Catching Fireflies - $12.99 (regular $16.99)
(Now Available)
Looking for a little "light" reading with life-changing truth and ticklish humor? This book is for you. Popular author and speaker Patsy Clairmont weaves stories and scripture between lasers, lighthouses, and lamps to illuminate the heart and enliven the spirit. Whether you're bored with the routine, struggling through a crisis, or just ready for a good word, Patsy meets you there with vulnerability, inspiration, and an infectious grin. As a daily devotional or weekend read, Catching Fireflies will light up your day even as it brightens your smile.

I love my IPhone

... It keeps me connected to my people. And I am crazy over the apps available. I love that in one flick I can check the weather, (which by the way in my hometown this morning is -9), my emails, texts, Twitters, Facebook, headline news, and the stocks (hahaha). That kind of information accessibility makes me feel like I have a finger on the pulse of the world or at least my world.

One of my favorite apps is an Ocarina. Pray tell what is that you ask? Well, it turns your phone into a musical instrument. Honest. It’s very fun. Kinda sounds like a mystical flute. And while I love playing it (no, I’m not musical), my favorite feature is a button when touched that allows you to see a rotating globe of the world. As the world turns areas of countries begin to light up representing those who are playing their ocarinas. Then the phone picture zooms in to somewhere, say, Kenya where you actually hear someone playing their phone-flute live. Honest. If that’s not enough their registered name pops up on the screen and if you like what you hear you can touch a heart which signifies your pleasure in their musical offering . The heart-tally from around the globe is then sent to the “musician.” Really.

My favorite part of this amazing app is when the music begins to rise up off a country. First it’s shimmering light and then criss-crossing swirls rise off the location and into the stratosphere. I love that visual and here’s why...

It immediately reminded me of prayer. Un, huh prayer. I just know if there was an app that allowed us to see prayers rising to God all around the globe we would be encouraged. And thrilled. I think it would hearten us to see millions/billions of supplications swirling off the globe toward the heavens.There’s just something about visuals that impact us and knowing that others like ourselves are talking to the Maker of the heavens and earth, why that could cause a new song to rise up from within us.

In this new year as we face uncertainties it is a stabilizing truth that prayer connects us to God and to each other. When I know my friend is praying for me it helps calm me down. Doesn’t it you? And when I know that God hears those prayers and has a heart for me it imparts reason and peace to my mind and spirit. So imagine at any given hour if we could touch a screen and everywhere a person prayed swirls of hope rose up. Yes, yes, I’d like that a lot. As does God. Prayer allows us to keep a finger on His pulse as we pray and He reveals...His path, His pleasure, His counsel, His will, His provision.

This year may we allow God to turn our hearts into musical instruments through prayer, that will bring light to the world and touch the heart of the One who designed us to be connected. May our favorite application be God’s Word and may His Word fill our prayers with a melody of hope that can be heard around the globe.

Patsy