Archive for January, 2009

Prayer Requests yet a reminder to all that God is Faithful……

2009 for the Harrison family has already been a whirlwind filled with rollercoaster emotions, uncontrollable circumstances, and some huge family decisions  (yeah, I know, it’s only the 6^th!!!) I guess it’s only fair that we share our family drama with the family and friends whom we love so much.  We are asking for your prayers as we seek God’s direction in every area of our life.  We know that God is faithful!  He has never abandoned us once and I know He will not now. However, I am asking for our Christian brothers and sisters to lift us up as God walks with us through yet another valley.  Scripture reminds me that without trials we cannot grow to be more like Him. So for this trial I am thankful.  To be more Christ-like, that would be awesome!  So I write this as a reminder to me and to all of us that although the road is long and so unknown, there is one thing guaranteed and that is that God is there to carry us through…why???  Because He is faithful!!!!

After several very precious years of homeschooling, intimate bonding, and laying of a Christian foundation, my oldest daughter, Kyra, has made a very mature decision to attend public school.  I enrolled her yesterday and she spread her wings around 8:30 this morning.  She was so excited and chipper as she headed out the door!  I wish I could say the same for me!  Life as I knew it was no longer!  And although I knew this day might come, it made it no more easier on this fragile “overly sensitive” mother!  But the decision was not about me, but about her.  I always told the kids that just as Jesus took his disciples and trained them for three years and then sent them out to impart His ways, that that too would be the way our family would function.  And to deny her this opportunity would be a contradiction.  I spent time with her this morning in a bible devotion (that we promised each other we would always continue).  It was of no coincidence that the scripture of focus was Matthew 5:15 “You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.”  Kyra looked at me and said, “Now mom, I am on that stand!”  Holding back the tears, I had confirmation that Kyra knows who she is in Christ and what our life’s mission was about.  Big day, in the life of the Harrison’s!!!!  Everyone went about their day…and as for me…as soon as she walked out the door, I lost it! 

Please pray for her as she spreads her wings!

In addition, little did I know, that while I was at school enrolling Kyra and trying to maintain composure, my husband was called into a meeting that completely took us for a loop!  Talk about a turn of events!!!!  Tyler’s whole department was let go!  What?  We never saw it coming!  We have always felt like we were never brought to St. Louis for this particular job and that it was simply just a means to get us here for a much bigger plan.  But….man, what a surprise!  God’s timing not ours, right?  This too well familiar feeling is never easy to swallow (yes, we’ve been down this road before!!)  However, as Tyler reminded me..God has always provided something better..whether it was better money or just plain better for our family!  Once again, He provides and we know without doubt, He is FAITHFUL!  I don’t know His plan but a special friend reminds me often of the scripture I leave with you all today…”For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and hope,”  Jeremiah29:11. 

Please pray for our family during this time as we press on to find joy that God would love us enough to allow us to go through such a trial only to be more like Him!  But most of all, maybe you are facing a trial as well and need to be reminded that GOD IS FAITHFUL!  May you find that peace today!  Thanks for taking the time to read my long winded Harrison essay!  It was my day to BLOG! 

Blessings,

Krystal Harrison and family!

God Bless ~ Tyler

I have always loved analogies.  They are the means through which concepts that one person might not understand can then be explained in a manner that they already understand there for helping them understand the original concept.  In my work in the IT world I use them a lot to help people understand computer concepts that are confusing to them or that they don’t know yet.  Analogies are a wonderful way to teach kids things that are a little over their head and allows them the process through which they can begin to understand.  That being said let me share with you an analogy on prayer:

 Prayer is the umbilical cord that provides nourishment to the starving spirit. Prayer is the channel by which God’s life-giving presence flows to us.

Prayer brings God to us. The essence of prayer is to join God, not God joining us. We ask what is on God’s heart rather than telling God what is on our hearts.  And not that there is not times for crying out to God with our hurts and with our concerns.  But we must make sure that we keep the right perspective on prayer.  It is not a time to rub the magic lamp and get three wishes it is a time for God’s will and God’s concerns to be feed to our spirit.  A great biblical example of this is Solomon and his prayer and God’s response:

2 Chronicles 1:9-12 (New American Standard Bible)

9“Now, O LORD God, Your promise to my father David is fulfilled, for You have made me king over a people as numerous as the dust of the earth.
10“Give me now wisdom and knowledge, that I may go out and come in before this people, for who can rule this great people of Yours?” 11God said to Solomon, “Because you had this in mind, and did not ask for riches, wealth or honor, or the life of those who hate you, nor have you even asked for long life, but you have asked for yourself wisdom and knowledge that you may rule My people over whom I have made you king,
12wisdom and knowledge have been granted to you. And I will give you riches and wealth and honor, such as none of the kings who were before you has possessed nor those who will come after you.”

Solomon asked for God to give him the wisdom to lead as God wanted, basically meaning he was asking what was God’s heart on how things should be done.  He was not asking for the genie to grant him three wishes.  And the final point of that is to look at how God responded.  God blessed Solomon above anything that he could have asked for in the first place.  So much that he would be remembered for it by those who come after him.  When is the last time that you came to God to find out His heart versus rubbing the magic lamp?

God Bless ~ Tyler

My kids play this game where whomever says the word what is “it” until someone else says the word.   And to be honest with you it begins to be a little…um…agitating.  The reason that I say this is because it is generally played when I am engrossed in something and I get “Dad”…”Dad”, I respond “what” and I get “your it” and then they go laughing down the hallway or back into the house.

Well the other day I was absolutely engulfed with the same game but in a different way.  It was through a Chris Tomlin song titled, “Mighty is the Power of the Cross.”  The lyrics are as follows:

What can take a dying man and raise him up to life again?
What can heal a wounded soul?
What can make us white as snow?
What can fill the emptiness?
What can mend our brokenness?
Brokenness

[Chorus:]
Mighty, awesome, wonderful
Is the holy cross
Where the Lamb laid down His life
To lift us from the fall
Mighty is the power of the cross

What restores our faith in God?
What reveals the Father’s love?
What can lead the wayward home?
What can melt a heart of stone?
What can free the guilty ones
What can save and overcome?

The answer to that question, the “what” question is the hope of our existence, the grace of our deficiencies, and the saving force of our souls.  He is the way, the narrow gate, the beginning, and the end.  I pray that you are seeking what can fill our emptiness, what can mend our brokenness, and what can make us white as snow.  That is Christ, who died on the cross for who you were, who you are, and who you will become.

God Bless ~ Tyler