Why do some prayers go unanswered?

I read this question online recently...and oh, how many times I've asked myself the same question.

I wrote on Unanswered Prayers in my newsletter.

Other post I've written that speak to this topic:
Be Stumped
Praying with Perseverance
From Despair to Hope and Rest
The Miracle

There is no short answer to this question. There are some answers...and lots of mystery. There's a whole chapter full of people who did not receive what was promised to them (Hebrews 11). I think on that frequently...as well as the encouragement to pray and not give up, from Luke. When I don't know all the "why's," I meditate on what I do know--the truth of God's character. Circumstances will lie to us about who God is--they don't tell the whole story. So I go back to the Word. Psalms is full of heartache, longing for God's answers...and looking to God's character.

Ps. 13 is a favorite of mine because it expresses the torment so eloquently, and also what I want my mind and eyes to focus on as I wait for the Lord.

How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
Look on me and answer, O LORD my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
my enemy will say, "I have overcome him,"
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me.

God bless, Merry

Want to see our "School Room?"

(The correct answer is yes after all the time we spent rearranging, plus finally--after 10 years! getting rid of the old blinds that came with the house & putting up curtains, and also cleaning out all the things that get "lost" under furniture, LOL! I sure sneezed a lot that first day!)

This room doubles as a family room/sitting room, and features our 18 year-old couches! (We found them one day when we went to Walmart for hairspray. Of course, I don't use hairspray, too allergic then & now so is Dave! but it was for an art project. Anyway, go in for hair spray, come out with couches, that's about how my life goes!). They've made it through 5 moves so far, LOL!

Here's what you see when you first come downstairs into this room:

You can see our magnet whiteboard with the All About Spelling tiles peeking out from behind the couch. Sometimes the kids do projects on the table. They used it a lot when they were smaller, it was just their size, LOL!

Looking to the left:

That's my grandpa's fiddle music on the piano stand there, I love it! But I need to find a way to restore it, the pages are all falling out, any ideas? I have some Reddi Roll that I could protect the cover with but I'm more concerned about all the inside pages falling apart.

Turning to the right:
Still need to go through the kids' art portfolios stashed between the book case and the hutch-turned-bookcase/school storage! On top of the bookcase you can see the candle setting from our wedding. We use that for "Tuesday Tea" when we read poetry & eat a snack. The top shelf (dubbed the "shelf of wonder" by Zac) houses our current year's books. We usually do our history and science and Bible reading in this room.

Now turn right again to look at the back of the room:
The kids like to write or eat breakfast here, and that's our buddy Lightning's cage down below (our hamster). The cowboy picture on the left is one Zac did several years ago in an art class. He was 7 I believe, and drew this while looking at a picture, then put black-colored glue on the lines & used oil pastels. That teacher was phenomenal at getting kids to draw!

I know, I need to update our family pictures, I do have a more recent one, I just haven't gotten it up yet--and how could I take down those sweet cherub faces anyway? Sigh. They do grow!

Thanks for visiting our school room! Merry :-)

I'll take that as a compliment

Recently I was asked, "Where is your brother?" Meaning my 11 yo son Zach! How awesome is that?!!! I feel so young :-).

Ok, so I was actually asked, "Wa-yah yo bwudder?" by a 3 or 4 yo neighbor child, but hey, I'm stickin' to my story on this one! Merry :-)

That's just not right!

We've been watching lots of Olympics, and tonight my son wanted help making popcorn. So Dave got up to help him, and Anna said, "While the men are baking, the women will watch TV!" On the way downstairs, Zach whispered to Dave, "That just doesn't sound right!" Dave called up, "It might take longer than normal, this one needs a lecture!" My sweet guys!

Merry :-)

Look what my BABY did at camp!?!?!?!

Gee, I guess it really DOES pay to send those disposable cameras to camp with them. I just got the pics back today & amid the multitude of dark, grainy pictures, I found THIS:



Gives me the shivers, LOL!

I have TOUCHED a snake...but never CUDDLED one!!

Merry :-)