Keep up the good work

Saturday, January 5, 2013 (2:53 p.m.)

Lake Arrowhead, CA

Blessed Father God,

Thank You! I was 'testy'. Irritable. And I remembered, “I want my time alone with God.” It's later in the day than I had planned. Ah, but here we are. And I am grateful. Truly, absolutely grateful.

You keep teaching me. I continue trying to learn. How I ask that You will keep up Your good work in me.

(4:10 p.m.)

Now, after time away for some snow play, Christmas stockings and a few presents I get to come back to where we started. Me being grateful and asking You to keep up Your good work in me.

And just like that, the emotional floodgates are about to implode upon me. It's nearing the end of another trip. None of this seems any different than most other times. Time was spent packing to get us here. Great fun has been had. And now come the tears that always plague me when it gets near the end.

This time Father I am bringing it all straight to You. I am powerless over my emotions here. I won't pretend. You reminded me six days ago of the ♫six words for saying♫: “That our lives had become unmanageable.”

I'm not even going to try to manage this onslaught. Instead I am referring it all to You! YOU, our True Lord Who on this Twelfth Day of Christmas at 3:16 a.m. ♫gave to me twelve sweet rememberings♫

Because You have helped me be alert and on the look out, every single day has brought something special to take note of. Thank You Father. Thank You that You love us so very much. Thank You that You have such good gifts to give to us.

And now because I have brought my emotional self into Your presence there is a sense of calm that was not here before. Thank You Father.

Now I am able to go back to reading Paul's Farewell to the Ephesian Elders (Acts 20:13-38). In so doing I find a sense of the urgency which drove Paul to accomplish all he possibly could. Father, thank You for his commitment to You. Thank You for his willingness to face danger, imprisonment and hardships as he was compelled by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem (vs. 22-23).

How blessed I am by his example. Reading all the way back to verses one and two I see that “Paul called the discples together and encouraged them to keep up the good work in Ephesus. Then, saying his good-byes, he left for Macedonia. Traveling through the country, passing from one gathering to another, he gave constant encouragement, lifting their spirits and charging them with fresh hope.” I long to follow his lead, Lord.

The Life Recovery Bible says “He was accountable and responsible to and for others... He cared for them [converts] and helped them grow spiritually.” Keep working in me Father. Continue Your good and precious work that I will one day be a good and faithful example as well.

I love You. Please be the True Center of the rest of our time here together as Your family. YOU matter more to us than anything else. Thank You Father. I love You. Amen.

(542 words ~ 5:05 p.m.)