe

5:30pm

Inspiration struck on my evening walk. I have a short story I'm working on that I've put on pause for the moment. But some ideas for it popped up in my head tonight. I jotted down some notes for it, lest I forget the details...LOL When I get back to creative writing, those notes will be there waiting for me ❤️

8:10pm

I'm finished writing my thoughts on the LA county fires. I feel like there is more to say. But today, that is all I could muster.

I'm going to eat my evening snack next. I'll relax a little bit too. I'm not sure what I'll do the rest of the evening yet. I've already worked through today's session of the Bible study...hehehe

10:05pm

I spent some time reading some of last year's journal entries. I read up through January 13th. When I started this year, I had planned to read the entry from a year ago each day, if there was one. I did not get into that habit yet. I still have some catching up to do. But I needed to stop for the night. I still hadn't wrapped up today's entry...hehehe

It was nice looking back. I'm glad I started this journal last year. I've already discovered some things I thought I would do in 2024 that never happened...HAHAHA Such as, I didn't finish writing my first book...LOL My health goals also changed since the beginning of 2024. But there were some things that definitely happened or where things I thought a year ago that I still feel the same about today. It's fun to look back.

I had forgotten what the date was for when I began my health journey. In reading the entries from a year ago, I was reminded it was January 13th. I missed the anniversary this year...hehehe That was this past Monday...LOL Oh well! I'm still going strong on this journey!

Photo of the Day

Today's photo is a little weird. But that's why I chose it...LOL

I don't think anyone saw me capture this. But if they did, I'm sure they were wondering what I was doing. Perhaps I looked like I was working and taking a video to examine this water access cover...LOL

One of the thoughts I had when I took this was about how water might have prevented the wildfires that broke out last week. It is pretty dry there. It didn't take much for those fires to spread.

Wrapping Up

My What are we going to do today prayer began on July 4th last year, the day of my mountain experience. That was the very first time I ever prayed it. I prayed it again this morning, as written above. As I was thinking about Eaton Canyon today, I was reminded that this prayer led me to that mountain that day. When I woke up that morning, I didn't know I was going there...hehehe

Something else from my prayer and devotional time this morning that I forgot to mention was that after I had written the connection between Lazarus and my dying to self and had prayed, I read John 12. In John 12:24-25, Jesus says, Truly, truly, I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a seed; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life will lose it, but whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Again, I love it when all of these things align...hehehe

If you read my thoughts on Eaton Canyon today, I'm praying for you and hope it didn't trigger anything you cannot handle. Topics such as that can be painful to read. But God is good and I pray His strength carries you through the pain ❤️