"Whoa!"

Tuesday, January 31, 2012 (6:12 a.m.)

“Whoa!” God,

First word out of my mouth this morning. Directly related to the beauty taking place outside my window.

What I find most interesting is that this time it had nothing to do with vibrancy of colors. This morning it was the intense silhouette of the clouds and the mountains that caused my gasp.

Thank You Father! Thank You for yet another surprise.

(7:18 a.m.)

Colors came to the sky. Even the husband came out to enjoy them. But still, there was something special, along the lines of intriguing about the contrast between lights and darks.

Jesus, I don’t know what You have for me to learn or to offer others this day. I confess physical pain to You. Asking that You would lead me to the relief You would have me find.

During the long night of wakefulness between bits of sleep, I thought of the hymn I heard long ago. In looking it up just now, I turned immediately to the Bible verse it references. Jeremiah 8:22. As well as the one immediately before. And from there, to the beginning and then to the end of this particular book.

Jesus, how I thank You for the history of this prophet. A man who was faithful to You. One who was also bitter, angry, discouraged, depressed and lonely. Because of his experience we are reminded that You accept our emotions as well. We are free to bring You all of our failures and strong feelings.

We are reminded that we are to be honest with You. You desire to heal our broken, hurting parts. Father I ask You to keep bringing me to You for healing. I’m at a loss. One person thinks this. Another says that. My hope is in You.

Jeremiah’s words in 8:21-22 remind me of my own thoughts. "I weep for the hurt of my people; I stand amazed, silent, dumb with grief. Is there no medicine in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why doesn’t God do something? Why doesn’t He help?"

Which brings me right back to the hymn. ♫There is a balm in Gilead to make the wounded whole; There is a balm in Gilead to heal the sin sick soul. Sometimes I feel discouraged, And think my work’s in vain, But then the Holy Spirit Revives my soul again. If you cannot preach like Peter, If you cannot pray like Paul, You can tell the love of Jesus, And say, “He died for all.”♫

Every time I reach for the pain freeing cream, remind me Dearest Lord and Savior that YOU are the balm that soothes and heals!

Thank You. Thank You! And just as an endnote. Thank You for the “Whoa!” of the evening sky yesterday, which kept me driving on surface streets for ten miles so as not to miss a single aspect of its beauty. Again a sky much more silhouetted than colorful. Ah, but beautiful in its own right.

Thank You Father. Thank You Jesus. Thank You Comforting Holy Spirit. I love You. Thank You. Amen.

(517 words ~ 7:56 a.m.)

anticipating joy

Monday, January 30, 2012 (11:13 p.m.)

Most Glorious, Awesome God and Father,

I had some good sleep and I’m asking that You will provide me some more. Thank You for this opportunity just to come and say, “Thank You.”

Thank You for rest. Thank You for hope. Thank You for love. And anticipated joy. Mm. What a thought. Anticipating joy!

Isaiah (65:16-18) quotes You as saying, “Pay close attention now: I’m creating new heavens and a new earth. All the troubles, chaos, and pain are things of the past, to be forgotten. Look ahead with joy. Anticipate what I’m creating: I’ll create Jerusalem as sheer joy, create my people as pure delight.”

As I get ready to go back to sleep Blessed Father God, I ask that You would prepare my heart, soul, mind and strength for such a place as this. What a privilege! To anticipate such joy. Thank You Father. I love You. Amen.

(157 words ~ 11:36 p.m.)

chapters 9

Monday, January 30, 2012 (7:00 a.m.)

Most Loving Lord God,

Guide me where You want me this morning. I thought for sure it was going to be me confessing my careless approach to so many things, followed by my earnest desire to be so much more intentional. I started looking in the back of Your Word and there are topics on “accountability” and “inheritance”.

Now I look and find a 12-step devotional entitled Confession right here in front of me. Let me take this look at Nehemiah 9:1-3 and see what develops.

Turning back one page to begin the chapter, I once again read Facing the Sadness (Nehemiah 8:7-10) and I so very humbly ask You Dearest Father God to lead me in this prayer I offer You this morning. I confess to feeling lost. I don’t know which way to turn. Who do I trust?

I have questions. And doubts and fears. [Oh my! J] And a smile. A very gentle, tender smile as I remember one more time that I am to trust in YOU!

♫With all my heart And lean not on my own understanding In all my ways acknowledge You And You will direct my path♫ (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Beloved Father God, I find three pages in a row talking about Step 4 and the importance of making “a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.”

After the two devotions listed above comes “Family Influence”. Because I asked You to guide me this morning, I am going to look into following this lead as possibly being from You. I desperately don’t want to jump to conclusions and run ahead on my own, I am asking You Lord. Is this a direction You want me to pursue?

(12:40 p.m.)

Ah, Most Blessed and Awesome God, thank You for this opportunity to read further into Your Word. I get to be encouraged and uplifted by reminders of all You’ve done for Your people through the ages.

I have others to remind me, “When we set out to face the pain and sadness of making a moral inventory, we will need the ‘joy of the Lord’ to give us strength. This joy comes from recognizing, even celebrating, God’s ability to bring us out of bondage and to care for us as we pass through the sadness toward a new way of life.” (Life Recovery theme related to Nehemiah 8:7-10)

On the very next page I read of the confession of the returned Jewish exiles. “In their confessions, the Israelites owned, bemoaned and then discarded their sin. After this they were better able to make a new start. We can ‘own’ the garbage in our own life by taking personal responsibility for our choices and actions. We can ‘bemoan’ it by allowing ourself to grieve. We can ‘discard’ it by leaving it behind and turning toward the future.” Yes Father God, I am asking that You would help me do exactly this!

The last of the three related devotionals, Family Influence (Nehemiah 9:34-38) ends by saying, "It’s all right to admit the truth about what brought us into bondage. This might very well involve the wrongs committed by our parents and family. It’s all right to express anger and regret over what’s been done to us. We have a right to hold others accountable and grieve over the negative effects they have had on our life. That is part of the real picture." Thank You Father!

The truth of this section continues, "It’s not all right to use this as an excuse for our wrong choices or for staying in bondage. They may be partly responsible for bringing us to this place, but we are responsible for moving on to a better place for ourself and our own children."

I’m ready Father God. Lead me on in this process of Facing the Sadness, Confession and looking realistically into the Family Influence from which I come. I long to grieve, heal and grow. I can only do this through You who gives me the power and the strength.

And just as if a bit of a post-script right here, I ‘mistakenly’ [I don’t think with You there are that many mistakes! J] read EZRA 9 about the deep mourning he did on the behalf of Your people. A comment for verse three at the bottom of the page reads, “The temptation is to procrastinate in dealing with tough issues in our life. But God wants us to tackle them head-on, remembering that He is there to give us strength and encouragement.”

Right across the page from here, completing the chapter, another comment rings true. “Often we hold on to some area of our life that prevents us from experiencing everything that God has for us.” I want to be done with that Most Blessed God and Father. I want desperately to let go of the things that are keeping me from having Your “life in all its fullness” (John 10:10B).

Work with me Father. Work in and through and for me I pray. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(841 words ~ 1:45 p.m.)

reconciliation

Sunday, January 29, 2012 (7:08 a.m.)

Loving, Beloved, Father God,

I don’t know how to be kind to myself. I can criticize. Find fault. Judge. Hold a grudge. Resent…. Would You talk to me this morning about being kind and nurturing? Not just with others, but with myself.

You allowed me another birthday Blessed Father. There has to be more here than meets my eye.

You are good Father, truly, wonderfully good. What would You have me do with Your goodness? Share it? Apply it? Reconcile myself to it? Yes. With tears in my eyes Father God, I am asking You to teach me what it is to truly be reconciled to You.

For far too long I have feigned patience and understanding with myself. I offer it out a whole lot more than I am willing to receive it. I know what the fruit of Your Spirit is listed as in Your Word (Galatians 5:22-23). Love. Joy. Peace. Patience. Kindness. Goodness. Faithfulness. Gentleness. And self-control. Because it is a fruit, I realize it has to be grown. Nourished. Nurtured. Not manufactured. You have to do this in me. It’s not something I can do for myself.

This is what I am asking here this morning Most Blessed Father. I truly don’t know how to consistently follow Your path. I keep jumping off. Running ahead. Thinking I’m doing what You want, and then finding myself lost. Dazed and confused.

Father God, I am asking for a super short leash right now. One that will keep me close To You. On Your path. Hearing Your voice. Following Your lead. Teach me Father. Grow me. Lop off whatever You have to (John 15:2) to continue growing me into the woman You have already designed me to be.

I love You so incredibly much and I long to be all You have for me. Teach me a whole lot about reconciliation this day Dearest Father. I thank You. I love You. Amen.

(330 words ~ 8:05 a.m.)

♫Stronger♫

Sunday, January 29, 2012 (6:15 a.m.)

Beloved Jesus,

Thank You. I knew the song as soon as I saw it last night at church. I recognized it again this morning. I didn’t find it right away, but with just a little bit of stick-to-itiveness here it is. Thank You Jesus. Yes. Thank You for all You have for me to learn this day.

♫There is love that came for us Humbled to a sinner’s cross You broke my shame and sinfulness You rose again victorious♫ These are such strong, rich words!

♫Faithfulness none can deny Through the storm and through the fire There is Truth that sets me free Jesus Christ who lives in me♫ Blessed, Beloved Jesus, thank You so very much for living here in me!

♫You are stronger, You are stronger Sin is broken, You have saved me It is written, Christ is risen Jesus You are Lord of all♫ Most dear and blessed Savior, I need this to be my theme song!

I have used the tendency to give up and quit my whole life. It comes very readily and natural for me. I have attempted to build strength on my own in this. But it’s YOU that holds the key here!

♫No beginning and no end You’re my hope and my defense You came to seek and save the lost You paid it all upon the cross♫ These are truths I choose to believe. Every single moment of every single day I have choices. Too often I choose whatever seems easiest at the time. Jesus, thank You that You continually come to my aid, to teach me.

♫You are stronger, You are stronger Sin is broken, You have saved me It is written, Christ is risen Jesus You are Lord of all♫ There is so much Truth here. Let me not only learn it Blessed Jesus, let me live it as well.

♫So let Your name be lifted higher Be lifted higher, be lifted higher So let Your name be lifted higher…♫ All because ♫You are stronger…♫ Yes Blessed Jesus, let me fully and truly live believing this, this day and always! Thank You for Who You Are and all You do. Thank You. Bless You. Praise You. Love You. Amen.

(378 words ~ 6:58 a.m.)

words that begin with "p"

Friday, January 27, 2012 (5:28 a.m.)

Powerfully, Praiseworthy “Papa” God,

You started this theme with me several hours ago. At first I was completely unaware of it. I woke up in pain. After falling back to sleep, I awoke with the word ‘purpose’. Although when I actually saw it in my mind’s eye, it read ‘perhaps’. After that was ‘picture’ or ‘photo’. I wasn’t sure which. When I started talking to You, ‘praise’ immediately came to mind.

So here I am ‘prepared’ to explore wherever You ‘plan’ to take me this morning. Right now I’m in the Topical Index at the back of my Bible. First word? “PARDON (see Forgiveness)”. That seems like a very good place to begin.

Ah, but no. “PERFECTIONISM”. Yes. That’s it. “The Paradox of Powerlessness”. 2 Corinthians 4:7-8, “But this precious treasure – this light and power that now shine within us – is held in a perishable container, that is, in our weak bodies. Everyone can see that the glorious power within must be from God and is not our own. We are pressed on every side by troubles, but not crushed and broken. We are perplexed because we don’t know why things happen as they do, but we don’t give up and quit.”

Sweetest Jesus I need You to speak to me here. I AM perplexed! Weak. Feeling pressed on ever side. I believe I am not supposed to feel crushed and broken, ready to give up and quit. It is ONLY Your power working in me that can get me through the rest of this day.

And see? I confess that and I find relief! I’m in tears with the hopefulness that comes from believing and trusting Your Word. Blessed Lord God, I do NOT know the plans You have for my body. But I choose to believe that ‘they are plans for good and not for evil. Plans to give me a future and a hope’ (Jeremiah 29:11).

I pray then I read more in Paul’s letter. I tearfully smile, as I begin to hope again. With all pretense gone from my thoughts right now, I confess that I am feeling scared and sad and tired of not knowing what to do. One minute I think I’m on the right track and the next I fear the pain and immobility will only continue to get worse.

One professional says one thing and another, something else. Father God, You know what You would have me do, where you would have me go for help. I don’t. The pain does not seem to be lessening. Healing doesn’t seem to be taking place. What would You have me do? Where would You have me go?

I do not believe You to be a punishing God. Yet I confess to wondering, am I being punished for something? Have my all too ready judgments of others landed me in this current world of pain?

Forgive me Most Loving Lord. Your Word gives me hope and power. Please Most Dear and Blessed One, may all the words that begin with “p” serve to bring You praise.

Ah, and here it is. The word I didn’t know I was looking for. “Promise”. The promise Paul provides in verse 16-18. “That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our inner strength in the Lord is growing every day. These troubles and sufferings of ours are, after all quite small and won’t last very long. Yet this short time of distress will result in God’s richest blessing upon us forever and ever! So we do not look at what we can see right now, the troubles all around us, but we look forward to the joys in heaven which we have not yet seen. The troubles will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever.”

Commentaries that follow present the promise thusly, “if we trust God to help us in this life of decay and death, we can be sure of His blessings in the future.” [Promise! J] And “Once we recognize the paradox of powerlessness it can be a relief. We don’t have to pretend to be perfect. We can live a real life, with daily struggles, in a human body beset with weakness and still find the power from above to keep going without being crushed and broken.”

Ah, freedom found in the form of Your powerful promises! Father God, how profoundly I ask You to ‘bless and protect me; radiate Your face with joy because of me, be gracious to me, show me Your favor and give me Your peace’ (Numbers 6:24-26).

It is absolutely in Your Son’s precious name I pray. I love You. I thank You. Amen.

(790 words ~ 8:05 a.m.)

♫Blessed Be Your Name♫

Thursday, January 26, 2012 (12:08 p.m.)

♫Blessed Be Your Name♫

Friday, January 27, 2012 (8:22 a.m.)

♫In the land that is plentiful Where Your streams of abundance flow Blessed be Your name♫

♫Blessed be Your name When I’m found in the desert place Though I walk through the wilderness Blessed Be Your name♫

♫Every blessing You pour out I’ll turn back to praise When the darkness closes in Lord Still I will say Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your name Blessed be the name of the Lord Blessed be Your glorious name♫

♫Blessed be Your name On the road marked with suffering Though there’s pain in the offering Blessed be Your name♫

♫You give and take away You give and take away My heart will choose to say Lord, blessed be Your name♫

Yes, Lord. I choose to say, “Blessed be Your name”! Thank You that You have made me thusly. There IS currently pain in the offering and again I say, “Blessed be Your name”.

Twelve hours ago I got to see the most beautiful “teacup moon” I’ve seen in five years. That particular night my brother and I got to hold each other as we cried, mourning the death of his son while marveling at the magnificent wonder of the evening. There again we witnessed ♫You give and take away♫ And still we chose to say, ♫Lord Blessed be Your name♫

Thank You Blessed Father for Your work in each of us. Growing us into the Followers of Yours that You would have us be. Followers who wake up singing ♫Blessed be Your name♫ Thank You for Your love for each of us that enables us to in turn love You, each other and ourselves. What a true blessing You are. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

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

♫ Beautiful ♫

Wednesday, January 25, 2012 (6:58 a.m.)

Awesome, Blessed, Holy God,

Thank You! There was going to be an air of factual complaining going on here. That was until I opened the front door. I gasped. Smiled. And immediately changed my tune. Literally!

In what seemed like no time at all, I was singing ♫Beautiful, beautiful Jesus is beautiful, And Jesus makes beautiful things of my life. Carefully touching me, Causing my eyes to see, Jesus makes beautiful things of my life♫ You do, Blessed Jesus! And I am grateful.

As I turned in the Psalty edition of Your Word (Mark 8:22-26) to find the words for this song, I also found comfort and knowledge and hope. Hope for healing.

On more than one occasion You made the blind to see. For various causes of blindness, You used different methods of healing.

Jesus, I am here before You this beautiful morning asking for healing. Whether You deem it most important to first heal my emotional, physical, or spiritual state it’s Your healing I am seeking nonetheless.

I love You Jesus. And while I much prefer loving You free of pain, I absolutely believe that You are growing and teaching me something huge during this process. I don’t know if it’s mostly about trust or priorities or powerlessness or what have You.

I confess that I have no idea other than the fact that I am learning that I have to depend on You for the power and strength to form a single thought. Maybe that IS it! Pain absolutely keeps me in the moment.

And for that I am going to continue seeking another gasp of gratitude. For truly when confronted with such beauty as today, I want nothing more than to wholeheartedly be “AGOG with God”!

Thank You for such a ♫Beautiful♫ reminder as this. I love You. And I thank You. Amen.

(314 words ~ 7:58 a.m.)

Difficult Joy

Saturday, January 21, 2012 (8:14 a.m.)

Primm, NV

Powerfully Awesome Father God,

I just saw it. In the bookmark bar at the top of a webpage. Two key words to two very different blogs. “Difficult”. “Joy”.

I don’t know how often I may or may not have thought of joy as being difficult, but with it right here in front of me the “Aha!” in my mind was almost audible. Difficult Joy. Hmm.

(9:38a.m.)

Oh, most dear and blessed Father God. I sit here reading in the book of Nehemiah. I alternate between the extreme highs of hopefulness and the devastating lows of dread. I see the potential for joy mixed in amongst the difficulty of all the rebuilding needing to take place. Father, thank You for the song the husband woke up singing again this morning. ♫Forever God is faithful… Forever Forever♫

Looking up the lyrics, I am reminded that they associate strongly with Psalm 136. “Oh give thanks to the Lord for He is good; His loving-kindness continues forever.” ♫Give thanks to the Lord Our God and King His love endures forever For He is good, He is above all things His love endures forever Sing praise Sing praise♫

As I read Your Word and am reminded of Your promises, in the far recesses of my mind I once again become aware that I am so very faintly joining in the refrain as I ♫Sing praise…♫

Father God, thank You. Too often I believe the mistakes I have made through the years far exceed the things I’ve done correctly. Only You can be the judge of that. Until that judgment comes to pass I get to rejoice in the fact that ♫Forever You are faithful♫ and in Your faithfulness there is joy to be found. Through pain, suffering, devastating loss there is joy. Difficult joy. But joy nonetheless. Thank You Father, for difficult joy. Teach me to seek it. Find it. Rejoice in it. And tell others about it. I love You. And I long to serve You well. Thank You. Amen.

(350 words ~ 10:36 a.m.)

attitude of gratitude

Wednesday, January 18, 2012 (6:39 a.m.)

Loving Father God,

‘For You so loved the world that You gave Your only Son’ (John 3:16). That’s a lot of love! I am asking for an ‘attitude of gratitude’ this morning. There’s already been surprises for which I was not prepared. Teach me Blessed Father to smile and even laugh in the face of the unexpected.

Ah, yes. An attitude of gratitude.

Thursday, January 19, 2012 (8:09 a.m.)

Oh and You did, Blessed Lord. You truly did! Yesterday continued being a day of surprises and unexpected moments of pure joy.

It was a day where I was able to share with another my request for an attitude of gratitude and have it reaffirmed back to me.

Beloved Father God, I see You working in me in the most profound, yet at the very same time the tiniest, slightest ways. Minor adjustments, causing major changes. Thank You Lord God.

Thank You for the opportunity of being in a room filled with people of a different ethnicity than my own. Thank You for the courage to ask out loud, “What’s a girl to do when she has a whole lot of heart and such very little soul?” And thank You God for the encouraging answers I received to this very sincere question.

Thank You for leading me to a place of business where I was not only the single minority, but also did not speak nor understand the language. There is so much of life that I miss out on when I isolate myself in my own little comfort zone.

Thank You that ‘adventure really IS out there’ and every once in awhile I choose to be a part of it.

Father God, I am asking for another day of developing this attitude of gratitude. You are so incredibly generous and gracious. Don’t let me squander a single aspect of this day. Thank You Father. Thank You Son. Thank You Holy Spirit. It is in each facet of You that I pray saying, “I love You. I thank You. Amen.”

(339 words ~ 8:24 a.m.)

loyalty

Tuesday, January 17, 2012 (6:49 a.m.)

Awesome, Blessed, Comforting Three-in-One,

Father. Son. Holy Spirit. There are a lot of words swirling around me this morning. The one that has been landing the most recently is ‘loyalty’. Devine Trinity, guide me in the direction You would have me go this morning.

Proverbs 3:3, “Never tire of loyalty and kindness. Hold these virtues tightly. Write them deep within your heart.” Yes Most Holy. Teach me this.

Reading the thesaurus concerning this word, I find sixteen other words listed. Allegiance. Faithfulness. Obedience. Devotion. Steadfastness. And my personal favorite for the day, “trueheartedness”. Truehearted; loyal or faithful.

This is a word I want to have describe me. I look to You to teach me what it is to be loyal. Faithful. Truehearted.

Reading other versions of Your sacred Scriptures, I like the word picture the Contemporary English Version paints for me. “Let love and loyalty always show like a necklace, and write them in your mind.”

In attempting to help me learn better posture, our son has reminded me through the years to stand with shoulders back, chest up “as though you’re showing off a necklace you want others to notice.”

YOUR love, Your Word, Your loyalty is absolutely a necklace I want others to see me wearing!

The Easy-To-Read version of Your Word says, “Don’t ever let love and loyalty leave you. Tie them around your neck, and write them on your heart.” The Message put it this way, “Don’t lose your grip on Love and Loyalty. Tie them around your neck; carve their initials on your heart.”

Yes Most Awesome and Blessed Father, Son and Holy Spirit, help me practice loyalty this day. I love You. I need You and I want to serve You well. Thank You. Amen.

(297 words ~ 7:58 a.m.)

"BENIGN!"

Monday, January 16, 2012 (4:28 p.m.)

Yea God!

Thank You Blessed Jesus. The wonderful, awesome word for today is, “BENIGN!”

How I thank You for the conscientious spirit of an extremely kind doctor. Thank You for this woman who would take time out of her day to email me the test results of a suspicious “wisdom” spot on my arm.

Jesus, how I thank and praise You for the wherewithal to turn to You with my concerns. Thank You for the insurance resources we have that enabled me to have the biopsy that ruled out any reason for further treatment.

Thank You God. Thank You Jesus. Thank You Holy Spirit. Talk about the Supreme Trifecta! Thank You from the bottom of my heart.

Oh, and yes. The husband said to say thanks for him as well. Thanks! I love You. Amen.

(141 words ~ 4:38 p.m.)

♫Sing Praise♫

Monday, January 16, 2012 (7:01 a.m.)

Awesome Father God,

What do You have planned for us today? How do I proceed? Where do I start? With praise.

Thank You Father. It was a relatively quick find. I started out thinking “with praise” and ended up with ♫Sing Praise♫ which led me straight to Michael W. Smith and ♫Forever God is faithful Forever God is strong Forever God is with us Forever… Forever Sing praise, sing praise♫

Yes Lord. Let me sing praise to You this day. Turning to Your Word I find three verses right off the bat, which speak to this very thing. Psalm 47:1; Psalm 147:1 and Isaiah 12:5. Each tells of the importance of praising You. And the very next thing I know I’m singing out ♫Holy is the Lord God Almighty The earth is filled with His glory… And together we sing Everyone sing♫

Awesome, Blessed Father God, as I consider all there is for which to praise You, how I ask that You would continue Your work in our lives. Keep removing those things that are of little to no benefit for us. Fill and replenish us with what You know we need to live healthy, nourished lives.

♫We 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♫ Ah, yes Lord God. Keep us singing to and for You this day.

I love You so much. Thank You. Amen.

(260 words ~ 8:05 a.m.)

A, B, C

Sunday, January 15, 2012 (7:58 a.m.)

Awesome Father God,

Blessed Lord Jesus, Comforting Holy Spirit, thank You! Thank You for the spirit of joy and thankfulness with which to arise.

Thank You for thoughts of forgiveness and thankfulness. Thank You for all that You are. All that You do.

Thank You for safe travels and lessons learned. Thank You for awaking times of 3, 4, 5, 6 and a period of deep, sound sleep until just now. Thank You for bizarrely detailed dreams. Dreams filled with action, hope, boundaries and forgiveness. Forgiveness sought, received and offered.

(10:37 a.m.)

Reading Your Word about forgiveness (Psalm 103; Psalm 65:3; Matthew 18:23-35) I truly feel as though I am basking ♫in the light of Your glory♫

Last night we were blessed to be able to attend our worship service at church. Walking in to the strains of asking You to ♫Open the eyes of my heart, Lord Open the eyes of my heart I want to see You♫ I believe I did see You in my dreams this morning. There is still that ever-present sense of our all-encompassing need of forgiveness.

As I sit here in Your presence asking for a system of forgiveness as simple as the A, B, C’s with which I began this much earlier, “Always Be Caring” came to mind. Looking at the thesaurus and following some of the words to even more meanings, I found 'caring' led to 'compassionate', which pointed to 'charitable' and finally to 'forgiving'.

That is my prayer to You this morning Awesome Father God, Blessed Lord Jesus, Comforting Holy Spirit. Make it so I will “Always Be Caring”. There is such life and joy to be found in forgiveness. Work in me that I will much more readily practice it.

I love You. Thank You. Amen.

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

distracted

Friday, January 13, 2012 (7:47 a.m.)

Blessed Jesus,

Waking up isn’t easy this morning. Let me start by saying, “Thank You Jesus” and see where that takes me. Thank You, Jesus. Yes. Thank You Jesus.

I get to wake up in a house. With a heater. And the smell of freshly brewed coffee. By my husband. Who loves me. That’s five things right there. Without even thinking too hard.

Talk to me this morning about gratitude. Being grateful. Thankful. There are spring flowers blooming in the backyard.

(8:58 a.m.)

How about I confess how very distracted I am this morning? Every Christian song playing on the husband’s computer right now leads my thoughts first one way then another. Every Bible verse I come across makes me think, ‘Yea. This is the one.’ And then I’m off texting my brother or playing newspaper words games.

Blessed Jesus, my focus is NOT staying on You this morning! I don’t know what to do about it other than confess it to You.

(9:29 a.m.)

A perfect case in point. A simple trip to the restroom just now resulted in sweeping and scrubbing the floor. Lord Jesus, I want to focus on You!

I’m reminding myself of Martha (Luke 10:40) where she “was distracted by her many tasks”. I truly want to more resemble ‘her sister Mary who sat at Your feet as You talked’ (v. 39). The sister You described as fully understanding, “one thing is necessary. Mary has made the right choice, and it will not be taken away from her” (42).

A quote of this section in The Illustrated Bible Handbook says, “Any work we do ‘for’ God must flow from a significant personal relationship with the Lord.” Yes Lord. Bring me to Your feet. To listen. To learn. To be willing to obey.

Thank You Jesus. Thank You for turning my distracted thoughts to a calm and settled heart. One that truly DOES love You and wants to sit quietly at Your feet. Deep, cleansing breaths remind me of Your peace. Your love. Your willingness to sacrifice Yourself on our behalves. Thank You Jesus. You did exactly what I asked much earlier. You talked to me about gratitude. Thank You. I AM grateful Jesus!

I am grateful to You for all You allow me. The music I hear. The sights I see. The work there is to be done. Let me do it all as I fully and resoundingly sing out ♫Holy is the God Almighty The earth is filled with His glory…♫

Followed immediately by ♫Wonderful, so wonderful is Your unfailing love Your cross has spoken mercy over me♫

Blessed Jesus, if I am going to be distracted by anything this day, let it be YOU! I love You so very much. And I thank You. Amen.

(467 words ~ 9:56 a.m.)

Thank You!

Thursday, January 12, 2012 (4:18 p.m.)

Blessed Father,

Thank You! Thank You for options and choices and chances and opportunities. Thank You for time well spent today. Thank You for medical insurance and sincerely kind people who seem to enjoy what they do. Thank You Father.

Thank You for a truly beautiful day. Thank You for time to enjoy and explore it. Thank You for friendships. Thank You for pain and ways to manage it. Thank You for mindfulness and the ability to be aware.

Blessed God, thank You for teaching us that in all things we are to give thanks (1Thessalonians 5:18). Thank You for reminders of to what we are to hold tightly and of that to which we are to let go.

Father, You are so good. So loving. So kind. So patient. And I am so very grateful to all You provide and offer us. Thank You for Your Son. Thank You for new life. Thank You, Father. Just thank You! I love You. Amen.

(168 words ~ 4:39 p.m.)

confession

Wednesday, January 11, 2012 (8:29 a.m.)

Blessed Lord God,

A new page. A clean slate. Bible verses that include both. Guide and direct me here this morning.

Throughout the night I considered Your Word. I remembered that I have not kept on asking that the answer would be given to me. I have not kept seeking through You the solution to the pain in my shoulder that it would be found. I have not kept on knocking that the door [to the proper remedy] would be opened (Matthew 7:7-8; Luke 11:9-10).

Truly Father God, I feel much more like the warning James gave to the early Jewish believers. “If you want to know what God wants you to do, ask Him, and He will gladly tell you, for He is always ready to give a bountiful supply of wisdom to all who ask Him; He will not resent it. BUT [emphasis mine!] when you ask Him, be sure that you really expect Him to tell you, for a doubtful mind will be as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind; and every decision you then make will be uncertain, as you turn first this way and then that. If you don’t ask with faith, don’t expect the Lord to give you any solid answer” (James 1:5-8).

Oh this fits me to a tee. I have such a doubtful mind.

(10:32 a.m.)

So here I am. Asking. Seeking. Knocking. [Pounding. Begging. Pleading… J] Oh look. A smile! Thank You Jesus! Thank You for added time spent with our son. Thank You for his genuine concern for wanting to help his mom. Thank You for this opportunity to learn more about my body.

I confess Dearest Lord Jesus to being very haphazard with my health. Not believing health warnings until the end result hampers me in one way or another. With that said Blessed Jesus, I ask You to guide and direct every single aspect of the maladies affecting my health right now.

'YOU know the plans You have for me! They are plans for good and NOT for evil. Plans to give me a future and a hope' (Jeremiah 29:11). It is precisely Your plans I ask You to manifest in and through me.

“In those days when you pray, I will listen. You will find me when you seek me, if you look for me in earnest” (Jeremiah 29:12-13). I am seeking You, Your will, Your way with all of my heart, all of my soul, all of my mind and all of my strength. I believe You and Your Word. And I love You even more than I seek You (Mark 12:30).

It is in Your most precious name that I pray these things, asking that Your will be done in my health. I love You and I thank You. Amen.

(480 words ~ 10:55 a.m.)

many tears

Monday, January 9, 2012 (7:15 a.m.)

Blessed Lord Jesus,

Thank You. Many tears have fallen the past few days. All of them music related. Just now as I awoke remembering what started it all, I have again substituted You as the protagonist.

Thank You Jesus that I get to see You in so many different places in my life. I love when I come here thinking I know what direction we’re heading, only to have my mind changed by the use of a certain word or two.

One minute I’m singing ♫I’m everything I am Because You loved me♫ and the very next thing I know I’m back in high school with ♫Many a tear has to fall♫ Thank You Jesus that life with You is so much more like the first song than the second.

Thank You that love with You is NEVER a game. There’s never a time that my future has to look dim. Even though memories can instantaneously be sparked by a musical note or two, it doesn’t mean the words are true.

Thank You Jesus that You are true. Your Word is Truth. Through all these years You HAVE stood by me. There is Truth You’ve made me see. You’ve brought joy into my life. And You’ve truly made a lot of wrong into right.

You’ve made a lot of dreams come true. I have found a lot of love in You. You’re the One who’s held me up and never let me fall. You ARE the One who sees me through it all!

Jesus, You have shown me through the years what it is like to be truly loved. Just even thinking about what all this particular song stirs in me, I am once again experiencing many tears.

Thank You Jesus for that time almost nineteen years ago in a hospital meeting room that I was given strength when I was weak. A voice when I couldn’t speak. You gave me eyes when I couldn’t see. Through all this time, You have seen the best there is in me.

You truly lifted me up when I couldn’t reach. Gave me faith ‘cause You believed. I am everything I am Because You love me!

Wednesday, January 11, 2012 (7:59 a.m.)

I kept thinking I would come right back and finish this. It’s sad for me when I put time with You at the bottom of a list instead of up at the very top where You so rightfully belong.

Jesus, I love You. Really, truly love You. As much as this song continues speaking to me through all these years, it’s Your WORD I want to focus on this morning. Thank You for calling me to switch gears here. I love You Lord. I’ll be back soon on a new page. Amen.

(466 words ~ 8:14 a.m.)

The Father's Love

Sunday, January 8, 2012 (8:49 a.m.)

Most Dear and Blessed Father God,

I love You. Thank You for being a Father who dearly loves His children. I’m not even sure what that actually entails, but I believe that You do.

(9:43 a.m.)

Almost an hour of searching “The Father’s Love” results with a faint “aha” and a contented “Mm”.

After much reading, it’s 2 Thessalonians 2:16,17 and 3:5 that speak reassuringly to me. “May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting comfort and hope, which we don’t deserve, comfort your hearts with all comfort, and help you in every good thing you say and do.” That’s a Father’s love for sure!

“May the Lord bring you into an ever deeper understanding of the love of God and of the patience that comes from Christ.” Yes, please!

Father God, it IS in You I trust! There are far more things I don’t know and understand than those that I do. How I ask that You would continue showing and teaching me the things You want me to hold true.

You are so good to love and forgive us in ways that we don’t deserve. With all the whining, doubting, questioning, hiding and seeking I’ve been doing lately, it’s the seeking I ask You to guide me in most.

There’s a maturity I believe You are pulling me towards. I don’t seem to be eagerly following Your lead on my own accord. Continue Your plan for me regardless of all the things I, at one time or another, thought were true. It is absolutely apparent that You Dearest Father truly DO Know Best.

I love You. I thank You. I ask You to lead me and to guide me and to hold me in the very palm of Your hand. It is Your love I need, I want and for which I am asking. Thank You Dearest Father, for a love I can’t even begin to comprehend. I love You. Amen.

(339 words ~ 10:06 a.m.)

grateful praise

Saturday, January 7, 2012 (8:24 a.m.)

Blessed Father God,

I LOVE waking up singing to You! Often I wonder where the song may have come from. Other times, like this morning, I just smile and go with it.

♫Glory be to the Father, And to the Son, And to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be…♫

Oh Your goodness Lord! Oh Your great and glorious goodness. I’m almost laughing out loud as I realize I have joined two songs together again!

Somewhere in the waking up of my mind and soul, I remember talking to You about possibly getting up to see the sunrise [You noticed I overrode that thought!]. With that came the singing of ♫For the beauty of the earth♫ and much humming as I ended knowing the title for today ♫Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise♫

How I went from there to the Gloria Patri I still haven’t figured out. What I do know is how excited and eager [agog] I am because of the related Scripture verses I’ve come across related to these two powerful musical entries.

Three different verses. Yes another mistake on my part. On my way to Psalm 96:8, I went to 66 instead. And it’s right around 66 I plan to stay right now.

There’s a Twelve step devotion titled Joy in God’s Presence relating to Psalm 65:1-4 and a couple of recovery themes at the bottom of the page encouraging me to “share with others the good news of God’s powerful deliverance and His plan for their life.”

Turning back one page is another devotional. This one is titled Giving Up Control and relates to Psalm 61:1-8. Reading the first line to each of the five recovery themes across the page again I am encouraged. 61:1-8, “Wherever we are, whatever the circumstances we face, we can turn to God for help.”

62:1-8, “When we face problems that we cannot overcome alone, the wisest thing to do is wait for God to defend us.” 63:1-5, “The more difficult life is and the more severe temptations we face, the more important God becomes to us.” 64:7-10, “God knows exactly where our enemies are, and thus He is able to help us thwart their attack.” 65:5-13, “God is more than able to respond effectively to our needs for deliverance, because He is the same God who made the majestic mountains of this world.”

And then there’s the command of Psalm 107:8 itself, “Give thanks to the Lord for His unfailing love and His wonderful deeds.” Backing up to verse one, I read all the way down the page.

“Say thank You to the Lord for being so good, for always being so loving and kind. Has the Lord redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others He has saved you from your enemies. He brought the exiles back from the farthest corners of the earth. They were wandering homeless in the desert, hungry and thirsty and faint. ‘Lord, help!’ they cried, and He did! He led them straight to safety and a place to live.”

Yes indeed Dearest Father God, ♫Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise♫ Thank You for blessing us and making us Yours. Keep us near You as we go out fully aware of Your presence in our lives.

I love You so very much. And I am truly grateful! Amen.

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

rambling

Friday, January 6, 2012 (12:13 p.m.)

Incredibly Awesome God,

Hi. I’m not okay so I’m just going to ramble until some Truth or another rings itself out at me.

First off let me thank You. Thank You that You are good. You are true. You are faithful.

And not too much rambling later, here I am singing my heart out to you through the words and melody of Marvin Gaye from so many years ago…

♫You’re all I need to get by. Like a sweet morning dew, I took one look at You And it was plain to see You were my destiny. With arms open wide, I threw away my pride. I’ll sacrifice for You, dedicate my life to You. I will go where You lead, always there in time of need. And when I lose my will You’ll be there to push me up the hill♫

It’s so true Dearest Jesus. You ARE always here! Thank You. Too easily I lose sight of the joy and peace and strength that is found in You. And You alone!

(1:16 p.m.)

Blessed Jesus, one more time I truly am amazed by the power and strength I find in You. One minute I’m confessing to You that I am not feeling okay. The next, I am in and out of the shower, doing laundry and walking in place for exercise. All because of a little rambling and a whole lot of singing the Truth of all You are. You ARE all I need to get by!

I don’t know what tomorrow (or even the very next moment!) holds, but I do know that You hold it! Thank You Jesus. Thank You that in You I DO find “faith, hope and love” (1Corinthians 13:13).

And would You just look at this? Verses twelve and thirteen from 1Corinthians 13 in The Message are speaking to me as never before. “We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing Him directly just as He knows us. But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.”

All this brought about because I remembered that TRULY ♫You’re all I need to get by♫

Lord Jesus, thank You for the privilege of coming before You with a rambling ‘heart, soul, mind and strength’ (Mark 12:30). Thank You that You would take that tiniest bit of obedience to You and Your Word and turn it into the truest desire to love You with ALL of them!

Thank You that You love me so incredibly much! Because of that very love You have for me I get to say back to You wholeheartedly “I love You, Jesus!” Thank You. Amen.

(496 words ~ 1:37 p.m.)

shoulders and soldiers

Thursday, January 5, 2012 (1:04 p.m.)

Thank You Jesus,

We’re home. Safe and sound. And for the very first time I can ever remember, completely unpacked with a load of laundry already done! That’s YOU Lord Jesus. Absolutely You! Thank You.

Thank You also for the similar sounds of the words ‘shoulders’ and ‘soldiers’. Thinking of one, I absentmindedly inserted the other and just started playing around with substituting one for the other.

(2:39 p.m.)

Odd as this was, it actually led me to the one and only Bible section I found containing both words. Matthew 22:5-7 in The Message says about Your Story of the Wedding Banquet, “They only shrugged their shoulders and went off, one to weed his garden, another to work in his shop. The rest, with nothing better to do, beat up on the messengers and then killed them. The king was outraged and sent his soldiers to destroy those thugs and level their city.”

Not knowing what You may want me to take away from this reading, I read the entire story (verses 1-14) in numerous different versions, as well as a different Biblical book. Dr. Luke tells A Story about a Great Feast in chapter 14, verses 15-24.

While I still am uncertain what all You might be teaching me today, I am still thanking You. Thank You for the opportunity to say to You, “I don’t understand. Please teach me more.”

As I prepare to leave here to get ready to take care of my shoulder through another hot (105˚) yoga class, followed by some neighborhood camaraderie over line dancing and a glass of wine, I ask You Lord Jesus to lead me to Your Truth. Go before me that I would follow. Speak to me so I can hear. Make Your will known to me through WHATEVER means necessary to let me know what it is You want me paying particular attention to this day.

I love You Blessed Jesus. I want to serve, honor and revere You this day. As always! Thank You for being my Lord and Savior. Amen.

(351 words ~ 2:58 p.m.)

adoration

Wednesday, January 4, 2012 (8:42 a.m.)

Lake Arrowhead, CA

(9:22 a.m.)

I’ve spent forty minutes trying to get started here. I think. I wonder. I stop. Then search. I know I want to come adore You. I’ve even begun singing ♫Oh come let us adore Him♫ But I also know that thinking and singing about it is NOT the same as doing it!

Help me here Lord Jesus,

I’ve turned to John 4:23-24 in The Message. In doing so ♫Receive our adoration♫ keeps singing itself deep within me. “It’s who you are and the way you live that count before God. Your worship must engage your spirit in the pursuit of truth. That’s the kind of people the Father is out looking for: those who are simply and honestly themselves before Him in their worship” (v. 23).

Blessed Lord Jesus, I want to resemble that statement! “God is sheer being itself – Spirit. Those who worship Him must do it out of their very being, their spirits, their selves, in adoration” (24).

Other translations present this as “true worshippers, who will worship the Father in spirit and truth.” I long to be a true worshipper, Dearest Jesus. Not someone that comes before you out of tradition or compulsion, but one who truly desires the water You spoke of in verse 14. That water which “becomes a perpetual spring within them [people], watering them forever with eternal life.”

Purest Jesus, it’s from the book of John that so many of my thoughts pinball [bounce] around this morning. Reading “eternal life”, I immediately associate it to “life in all its fullness” (John 10:10b).

Lord Jesus, I remember being told long ago that eternal life is not just referring to life after our time on earth is over, but from the time we accept You as our Lord and Savior. We are to be living this life, here and now, abundantly.

John 10:9-10 in the New King James Version quotes You as saying, “I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” I assume that it is through YOUR Spirit and Truth that we have access to this “life in all its fullness”, I just keep thinking I’m doing something wrong in not being able to maintain a life that reflects Your abundance.

Help me here Lord Jesus, to truly come ♫back to the heart of worship♫ where I fully and completely sing out ♫We bow our hearts, we lift our hands We turn our eyes to You again And we surrender to the Truth that all we need is found in You Receive our adoration, Jesus, Lamb of God Receive our adoration How wonderful You are♫

It is seeking adoration for You that I came before You this morning. Leaving here, I want to encourage those around me as the shepherds did all those years ago when they said, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened” (Luke 2:15) and the Magi when they arrived in Jerusalem asking for the newborn King of the Jews. “…for we have seen His star in far-off eastern lands and have come to worship Him” (Matthew 2:2).

♫Oh come let us adore Him♫ indeed! Thank You Jesus. I love You. Amen.

(570 words ~ 10:53 a.m.)

attuned

Tuesday, January 3, 2012 (2:17 p.m.)

Lake Arrowhead, CA

Wonderfully Beloved, Awesome Father God,

Again You surprise me! I thought I was coming here to ask You to teach more about savoring every moment. You give us so much. Love. Friendships. Warmth. Shelter. Comfort. Joy. The list is endless. Truly, I DO long to savor [relish, enjoy (to the full), appreciate completely, delight in, revel in, taste and enjoy something completely] all You provide.

But just as I began searching Your Word for verses to substantiate [provide evidence to support or prove the truth of] my desire, I was led instead to wanting to be fully attuned [receptive or aware; accustomed, adjusted, adapted, assimilated] to You.

(3:49 p.m.)

As I just spent time tracking Bible verses referring to savoring You, I was drawn especially to Psalm 34:8. “Open your mouth and taste, open your eyes and see – how good God is. Blessed are you who run to him.” In doing so I came across two Christian blogs of moms that amaze me.

Father God, how I thank You for the opportunity of seeing past myself and my own set of circumstances. Thank You for enlightening me to a whole wide world of things I have never known, much less considered before. Thank You for attuning me to You Dearest Father.

Turning to Colossians 1:8-10 in The Message, my heart and spirit once again smile. The apostle Paul wrote to the believers of Colosse telling them, “Be assured that from the first day we heard of you, we haven’t stopped praying for you, asking God to give you wise minds and spirits attuned to His will, and so acquire a thorough understanding of the ways in which God works. We pray that you’ll live for the Master, making Him proud of you as you work hard in His orchard. As you learn more and more about how God works, you will learn how to do your work. We pray that you’ll have the strength to stick it out over the long haul – not the grim strength of gritting your teeth but the glory-strength God gives. It is strength that endures the unendurable and spills over into joy, thanking the Father who makes us strong enough to take part in everything bright and beautiful that He has for us.”

Oh most dear and blessed Father God, attune me to Your will! Strengthen me to endure to the point of joy. I smile at the mere thought and hope of it!

You are so good. The Illustrated Bible Handbook describes a growth process for believers that “begins with a knowledge of what God has willed (Colossians 1:9): that is the content of revelation.” It goes on to say that “God’s revelation is to be used to guide daily life in the present, material world (see Wisdom, p.632)!”

In turning to the page, again I am heartened as I reread words I have arrowed and bracketed before. “The Bible is not just a book about 'what' Christians are to believe. It is a book that helps us see the way God looks at and interprets all the issues of our lives.”

SOME of the issues? NO! “ALL the issues”! Thank You Father God. Even as I pause to consider this Truth, this particular Theology in Brief continues, “God has given us more than the Word. He has given us the Holy Spirit, who will help us understand and apply the written Word. Because the Spirit is in us and the Word with us, we can know God’s viewpoint on any situation in which we find ourselves. In the Bible and the Spirit we have access to the very mind of Christ, to give us guidance for daily living (1Corinthians 2:15,16).

And how do I tap into that access? By following Paul’s lead and ‘asking You to give me a wise mind and spirit attuned to Your will’ (Colossians 1:9).

That is precisely what I am doing right now Blessed Father. Quoting the Cotton Patch Gospel I am asking “that in every scrap of wisdom and spiritual insight you [I J] might be loaded up with a clear understanding of what God is up to, and thus behave in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.”

Ah, yes Blessed Father, let me behave in a way that is pleasing (and ATTUNED) to You. Yes! Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(740 words ~ 4:37 p.m.)