My Hoosier Check

 

Hello, my friends, I want to share with you what a great and glorious God we have. This pic is from my journal. It has great meaning to me. A few days ago, my sister and I were praying together. We claim the verse found in Matthew 18:19, it says "that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them". That particular day, I was sad because it is such a struggle in terms of finances. These days buying groceries seems like a luxury. So as my sister and I began lifting up our prayers, she prayed for my struggles. Her words were something like this, "Lord please let LaDonna walk out to her mailbox today and let there be a check of some sort that could pull her out of her sadness." I tell you the truth that I went out to my mailbox that very same day and a check was there! It was a check from the State of Indiana. They had a surplus of funds and wanted to help us, Hoosiers out. MY MIND WAS BLOWN AWAY! So, of course, I praised God and promised to let those in my circle of influence know that our heavenly Father really does honor our prayers, especially when we are in agreement with other believers. Also, I like to create an entry in my journal that captures what God has done. Here is my tribute to God and His unbelievable love for me. He heard my cry for help. What are you feeling sad about today? Take that sadness to God and watch for a miracle. Also, who is someone in your life, that you trust to pray with every day or every other day? Make a commitment with them to pray together every day, every other day, once a week. God's word doesn't put a time limit or other restrictions or requirements on your prayers. Just do it. Oh, and by the way, my sister lives in Arkansas so our daily prayer time is with a face time platform so we can easily pop online, armed with our coffee, in our pajamas and invite God to join us. It's so cool. Let me know in the comments or DM me if there is anything we can pray for. BUT don't just lean into me, get going on your own little prayer group. I know that a year from today, if you do this, you are going to have a huge list of ways that God showed up and showed out. Loretta and I already have a huge list. I don't say this to brag, hear my heart, I share this journal entry to give you hope if that is what you need. Or maybe there is someone that you are close with that needs to hear this. Prayer works!

My Angel with a Cowboy Hat

I don’t know if you have ever seen the movie “The Abyss” but my life felt like one big, huge abyss that I was being sucked down into. There is one scene at the very beginning of the movie where a US submarine suddenly loses power and without sonar, it hits an underground swell of rocks. In the sub, all hell is breaking loose. Water is pouring in; fires are everywhere but the captain and his leaders know their protocols in this situation. They begin to issue orders, they are getting reports, but things are continuing to fail on this mighty sub. As the camera zooms in on the face of the captain, you can see the terror in his face and then he takes a big, shaky breath as he realizes all is lost and death is near. That feeling of terror has been with me on more than one occasion this past couple of years with my husband's illness and then his passing. 

I don’t know why but my car eats tires. I have had so many “almost” flat tires, actual flat tires, and blow outs. Last year I actually got cancelled from my roadside assistance plan because I used their assistance too much with tire problems. And once again I had a blow out and was without a car for what seemed like an eternity. With the kindness of my dear sweet sister, I was able to get a year’s membership with another roadside assistance carrier and she included an additional $50.00 so I could get my flat tire fixed. So, I had “Mabel” towed to Shaffners Tire Shop here in LaPorte. As I sat in the waiting room, I was so relieved that my problem was going to be solved. I was so happy that I would once again have my Mabel up and running. Then Luke, the tire dude, came into the waiting room and told me the tire and my spare I had was unfixable. So, I asked for a used tire and showed him with a little note with what my budget would allow. I was too embarrassed to say it out loud. So, off he went to see if my problem could be solved. Then he came back in and said ALL my tires were shot and that he didn’t think I would even make it home due to the extreme damage done to all my tires. But armed with my little note, he said, “let me see what I can do” and off he went. I made my way to my seat, amongst a room full of strangers and held back the panic that wanted to rise up in me. I immediately sent out a text to my sister and my beloved friends at my church asking that everyone PLEASE PRAY! As I sat there, so frightened by what was going on, I felt so hopeless. I thought of the captain of the sub from the movie, The Abyss. And to make matters worse, my phone was dying so I couldn’t even play some mindless game. So, I pulled out my little Bible that I had stashed in my purse and began to read. I opened my Bible to the book of Joshua. I read about how the Lord had brought the Israelites into the land of milk and honey as He had promised. But here was one problem, it was filled with well-established cities, populated by people who did not believe in the God of Israel and were given to idol worship, witchery, and all sorts of evil deeds. These cities had enormous armies, armed with many weapons. As I read the pages in Joshua, it was clear that, whoever would come up against Israel, God would protect them and give them victory over these wicked cities. And that is just what happened. So, as I sat there facing what felt like a huge battle for me, I began to feel comfort and knew that God was on my side. He could defeat any battle set before me. Several minutes later, Luke, the tire dude came in and said my car was DONE, and it had 4 new tires on it. And what he said next, blew my mind. It literally made me feel like I was in a dream. He said, “Mrs. Hamlin, you owe nothing. A man wearing a cowboy hat that was in the waiting room, sitting directly across from you, has paid your bill in full”. And then he said, “I don’t know what you are doing but keep it up because that was amazing.” And it was amazing. 

No matter what your “cities” or problems are, God wants you to know that He will fight them for you. Joshua 1:9 says: "This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” And so, on Sunday, I was able to get to church bright and early because my Mabel had four new feet to travel on. I volunteered at the first service and then went to the 2nd worship service. My pastor, as usual rocked his sermon. He encouraged us to keep a journal so that you can write down the things that you are faced with and how God walks before you and slays everything that dares to threaten you. Also, keeping a journal is a great way to go back and be reminded of the spectacular things that God has done for you. You can find comfort as you see how God has worked in your life. The only thing we need to do is have a relationship with God through prayer and reading His Word. When you are walking in a close relationship with Him, His word tells us that He loves to bless His beloved children. So, I say my friends, go out there and do God’s will for your life, knowing that you are armed with the Highest Heavenly Father. He wants to give you all that you need. He wants to protect you for the trials of this life. I know this to be true, because God used a tire dude named Luke and an angel in a cowboy hat that took care of me when I thought all was lost.

My Dad and the Lake Monster

My Dad and the Lake Monster As a kid growing up in Southern California, I remember my dad always wanting to take his vacations in one of 2 spots: Arkansas (his home state) or Lake Havasu (one of the best places to catch catfish). A vivid memory that I have was one summer when the lake won for that year’s vacation. One afternoon, while my dad was fishing on the bank of the lake, I was on a nearby dock practicing my diving. I was secretly thrilled to be showing my dad what a wonderful diver I was. So, after many, many dives, I decided to show him what an excellent swimmer I was. As I swam around, I felt so proud of my near perfect strokes and my fast feet kicking with everything I had. Before I knew it, I had swam into a new spot where the seaweed/lake grass had grown very tall and thick. Not knowing what it was, I let my fear overtake me and I began screaming and flailing about. I was certain that some lake monster had come up from the depths to capture and carry me away. What seemed like a second, my dad was there, in the water, saving me. He had thrown his rod down and had jumped in, clothes and all to save me. In his strong arms, I felt safe. When I had thought I was a goner, my dad gave up his favorite hobby to rescue me. It is one of my fondest memories of my dad. This little story from my childhood, came to my mind this past week as I was studying a passage of scripture. Psalm 56:3-4 (New Living Translation) But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere mortals do to me? David, the next in line to become King of Israel was on the run for his life. Saul, the acting king was jealous of David and wanted to kill him. From the surrounding passages where the above verses are quoted, David is overwhelmed as they are hunting him day and night. To make matters worse, King Saul has shared lies about David and therefore, the armies of Saul are relentless in their search for David. In his exhaustion, he pens these words to remind himself of what he knows about God and what he has experienced in his life in terms of hardship. He reminds himself that God has never failed him. God has been faithful to him and armed with this knowledge, he keeps going. He knows that the almighty Heavenly Father will be there, saving him from anything King Saul throws at him. David is just one of many men and women that are written about in the Scriptures. I believe that this passage is valuable for us to see as we encounter life’s difficulties. It is not that we will not have the feeling of fear or that we will not go through times of distress. Rather, these verses tell what we are supposed to do when tough times come. We know we are to trust God. We must remind ourselves of what we are supposed to do in these times…give your problems to God, then be still and trust Him. He wants us to truly rely on Him. Scripture states that God cherishes the opportunities to help us in our times of troubles. He is merciful because He knows that we mess up and yet He never turns His back on us. I look back on my swimming at the lake, I was so keen on showing off that I wandered off into unknown waters. Once I found myself in a terrifying situation, I screamed, and my dad was there to carry me back to safe waters. He did not stay on the shore and tell me to handle it myself. He did not turn his back on me and walk away. He jumped in and rescued me. This event in my life resembles our daily life as a believer in Christ. As we go about our daily lives, God is always there to help us. He delights in us as we dive and swim around in this earthly existence. But when we go beyond our boundaries and find ourselves in scary circumstances, He is there. He does not stand on the shore and laugh. He does not take note of our situation and walk away in disgust. No, no, no! He jumps into the water and swims out to us. When my dad came to my rescue, he did not throw me toward the shore. Though that would have been cool if he went all Captain America on me. My dad wrapped his arms around me, I calmed down and we swam together back to the shore. So, as we live in these challenging times, what is your “lake monster”? Whatever it is, God wants to be there for you. All you need to do is call to Him for help and He will be there for you. I know, it is a hard concept to understand. You mean, there is not a list of things I need to do to get His help? Nope! There is not anything that I need to do to help God bring me out of my misery. Nope! Give your requests to God, go about your life, and wait for God to rescue you. In the New Testament Jesus spoke these words: Matthew 7:7-11 (NLT) Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So, if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him. I think the “waiting” is the hard thing to do. We always want to jump in and assist God. Would you stand back and let a child figure out that it is just lake grass and not a lake monster to teach him a lesson? No!! My dad was a good dad when he jumped in and swam to save me. The NIV Life Application Bible said in their notes: “Christ is showing us the heart of God the Father. God is not selfish, begrudging, or stingy, and we don’t have to beg or grovel as we come with our requests. He is a loving Father who understands, cares and comforts. If humans can be kind, imagine how kind God, the Creator of kindness, can be.” So, again, I ask…what is your lake monster? It is important that you know that size doesn’t matter. Your monster could be as small as a flea or as big as a whale. All that matters is that it is causing you stress, anxiety and fear. But God’s Word tells us that we are to be anxious about nothing. What we are to do is cast our cares to Him. 1 Peter 5:7 (NLT) Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. In my life I have thrown so many of my requests to God and He has never failed me. Some of them were whoppers (no $$ for bills, car broke down, etc.) and some were exceedingly small (couldn’t find my nylons, couldn’t find my bank card). It is because of all the answered prayers that I can confidently write this blog today. It is like God has my heart bursting with joy to share my life-long victories. I know what hardship is. I know what sorrow is. I know what shame is. The list goes on and on and on. But more importantly, I know what comfort is, what joy is, what peace of mind is, etc. I know what it is like to have a lake monster the size of Texas bearing down on me, and the intense fear of failure and being paralyzed by it because you don’t know if you are going to come out of it. But I can say that every time God was there for me. He scooped me up in His strong arms and carried me back to safety. And the other cool thing is that I stumble and fall every day. The devil spends his days trying to trip us up and lead us to sinful ways. But, despite our sinfulness, God wants to help you. He made you and wants to reach out to you with so much love, guidance, and rescue. So, no matter what you have done, no matter how big or how small your lake monster is, God will rescue you out of it. Here is a little help: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for allowing me to be able to run to you when I am in trouble. I am casting my ________________________ (lake monster) to you. I know you love me and want to give me good things. Thank you for your answer to this plea for help. I will be still and be alert for the answer to this prayer. I will wait for you to extend your loving hand toward me. If you have any questions, prayer requests or would like to learn more about becoming a Christian, please leave a message in the comments area. I love you and am so grateful that you have given my blog sometime out of your busy schedule. May God bless you as you depend on Him for help with all your lake monsters.

Is God Whispering to You?

This past Thursday as I was having my morning quiet time with God, suddenly a thought came to my mind. For some unknown reason I was reminded of a gal that had helped me while I was grocery shopping a few weeks ago. She was so sweet and kind to me. I thought to myself, Lord why are you bringing to my mind this woman, today, right now. And then He whispered, “because she needs ME!” So, I thought, the next time I am in that store, if I see her, I will invite her to church. The church I just started attending is so awesome that I felt God was leading me to invite her. Not just invite her but offer to meet her and sit with her. So, I put that on the back burner of my mind and without even remembering my commitment, I went to this store yesterday and as I was walking out, who do you think was standing right there? So, I quickly maneuvered my basket over to her and reminded her of her kindness to me a few weeks ago. I told her that I really needed the help and she was just so sweet. She said, “I do remember you.” I mentioned that I had been thinking about her and that I wanted to invite her to go to church with me. Inwardly I was cringing as I began to realize what a crazy lady she must think of me. But to my amazement, she said that she and her family were new to the area and that she was looking for a church. She had always gone to church, even sang in the choir but since moving to Michigan City, hadn’t really found anything. So, I made a date to meet her at the upcoming Sunday service and then she began to share the difficulties that are going on in her life. By the end of our conversation, I had made a friend. Guys, God is a God of miracles. As I have been crying out to God to show me my purpose since moving to Michigan City, I can see that, God wants me to reach the lost for Him. To share my hurts, my joys, and my excitement for the Lord. I think what if I had not listened to that little voice that urged me to seek out Salena the next time I saw her. I was able to plant a seed and now God will send a harvest. Who knows, she may not show but I know that my seed is there, and it will sprout one day, not on my terms but on God’s. So, I encourage you to listen to the still small voice. There may be your own “Salena” just around the corner that God has a plan for. Have a blessed day!

In My Distress, God was there!

A few Sunday's ago as my daughter, Gabby and I headed out to church, we talked about how excited we were. This visit to church would be my second but would be her first. We were chatting about how Satan had thrown a few road blocks up to keep us from going that morning. But, to our dismay, literally 3 minutes later, I told Gabby…”we’re getting a flat tire” and I slowly moved the car to the side of the road. We were so bummed, not just about the flat but more about missing church. The service would be starting in 10 minutes. So, I quickly gathered my wits, called roadside and found out that it had been just cancelled due to over usage. WHAT? But, they would be happy to contact a service for me at the low cost of $50.00. Ouch!!! Having just moved to the area, we were pretty much tapped out on resources. So I started thinking…”who do I call, who do I send a message to?” Then, it occurred to me, why don’t we do the exact opposite of what I usually do. I reached over to Gabby’s hand and said, “let’s pray”. We began to pray that God would send an angel to help us and at that moment I looked up and there was a man peering into our window. He asked if we were ok and I told him of our flat. He told me to pull my car into his driveway and that he would change the tire. Without noticing, I had pulled over at the end of his driveway. He had our flat changed within 10 minutes and we were back on the road and heading to church. We told “Ryan on 421” that he was our angel that God sent and that we would be forever thankful. We were in awe as we walked into the church service only 10 minutes late. We worshipped our Heavenly Father in way that brought us to tears because of the miracle God had done for us. In the depths of trouble, we cried out to God and He sent an angel help us.
So many times, I have faced troubles and have boxed God out because I don’t trust Him. I try to solve it my way but on Sunday, He showed me that He wants to help us, we just need to stop solving it our way and allow Him to solve it. Matter of fact, nowhere in the Bible does God give us a list of qualifications that we must meet to get His help. The saying, “God only helps those who help themselves” is one of the biggest lies that Satan uses to pull us away from God. The Truth, meaning the Word of God, says just the opposite. God wants to hear our prayers of need. Lamentations 3:25-26 says: “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in Him, to the one who seeks Him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord”. So, my friends, as you walk through life and the troubles come, make a commitment to do the opposite of what the world says….don’t try to solve things yourself. Go to God first and then wait! He’s going to “show up and show out” just like He did for Gabby and I. Then you’ll be worshiping God like you never have before. So, tell me your thoughts or share a story that you have about God “showing up and showing out”. I love you and have a blessed day. Also, comment below if I can pray for you.

Certain songs bring me so much hope as I listen to them. This song by Natalie Grant is so appropriate for this blog entry. As you face the troubles, like my flat tire, remember that God is the King of the world, don't box Him in. Take a listen, it is so great!
https://youtu.be/1B60F5anrSo?list=PLkC0rdGGjMVPs1kHVPp-YNeNAjGo82A9o

When You Are Feeling Hopeless

A few weeks ago, this picture couldn’t convey a more accurate summary of how my husband Gordon and I felt. Though we knew it was wrong…we uttered the words….” has God abandoned us?” After so many years of service to Him, both separately before we were married and jointly as husband and wife, where was the God that we served so faithfully? Circumstances felt like they were climbing higher and were about to crash over us. It felt like we were going to get flipped by this enormous wave and we would be destroyed. The giant waves just kept pounding us as we dealt with Gordon’s illness, to lengthy hospital stays for him, mounting medical bills, living expenses, car problems, and many more situations that I won’t bore you with. AND then, to top it off, we needed to move in 30 days and we had absolutely no resources to do that. At one point, I sat and wept. I was so scared. I had visions of us living in our car. It seemed hopeless.
Fortunately, I had the sanity to know that though the situations were real, the feelings of hopelessness were just that….FEELINGS! I had to fight the desire to give into the feelings and instead, look to the truth…the Words of our great and mighty Savior. Out of the thousands of verses in the Bible, this verse came to my mind and I want to share it with you because I hung on to it with all my might:
“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
1 Peter 5:7
So that night, gathered around Gordon’s hospital bed, we prayed and claimed this verse. Then, we did the hardest thing…we WAITED on God! We went about our daily lives, but we waited on God to provide for us. Friends let me tell you, that over the next few hours, days, and weeks, God began answering each and everyone one of our concerns. Gordon is getting better in a lot of ways, our move is done, our financial needs are being answered as we need them, and our car was fixed. Everyday God proves Himself faithful as He continues to pour out His blessings on us. He has turned my weeping into joy!
I don’t know what you are dealing with today, but I do know that God is waiting for you to come to Him. He wants to help you. Isaiah 30:18 tells us:
“Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you;
therefore, he will rise up to show you compassion.
For the Lord is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!”
So, if the wave of destruction is climbing up behind you, why not give it to God and wait. He longs to rescue you. Also, I would suggest a wonderful song that has been one of my anchors through this time..."All I Need is You" by Hillsong United. I listen to this comforting song on YouTube and Spotify. Take some time to bask in the comfort of the words. Comment below if you would like for my family and I to pray for you. We know the fear, but we also know the joy of His rescue and you can know it as well.

There Is Help for the Hopeless

Today as I was up going about my morning routines, there was a song playing in the background by one of my favorite Christian bands, Third Day. The song is called “Cry Out to Jesus”. Go to YouTube and put in "Third Day Cry out to Jesus" when you have time, listen to it.

In the song, the singer lists all kinds of problems, struggles and worries that we might face. Obviously, there are millions of other situations but if he addressed all of those he would have the longest song ever made. Now back to my point. Basically, all we need to do, when faced with problems is cry out to Jesus. How easy is that? But wait, you might say, “don’t I need to stop sinning and become perfect?” “Wouldn’t I need to stop cussing, smoking, drinking, etc. to even come near to Jesus?” “Also, wouldn’t I need to go to church because that’s the place to pray and then God would be pleased with me?” “Only then would He help me with my problems, right?” The simple answer is NO! NO! NO!

As I study Scripture, I find that the words in this great song are the TRUTH! Though there are many verses I would like to high light, I'll start with this one:

“So, let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)

I could speak to so many components of this verse because there are a multitude of insights but I will bring one to you. It says that “let us come boldly” and “there we will find His mercy and we will find grace”. God is telling us that we can come to Him with our problems and He will help us. There are no requirements, no "if you do this or you need to do that…". God is saying, “come to me and I will help”. The end. That’s it! Now don’t get me wrong, obviously, we can’t approach the Almighty God without some humility and respect. But usually, when we are facing a devastating problem, when we feel like we are at the end of our rope, when we are feeling so low that we can’t get out of bed and we are desperate for some help, humility before God is not a problem. But if you’re not at this point but still need help, I suggest you go the Heavenly Father with some humility or you might want to rethink that life insurance policy, etc.

Beloved, I don’t know what your struggle is today but mine feels enormous. There really is no other option for me but to cry out to Jesus. And so, with boldness, I will take all of it to Him and rest in the knowledge that God wants to help us. So, when He says to cry out to Him, He is not lying. Matter of fact, in the New Testament, you find Jesus addressing this very subject:

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”
Matthew 11: 28-30 (NLT)


For many of you, as of right now, it’s your only option, so take your problems to Him and see what happens. What have you got to lose? But remember, taking our problems to God is like throwing them in a lake with a sign on it that says, “Absolutely no fishing!” So, once you give it to Him, don’t take it back. Wait on Him and His help. Scripture says:

Wait patiently for the Lord. Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord. Psalm 27:14 (NLT)


I know it’s hard to wait because most of us want to take control of our situation and solve it. But, God wants us to approach Him with our difficulties. I know that when my daughter is struggling with a problem, I want her to come to me. I don’t want her to deal with it on her own. I love that she looks to me for help. Whether, its help with homework, a need for shoes, or a hug because something has hurt her feelings, I want to be there for her. I would go to the ends of the earth to provide for her in her time of need. That, my friends, is how it is with our Heavenly Father. He wants to be a good Father to us. I love this next passage of Scripture and try to hang on to its concept when I am caught in a difficult situation:

“Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
“You parents—if your children ask for a loaf of bread, do you give them a stone instead? 10 Or if they ask for a fish, do you give them a snake? Of course not! So, if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good gifts to those who ask him." Matthew 7: 7-10

So, whatever it is that you are struggling with today, go to you Heavenly Father and ask for help. When you ask for help, what does the above verse say? They will receive, they will find, the door will be opened and they will be given good gifts. He is there waiting for you to cry out to Him. These past couple of weeks have been so hard for us. But every day God has proven over and over that He provides.

If you want to mention a struggle (you can name it or not) and would like for me to pray for you…I promise I will. In the comments section, just type “Please pray for me.” Also, if you would like to ask any questions about what I’ve written, leave your question in the comments section and as always, if you don’t know whether you are in God’s family and would like to know more about that, let me know. I would be happy to help you with that step.

I love you!
LaDonna