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Prayer

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

“Well, God can hear my words…”

Posted on March 10, 2025

Don’t forget to make your guess! Lily’s weight and birth time. Instructions here: https://thecolleyhouse.org/wp-admin/post.php?post=19056&action=edit

And speaking of the babes/ It’s always “out of the mouths of babes”…

We have three with us this weekend, while Hannah is speaking at a ladies day at the good Sandyville church near Parkersburg, WV. When three are here it’s a noise competition and a general knock-down/drag out—not of people, but things. Today, I’m actually taking them to explore a nearby cave. I think the damage today will be under the earth and who will know? I think if Eliza Jane says “I a-uh-dentally” one more time, I’ll…well, I’ll probably grab her up again and tickle her. (Actually, I can no longer pick her up, which makes me very sad! But she is off the charts—both weight and height.)

So, it was 3:53 am and I was about done. I’d already been up with Ezra, who had a bad dream, when Eliza came pitter-pattering to my bedside and cried “I had a bad dweam!” 

I must say here that I didn’t really believe her. I really thought that it was all those other times she’d said that and I had lifted her into my bed and snuggled her back to sleep that had driven her to imagine that her benign dreams were a little bit “bad”; bad enough to come and climb in. I lifted her up and put her between Papa and me. That cast on her right arm is “to be reckoned with” in a double bed with three people! (It is a “violet” cast and she is so proud of it.)

Eliza then whispered “I don’t think you can hear my wuhds.” 

I said, :I don’t need to hear your words. We are not talking. We are going to sleep.” 

Then she softly whispered “Well, God can hear my wuhds.” 

I woke up then, for maybe the first time. “Oh, yes, you go ahead and talk to God. I can hear, too.” 

The she whispered, “Dee-ah God, PWEASE, oh PWEASE, don’t let me have any mow-ah bad, ‘cary dreams. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Well, I was pricked. I had doubted the severity of her dreams. But, I did go right back to sleep (With my arm securing the otherwise unruly cast) in spite of my conscience-ache . 

In the morning, I asked her if she could remember her dream. 

“Oh yes. It was mama and me and somebody else. Mama spilled a bag of cookies and a whole bunch of dogs came and ate dem all up. When dey finished eating dem, dey attacked us.” 

I said “Did they bite you?” 

She said “Dey didn’t get us. We ran and ran and while we runned, I waked up.” 

Lord, Help me to be more trusting of the innocent ones, more sympathetic and comforting in their little trials and more assured that You hear our whispers. And help me to remember that sometimes the innocent ones who need me may be bigger people, too.

Even so it is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish (Matthew 18:14).

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Praying for JoJo

Posted on February 21, 2025

On April 12, 2023, this blog introduced JoJo Walker. You can read about her here: https://thecolleyhouse.org/we-can-add-a-little-blessing. She’s suffered for a long time from cerebellar ataxia. It’s taken much of the normalcy from her life for many years and it seems that it’s soon to reposition her to a place where she will never suffer with it again. She’s a digger and the local sisters in the dig made JoJo feel connected during a time in which Covid made many, including JoJo, feel very isolated and disconnected. Two years ago, she rededicated her life, one that had become somewhat distant and discouraged. Since that rededication, she has been digging and preparing for eternal life. Her husband has been encouraged, too.

Earlier this week, JoJo had a relatively good day. She was responsive and alert. She listened to the hymns she had requested: “The Greatest Commands” and “Someday.” Best of all, she and her husband requested that she be sent a copy of this month’s Digging Deep study. This was quickly done and Mrs. JoJo and company studied through the passage about that very sick woman being loosed from that eighteen-years of being bowed over.

All of the faithful will be loosed one day from every malady, every disease, every heartache and every enemy. The alternative to living in pain looks very good to the Christian. I think it is interesting that the description of the woman’s loosing is used in regard to our Lord in Acts 2:24:

Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain: Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

On that Sunday morning following the crucifixion, our Lord was loosed from the pangs of death. The resurrection loosed our Lord. His resurrection looses us, too, from the pangs of death and all its attendant afflictions. Because of it, we are, ultimately delivered from the  trials of this life.

Will you be loosed from the pangs?  Raised in corruption, glory and power?

So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption: It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power (I Cor. 15:42, 43).

When I first wrote about JoJo, I was given permission to share her address. I do so again now. I think cards will be a blessing now, especially to Mr. Roger. May He richly bless us all as we prepare to be loosed!

Roger and JoJo

700 Lyon Ave

Mount Sterling, Kentucky 40353

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley Caleb Colley

I Found my List!

Posted on September 9, 2024

I have not been this excited to find a piece of paper in a long time. Last July, when I was speaking in Branson at Polishing the Pulpit, we discussed our troubled children, specifically the ones who seem bent on the deconstruction of Christianity in their lives. I promised, then and there, to pray, for the next year, for any children whose names were given to me that day.  I, in turn, asked for prayers for my children and grandchildren. The prayers of sisters are a powerful resource. Lots of names were given to me after I finished speaking that day. I left a sheet of paper on the stage just in case someone wanted to add a child’s name. 

I’ve grieved since that time because I lost that extensive list of children before I got home. I looked and looked. While I prayed for the group, as a whole, I could not pray for them by name. I did not even know enough to apologize to the mamas who had given me the names of the precious souls for which to pray. 

Saturday night, I found the list! While studying for another event, I began to look through some file folders that were stacked, believe it or not, in my pantry. (I know. You probably are not blessed to have a combination pantry and office.)  I was elated when that sheet of paper peeked out of that folder deep in that stack! Fifty-two names assigned to eternal souls that are extremely loved by women of God, have been added to my prayer list in the front of my Digging Deep book. Thirteen of the names are children who live together in a children’s home in Mississippi. 

Two of mine, with Kathy, @ PTP-Branson

It was my grief that I lost the list. It’s my honor, now, to pray for these children by name. I know what it’s like to plead for the children we love! Every name is representative of a life, full of value and events and circumstances and challenges. Each one represents an eventual departure from this life to an existence in one of two places. I wish I could pray every single one into heaven. I cannot. But I can pray for wisdom for their mamas. I can pray for opportunities to influence, for people in their lives who can help them see the need for Christianity always, and for extension of life for those who are lost. I can pray for their families. 

I know that my prayers are not more powerful than yours. But our prayers together are a particular way we can spiritually encourage each other and access THE power that can do more than we ask or imagine. To the mamas who asked me to pray, I’m so sorry I lost that list. And to the mamas who pray for our family, many thanks from a deep place!

Prayer changes things. 

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

“Shleeping” in a Palace

Posted on July 10, 2024

Here we are at Polishing the Pulpit-Branson 2024! All the children, but especially Eliza Jane are so excited to be “shleeping “ in a palace. “I never shleeped in a palace afore!” I never did either and, believe me, after 12 hours in that car with those three, their mom and I were ready for some “sleep” in a palace or standing up in a barn. Literally, the question “How many more hours?” must have been asked 50 times from those back seats. Not exaggerating. It started when we were twenty minutes from the house. 

But now is the good part: blending voices, hearts, and purpose with hundreds of like-minded Christians on this hilltop, overlooking a beautiful lake. It seems, in my finite nature, to be inching toward heaven itself! 

Yesterday, on the way here, we got stuck behind a couple of auto accidents. One was an old tractor in the median that had obviously been careened hard by a larger and more modern vehicle. The helicopter was already there for the life flight. Ezra said he would lead the prayer: 

“Dear God, please help that man to be okay. Please help him to live. If he dies, please help him to be a Christian.” 

That’s the nine-year-old view of life and fatalities. That’s pretty much my view, still, except, of course, the “help” for eternal salvation, must be accessed through the blood prior to the time of the death. 

We all agreed that nothing is ultimately “bad” for the Christian. Even a horrific end to this life is not horrific for the follower of Jesus. It is better than ever. 

And that’s the hilltop on which we find ourselves, today; looking out over the promised land and knowing the sojourn is short. We find ourselves preparing, with hundreds of Christians, to bring the Father glory and honor the Son and, to find, in the Words of the Holy Spirit, strength for our journey toward the real palace of our King. 

I cannot wait, Eliza!

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Digging Deep Sneak Peek 2025…Getting Excited!

Posted on April 23, 2024

The Colley House is getting excited about the new study to be announced in late August. Target start date for this study is September 1st. Mark it on your calendar. Invite a friend to study along. Make it a group or a class. Remember there will be a printed study guide or defer to the free downloadable one. But make plans now. So often, a sister contacts me in November and says, “I wish I’d known about this last summer.” It’s okay to jump in anywhere at any time. But it’s more fun to jump in on September 1st with your new book, pen and highlighters in hand and get ready for the first dig-a-bits and podcast. It’s fun to do it in sync. Here’s the blurb from DD 2024-25:

In the conversation at the wedding feast, once again, Mary was in the moment. It was, to her, important to do something about the embarrassing shortage of wine. Somehow Mary had something to do with the host and the party and she was concerned about a hostesses nightmare. Jesus, in His “Woman, what do I have to do with you?” answer was, again, pointing to a bigger mission for which the time was approaching, but had not yet come. The miracle, itself, was a kind gesture, and it began a process that would take Him to the cross, but Jesus seemed to be gently saying, “Mother, there are bigger fish to fry. I have some problems to overcome, but wine at a wedding is not part of the big picture, here.” Yet he went on and made his mother happy, in her moment. 

I think it had to be this way. How could Mary have had any semblance of normalcy or happiness if her life had always been about the cross. How could the relationship between mother and son have been the full experience of humanity and trials as we know them, if Christ had not shielded his mother from some of the burden that no human could fully understand, anyway? And doesn’t that make the whole life of Jesus, from the standpoint of His humanity, so much—so much of a sacrifice— when relationships that were precious were also lost and in need of the darkest moment in human history that was his piercing?

And I do think it is a little like that in our “talks” with heaven. If I am praying for the bone not to break before I can get the baby to the ER, or if I am praying for the decision we are making about a home purchase, or if I am praying about the choice of curriculum for my child, must it seem to Jesus, my advocate in heaven, that I am in the moment? Must He smile and say, “Cindy Colley is doing the best she can, but she cannot think fully in “redemption mode“ yet? I will hear her pleas and heaven will answer her, because she is in me. I have paid her price. One day she will see me face to face and the trials and challenges of the road will seem nothing.” It seems that this must be something like reality when I think about my finite self in prayer.

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

She Thanks You for Praying…

Posted on November 20, 2023

 

Recently, those in the Digging Deep for Encouragement group have been praying for our sister, Tammie. She’s been through a very dark and difficult time in several key areas of her life. There was a loss of her home to a fire, a prolonged illness, a very traumatic situation in her extended family and one in her husband’s family, as well. She recently had five days alone in her house and I encouraged her to spend that time in prayer and the Word. I told her that I knew God could use those days for her healing, if she would use them for His glory. She writes this today, and wanted me to share with you. She is so very thankful for your prayers and covets them in the future days of restoration to what she wants to be for Him.She shares this. I know you will praise with me.

Oh sister Cindy,  

While I was by myself for 5 days God’s word has done some purging . I can say I had hit bottom. God showed me through his Word, that I had begun wandering away from the Fold.  These 3 years of working in the fall, with a friend, cleaning hunter’s houses, I thought I had been sharing my faith with her… and I thought she was going  to change her ways. Now the friendship bond of her worldly ways is cut. God, this week showed me, through the word and through our    DD studies, that I was being led astray; following her, with one foot in the door of the church and one foot out in the world. I was already searching for something when I found lots of programs on youtube and your ladies’ days speaking, too. I didn’t even turn TV on to watch unless at night when I watched gospel meetings. I mostly all day was in the word. A sweet sister called and checked on me a lot and, each time, she could tell I had been crying. Cindy, I can say I was at my begging place. I have written scriptures down and when Satan comes to my thoughts, I will quote them in prayer. Yesterday was so hard.  I finally went to worship being so weak and had no idea what Jim was preaching on. I had written a letter to the congregation asking for my forgiveness, for I had not been there for my brothers and sisters. I was a sheep that had gone astray and the crying was deep. A sister came to me and hugged me and whispered in my ear that I was bold to admit this and she said I inspired her about what true repentance is. Jim had no idea that I was putting on a fake Christian . He got choked up reading my note, so that another man stepped in.  So Jim just came to comfort me. Jim said he saw many tears yesterday. Then I went back last night and, Cindy, the singing in this congregation, to me, was so uplifting. Jim preached on the  words of the song “I am a Poor, Wayfaring Stranger.”  One of the men got up and said, “Can I speak? He did speak, and he said,  “Jim the message tonight of the song was so powerful.” Oh, this right here got me. My Jim was starting to feel that he wasn’t doing a good job there. Now let’s see how God can use me. I have never felt this peace, Cindy.

The sheep is now in the arms of the Shepherd. It’s terrible that it took me down to the bottom to open up my eyes. The truth has set me free. I love you, Cindy.