Overrated Cruise Experiences

9 Most Overrated Cruise Experiences

By Erica Silverstein, Senior Editor



When cruise lines introduce new onboard experiences (or even talk about their existing ones), it's always done with a ton of hype and fanfare. This new restaurant will be amazing! This high-tech, top-deck attraction will change your life! This cabin category will revolutionize cruise travel!

Meh.

The truth is we love some of these experiences (high-speed Internet, Broadway musicals at sea), are too poor to experience others (loft suites, helicopter tours) and find the rest somewhere between "nice to have" and "not interested." But a few stand out as being particularly overrated. So we're going to stop nodding and smiling and say what we really think.

We find the following nine cruise experiences to be totally overrated.

Sailaway

Let's start with the most controversial one. We don't understand all the hype about the sailaway party. In the late afternoon on our first sea day, what we want to be doing is unpacking, showering or exploring the ship. Instead, we must rush from the muster to ditch our life jacket, then fight the crowds at the pool deck bar for an overpriced drink in a souvenir glass, which we spill while elbowing aside the 10 guys with the huge DSLR cameras to find a spot along the railing, as we listen to the band play some pop song (or "Hot, Hot, Hot") that we know we will soon despise from overplaying…just to watch the view turn into endless ocean? No thanks. Now if there's something cool to see -- cruising the canals of Venice or under the Golden Gate Bridge -- that's worth the trouble. Otherwise, we'll skip the crowds and noise, thank you very much.

Butlers

If we had a dollar for every time a Cruise Critic member asked what to do with a butler, we'd be rich -- and could hire our own butler (if we knew what to do with one). Serving somewhere between a room steward and a personal assistant, butlers are supposed to attend to such tasks as unpacking your bags (don't touch my underthings, strange man!), helping you host cocktail parties (gosh, we better try harder to make friends at the Meet and Mingle) and bring you afternoon canapes (because we need more food on a cruise). Sure, we would love someone to deal with making reservations and asking questions at Guest Services, but we're not going to pay a lot more for the privilege.

Photos

Cruise line photographers are just more trouble than they're worth. They take over stairways and highly trafficked hallways, impeding dinner rush-hour traffic flow. They always seem to pop up at the worst time, when your mouth is full of food at dinner or you're mid-conversation with your spouse as you leave the ship. And while some of their shots turn out OK, usually you've got some unnatural, overly posed look or you look great, but there's a plate of half-eaten food in front of you and the waiter's backside behind your shoulder. We'll keep the $20 and trash the 8x10 instead.

Afternoon Tea

We love a good afternoon tea, the kind with three-tiered trays piled with finger sandwiches and real scones with jam and clotted cream. Admittedly, a few cruise lines (mostly the luxury and British lines) know how to put on an authentic and delicious afternoon tea. But all those mass-market lines that think that plying you with Lipton tea, American scones, dry sandwiches and overly calorific baked goods -- and on the buffet, no less! --have just plain got it wrong. Even on lines that do put in some effort, we find that whatever is on the menu isn't worth filling you up mere hours before dinner. Worth a pass.

Candy Stores

This one has always stumped us. On a cruise ship with endless supplies of food, including round-the-clock self-serve ice cream machines and cookies on order via room service, why do you need a store that sells candy? Are that many people paying for jelly beans and gummy worms instead of going for free treats elsewhere? Our hearts also go out to all the parents who now have one more fight on their hands. (No, little Jimmy, I'm not paying for M&Ms when you just had three slices of pizza, French fries and four desserts at the buffet.)

Gimmicky Bars

A robot, a cruise ship executive and a bottle of rum walk into a bar -- oh, wait, you've heard that one? Gimmicky bars are all the rage on cruise lines, perhaps because they make great photos and amped-up press releases. Royal Caribbean is employing robots to mix uber-sweet fruity drinks, as well as offering a bar that goes up and down like an elevator between three decks. Celebrity has a wine bar without servers, where you just pour yourself drinks via a machine, while Norwegian has an Ice Bar where you must wear winter coats and sit on chairs made of ice. The gimmick is usually fun to check out once…but we never return, opting instead for bars with more atmosphere (or in closer proximity to our deck chair).

Spa Seminars

You probably get one flyer a day in your cabin touting workshops on "Secrets to a Flatter Stomach" or "Eat More to Weigh Less." Lately, we've been seeing the oh-so-enticing "Free Footprint Analysis." You might think you're going to unlock the fountain of youth, but more likely, you're going to get pitched on buying shoe inserts, booking an expensive spa treatment or purchasing pricy products. Don't waste your vacation time. Get back to the pool party, and worry about your body image once you're back home.

Art Auctions

Another flyer-heavy favorite, art auctions sound like a fun, high-end or even lucrative activity to try on a cruise ship. You could own a real Picasso or Chagall! Better yet, you could buy one cheap and re-sell it, making thousands! Um, no. Unless you're well-versed in the intricacies of giclees and lithographs, at best you will come away with a nice print for your home; at worst, you will be taken for a ride and pay more than you needed for art you can't sell and might not even like once you bring it home. By all means, take advantage of the free Champagne -- then leave before you accidentally buy something.

Paying for Coffee

Ooh, look, this cruise ship has Starbucks onboard. And this one has a cute coffee shop in the lobby. And yet…on a vacation that will serve you as many steaks and creme brulees as you can stand, having to pay for decent coffee is criminal. The coffee and tea is usually better than the free stuff -- though not always -- but the fact that the cruise lines pretend these cafes are such a nice attraction, when really they're just another way to nickel and dime you, is totally overrated.

Trivia

What Previously Necessary Computer Tool Is Considered A Novelty?

Optical Media Drives	Video Cards
Screensavers	Mechanical Keyboards

Answer: Screensavers

If you’re reading this trivia question at a computer, there’s a good chance that two things are true: first, that the operating system on your computer ships with a built-in screensaver system and, two, that you absolutely don’t need it.

In the early days of computing, monitors used the same phosphor-based technology found in old tube televisions and extended excitement of the same area of the phosphor mesh behind the glass screen would cause burn-in, wherein the phosphors would stay permanently excited and leave a ghost image on the screen.

In order to prevent a monitor left on from having, say, the Windows taskbar burned into it forever, the screensaver would kick on after X number of minutes and move some graphic like pipes, flying toasters, etc. (what it was didn’t matter) until you returned and, in the process, would prevent any one part of the screen from burning in.

Now, however, the days of widespread CRT and plasma computer monitor use are far behind us and modern flat screen monitors don’t suffer from burn-in as there are no phosphors to overexcite. Today we use screen savers, if we use them at all, for the novelty of it: to display something in the background like slideshows of family photos or exotic locations (and occasionally for security or to display system status information).

Did You Know/Todays Term

Did You Know?

Despite the popular belief that dogs only see in black and white, it’s untrue. While dogs may not see the same range of color that humans do, they do perceive colors on par with a human suffering from red-green color blindness.

Today's Tech Term 

Ambient Light

The term Ambient Light refers to sources of light that are not supplied by a photographer for the purpose of taking photos (i.e. sunlight, moonlight, etc.).

Entertainment News

The Rolling Stones go home to the blues with 'Blue & Lonesome'

Mick Jagger and the Rolling Stones, shown Oct. 14 at the Desert Trip mega-concert in Indio, have just released "Blue & Lonesome," consisting of their versions of a dozen vintage American blues songs. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

By Randy Lewis

When the Rolling Stones fell in love with American blues music as teenagers in England in the late 1950s and early ’60s, the grand old men of the genre they idolized were 20 to 30 years their seniors.

Muddy Waters was in his late 40s and Howlin’ Wolf was about 50.

Now that the Stones themselves are wizened veterans, they are bringing a lifetime’s worth of experience to bear in their homage to their youthful heroes in “Blue & Lonesome,” the first full-fledged blues outing ever for the group often called “The World’s Greatest Rock & Roll Band.”

And to hear Mick Jagger and Keith Richards talk about it, you get the impression it feels to them like the difference between then and now is barely the blink of an eye.

“In a way it reminds me of 1962,” Richards, 72, said in an interview from his home in Connecticut.

“On the other hand, we probably play them a little different now, probably with more confidence,” he said. “We have the sound down better now. When we started in England, there wasn’t anybody who knew how to record this stuff, so that took quite a while to organize. It was only when we came to America and got into American studios that we really started to hit our stride.”

Added Jagger, 73, in a separate interview from London ahead of the album’s Friday release, “The hopeful thing, the surprising thing is that it still retains that enthusiasm — that’s the thing that’s the same, the enthusiasm you’ve got for the music.”

The dozen tracks that make up “Blue & Lonesome” were recorded relatively quickly over three days last December in London. Early reviews have been enthusiastic. They point to the lived-in authenticity the Stones invest in the songs, and the appropriately gritty, down-and-dirty sound created by Jagger, Richards, drummer Charlie Watts and guitarist Ron Wood with the help of longtime Stones producer Don Was.

Along with the Stones’ back-to-back weekend performances in October for the Desert Trip classic rock superstar blowout in Indio, there was also the  U.S. opening on Nov. 12 of “Exhibitionism,” a major exploration in New York of the band’s 50-plus year career, as well as the home video release of the “Havana Moon” album and DVD documenting the group’s massive free show in Cuba in March.

“Blue & Lonesome” grew out of the band’s habit of warming up by running through the songs they’d loved as aspiring musicians, when they were lapping up every lick of Southern-drenched, Chicago-incubated blues they could get their hands on across the Atlantic Ocean.

Indeed, the band’s formation story is now part of rock legend. Richards first made contact with Jagger when he spotted the future lead singer in a train station carrying albums by Muddy Waters and Chuck Berry. Suddenly, Richards found himself a comrade in American roots music.

“I threw the idea around the last couple of years with Don Was,” Jagger said. “Every time we rehearse we always do some blues songs, and I thought we should record them, then put out an album. When you’re rehearsing you tend to be relatively relaxed. You don’t have any pressure, so sometimes these things sound really good, because there are no engineers saying ‘Let’s try another take.’ You just do it.

“I don’t think it was on the menu of anyone,” he said. “It was completely out of the blue, and so we just picked up and it sounded good. The first one sounded good, and then the second one sounded good, and pretty soon I thought, ‘I see what’s going on here.’ The thing is, you get kind of lucky sometimes, and when you’re in that lucky space, you just want to stay there.”

Instead of simply using the blues numbers as musical muscle flexing, they devoted their full attention to seriously digging in for three days. Jagger took it on himself to compile lists of songs to consider, which he said were offered up as the sessions unfolded. If someone objected, he said, he’d just move on to the next song on the list until consensus was reached.

“Obviously I feel completely different than I did then,” he said. “But in a way it’s still the same thing. I don’t think you can think about your life experience while you’re doing it. You’re just doing the tune. I’m just being an interpretive singer — that’s my gig. So when we say ‘OK, we’re going to do [Little Walter’s] ‘Just Your Fool,’ I’m just trying to interpret it as well as I can.”

The focus is by and large on Chicago blues, and on songs recorded by artists signed to the Chess and Checker labels of pioneering blues record execs Leonard and Phil Chess. Four are associated with harmonica player Little Walter [Jacobs], two with bassist-songwriter-producer Willie Dixon and the rest with the likes of Howlin’ Wolf, Lightnin’ Slim, Jimmy Reed, Magic Sam and, the most recent, “Everybody Knows About My Good Thing,” originally recorded in 1971 by Little Johnny Taylor.

One of the realizations out of the experience, Richards said, “It’s the recall on everything we did. It was automatically there, you didn’t have to do any memory searching, it just sort of flowered, and I just let it roll. Mick’s playing great harp and doing great vocals. The arrangements stuck pretty close to the originals. It just arrived, there was no planning — we just kicked it off and got into it.”

Richards is famous for saying it’s the roll in rock ’n’ roll that’s more important than the rock. The same appears to hold true in the Stones’ approach to the blues. “There’s a lot of roll on this — thanks to Charlie Watts and Darryl Jones, who played lovely bass on this. I love my rhythm section.”

The sessions allowed Jagger to immerse himself in playing blues harp.

“Playing for three days in a row — that’s not what I normally do,” he said. “You get more confident with it, and in a studio, you can really hear what you’re doing. When you play harmonica with a rock band on a stage, it’s hard to hear the nuances” he said with a laugh. “That’s an instrument that you need to actually hear what you’re doing. You can’t see the keys, and you have to bend the notes to get the notes you’re trying to get. If you can’t hear it, you really don’t know if you’re hitting it.”

Likewise, he felt liberated in his singing by the concentrated time with the vintage songs. “There are things I can attempt now that I wouldn’t have attempted before. It’s all the blues, but there are a lot of different styles. Compare [Lightnin’ Slim’s] ‘Hoodoo Man Blues’ to [Otis Rush’s] ‘I Can’t Quit You Baby,’ they are totally different vocal stylings.”

If there’s a common thread for Jagger, it was the effort to bring a sonic unity to the varied vocal expressions, instrumental combinations, rhythmic grooves and lyrical narratives of the songs.

 “The whole thing about this particular kind of record was trying to get as cohesive a sound on everything — where you’re not picking out any star performances, in a way,” he said.

“That’s the essence of some of those Chess songs,” he added. “You can make counter-arguments — that Hubert Sumlin jumps out of some of those Howlin’ Wolf records. But on a lot of them you can’t discern who’s playing what or what kind of instrument it is until you really listen.

“My thinking on the mixing of it was to re-create some of those things,” he said. “You’re hearing the sound of a band; sometimes you can’t figure out if it’s Keith or Ron who’s playing the solo, or who’s playing the rhythm part. It’s not a wide stereo — it’s a very narrow stereo, and with the amount of distortion it sounds like this one ball of fire.”

Weekend Box Office Results

'Moana' Repeats at #1, Topping Slow Post-Thanksgiving Weekend

In a repeat of last weekend, Disney's Moana finished atop the weekend box office for a second week in a row followed by the third weekend of WB's Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Overall the weekend played pretty much as expected with a few over-performers here and there along with the weekend's widest new release Incarnate falling short of its meager expectations.

Moana dropped 50% from its three-day opening weekend, finishing #1 with an estimated $28.37 million bringing the animated feature's domestic cume to just under $120 million. Internationally Moana added another $32 million from 30 territories as its international gross now stands at $57.5 million for a worldwide haul topping $177 million.

Within Moana's international performance it debuted in five significant markets including a #1 finish in France with an estimated $5.2 million, a $5.1 million opening in Russia, $2.7 million debut in Mexico and UK, along with an estimated $2 million opening in Spain. The film's top international market so far is China where it dipped 55% this weekend for an estimated China gross just over $21 million.

In second place, WB's Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them dropped 59% compared to last weekend, bringing in an estimated $18.5 million for a domestic cume that now totals $183.5 million, tenth largest among all 2016 releases. Added to that, Beasts brought in an impressive $60.4 million internationally this weekend from 67 markets. It's overseas total now totals $424.4 million for a worldwide gross topping $607 million making it the tenth largest worldwide release of 2016 so far.

Arrival took third place with an estimated $7.3 million, dropping an impressive 36% from last weekend as its domestic cume now totals $73 million. Paramount also found itself in fourth position with Allied, which out-performed Mojo's forecast, delivering an estimated $7 million weekend, dropping 44.5% from its three-day opening weekend for a domestic cume that now stands at $28.9 million.

Overseas, Allied added an estimated $12.1 million bringing its international cume to $24.8 million for a worldwide gross topping $53 million. Among the film's international markets, it opened in China in fourth position with an estimated $3.6 million. It also opened in Russia in second place with $1.7 million, in Portugal with an estimated $381,000 and in Turkey with $223,000.

Disney and Marvel's Doctor Strange rounds out the weekend top five with an estimated $6.48 million bringing its domestic gross to $215.3 million. This makes it the ninth largest domestic release in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Added to that, with a $3.7 million weekend in 51 markets, Strange's international cume now climbs to nearly $420 million as it passes Iron Man 2 to become the eighth largest worldwide release in the MCU.

Further down the list we come to BH Tilt's Incarnate, a new PG-13 thriller that fell short of its target $4-5 million opening, bringing in an estimated $2.6 million from 1,737 theaters. Also opening this weekend was moderate-sized release of Smith Global Media's Believe, which debuted in 639 theaters and finished outside the top ten with an estimated $602,519.

Elsewhere, Roadside Attractions and Amazon's Manchester by the Sea finished just outside the top ten as it expanded into 156 theaters (+108) and brought in an estimated $2.6 million ($15,151 per theater average). The film recently won Best Film from the National Board of Review, was nominated for eight Critics Choice Awards and saw Casey Affleck win Best Actor at the Gotham Awards as it is hoping for Oscar glory over the next couple months.

Speaking of Oscar-hopefuls, Fox Searchlight debuted Jackie starring Natalie Portman in three theaters in New York and two in Los Angeles this weekend where the film took in an estimated $275,000 for a solid $55,000 per theater average. On December 9, Jackie will open five more new markets—Washington DC, San Francisco, Boston, Toronto and Phoenix—as well as adding a few theaters in both NY and LA.

Finally, one last international highlight to round out the weekend features Sully, which debuted in 21 additional markets this weekend and brought in an estimated $11.2 million, bringing the international cume to $75.9 million. Of the new markets in release the film opened in third in France with an estimated $2.8 million, first in Italy with an estimated $2.3 million, a third place finish in the UK with an estimated $2.2 million, another third place finish in Mexico with $1 million and a fifth place finish in Germany with an estimated $670,000. Overall, Sully has now topped $200 million worldwide on a $60 million budget.

Overall, the weekend top twelve grossed a combined $88.2 million, which is down just a fraction compared to the same weekend last year when The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 finished #1 in its third weekend in release.

Like this weekend, next weekend should be relatively quiet with only one new wide release in the ensemble comedy Office Christmas Party debuting in ~2,800 theaters and the expansion of EuropaCorp's Miss Sloane into ~1,600 theaters. Next weekend will also feature yet another Oscar-hopeful in the limited release of La La Land, which was just nominated for 12 Critics Choice Awards. Following that, however, we get into the thick of the holiday season with the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

December 2-4, 2016 Weekend

TW LW Title (click to view) Studio Weekend Gross % Change Theater Count / Change Average Total Gross Budget* Week # 1 1 Moana BV $28,373,000 -49.9% 3,875 - $7,322 $119,888,330 - 2 2 2 Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them WB $18,545,000 -58.9% 3,988 -156 $4,650 $183,507,403 $180 3 3 5 Arrival Par. $7,300,000 -36.3% 2,915 +473 $2,504 $73,078,514 $47 4 4 4 Allied Par. $7,050,000 -44.5% 3,160 - $2,231 $28,927,432 $85 2 5 3 Doctor Strange BV $6,486,000 -52.8% 2,935 -73 $2,210 $215,309,177 $165 5 6 6 Trolls Fox $4,600,000 -56.8% 3,156 -166 $1,458 $141,371,445 $125 5 7 9 Hacksaw Ridge LGF $3,400,000 -38.4% 2,494 +162 $1,363 $57,264,956 - 5 8 7 Bad Santa 2 BG $3,288,699 -46.8% 2,945 +25 $1,117 $14,289,743 $26 2 9 N Incarnate HTR $2,659,000 - 1,737 - $1,531 $2,659,000 $5 1 10 8 Almost Christmas Uni. $2,500,350 -56.1% 1,556 -213 $1,607 $38,147,500 $17 4

by Brad Brevet

Mon Inspiration

Morning Inspiration with Pastor Merritt

“Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.” James 5:14-15

Before we really get into the meat of the message today, I want to make sure I explain where I am coming from. I want you to be clear up front on what I do and don’t believe about the matter of healing. I believe in faith healing; I do not believe in faith healers. I believe that God still, supernaturally and miraculously heals.

In the above passage, James addresses those who are sick. I’m sure some who are reading this post today are dealing with sickness. Whether it is physical or mental, everyone can relate to sickness because we all get sick. Sickness affects believers and unbelievers. Sickness comes to atheists and agnostics. It affects everyone.

According to James, what is the first thing we are instructed to do, as believers, when we face sickness? We are called to pray. And at times, we are called to ask the leaders of the church, the pastors and staff and others, to come together and pray over us. Now don’t misunderstand what I am saying; God uses doctors, medicine, and technology to heal, but all of these are tools in the hands of God.

Let me say it again. There is nothing wrong with going to see doctors and using medicine. Anyone who says you shouldn’t because that shows a lack of faith is ignorant of what the Bible teaches about both healing and faith. The thing I want us to embrace today is to know the difference between putting our faith in doctors to heal, and placing our faith in God to heal. All healing is of God whether your healing comes through fresh air and sunshine, vitamins and proteins or medicine and technology. It all comes from God. It may be the hand of the surgeon that holds the scalpel, but it is the hand of God that holds the surgeon. So let’s remember to seek the true Healer when we face sickness.

Grieving at Christmas

A Prayer for the Grieving at Christmas

~~If I could sum up 2016 with one word it would be loss.

Yes, we have had some wonderful blessings this year, but the blessings have been far outweighed by huge losses. And, as the holidays approach, the losses are weighing even heavier upon our hearts.

I’ve spent the last eight months doing everything I can to keep my faith strong, to trust God. But this week, I am losing the battle. I am collapsing under the weight of this year.

The last few days, I find myself simply falling apart. I can’t hold back the tears another moment. I can’t put a smile on my face and pretend I am doing just fine. I can’t hold in the grief that is filling every inch of my being.

Perhaps you understand. Perhaps you too feel as if this year has been a nightmare, destroying your peace and security. Perhaps you feel as if your very life is crumbling, collapsing. Perhaps you can no longer hold in the tears, no longer pretend everything is just fine.

And, perhaps like me, you aren’t ready to face the holidays. You can’t muster an ounce of holiday spirit, don’t want to hear the Christmas carols streaming overhead. Perhaps you are simply ready for the holidays to be over.

If you are consumed by grief this Christmas, you are not alone. Can we just take a moment to pray?

Lord Jesus, I am so overwhelmed. My heart is heavy, burdened. The losses this year are crushing me, overcoming my peace and joy.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Psalm 34:18

I know you tell us you are close to the brokenhearted, but I don’t feel you. I feel lost, hopeless, abandoned. My spirit is crushed, but I don’t feel as if you are rescuing me.

I need you. I need you to draw me close. I need you to lift my spirit, to rescue me. I need you to take my grief and give me a spirit of joy.

In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 1 Peter 5:10

I know this is a season, a season that has a beginning and an end. But right now it feels like it will never end. I need hope, hope to believe you will truly restore me, strengthen me. I need hope to believe you will one day have me put together and on my feet for good. I need a vision of the future you have for me, a future of hope and blessings from you.

The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. Psalm 28:7

As I walk through the trials of this life, I am learning yet again to trust you. I know when I come out on the other side, I will find you completely faithful. I know you will help me. Give me vision to see the many ways you are working right here around me, the many ways you are helping me. Fill my heart with joy so I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3

It’s so easy to become distracted, to focus on the many losses I have experienced. Forgive me. Help me to put my thoughts, my attention on you. Help me cling to you, to your word, to your promises. Help me be fixed on you because I know it’s the only way to enjoy your perfect peace.

For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs. Zephaniah 3:17

Take delight in me. Calm my fears. Rejoice over me. Help me feel your love in tangible ways.

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

I’ve never needed your mercy and grace more than I do right now. I’m standing at your throne, begging you to pour it out upon me! Lavish me with your gifts, your goodness. You are my only hope!

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7

I keep giving you my worries, my cares, but it seems I always pick them back up again. Help me release them to you once and for all. Take them, Lord. I can’t carry them any longer. The worries and cares of this life are crushing me, sucking the life out of me.

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. Romans 8: 26

I am weak beyond all explanation. I am collapsing under the weight of the pain and suffering. I have no words to pray, nothing except a broken heart to offer you. Help me in my weakness. Intercede on my behalf. Pour out your prayers, your groanings, over me. There are no more precious prayers than your prayers prayed over me.

But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19

When you take away, I know there’s a reason. I don’t understand your ways, your purpose. I don’t understand why we have suffered these tremendous losses. But I know you will make a way. I know you will take the past and do something new. I know you are always at work around me and in me. Do something new in me. I surrender to you.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28

Father, you tell us all things work for good. I don’t see it right now. I don’t know how sickness and death can work for my good. I don’t have your eyes in this situation. But I do trust you. I’ve seen you take the most difficult, painful circumstances and use them for good. I want to believe you will take this year and do the same. Help my unbelief.

Come back to the place of safety, all you prisoners who still have hope! I promise this very day that I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles. Zechariah 9:12

May I be among those who have hope, for You are my only hope. I don’t know how to get through these trials. I don’t know how to keep living in the face of these losses. Help me cling to you. Help me cling to the promise you have great blessings in store for me, blessings that greatly outweigh the troubles.

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. Lamentations 3:22-23

Thank you that your mercies never end, that your faithfulness is perfect. Thank you that each day is filled with your love, your goodness, your grace. Give me fresh eyes to see the beauty of this life you have given me, in spite of the pain and suffering I am facing now.

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5

Lord, thank you that your favor comes. There is an end to this pain, this suffering. I only ask you to sustain me through the night as I wait to see the morning sun.

As I walk through this holiday season, give me a fresh glimpse of who You are. Help me remember the suffering You experienced as You watched your Son on the cross, a gift given just for me. Help me remember with joy and wonder the amazing gifts we have simply because you gave, a precious baby born that Christmas morning. Help me focus my heart and mind on Immanuel, God with me.

You are my hope, my only hope, for Christmas and every day on this earth. May I always carry your hope with me. In Jesus name I pray, amen
.

And, perhaps like me, you aren’t ready to face the holidays. You can’t muster an ounce of holiday spirit, don’t want to hear the Christmas carols streaming overhead. Perhaps you are simply ready for the holidays to be over.

If you are consumed by grief this Christmas, you are not alone. Can we just take a moment to pray?

Lord Jesus, I am so overwhelmed. My heart is heavy, burdened. The losses this year are crushing me, overcoming my peace and joy.

The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. Psalm 34:18

I know you tell us you are close to the brokenhearted, but I don’t feel you. I feel lost, hopeless, abandoned. My spirit is crushed, but I don’t feel as if you are rescuing me.

I need you. I need you to draw me close. I need you to lift my spirit, to rescue me. I need you to take my grief and give me a spirit of joy.

In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. 1 Peter 5:10

I know this is a season, a season that has a beginning and an end. But right now it feels like it will never end. I need hope, hope to believe you will truly restore me, strengthen me. I need hope to believe you will one day have me put together and on my feet for good. I need a vision of the future you have for me, a future of hope and blessings from you.

The Lord is my strength and shield. I trust him with all my heart. He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy. I burst out in songs of thanksgiving. Psalm 28:7

As I walk through the trials of this life, I am learning yet again to trust you. I know when I come out on the other side, I will find you completely faithful. I know you will help me. Give me vision to see the many ways you are working right here around me, the many ways you are helping me. Fill my heart with joy so I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Isaiah 26:3

It’s so easy to become distracted, to focus on the many losses I have experienced. Forgive me. Help me to put my thoughts, my attention on you. Help me cling to you, to your word, to your promises. Help me be fixed on you because I know it’s the only way to enjoy your perfect peace.

For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs. Zephaniah 3:17

Take delight in me. Calm my fears. Rejoice over me. Help me feel your love in tangible ways.

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

I’ve never needed your mercy and grace more than I do right now. I’m standing at your throne, begging you to pour it out upon me! Lavish me with your gifts, your goodness. You are my only hope!

Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you. 1 Peter 5:7

I keep giving you my worries, my cares, but it seems I always pick them back up again. Help me release them to you once and for all. Take them, Lord. I can’t carry them any longer. The worries and cares of this life are crushing me, sucking the life out of me.

And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words. Romans 8: 26

I am weak beyond all explanation. I am collapsing under the weight of the pain and suffering. I have no words to pray, nothing except a broken heart to offer you. Help me in my weakness. Intercede on my behalf. Pour out your prayers, your groanings, over me. There are no more precious prayers than your prayers prayed over me.

But forget all that—it is nothing compared to what I am going to do. For I am about to do something new. See, I have already begun! Do you not see it? I will make a pathway through the wilderness. I will create rivers in the dry wasteland. Isaiah 43:18-19

When you take away, I know there’s a reason. I don’t understand your ways, your purpose. I don’t understand why we have suffered these tremendous losses. But I know you will make a way. I know you will take the past and do something new. I know you are always at work around me and in me. Do something new in me. I surrender to you.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. Romans 8:28

Father, you tell us all things work for good. I don’t see it right now. I don’t know how sickness and death can work for my good. I don’t have your eyes in this situation. But I do trust you. I’ve seen you take the most difficult, painful circumstances and use them for good. I want to believe you will take this year and do the same. Help my unbelief.

Come back to the place of safety, all you prisoners who still have hope! I promise this very day that I will repay two blessings for each of your troubles. Zechariah 9:12

May I be among those who have hope, for You are my only hope. I don’t know how to get through these trials. I don’t know how to keep living in the face of these losses. Help me cling to you. Help me cling to the promise you have great blessings in store for me, blessings that greatly outweigh the troubles.

The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. Lamentations 3:22-23

Thank you that your mercies never end, that your faithfulness is perfect. Thank you that each day is filled with your love, your goodness, your grace. Give me fresh eyes to see the beauty of this life you have given me, in spite of the pain and suffering I am facing now.

For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime! Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning. Psalm 30:5

Lord, thank you that your favor comes. There is an end to this pain, this suffering. I only ask you to sustain me through the night as I wait to see the morning sun.

As I walk through this holiday season, give me a fresh glimpse of who You are. Help me remember the suffering You experienced as You watched your Son on the cross, a gift given just for me. Help me remember with joy and wonder the amazing gifts we have simply because you gave, a precious baby born that Christmas morning. Help me focus my heart and mind on Immanuel, God with me
.

Dena Johnson Crosswalk.com

Steps to Stop Worry

4 Steps to Stop Worry 

Four Steps to Stop Worry
By Rick Warren

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7 NLT, second edition).

It takes more than willpower to stop worrying. You already know that, because you’ve already tried it. You’ve thought, “I shouldn’t worry about this,” and yet you just keep on worrying about it.

It’s going to take more than your willpower to stop worrying. It takes four things:

1. You have to get to know God.

Jesus says in Matthew 6:32, “People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things” (MSG). If you don’t have a relationship with God, you have every reason to worry. You’ve got to get to know God! As a believer, you have a heavenly Father who has promised to take care of you. You are God’s child, and children get special privileges. When you worry, God says, “You’re my child. Why are you acting like an orphan?”

2. You have to put God first in every area of your life.

Matthew 6:31-33 says, “Don’t worry at all about having enough food and clothing …. Your heavenly Father already knows perfectly well that you need them, and he will give them to you if you give him first place in your life and live as he wants you to” (TLB). Any time you take God out of the center of your life and put anything else there — no matter how good it is — you’re going to worry.

3. You have to live one day at a time.

The Bible says, “So don’t worry about tomorrow, because tomorrow will have its own worries. Each day has enough trouble of its own” (Matthew 6:34 NCV). If you’re worrying about tomorrow, you can’t enjoy today. You miss today’s blessings. It’s OK to plan for tomorrow, but you have to live for today. Also, when you’re always worried about tomorrow, the future gets overwhelming. But God will give you the grace and strength you need when you get there. Right now, you only need enough power for today.

4. You have to trust God to care.

“Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you”(1 Peter 5:7 NLT, second edition). How do you do that? One way is to memorize God’s promises in the Bible. They’re like an insurance policy for believers. When you know something’s covered, you don’t worry about it anymore. Another way is to pray. If you prayed as much as you worried, you’d have a lot less to worry about.

What’s the result of taking these four steps? Incredible peace of mind: “You will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand” (Philippians 4:7a TLB).

Pray this prayer today: “Dear Father, I admit that I often forget that you are with me. I often forget what you’re like. Would you please forgive me for that? I need to get to know you better. I need to get to know your Word and your promises better. Help me to put you first in every area of my life. Help me to live one day at a time. Help me to not worry about tomorrow but instead focus on what you’re doing in my life right now. I want to trust in your promise to take care of every one of my needs — financial, relational, physical, social, spiritual, and emotional. Help me to trust you more and worry less. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.”