Love!

Tuesday, August 31, 2010 (7:45 a.m.)

Blessed Lord,

Thank You. You have such a perfect way of reminding me when I’m not behaving as You would have me behave. Take this morning for example. What is the word that honestly keeps jumping right off the pages of our Learning Bible? Love! Yes. Love!

Thank You Lord! Thank You that You continuously allow me to go down the paths that lead to bitterness and resentment. You post the warning signs all around. “Stop”. “Go back”. “Dead End”. But You allow me to go none-the-less. Thank You Lord. [After all, does exercise in futility still end up counting as exercise? J]

Lord, You are so good. So faithful. Thank You for bringing me straight to Your Word this morning. Funny, no, make that sad, that it would take a long held off return of shoulder pain to get enough of my attention to come eagerly to You and Your Word this morning.

I love You Lord. I do! Page after page tells me to love. It is described for me exactly what love is: kind, patient, rejoices in the truth, always supportive, loyal, hopeful, trusting. And what it is not: jealous, boastful, proud, rude, selfish, quick-tempered. “It doesn’t keep a record of wrongs that others do.” Oops! Nor does it rejoice in evil. “Love never fails!” (1Corinthians 13:4-8)

And as if these aren’t enough, I am guided over to Romans 5:1-11 to learn “What It Means To Be Acceptable to God”. I have NOT been gladly suffering, “because we know that suffering helps us to endure. And endurance builds character, which gives us a hope that will never disappoint us. All of this happens because God has given us the Holy Spirit, who fills our hearts with His love.” (vs. 3-5)

Here I’ve been waiting for others to notice my hurt feelings and work to make them better. That is not how You’d have it, is it Lord? You did NOT send Your Son to die on my behalf so I could mope around feeling sorry for myself because I feel unappreciated or taken for granted.

Continue Your work in and through me I pray Dearest Lord. Thank You for another glimpse of grace with You. It is ONLY through Your love for us that I can ever learn to love as You would have me love!

Thank You Lord. I do indeed love You so very much. Thank You. Amen.

(407 words ~ 8:43 a.m.)

strength and structure

Monday, August 30, 2010 (8:36 a.m.)

Good Morning Lord,

It’s taken quite awhile for me to turn to You this morning. And even now, I’m not as committed to being here as I want to be. I’m aware of the time and a 10:00 a.m. appointment we have. There’s a song goofing around in my head that I can’t completely get a hold of. And then there’s our plea to You for strength and structure around here.

Yes Lord. We confess to currently being unstructured. And we are in desperate need of Your intervention to not only put us on Your path of order, but to keep us there.

Thank You Lord. As I turned to 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not a God of confusion, but of peace” I saw many aspects of this chapter with fresh eyes. Beginning with the first part of verse one, “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire spiritual gifts”. Yesterday Pastor Ed taught on Dr. Luke’s description of the man with the withered hand whom Jesus commanded to stretch it out (Luke 6:10). We were reminded that we have to stretch out our hands to not only receive Your gifts, but to share them as well.

Lord, we long to be cheerful givers around here (2Corinthians 9:7). Not only with our finances and material wealth, but with our time and talents as well. And what do we need to make that happen? Your strength and Your structure!

My dear husband prayed those very words to You yesterday morning and I am here today echoing them. Lord, we love You. We trust You and we long to serve You. Well. Provide us with Your strength and Your structure that we may indeed follow Your way of love. We love You so much. Thank You. Amen.

(304 words ~ 9:12 a.m.)

Psalm 119

Sunday, August 29, 2010 (7:32 a.m.)

Blessed Lord,

Talk to me this morning about ebbs and flows, highs and lows, working, resting, caring, not caring and most importantly caring (or not caring) enough.

Yes Lord. Get me out of Your way, out of my head and into Your Word. Deeply, profoundly, searchingly into Your Word. Oh most dear and blessed Lord, I keep thinking Your Word. On occasion, I ‘try’ Your Word. I’m getting to the point in my life Lord where I actually want to know and live Your Word.

Lord, there is so much for me to learn. I confess to wasting so very much of the resources You provide. Worry, fear, indecision continue to rob me of the joy that is to be found in living my life for and in and through You. Help me Lord. I know that deep within I long to care enough for the things that You would have me care about. How do I make that happen? In and through Your Word. Will You guide me Lord? Of course You will. The big question here is, will I follow You? I know I want to! I even try to. And then something comes along that throws me completely off balance. I lose my bearings. My focus changes from You to whatever and again I end up feeling lost and disoriented.

Thank You Lord, that You are always here. You never change. Your Word stands true. You are constant. My ever-faithful source of hope. Thank You Lord. Thank You that I get to come before You no matter what my thoughts or feelings. I get to pour out my heart to You and be refreshed, replenished with Your love, Your Truth, Your will, Your way.

Keep me coming to You Lord. Not just to listen and learn. But to obey. I am filled with past experiences of things that did not turn out the way I expected. Disappointments and discouragements cause me to doubt my own ability. The cool thing about that is the more I prove my own inability, the more dependent on You I become.

Thank You Lord for continuously calling me to You. Thank You for ever filling me with Your hope and Your joy. I can’t count on myself to pull me through, but every single time I turn to You and Your Word You are faithful to provide my every need.

Thank You Lord that You are all the things which I am not and You are so incredibly willing to share. I love You Lord. Thank You. Amen.

(431 words ~ 8:38 a.m.)

♫Love Will Keep Us Together♫

Saturday, August 28, 2010 (7:36 a.m.)

Blessed Lord,

There’s some kind of folk song, possibly TV commercial, in my head. But You know what? It just got replaced with ♫Love Will Keep Us Together♫ and I have to admit to much preferring that!

Thank You Lord! I am confessing to behaving somewhat ‘brat-ish’ lately. Not necessarily stomping my foot brat-like, but DEFINITELY game playing aloofness. You know the whole “my feelings got hurt so I will make you pay” type of playing hard to get. Oh Lord. It even looks worse all spelled out than it did in my head!

But what is so incredibly cool with You is when I realize that it’s You and Your love that will absolutely keep me together!

Lord God, I confess to dabbling with bitterness and resentment yesterday. I honestly thought it was something I could play around with to make some kind of far reaching point. NOT! All it did was make me feel even more bitter and resentful.

This morning while I was attempting to track the folk song, I was also rehearsing my ‘rights’ to still cling to that which I bitterly resented. And then You ♫came along singing Your song♫ about me stopping ♫‘cause You really love me. Stop, You’ll be thinking of me♫ And I should ♫look in Your heart and let love keep us together Forever♫

Oh Your goodness Lord! The lightness that has taken over my heart just from again realizing that I can trust You with EVERY single aspect of my being. You are so incredibly good. And You love us so very much. Forgive my momentary lapse into bitter game playing. Thank You for repeatedly calling me to ♫Look in Your heart and let love keep us together♫

Thank You Lord. Thank You. Help me live this day in and through Your love. The only love that will truly keep us together. I love You so much Dearest Lord. Thank You. Amen.

(330 words ~ 8:40 a.m.)

God's presence

Friday, August 27, 2010 (7:02 a.m.)

Awesome God,

Thank You. Thank You for Your presence. Although I continue in my feeble attempt to avoid You, I know You are good and in Your presence is where I truly long to be.

Thank You Lord for continuing to draw me near to You. I have all these false starts toward worship. I start and then I fall back. My heart practically leaps out of my chest when I think of all You have provided. Yet I allow myself to become distracted. Lord, thank You that there truly is nothing I would rather do than be here with You. Help me stay focused on You and Your Word this day.

I realize that I do not deserve to be allowed into Your presence. It is only by Your forgiving grace and the blood of Your precious Son that allows me entry into Your holy of holies. Is this what keeps me away? Do my thoughts regarding my sinfulness get in the way of the praise and worship You so rightly deserve?

This is real Lord. Examining my thoughts and feelings rather than busying them away is huge. I feel uncomfortable. I don’t want to go [much less stay] here. But I will. I will look, with You, at the fact that I don’t see myself as godly. “But let the godly rejoice. Let them be glad in God’s presence. Let them be filled with joy.” (Psalm 68:3) I accept that You are challenging my belief system. That just because I think a certain way definitely doesn’t make it so.

Let me take it a step further, “Because of Christ and our faith in Him, we can now come fearlessly into God’s presence, assured of His glad welcome.” (Ephesians 3:12) It’s true. It’s written in Your Word and Your Word is Truth. Fearless is NOT the word I would use to describe my approach to You! Careless. Cocky. Even calloused. But fearless? Assured of Your glad welcome? This is a huge thought Dearest Lord. Bigger than I’ve even been willing to examine.

How I thank You for the opportunity to explore these verses with You. For far too long I have been attempting to live my life according to my own understanding of what You would and would not have me do. I just lay it all out to You now Lord. I don’t have a clue!

I tend to toss about much like the double-minded man James mentioned in his writing to the fellow believers of his time (1:5-8). Again I thank You for my not being alone in my tendency to make mistakes and not understand.

Lord, as I consider what it means to be in Your presence, all I can do is ask that You really would cleanse me from my every sin (1John 1:7). You are so much more wonderful than I ever give You credit for being. Guide and direct my every feeling, belief, thought and action today. Teach me how to truly love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength as I am commanded in Your Word (Mark 12:30).

I love You so very much. Teach me how to love You better. In Your precious name I pray these things. Amen.

(547 words ~ 8:11 a.m.)

obstinate

Thursday, August 26, 2010 (7:52 a.m.)

Loving Lord,

Thank You that as many things that I put before coming to You, You are still here when I finally concede. Forgive me Father for all the thoughts and mindless activities that I try to use to substitute the time that I really, truly want to spend with You. I’m not sure what the root of my obstinate behavior toward You is lately, but I do know that it doesn’t seem to be going away on its own. So, here I am Lord. Confessing to being much like Your chosen people of Israel, “stubborn and obstinate” (Isaiah 48 :4).

Mm, Lord. Thank You that I get to be this honest with You. I try in my own strength and power to make my feelings of apathy go away with no success. I confess myself to You and You meet me again right where I am. Thank You Lord. Thank You so incredibly much.

The 48^th chapter of Isaiah tells of Your people having been foretold of future judgments, yet they remain stiff-necked and hardheaded. Is there any doubt why I can relate here?

I take You for granted Lord. I don’t mean to. I’m embarrassed to even admit it. But the truth is, I do. I trust that You will always love me. No matter how badly I behave toward You. I read Your words about saving me for Your own sake (vs. 9,11) and I take a very careless, unenthusiastic approach to even the thought of Your unending grace.

Forgive me Lord. You deserve all of my worship and praise. NOT whatever is leftover at the end of the day. Help me Lord. Get me out of Your way of the things that You want to do in and through me. I DO love You so very much. Help me once again to truly be agog with You.

Thank You Lord for yet another opportunity to be honest with and to learn from You. I love You so much. Amen.

(340 words ~ 8:41 a.m.)

undecided

Monday, August 23, 2010 (1:22 p.m.)

Harrah’s Laughlin – Room 20386

Awesome God of Glory,

Thank You! Beautiful room. Incredible view. Wonderful husband. Who could ask for anything more?

That might sound just a little self-indulgent. And even with that thought, You have a verse!

Tuesday, August 24, 2010 (6:58 a.m.)

Wow, Lord! This is a surprise! Last night when the computer froze and I still hadn’t saved what I started to You so much earlier in the day, I thought of it as lost.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010 (7:27 a.m.)

And this morning Lord, I think of myself as a little lost. I keep trying to stay here with You to finish what I started two days ago but my mind keeps wandering. It seemed so much easier to check a few emails, look at some blogs, read about healthier choices that could be made.

Forgive me Lord. I’m not sure that I’m actually avoiding You, but I do know that I’m very easily distracted.

It started on Monday when I was looking at Proverbs 18:1 and wondering if You were wanting to talk to me about my being self-indulgent. I really don’t remember the verses I was looking into yesterday. And this morning I don’t know what You’d have me look at.

Your Word is filled with truth about Your love, grace, forgiveness… I ask You Lord to not only speak to me about what it is You would have me know, but give me understanding (Proverbs 3:4-6). Yes Lord, Your understanding about the things I do not know.

I have been avoiding You. I could kind of tell but I wasn’t ready to admit it full on. I have the tendency to jump to the conclusion that just because I think of something in a certain way, that makes it true. I absolutely know that this is not the case in most circumstances, but it doesn’t change my initial belief.

So Lord, I’m here asking You to guide me in Your Way, Your Truth, Your Life (John 14:6). Ah, and here it is Lord! The crux of the matter is that I don’t want You just to guide me Lord. I want You to direct those around me as well. And why is that? Because it will make my life easier, which takes me all the way back to feeling self-indulged.

Lord, I am so confused. There was a phrase used by a loved one the other night. An expression at which I immediately bristled. I’ve tried letting it go. I no longer want to be involved in situations that are not mine with which to deal. And herein lies my avoidance of You. Rather than come directly before You confessing that I am undecided with what to do, I have taken the long way around. I have attempted to skirt the issue by ignoring You. NOT a good idea!

Forgive me Lord. The other day I thought I knew for sure just what to do. But I hesitated. The more I have avoided You, the greater my indecision has become. Lord, I confess to having difficulty seeing that very fine line between things that are my business and those that are not. I need Your help Lord. Your guidance. Your Truth. Your Way. Your Life.

Again You just crack me up! As I’m turning in Peter’s second letter (to all believer’s everywhere) I read that his purpose for writing it was “to help his readers keep their focus on God’s grace and truth”. Oh, and here, reading further in “The Bottom Line” of The Life Recovery Bible the key verse is “For as you know Him better, He will give you, through His great power, everything you need for living a truly good life: He even shares His own glory and His goodness with us!” (1:3)

Blessed Lord, thank You for continuing to draw me back to Your loving arms. Thank You that immediately following his greeting “To: All of you who have our kind of faith” (v.1) he launched right in with “Do you want more and more of God’s kindness and peace? Then learn to know Him better and better.” (2) That is impossible by avoiding my time with You.

Thank You Lord for repeatedly calling me back to You. Thank You that just as I was again ready to close this blessed book, I looked back to the last paragraph. “Why do the pains, disappointments, and sins of life bring us down? Why do we hurt those we love the most? Perhaps we will never learn the answer to those questions. But 2 Peter does tell us how to change: get to know God. The God of the universe has made Himself available to us on a personal level. As we get to know Him, He will help us overcome our shortcomings and replace them with self-control, kindness, love, forgiveness, perseverance, patience, and peace.” (5-8)

Thank You Lord that even as I titled this prayer to You this morning, one song has kept me from being the least bit undecided. As I continue tapping away to You, it repeatedly reminds me that ♫I have decided to follow Jesus…♫ Thank You Lord for such an awesome decision as that!

I love You so much. Amen.

(880 words ~ 8:36 a.m.)

letting go - take two

Sunday, August 22, 2010 (11:43 a.m.)

Blessed Lord God,

I am allowing hurt feelings to get in the way of worshiping You. This is an OLD pattern. One that has never served me well at all. I am bringing it to You now because I’m asking You to change me Lord. Change my way of reacting to discouraging things by holding them close inside me instead of just letting them go.

Yes Lord. Speak to me again about letting go. I tend to hold on. Grip tightly. Choke the life out of… All joking aside, I want You to renew me.

Pastor Ed spoke this morning about the importance of not putting new wine into old wineskins (Luke 5:37-38). He went on to describe the process of renewing the old vessels by soaking and preparing them.

(1:52 p.m.)

Lord, thank You that I get to come before You ♫just as I am♫ I get to be honest with You and You still love me. Thank You.

Thank You that because I get to be honest with You I also get to practice being honest with those around me. In so doing, hurt feelings can sometimes be worked through. Take this afternoon for instance. Staying true to the example of not putting new wine into old wineskins, I asked for time with a loved one to examine words that had been spoken (and possibly misunderstood) earlier. With a bit of patience and a lot of willingness to understand each other, we again met in the middle of who we once were in ourselves and who we are becoming in You. Thank You Lord for Your loving guidance and direction.

Looking just now to a footnote in The Life Recovery Bible for Mark 2:22, I don’t even want to try and stop the smile that comes so easily as a truly visual “Amen!” to what I am reading. “We must start by recognizing the failures in our life [in this case, communicating properly] and then look to the only one who is able to make things right again – God in Jesus Christ [thank You very much! J]. If we look to Him for help, He is more than able to forgive us and get us back on the right track. God will make our heart open and pliable [the word Pastor Ed used was ‘supple: moving easily and gracefully; flexible; not stiff or hard’] like a fresh wineskin, so we can receive His gifts of grace.”

Ah, yes, Lord! Another gift of grace! How could I even begin to be surprised at how amazingly perfect You work through Your Word to soften our hearts? Oh how I love and thank You Dearest Lord. In Your Son’s most holy name I pray. Amen.

(456 words ~ 2:20 p.m.)

big day

Saturday, August 21, 2010 (11:25 p.m.)

Blessed Lord,

It was a really big day today! We moved our “Kid” to college. I’m not even sure how to begin to even process it all. Oh yes I do! By saying thank You to You, the One responsible for our every breath.

Lord, You are good. You are awesome. You are righteous. And I love You. Thank You for this latest chapter in our lives. Retired, empty nesters with no outside care-giving responsibilities. How I ask You Dearest Lord to help us become good stewards, managing our time and resources well. We love You so very much. We are grateful to You for the grace You have shed upon us and we desperately want to become the people You have designed us to be.

Thank You Lord for Your goodness, Your grace and Your generosity. We love You. Amen.

(144 words ~ 11:47 p.m.)

swim

Friday, August 20, 2010 (6:56 a.m.)

Amazing God,

Thank You for time to catch up. Still too often I get sidetracked. Other things come along before I am finished with what I am doing at the time. Yesterday the ‘incredible’ time I was having with You was interrupted by an incredibly fun day in the pool with friends and loved ones. Lord, how I thank You for blessing me with this love I have for the water and the deep desire to help others enjoy and be safe around it as well.

Thank You too for the way certain words lead me deeper into Your Word with more information of things I never knew. Bible searching the word ‘water’ I knew I wouldn’t be able to look up all 461 times it was listed. Changing it to ‘swim’ gave me a much more doable five verses to explore. Thank You Lord.

Oh Most Holy God, how I ask You to expand with Your truth my understanding of all I am reading . Don’t let me misinterpret anything toward my own purpose. I read. I get excited. And I am prone to running off half-cocked with what I think I know. Thank You for Your willingness to hold me back long enough to remind me to slow down and take a deep breath.

Four different authors used the depiction of swimming, each in a different context. King David (Psalm 6:6) as a metaphor of his tears at night. Isaiah (25:11) told of Your comfort to those who trust in You and Your punishment to those who ignore You. Ezekiel (47:5) describes a river of healing that will flow throughout Jerusalem, restoring vitality and life to the arid landscape. In Acts 27:42-43, Dr. Luke tells of a centurion who wanted to save Paul from the shipwreck.

Lord, I read of these and I am buoyed by Your great love for each of us through the years. Thank You for Your wisdom, guidance, strength, forgiveness, faithfulness, love...

Thank You that even in the midst of me learning more about what You have to say about swimming, I find the reminding words of another song filled with Your promises. ♫O no, You never let go Through the calm and through the storm O no, You never let go In every high and every low O no, You never let go Lord You never let go of me♫

Wow! Thank You Lord. I love You. Amen.

(408 words ~ 8:04 a.m.)

incredible

Thursday, August 19, 2010 (6:17 a.m.)

Blessed, Beloved God,

Thank You for another day of waking up with thoughts and songs of You on my heart and mind. Thank You Father for Your presence in our lives.

Thank You Lord for conversations of and to You. Again the words to a song jump to the front of my mind. ♫Beautiful, beautiful Jesus is beautiful And Jesus makes beautiful things of my life Carefully touching me Causing my eyes to see And Jesus makes beautiful things of my life♫

Lord, how I thank You for Your goodness and Your grace. You are so incredible. You are kind. Loving. Holy. God. And I am loved by You. Wow! What an incredible truth. Thank You!

Thank You Lord that I am loved by You. Loved as dearly as your very own child. I don’t even know how incredible this fact truly is but I see evidences of it all around me. My reactions to things have changed because of Your incredible love for me. My point of view is radically different than before.

I look to Your Word Blessed Lord and I am honestly blown away by the references to just how incredible You are. I have to pause here to go take care of small children for a while. I ask to be able to come back after they are gone to continue this incredible time together. I love You so much Dearest Lord. Thank You. Amen.

(245 words ~ 7:12 a.m.)

smiling

Wednesday, August 18, 2010 (7:44 a.m.)

Holy Father,

Blessed Lord. Thank You. I’m smiling! A big, huge, full-faced smile! Why? Because of the clearest, bluest sky I have seen in a while. Thank You Lord. It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful. Life is beautiful. Why is it that I so easily forget that?

Thank You for a blue sky reminder this morning Lord. One casual look out the window and I started humming. I wasn’t even sure what song it was until one by one the words started coming ♫Blue skies Smiling at me Nothing but blue skies Do I see♫

What a blessing Lord! One look, huge puffy white clouds and a gasp all translated to “Thank You God. Thank You, thank You God!”

I found only three verses in Your Word using the word ‘smiling’ and all of those are in The Message. Genesis 33:10, Psalm 44:1 and Jeremiah 12:5. Again I am reminded Lord that Your people in the Bible were not always smiling. Many of them lied, deceived and cheated their own families. Jeremiah even questioned Your justice.

Reading the footnotes in The Life Recovery Bible again I am smiling. “As difficult as it is to be patient, God’s truth and righteousness do prevail – always.” Ah, Father! What a glorious reason to rejoice and smile.

Thank You for reminding me once again of Your goodness and Your grace. I love You. ♫Blue skies Smiling at me…♫ Thank You. Amen.

(242 words ~ 8:47 a.m.)

complaisant

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 (8:22 a.m.)

Blessed Lord,

Thank You that every day with You is brand new. Thank You that even in coming before You I know that I want my heart to be purer. I don’t want to settle for approaching You mechanically. It is far too easy for me to become complacent – smug, self-satisfied. How much more do I wish to be complaisant – agreeable, cooperative, willing to please. That’s a brand new word for me here Lord. Thank You!

Thank You that as I struggle to come before You without my own agenda, I have to dig past the superficial thoughts that keep getting in the way. Worldly songs that have nothing to do with loving and worshiping You keep jumping to the forefront of my mind. Thank You for replacing them with hymns of ♫how great is Your faithfulness♫.

Lord, my heart and mind are spinning with what I think You are calling me to these days, yet I repeatedly pull back with indecision. I am unable to decide if I should follow what I think is Your lead. Or is it my own guilt that continues to drive these thoughts of an amends I believe You would have me make?

I find myself reading about Zephaniah’s words to the people of the southern kingdom of Judah. They were written ‘to shake the people out of their complacency and to get them back on the path of recovery.’ And in doing so I am prompted to ♫stand and lift up our hands For the joy of the Lord is our strength We bow down and worship Him now How great, how awesome is He And together we sing Everyone sing Holy is the Lord God Almighty The earth is filled with His glory It’s rising all around It’s the anthem of the Lord’s renown And together we sing…♫

Lord, how I thank You for taking me from a place of complacency to that of one of sheer desire to know and serve You better. You are so good. I love You so much. Please keep working in me to better become the woman You have for me to be. If an amends is necessary, please give me the courage and words needed with which to make it. You keep opening doors in that direction. Don’t let me jump ahead as I am too often known to do.

I long to walk in Your light. Complaisant – willing to please others, obliging, agreeable; all because of who You are and everything You do for each of us. Guide me Lord I pray. Amen.

(438 words ~ 10:00 a.m.)

mistakes/blessings

Monday, August 16, 2010 (7:06 a.m.)

Most Holy God,

How I thank You for the opportunity to make mistakes and to learn from them. I confess I prefer not making them at all. But since I do, thank You that I am reminded in Your Word (James 3:2) “We all make mistakes. But those who control their tongues can also control themselves in every other way.”

Wow! What a thought. Controlling myself in every other way. Isn’t that how I have been feeling lately? Out of control. Sometimes a little fearful. Ashamed of the mistakes I’ve made. Wondering how to correct them.

Hmm, Lord, how I thank You that nothing is impossible with You (Luke 1:37). You are good. You are holy. You are able. And I am blessed just by knowing You and loving You.

Lord, THANK YOU! Thank You that in the middle of the very early morning hours, I awoke singing ♫Hosanna! Ho-sanna. You are the God who saves us Worthy of all our praises♫ Several hours later I found myself humming ♫Hallelujah Jesus♫ Lord, I am so blessed to not have to stay in negative thoughts of mistakes (whether big or small). I get to bring them to You!

2Corinthians 9:8, “And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.”

A section in The Bible Handbook describes Paul reminding the Corinthians of the benefits of generosity, “One basic principle is revealed throughout nature: one reaps only what he sows (9:6). God is totally able to meet the needs of every believer, freeing Christians to ‘abound in every good work’.”

Thank You Lord for showing me through this excerpt that if I continue sowing seeds of discontent about blunders that I’ve made, I will keep reaping their reminders. There are far too many blessings that You have provided for me to stay stuck in the rut of unforgiveness toward myself. I am human. “We all make mistakes.” Thank You for loving me through them. And how I humbly ask You Lord to keep working in me that I can love me too.

I love You so much! Thank You. Amen.

(375 words ~ 8:32 a.m.)

overcome with emotion

Monday, August 9, 2010 (7:01 a.m.)

Blessed Lord,

How is it that I am even the least bit surprised here? I tossed. I turned. I fretted. I feared. My mind wandered. And worried much of the night. Yet here it is. Joy came in the morning just as Your Word (Psalm 30:5) promises. Why is it that I am so amazed?

Sunday, August 15, 2010 (9:33 a.m.)

Why indeed Lord? Here You are this magnificent, wonderful, holy God and far too often I have tended to think of myself as ‘all that AND a bag of chips’. Thank You Lord that You constantly remind me that it is You alone who is holy!

Returning home from a trip to Northern Alabama I find myself still profoundly emotional over it all. All the excitement I felt during the planning of our first visit to Gorham’s Bluff in no way prepared me for the intensity I am still feeling.

Lord, You are amazing. The things You created are far too incredible for me to even begin to put into words. I feel embarrassed of how often I have thought that I knew so much about so many things only to be caught short by how little I truly know concerning most things.

Even in my disjointed attempts to express myself to You here this morning Lord, I find myself repeatedly overcome with emotion. And for this I thank You Lord.

Genesis 43:30 and 2Samuel 18:33 both deal with brokenness, the need of dependence on You and forgiveness. Both Joseph and King David were ‘overcome with emotion’ because events of their pasts were affecting their present.

Lord, I don’t know what direction the tugging You are doing deep within me is supposed to lead me. I do ask that You would continue preparing me for whatever it is that You would have me do. If there are amends You would have me make, I ask that You would lay the groundwork. You know that I tend to jump headlong into things I think might be from You only to find out later that I was acting on pure emotion.

Lord, I look at the retelling of the events of these two men, both of whom were overcome with emotion and retreated to their rooms to cry. I am grateful that You saw fit to include times of sorrow in Your Word, as well as times of joy. The contrasts between mourning and celebrating remind us of the importance of repentance, forgiveness and reconciliation. Lord, thank You for loving us so much that You would show us not only the successes but the foibles of those who have gone before us.

I look to You Dearest Lord to overcome my emotions with Your goodness, mercy and grace. As I ease back into this time of being home, I ask You to hold me close as You prepare me for the even bigger changes that are to come.

I love You so much Dear Lord and I long to walk with You along this path of cavernous emotion, undeterred by the momentary lapses of profoundly deep, unexpected tears. You are good Lord. You are holy and I am willing to go unquestioningly with You into this present time of being completely overcome with emotion.

Thank You for being everything You are and creating all that You did. I love You. Amen.

(564 words ~ 12:27 p.m.)

blessed

Sunday, August 8, 2010 (7:52 a.m.)

Blessed Lord,

You have blessed each of us so very much. Before we even knew You, You were blessing us. Thank You Lord. So easily we forget the multitude of blessings You have provided. Help us be more mindful. More thankful. More aware of just how blessed we truly are.

Lord God, thank You for Your patience with us. Thank You for continuing to draw us to You every single time we start to wander and branch out on our own. I think of the yard work we did around here yesterday. We cut, trimmed and pruned overgrown areas that have been left unattended through the years. Thank You Lord for never leaving us to just grow wildly on our own.

You are teaching us to make such healthier choices Lord. In our food, our words and especially our readiness to turn to You. Thank You Lord. Thank You for Your willingness to stay ever faithful while we stumble along our path to You.

Reading again in Isaiah I am reminded of Your faithfulness. We are so very blessed by You. How I thank You Lord. The people of Judah ‘became addicted to the false promises of idolatry. They had developed self-destructive patterns of behavior’. It seems so familiar Lord.

Thank You for sending Isaiah with Your message ‘to inspire them to rebuild their lives based on Your promises’. Blessed Lord, it is Your faithfulness that gives us hope for every single new day.

Isaiah 30:18, “But the Lord still waits for you to come to Him so he can show you His love and compassion. For the Lord is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for Him to help them.

Thank You for blessing us and keeping us and making Your face shine upon us as You teach us to wait upon You. Thank You for loving us Lord so that we can in turn love You. And we do Lord. So very much. Thank You. Amen.

(336 words ~ 8:55 a.m.)

rather

Saturday, August 7, 2010 (8:45 a.m.)

Loving Lord,

Thank You! I’ve been avoiding You for over an hour already just because I thought I wanted to grumble, growl and gripe. Thank You for opening me up enough to finally be able to see that I’d really rather grin.

Every single moment You give us the choice of where to place our focus. Too often I take what seems to come so easy and natural for me, all things negative. Thank You Lord that You are not put off by my reluctance to praise You. Thank You for every single time I choose life (grins) over death (gripes).

Lord, You keep working in me. I confess to being a real slow study. But I know by the truth of Your Word, that slow and steady WILL win the race!

And would You just look at this! Originally I had turned to Psalm 147:11, “Rather, the Lord’s delight is in those who honor Him, those who put their hope in His unfailing love.” Looking up in the preceding verses I read again of the importance of praising and thanking You.

Thank You Lord for the time stalling it took for me to once again come to my senses and realize that I would MUCH rather grin than grumble. You provide us with such blessings. We are each so loved. Your promises are real. Keep working in me Oh Lord, that I would not continue allowing circumstances and tones of voices to snuff out the joy You have for each of us everyday.

You are good. Mighty. Powerful. Loving. Awesome. Wonderful. And I am grateful. Thank You Lord. Amen.

(276 words ~ 9:25 a.m.)

letting go

Friday, August 6, 2010 (6:45 a.m.)

Blessed Lord,

How I thank You for the surprises that are already taking place with my plans for the day. Thank You that ♫Oh no You never let go♫ was the song with which I awoke this morning and letting go is the perfect way for me to approach change.

Thank You Lord that I still have the vivid image of me falling into the pool the other week. Because I didn’t even think to let go upon the collapse of the telescopic pole on which I was leaning, into the water I went. As much fun as we ultimately had when the rest of the family jumped in and joined me for a late evening swim, how odd it seemed the next day when I realized it all could have been avoided by my simply letting go.

Lord, how I thank You for the things You are doing in us and through us. You are rearranging our priorities. You are helping us see the things that are truly important and teaching us to let go of the rest.

Letting go is not something that comes naturally to me. I tend to hold on tight. See mention above of a pole on which I leaned my full weight that proved to be fallible. Thank You Lord that You are infallible. Trustworthy. Perfect.

Lord, I ask You to guide and direct my heart, my soul, my mind and my strength today. The plans I had have all been changed. Provide all I need to approach this day with You at the helm, wholeheartedly following You and letting go of anything that would trip me up. Let me run with endurance the race that You have set before me (Hebrews 12:1b). Letting go of everything else.

I love You so much Dear Lord. Thank You for Your blessings. ♫Oh no, You never let go Through the calm and through the storm Oh no, You never let go In every high and every low Oh no, You never let go Lord, You never let go of me♫ Thank You. Amen.

(352 words ~ 8:16 a.m.)

time after time

Thursday, August 5, 2010 (6:04 a.m.)

Beloved Loving Lord,

How I thank You for Your faithfulness. Waking up this morning, my first instinct was to dismiss the song in my head. Thank You for persisting. I don’t know if anyone else has considered it to be the least bit spiritual through the years, but this morning how can I not?

♫Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick and think of You Caught up in circles Confusion is nothing new Flashback warm nights Almost left behind Suitcase of memories Time after…♫

Lord, how comforting it is to remember that ‘if I’m lost I can look and I will find You time after time. If I fall You will catch me, You’ll be waiting time after time.’ So often ‘I’m walking too far ahead You’re calling to me I can’t hear what You’ve said’. Thank You Lord for those occasions that I DO hear ‘You said “Go slow” I fall behind The second hand unwinds’.

Ah. Most Precious Lord, thank You for loving us so much that You just never give up on us. ♫Oh no, You never let go Through the calm and through the storm Oh no, You never let go In every high and every low Oh no, You never let go Lord, You never let go of me♫

Time after time Your people of Israel “kept on sinning; in spite of His wonders they did not believe. So He ended their days in futility and their years in terror. Whenever God slew them, they would seek Him; they eagerly turned to Him again. They remembered that God was their Rock, that God Most High was their Redeemer. But then they would flatten Him with their mouths, lying to Him with their tongues; their hearts were not loyal to Him, they were not faithful to His covenant.” (Psalm 78:32-37)

Dearest Lord, this just rings so close to home here. How often do I just run off ♫too far ahead You’re calling to me I can’t hear what You’ve said♫ But You, good loving Lord that You are “Yet He was merciful; He forgave their iniquities and did not destroy them. Time after time He restrained His anger and did not stir up His full wrath.” (v. 38)

Thank You Lord. Time after time I deserve so much more wrath and ever such less mercy and You reverse what You give with what I have earned. Thank You. I don’t think I will ever fully understand how You can be so good and kind, loving and forgiving. But I can try to live each day accordingly. Be with me today as I attempt to ♫go slow♫ keeping in step with what YOU have laid out for me.

I love You Lord. I don’t want to miss anything You have already arranged. Keep me mindful and present in seeking Your will and Your way. I love You. Thank You. Amen.

(492 words ~ 7:27 a.m.)

relief

Wednesday, August 4, 2010 (5:49 a.m.)

♫Blessed Be Your Name♫ Dearest Lord,

♫In the land that is plentiful Where Your streams of abundance flow Blessed be Your name…♫ Lord, how much easier it is for me to sing Your praises when things are going along as I think I want them to. I’m asking that You would continue Your work in me that I would just as wholeheartedly sing out thanksgivings ♫When I’m found in the desert place Though I walk through the wilderness Blessed be Your name♫

Father, how I thank You for the mercies You have bestowed upon us. Thank You for a health scare that so far has resulted in nothing more serious than a change in medication. Thank You for the relief that has been found in this fairly clean bill of health. I look to You Beloved God with love and hope and praise.

Lord, I confess I am far more willing to thank You when things look good and question, fear and doubt otherwise. I insert the following blog as an example of who I want to be as a person, how I long to respond when faced with adversity: http://prayfordaisy.com/

This is such a clear example of a faith filled family Lord. How I pray Your blessed relief from pain and suffering be upon them. You are such a good and merciful God. How I thank You for loving and caring for each of Your children so perfectly. Keep us ever mindful of Your goodness and Your grace. With our first instincts always being to trust You and fear not. You are good God and I am thankful. Thank You for Your blessings and Your grace. I love You. Amen.

(287 words ~ 8:36 a.m.)

calm

Tuesday, August 3, 2010 (7:00 a.m.)

Blessed Lord,

THANK YOU! Thank You that my first instinct upon awakening this morning was to start singing praises to You. First came ♫Hosanna. Ho-sa-a-a-a-na You are the God who saves us Worthy of all our praises♫ And just now as I started to sit down was ♫You are the everlasting God The everlasting God You do not faint You won’t grow weary♫

Lord God, how I thank You that yesterday right in the midst of the health scare of a much loved one, my very first thought was to stay calm and take my Bible with us as we got ready to drive over to the emergency room in Loma Linda. I thought it odd even then that I couldn’t think of what clothes to put on. Now I link that indecision with Matthew 6:25-34 and being reminded not to worry about food, drink or clothes.

Lord, I sit here reading Your Word, feeling buoyed by Your presence and I am so eternally grateful for the way You have been working in our lives. You are such a good and gracious God. You DO provide our every need. I am so grateful for Your very presence right here in us.

Lord, thank You for the privilege to come before You with songs of praise and prayers for healing. As I sit here reading verses that mention ‘calm’ my heart and mind and soul continue repeating the musical strain ♫Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord We will wait upon the Lord We will wait upon the Lord♫

And right here in the midst of the calm Lord, I confess to You a deep underlying truth that even though I know You are good and I can even feel Your presence calming me, there is a tiny fear trying to take root. “What if…” this or that? Lord, I choose You! Your Word, Your promises, Your goodness, Your grace, Your mercy. Thank You that You truly are ♫Our God, who reigns forever Our hope, our Strong Deliverer You are the everlasting God The everlasting God You do not faint You won’t grow weary You’re the defender of the weak You comfort those in need You lift us up on wings like eagles♫

Defender of the weak, Comforter of those in need, thank You for the hope You provide. Reading in Zephaniah this morning, it says the people of Judah were in need of some major changes and that the purpose of this book was ‘to shake the people out of their complacency and get them back on the path of recovery’. Lord, how I ask that this most recent familial health scare does exactly that!

“For the Lord your God has arrived to live among you. He is a mighty savior. He will rejoice over you with great gladness. With His love, He will calm all your fears. He will exult over you by singing a happy song.” (Zephaniah 3:17) I look to You to calm all my fears Dearest Lord.

Jesus, Your disciples experienced fear while in a boat with You in a storm (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25). They woke You up, asked for Your help, You spoke to the wind ‘and everything was calm’. Right now Lord, we are dealing with a much loved one’s health issue and we are seeking Your help. How I ask You would calm this storm for us. You are so good dear Lord and we love, thank and praise You. Amen.

(587 words ~ 8:39 a.m.)

avoiding

Monday, August 2, 2010 (8:22 a.m.)

Blessed Lord,

I come to You this morning after spending far too much time avoiding getting started. And just like that I’m already smiling by Your provision.

Thank You Lord. Thank You that I knew I didn’t want to approach You contrivingly. I wanted my thanks and praise to be honest and heartfelt, not forced or put-on. Thank You that You allowed me that.

While there are a myriad of things I ought to spend my time avoiding, YOU are never one of them! One verse rings out loud and clear to me this morning. Proverbs 20:3, “Avoiding a fight is a mark of honor; only fools insist on quarreling.” Ah, Lord! How grateful I am to You for reiterating my own penchants toward foolishness.

Just the other evening, far too much time was spent seeking resolution to yet another misunderstanding between loved ones. My own high regard for words in general, keeps me ever on guard for finding and using just the “right” ones, often to the discomfort of those around me. Lord, I don’t want messages of love to continue being lost because of my own inability to express myself clearly and concisely.

You are my answer. As in every single problem I ever encounter, coming directly to You with it is always the best way to go. Thank You Lord that I have this privilege. I no longer need to be afraid. Actually I never DID need to be afraid! Because You are ‘the author and finisher of our faith’ (Hebrews 12:2) I get to keep my eyes on You as I ‘strip off anything that slows me down or holds me back, especially those sins that wrap themselves so tightly around my feet and trip me up, and run with patience the particular race that You have set for me’ (v.1).

And see Lord? Even as I sit here with You, my heart is again encouraged by another’s ability to express themselves well. A devotion in my Life Recovery Bible concerning these verses states, “This illustration (Hebrews 12: 1-4) referred to the Olympic games. In Bible times men wore flowing robes. At the times of an event, the athletes would strip off their robes and lay them aside to run without encumbrance. If someone tried to compete in his robes, he would get tangled up, losing both the race and the prize. It is God’s will for us to win the race of life. The robes of our recurrent sins need to be laid aside. There will be pain from the exertion, but we are told to pace ourself and to bear the pain with patience. And remember, others who have run the same race and finished well are cheering us on!”

Yes Lord. Let me invest my time in ‘finishing well’ rather than in avoiding! Thank You so much Dear Lord for loving me just exactly as I am and ever encouraging me to ‘strip off anything that slows me down or holds me back’. I love You. Amen.

(510 words ~ 10:11 a.m.)

gifts and giving

Sunday, August 1, 2010 (6:41 a.m.)

Loving Lord,

How I thank You for the gifts You continue giving. I want to give back. While I know that we can never out give You, I want desperately to get to the point where I at least try. Lord, I confess that I still cling tightly. How I ask You to continue Your work in me that I can wholeheartedly obey Your command to Your disciples (found here in Matthew 10:8) “Freely you have received, freely give.”

Oh most dear and loving Lord, how I long to become a cheerful giver (2Corinthians 9:7). I search Your Word and find evidences of gifts and giving throughout. In 1 Chronicles 29 King David knows that he will not be allowed to build Your temple himself, but freely he gives what is needed for another (his own son, Solomon) to complete it. I’m not that selfless yet Lord.

And therein lies the truth. Yet! You are doing such good and mighty works in us. Plucking out the habits and tendencies we’ve acquired through the years that don’t serve You well. Thank You that You are good and faithful to complete the good work You began in each of us (Philippians 1:6).

As I have sat here with You this morning, one thought leads to another and searching it out fills me with hope – and joy. Thank You Lord! Every commentary note I have read so far reinforces the importance of leaning on and trusting in You to complete what You, Yourself have begun.

Thank You that it is You who will help keep me growing in You. Thank You that the best gift I have yet to receive in my life is that of Your Holy Spirit (Acts 10:45). Keep working in me to appropriately share such a treasure.

Thank You Lord that I get to keep coming to You asking for all that I need to continue growing into the woman that You would have me become. Your power IS at work in me. I’ve seen it. I recognize it as being from You. Thank You so much for Your gifts to me Dearest Lord. Keep working in me to more readily and freely give of these gifts.

I love You so much Dear Lord. Thank You. Amen.

(385 words ~ 8:35 a.m.)