something plentiful

Wednesday, March 23, 2016 (6:22 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You! Bless You. Praise You.

A lot was accomplished yesterday. An impromptu early birthday dinner was had. Complete with an individually crafted birthday cake. Squabbles were settled. Some much easier than others. And when time for hugs and kisses came about, they were genuine and plentiful.

You do this Father. You take our little bit of ability and grow it into something plentiful. Thank You Father. This is what I ask of You today. Take our hopes, our plans, our energies and grow them into the something plentiful You have waiting for us.

Again this morning I woke up singing ♫Worthy is the Lamb who was slain Worthy is the King who conquered the grave♫ Thank You Father. As I was finally able to track this chorus back to its song of origin, I wholeheartedly agree that indeed ♫This IS Amazing Grace♫!

Quoting the Truth of this energizing song, Jesus came to break the power of sin and darkness. His love is mighty and so much stronger. He is the King of Glory, the King above all kings.

Talk about something plentiful! Life in and with, by, through and for You is exactly that!

Back to the song, ♫Who shakes the whole earth with holy thunder And leaves us breathless in awe and wonder The King of Glory, the King above all kings This is amazing grace! This is unfailing love That You would take my place That You would bear my cross♫

To truly consider this Holy Week and ♫all that You've done for me♫ I am profoundly grateful. Thank You Father. Thank You Jesus. Thank You Holy Spirit. Be in and with us as we seek to bring You something holy and plentiful. We love You Lord. And how very much we thank You. Amen.

(307 words ~ 7:06 a.m.)

inspiration

Tuesday, March 22, 2016 (5:50 a.m.)

Holy, Blessed, Father God,

Thank You!

You inspired me yesterday. To fully utilize Christ's Kingdom in the midst of a frustrating disappointment. To take a walk. And do the next thing.

Thank You Blessed Father. You inspired me to start work on a long overdue project and to stick with it almost to completion. Thank You.

Thank You that in looking back at other times of inspiration I came across one for 12:12 12/12/12 12:12. And the opportunity to again “Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and prayerful always” (Romans 12:12 The Living Bible).

Mmm. Yes! Thank You Father. As I consider all that we have left to do I look to You ASKing You to empower and enable us to “Be joyful in hope, patient in trouble, and persistent in prayer” (International Standard Version).

We love You God. There is still much to do. And I look to You for the power and the strength with which to accomplish all You have for us. Thank You Father. Amen.

(183 words ~ 6:48 a.m.)

Thank You!

Monday, March 21, 2016 (6:48 a.m.)

Holy God,

Good morning. Hi. I love You.

(7:07 a.m.)

Thank You. Praise You. Say all the “right” things and wait for the feelings to follow.

Holy God, I'm here in body but not yet spirit. My mind is spinning with thoughts of all that is still left undone.

This is where I come before You ASKing to be made whole in spirit, soul, mind and body. I long to love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30).

(7:35 a.m.)

Thank You Father.

Thank You for teaching me something I have long missed. The verbal exchange between Jesus and the religious leaders of His day trying to catch Him in His own words took place during what is now known as Holy Week.

Thank You Father. Jesus began His Journey to the Cross [Chapters 11-13] (Illustrated Bible Handbook) riding on a donkey with shouts of “Hosanna”s coming from the crowd. How very quickly His triumphal entry changed.

Father, thank You for reminding me that in less than one week people went from shouting, “Hooray! God bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Mark 11:9) to yelling “Crucify Him!” (15:13). “Nail Him to a cross!” (Contemporary English Version).

Work in me this Holy Week Blessed Father. Continue teaching me what it really means to love You with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. And “equally important: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' No other commandment is greater than these” (Mark 12:31).

Thank You Father for showing me that both of these commandments were not new at the time. Jesus was quoting from what has now become known as our Old Testament. Deuteronomy 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18.

Embed these deeply in my being Father. Thank You for meeting me here this morning. Exactly where I am. I love You. And I long to serve You. Make it so Blessed God. Make it so!

Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(325 words ~ 8:03 a.m.)

ironing out

Palm Sunday, March 20, 2016 (4:50 a.m.)

Blessed Holy God,

Thank You that I get to be here with You this morning. Thank You for the huge belly laughs I had yesterday. Thank You for the peace with which I awoke yesterday as well.

Along with that peace there were a couple of hiccups. And with them the opportunity to iron out a few things.

Oh most blessed holy God how I thank You for Your call to put things in order. Thank You for once again guiding me to Paul's encouraging letter to the Philippian believers.

(7:29 a.m.)

Again I find myself in Chapter 4. Joy in the Lord (Illustrated Bible Handbook). Paul's Plea for Perspective; 4:2-9. Reading of “joys found through relationship with the Lord (4)... release from anxiety, express every need to God and experience peace (5-7)”.

(1:40 p.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You! Thank You for the added reminder that I am to ASK You for what I need (Ephesians 6:18). I tend to forget this. OFTEN! Many times I consider prayers concerning myself as petty. Or self-serving.

This morning our pastor spent the bulk of his teaching on this one particular verse. “Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere” (Ephesians 6:18).

I felt a gentle prompt nudging me toward surrendering all of my “got to”s and “want to”s directly to You. Holy God, my quest to keep things simple while also getting them done has me feeling somewhat disappointed with the seemingly slow, albeit steady, progress I've been making.

Father, here I am ASKing You to adjust my thinking. Equip me to walk with You at Your pace. Set my sights on Your will for me. Your way!

(4:19 p.m.)

And again I continue.

Back to Paul's urging “Euodia and Syntyche to iron out their differences and make up. God doesn't want his children holding grudges” (Philippians 4:2 The Message). According to The Living Bible he wanted “to plead with these two dear women... Please, please with the Lord's help, quarrel no more – be friends again.”

“Be of the same mind in the Lord” (KJV). “Have the attitude the Lord wants” (NOG). “Please, because you belong to the Lord, settle your disagreement” (NLT). The various ways of saying the same thing continues.

It is all with You. By You. In You. Through You. For You. Thank You Father. Continue Your most holy work in each of us. I love You. Thank You. Amen.

(429 words ~ 5:07 p.m.)

And You did it for me!

Saturday, March 19, 2016 ( 5:16 a.m.)

Blessed Holy God,

Thank You! Thank You that You are faithful. Unchanging. Available. Loving. Kind. Patient. I was not those things yesterday. My attitude desperately needed adjusting. And You did it for me!

Thank You Father. Thank You that every single time I cried out to You, You heard me. The words were rarely positive. There was a lot of bitterness and complaining. There were even a few one finger salutes.

Thank You that You did not leave me alone in all I was feeling. Out of sorts. Wrong side of the bed. Flat out grumpy. There were foot stomps. And growls. I absolutely forgot to “Spin. Grin. And begin again.” Thank You that You did by, for, in, with and through me all that I could not manage on my own.

Prayers were offered on my behalf. A reminder to sing was suggested. Music was played. And there was even dancing in the living room. And You did it all for me!

You reminded me to pray. You provided me the exact means necessary to continue on to the next thing. A completely unexpected phone call from a long ago associate. The easy finding of a completely forgotten book. Just the right amount of yard work. You did it all through me.

I confess to the ill-temperedness that followed me throughout much of the day. Thank You for the decision to come look up the hymn ♫What a Friend We Have in Jesus♫ Thank You for the referenced verse being Philippians 4:6.

Thank You for the opportunity of looking it up in The Life Recovery Bible. Thank You that I was again reminded in the footnote for 4:4-9 that “True happiness can be found in every situation of life when we recognize God is at work and always in control.”

Illustrated Bible Handbook offered me “A Plea for Perspective; 4:2-9. Paul speaks of joys that are found through relationship with the Lord (4). In Christ we have release from anxiety, for we can express every need to God and experience peace (5-7)”.

You did it all with me Father. Clothes were appropriately sorted and laundered. Tentative plans about the next few days were discussed and decided upon. It was all You. Every stamp of my foot was countered by a reminder of settling in with You instead.

Thank You Father. Thank You that even as I sit here I am mentally singing ♫Blessed be the name of the Lord He is worthy to be praise and adored So we lift up holy hands in one accord Singing blessed be the name, blessed be the name Blessed be the name of the Lord♫

You are so incredibly worthy Father. Thank You for changing my attitude and giving me the much, much needed peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:9). I love You so very much.

Do all You must to enable and empower me in truly praising and adoring You this day. Thank You Father. I love You. Amen.

(507 words ~ 6:25 a.m.)

so very much to do

Friday, March 18, 2016 (6:31 a.m.)

Most Holy God,

Good morning. I love You. Where shall we go from here?

There is MUCH to do today. So very much to do.

Blessed God, thank You for who and all You are. Thank You that because of Your perfect love for each of us we get to come before You exactly as we are.

Right now how I am is distracted. Preoccupied. Inattentive. This is not the attitude I want to bring to You this morning Father.

Gonna be really honest with You right now. There is a HUGE battle going on in my mind at the moment. My thoughts are going all over the place. It seems that every single time I start thinking of all the good that is currently taking place, random fearful notions immediately come along.

Father, Your Word tells us repeatedly to not fear. Do not be afraid. Be of good courage. I look to You for this ability. Left on my own I will continue circling back to fearful thinking. Thank You that Jesus promised to not leave us alone (John 14:18).

It is to You, Your Word, Your Truth, Your promises that I turn this morning. Thank You for reminding me that attempting to protect myself by hardening my heart is not what You would have me do. Thank You that You are so very much bigger than all of the evil in the world combined.

You, Holy God, are to Whom I turn. Psalm 103 prompts me to praise You. Keep my thoughts on You. Counter every concern with Your power. I love You Father. Make me obedient to Your will. I love You. I thank You. Amen.

 (286 words ~ 8:02 a.m.)

diaspora

Thursday, March 17, 2016 (6:21 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Good morning. It's another holiday I don't understand.

(7:00 a.m.)

And just like that I'm learning all kinds of things I never knew!

Blessed God, thank You! Thank You for curiosity. A strong desire to know or learn something. And the more I look, the more I find. Thank You Father. Thank You Son. Thank You Holy Spirit.

There is so very much information at my fingertips. Push just one button and here comes more details and facts and opinions and ideas than I could ever hope to absorb. Thank You that I have the option and the technology to keep looking.

Thank You also for the pull that brings me straight back to Your Word. Thank You Father for the opportunity to look into the life of Saint Patrick.

This morning I'm learning that he wasn't even Irish. Born in the fourth century to a wealthy Romano-British family, he was kidnapped at age 16 and taken as a slave to Gaelic Ireland.

Talk about not knowing what I've thought I've known all these years! Thank You Father. Thank You for the desire to learn Truth. Which always takes me back to Your Word.

This morning it's to Deuteronomy 28. Here Moses spoke of the Blessings for Obedience (vs. 1-14) and the Curses for Disobedience (15-68). Verse 25 is credited in the Greek version of the Hebrew Bible (Septuagint) as originating the term diaspora. The dispersion of the Jews beyond Israel.

And how did I get here? The dispersion of any people [in this particular case the Irish, of which I am directly descended] from their original homeland.

Holy Father God, how I ask that You would use this day to Your good and to Your glory. There are so very many ways for it to be taken completely away from the religious feast day for the patron saint it was originally designed to represent.

I love You Father. Thank You for the opportunity to learn a bit about yet another of Your faithful followers. May his name be used for good and not for evil this day. His memory used to again point others to You and Your perfect plan for right living.

Bless us. Keep us. Use us to Your glory. Thank You. I love You. And right here let me just shout out another HUGE “Thank You!”

Another search. And a giant find. “St. Patrick's Breastplate: A Shield for Divine Protection”.

Blessed God, thank You for always giving us more than we could ever hope to receive. Oh how I thank and praise You this day for the honor and privilege of learning more about such a deserving man. Thank You Father. I love You. Amen.

(454 words ~ 8:01 a.m.)

I get to

Wednesday, March 16, 2016 (6:53 a.m.)

Most Holy Loving God,

Thank You. Thank You that I get to come before You simply saying, “Thank You.” I have hurts and thoughts and wonders and concerns and the list is seemingly endless. And then I get to choose to bring it all to You. In bulk.

Holy, holy God, thank You that I get to wake up singing and thinking about You alone as being holy. Yesterday it was ♫Holy is the Lamb who was slain. Holy is He who conquered the grave♫ And this morning it was the mournful, soulful ♫Hallelujah♫

Tears are my companion this morning as I consider a sadness that surrounds me. It is this mournful sadness that I get to bring to You Father. Asking You to accept it. Even to change it if You will. Otherwise do all You must in enabling and empowering me to find the joy that You would have me take from it all.

I love You Father. Thank You that I get to know You. Praise You. Love You. Thank You. Yes Father, thank You. ♫Hallelujah♫ Amen.

(186 words ~ 7:07 a.m.)

still growing

Monday, March 14, 2016

Blessed God,

I was coming here before You with my thoughts heading in one direction. The moment I saw the date all of my thoughts changed. How I ask You right now to take control of every bit of my thinking.

Today marks another anniversary of the passing of a very dear loved one. Father, I could so easily get lost in the details of that day. Again I ask You to guide my thoughts.

Holy God, I love You. And, oh how I thank You for all the work You have done in our lives.

Six years ago I had opportunity to study and repeatedly determine to stand firm in the Truth of Colossians 2:7. Thank You Father for preparing me for one of the biggest challenges of my life by presenting me with the apostle Paul's words to the believers at Colosse.

The Life Recovery Bible cites the purpose of Paul's letter as showing us “that Christ is the only real source of power in our life.” Thank You Father.

Thank You that this morning I get to seek Your Word and continue to “Let my roots grow down into Him and draw up nourishment from Him, so I will grow in faith, strong, and vigorous in the truth I was taught. Let[ting] my life overflow with thanksgiving for all He has done” (Colossians 2:7).

From here I get to refer back to Jesus' own words describing Himself as “the true vine, and my Father as the gardener” (John 15:1). Holy God, again I thank You.

Thank You for pointing me again to this particular chapter. The Life Recovery Bible comment for verses 15:1-8 tells us “God desires that our life be like the fruitful branches of a grapevine. The only way to be fruitful is to remain connected to Jesus, the vine, and to allow God, the gardener, to prune our life to stimulate growth and fruitfulness.”

After an entire day of yard work yesterday (and the aches this morning to prove it) I thank You that You ARE our Gardener.

The footnote continues, “It is God's cultivating, weeding, and pruning in our life that brings forth spiritual fruit, character development, and progress in recovery. Just as sustenance for the desired fruit comes through the vine, so fullness of life comes through faith in Jesus Christ. We need to stay close to Jesus, the source of power and practical help for recovery.”

Thank You! Thank You, Father. Thank You, Jesus. And thank You, Holy Spirit. Thank You for earthly reminders that our strength, future and potential fruitfulness relies in our staying connected with You.

Bless us this day Dearest Lord. Keep us intimately connected with You. We love You. We long to serve You. And we ask that You continue teaching us to do it well. Thank You. Love you. Amen.

(474 words ~ 9:35 a.m.)

Ultimate Being in existence

Sunday, March 13, 2016 (6:07 a.m.)

Awesome God,

Thank You for who You are. Which invites the question, who exactly are You?

(7:17 a.m.)

Searching. Reading. Looking. Finding.

This conclusion from godandscience.org's Evidence For God speaks plainly. “God is the ultimate Being in existence, perfect in power, love, and character...”

Words like omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent come to mind. And lead to even more questions. Attempting to keep it all simple I breathe in deeply and let go of striving to understand.

Ultimate Being in existence, perfect in power, love and character, be with us this day. The plans we've made, the goals we've set, keep our focus on You.

You are who we long to serve, glorify and enjoy. Make it so. In our words and through our actions. Lead, guide, direct and make us obedient to Your call upon us.

We love You Father. Thank You for who and all You are. Amen.

(153 words ~ 7:43 a.m.)

-est

Saturday, March 12, 2016 (5:04 a.m.)

Holiest God,

Just as I awoke this morning, I began thinking of You as best. Greatest. Kindest. -est. The superlative of adjectives. The highest degree of comparison. That's You!

Wanting to give You Your due, I searched for “-est” words that might be found in the Bible. I was quite surprised to be introduced to something I'd never considered before.

Not only is Your Word broken up into two Testaments with a total of 66 books, the chapters and verses are all counted as well. How have I never thought of this before? And why is it so interesting to me now?

Blessed God, thank You for surprises. New-to-me information. Details. Facts. Awareness that once again leads me to becoming eager and excited to tell [AGOG]. The smile on my face acknowledges the joy I'm feeling within. Thank You Father.

Thank You for all You provide us. Thank You for the teachings of others. Thank You that You are indeed “-est”! Use me today exactly as You wish. I love You. Thank You. Amen.

(181 words ~ 7:52 a.m.)

And...

Friday, March 11, 2016 (6:48 a.m.)

Loving Lord,

Thank You. Thank You for good rest. Thank You for a beautiful sky. Thank You for thoughts. And hopes. And dreams.

Thank You also for challenges which help us grow. Thank You for indecision. And the opportunity to bring all of it to You.

Father, I have no idea where in Your Word to go this morning. There is so very much to learn. So many pages of history and Truth and promises in which to delve.

I love You Father. You are good. Holy. And I long to serve You as You would have me serve. Guide me. Direct me. Lead me. And teach me. I love You.

There is no end to all of the “and...”s with which we can describe You. Thank You that You are limitless (Revelation 1:4). And perfect (Matthew 5:48). And...

Use me to Your good. And to Your glory. As only You can. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

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

launching point

Thursday, March 10, 2016 (5:28 a.m.)

Most Dear and Blessed God,

I am here again. Looking to You. Asking Your blessings. Seeking Your Truth. Knocking on Your door of promises. Yes, Father. I am knocking on Your door of promises.

Let me be clear with You here. I have no idea what this really means. Yet I acknowledge the pull to learn more.

Blessed God, how I thank You for the pull You have on my heart. My soul. My mind. And my strength. You are so good. So faithful. So loving. So kind. Please continue Your work in leading and guiding me to all You require of me.

Yes please Father. Deuteronomy 10:12-13 is my launching point this morning. Direct my emotions, desires, thoughts and actions accordingly. I love You. I thank You. And I praise and fear You.

Bless us. Keep us. Make Your face shine upon us and give us Your peace (Numbers 6:24-26). Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(163 words ~ 6:36 a.m.)

implementation

Wednesday, March 9, 2016 (5:53 a.m.)

Holy God,

I just got a HUGE flash of fear. My whole being wants to be angry and throw around my own will. Thoughts of stomping my foot and just showing up on someone's doorstep unannounced are countered only by thinking of calling to cancel a previously scheduled meeting. And this is friendship? I don't think so.

Father, I'm turning to You. Confessing a myriad of emotions. Anger being the first. Immediately I remember that anger is easy and covers a multitude of feelings. Help me look under the irritation to the pleasure and good humor [antonyms].

Holy God, this is big stuff. I've been living inside my head for over a week now anticipating all the directions a much needed conversation could possibly go. I don't want to be afraid. I long for the courage to speak Your Truth in love, without the slightest hint of my own opinion or frustration.

I confess to You right now, I don't think I know how to do that. I love You Father. Plain and simple. And everything inside me wants desperately to turn tail and run. I don't want to be involved. My heart is racing. My head is pounding and I just want out.

This is all not safe for me. It's uncharted territory. I surrender it all up to You Blessed Father. My thoughts. My hopes. My what ifs. My he saids and she saids. And yes, my tears. Especially the tears.

I don't like to hurt people. There's a bitterness brewing and I'm embarrassed and ashamed of it. All the “I'll show her”s of my past life are wanting desperately to rear their ugly heads. So again I ask, Blessed Father please guide and direct me in Your Word.

Holy God, how I thank You. Thank You for allowing me to come before You with all of my hurts and hopes. Thank You that I don't have to run off in any direction other than straight to You. Thank You that I trust You to guide every single part of my life.

Thank You for the opportunity of letting my Life Recovery Bible just fall open to what You would have me read this morning. David Confesses His Guilt (2 Samuel 12:13-25). From there I turn to Illustrated Bible Handbook and learn even more.

Holiest God how I thank You for calming my spirit. Reading and learning lead to implementation and that is exactly what I ask You right now. Teach me to use Your Word, Your Truth and Your promises to Your good and to Your glory.

I trust You Father. I need You. I depend on You. And I ask You to guide and direct my heart, my soul, my mind and my strength in loving You, others and myself as You would have me love (Mark 12:30-31).

I look to You for guidance and courage. I love You. I thank You. And I look for Your leading. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(504 words ~ 6:51 a.m.)

fine, good things

Tuesday, March 8, 2016 (5:15 a.m.)

Holy, Loving God,

Thank You. There was sleep. Refreshing, restorative sleep. Thank You. And there was awaking. To thoughts and wonders and You.

Thank You Father. Thank You that we get to come before You with our thoughts and wonders. Doubts and fears. Hopes and dreams. Yes Father. Thank You that You call us to love You with all of our hearts, souls, minds and strength (Mark 12:30).

This morning I come to You asking. Seeking. Knocking (Matthew 7:7). My former tendency was to act first, pray after. Thank You for helping me want to filter my desiring, thinking and doing through You prior to actually taking action.

We have changes in plans that can go one way or another. Take the lead here Lord. I spend far too much time in my head attempting to reach our best case scenarios. Today I toss it all up to You asking simply for YOUR best for us.

Thank You that upon awakening this morning Your Word came promptly into play. Thinking first on the whatsoevers (Philippians 4:8) my mind started wandering over to 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 and the defining qualities of what all love is and what all it is not. From there my thinking turned to the blessings Jesus listed in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-12; Luke 6:12-26).

I confess to You Dearest Lord, I have yet to spend much time learning or practicing the beatitudes. I long to live this day as You would have me. Work in, with, by, for and through me that I will reap and sow (Galatians 6:7-10) all that You have for me.

Father God, You are good. You are holy. You are my example of all I long to be. Do all You must in making me aware of all the “fine, good things in others” that You would have me dwell on (Philippians 4:8). I love You, Dad. Thank You. Amen.

(330 words ~ 7:01 a.m.)

Love. Truth. Promises.

Monday, March 7, 2016 (5:37 a.m.)

Blessed Holy God,

Thank You for Your love. Thank You for Your Truth. Thank You for Your promises. Thank You for inviting us in to the hope that is found in Your Word.

Thank You Dearest Father. Pages and pages I read this morning. All of the same psalm. 119. Each verse reaffirming truths I have long come to believe.

Holy God. I love You. As I continue breathing in deeply, my soul settles firmly on the hope that is found herein. Thank You that we have the privilege and opportunity to study Your Word. Thank You that the only guarantee we have in this life is that of Your unfailing love.

Something odd is happening with my vision at this very moment. I have no idea what to make of it. I bring even this to You Blessed Lord. Lead me. Guide me. Direct my steps.

(9:53 a.m.)

Forty-five minutes of extremely unusual vision makes me keenly aware of how often I take even my physical sight for granted. Be in all aspects of my perception this day I pray. Physical, emotional, mental and especially spiritual. I invite You to be all You want to be for me.

Guide and direct me in Your love. Your Truth. And Your promises that I would continue becoming the woman You desire me to be. I love You Father. Thank You. Amen.

(236 words ~ 9:59 a.m.)

Psalm 33:4

Sunday, March 6, 2016 (6:22 a.m.)

Much loved Father God,

Thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for Your trustworthiness. Thank You that Your Word continues teaching us how You would have us live.

This cold, rainy morning I don't have actual words. My thoughts jump quickly from one far end of the spectrum to what seems to be its polar opposite. Yet when I open Your Word all my thinking settles down. I find peace. Hope. Truth. Love.

Thank You Father that Your love never changes! You stay the same through the ages. Your Word guides and comforts us.

So far this morning Dearest God, I have gone from Hannah's prayer of praise (I Samuel 2:1-10) to Paul's urging the believers in Ephesus to live as children of light (Ephesians 4:17-32). Wondering where best to put my focus, I land on Psalm 33:4.

The Voice uses these words to speak Your Truth, “For the word of the Eternal is perfect and true; His actions are always faithful and right.” A comment in The Life Recovery Bible tells us, “Such a powerful God is worthy of our trust and praise.” How true!

While we don't necessarily understand all happenings we are reminded in this footnote, “The God who spoke the universe into existence is able to re-create us, and He is filled with tender love for us.” Blessed Father, You continue giving me reason to believe You at Your Word.

“He can heal us of the defects that have brought such destruction to us and the people we love. All He asks is that we turn our life over to Him so He can work these changes in us.” I had the opportunity to practice trusting You late last night and again in the early morning hours. This is a faith and trust that still does not come naturally.

You continue reminding me to turn away from fearful thinking and again to Your trustworthy faithfulness. Father, it is to You I come with all the concerns I carry. Too often I set them down before You only to pick them up once again. Thank You for every single occasion we have of exercising our faith muscles.

Do all You must in, with, by, through and for me this day that I will return home thanking and praising You and Your most holy name. I love You Father and I truly long to glorify and enjoy You as You wish. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(416 words ~ 7:33 a.m.)

being still

Friday, March 4, 2016 (6:07 a.m.)

Holy, Holy God,

Thank You! Thank You that my first waking thought this morning was based on Your Word. “Be still and know” immediately countered my renewing concern over a problem that has yet to be resolved.

Blessed Father, I confess to You my tendency of holding onto my own way of thinking. Believing myself as able to see clearly what others either cannot or will not see for themselves. Forgive my arrogant impatience, Father.

As I sit and consider all that You are and I am not again I thank You Lord. Thank You for hope. Peace. Truth.

Reading the various translations for Psalm 46:10 I wonder, does “wait and see” factor in as a potential rephrasing of being still and knowing that You are God?

“Give ye attention, and see ye, that I am God” (Wycliffe Bible).

The Voice: “Be still, be calm, see, and understand I am the True God.”

“[Let go, relax] Cease striving and know that I am God” New American Standard Bible.

Names of God: “Let go of your concerns! Then you will know that I am Elohim.”

“Stand silent! Know that I am God!” (The Living Bible).

“Stop your fighting – and know” (Holman Christian Standard Bible).

Contemporary English Version: “Calm down and learn”.

“That's enough! Now know that I am God!” (Common English Bible).

You ARE God! You know the plans You have for us. They are plans for good and not for evil. They are plans to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11). I depend on this blessed God.

I do not pretend to know what next week will bring. In the past my inclination would be to worry, fret, stew, speculate and overanalyze the potential outcome. Today I ask instead that You be glorified and enjoyed through the process.

I love You Father. Bless us and keep us in being still and relying on Your Truth. Use me this day as You wish. I love You. Thank You. Amen.

(342 words ~ 7:39 a.m.)

rejoicing and being glad

Thursday, March 3, 2016 (5:54 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You! I got to wake up singing again. This time? ♫This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made; We will rejoice, we will rejoice and be glad in it, and be glad in it. This is the day that the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made♫

Rejoicing and being glad. It's good theory. Great practice. NOT what I was taught early on however. We were more of the grumbling and being mad way of thinking. A lifetime of negative examples is not easily overcome. But life in You changes us.

Thank You Father. Thank You for the calls to worship You place in our hearts. Even right there I automatically start singing ♫Here I am to worship, Here I am to bow down, Here I am to say that You're my God You're altogether lovely Altogether worthy, Altogether wonderful to me♫

Father, thank You for the ways in which You lead and love us. Take this morning for example. I woke up excited about the song I was singing and I tracked it back to Your Word. Psalm 118:24. The Voice speaks Your Truth with these words, “This is the day the Eternal God has made; let us celebrate and be happy today.”

Mm. Yes. We have occasion to meet at a cemetery this morning to celebrate the life of a dear woman. Her roots grew down deeply into our community and she will be sorely missed. Thank You for her example of love, acceptance and encouragement. Thank You for the woman she was and the example she set.

Father, Yours is the highest example of all. Your call to us is turn to You in all circumstances. Always being joyful. Praying all the time. And giving thanks no matter what (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). Thank You for the mighty, powerful work You do in us.

Many years ago I was made aware of the importance of Psalm 118:8. Found partway between the shortest and longest of Psalms, it is crucial that we remember, “It is better to trust the LORD than to put confidence in people.”

Standing on the Truth found here I begin singing yet another deeply ingrained worship song. This one based on Proverbs 3:5-6 ♫Trust in the Lord with all your heart And lean not on your own understanding In all your ways acknowledge Him And He shall direct your path♫

Guide me in the practice of rejoicing and being glad this day Blessed Father. Celebrating and being happy truly does not come naturally for me.

I love You. I long to serve You as You wish to be served. And I thank and praise You for all You are and all You call us to become. Work in me I pray. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(491 words ~ 7:20 a.m.)

yieldings

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 (1:18 p.m.)

Holy, Holy God,

Thank You! Thank You for the change in today's plans which has yielded so many things. Time spent with loved ones. A completely empty laundry hamper. The decision to make an unschedule phone call and the blessings involved there.

Most dear and blessed Father God, these have not been automatic choices. My typical way of handling disappointment is to get angry. Brood. Shut down. Close myself off. Dwell upon and replay the negative. Praise and thank You Father.

Thank You for this added opportunity to turn once more to Your Word. In doing so I am blessed again by Your Truth. Searching a verse for 'yieldings' I get to learn more about wisdom. Just look at what Proverbs 8:19 (New American Standard Bible) has to say, “My fruit is better than gold, even pure gold, And my yield better than choicest silver.”

Thank You for the God that You are. And thank You for calling us to represent You well. I love You Father. I long to serve You. And thanks for clean clothes! Amen.

(182 words ~ 2:56 p.m.)

"learning to worship God"

Wednesday, March 2, 2016 (6:16 a.m.)

Amazing God of Glory,

Thank You! Thank You that You are God. And that You are amazing! Thank You for the choices You provide for us. Every single moment of every single day. The choice is always ours.

Thank You that we can choose to get upset. Curse. Behave badly. Or we can choose to turn to You. Fall on our faces in surrender. And praise. Thank You that every time we turn back to You and Your Word there is so much more to be found.

I confess to waking up this morning feeling somewhat bitter. Even going to sleep last night I had the choice, grumbles and growls or spinning and grinning. Thank You Father for the simplicity of a ditty put together for the benefit of grandchildren.

“Growl. Grump. Give a little jump. Spin. Grin. Let's begin again.” Thank You for this succinct reminder of Ephesians 4:26. New Life Version tells us, “If you are angry, do not let it become sin. Get over your anger before the day is finished.”

Blessed God, You are so good. You have been working in me all these years and I am incredibly grateful. Thank You.

Thank You for the privilege of coming before You this morning asking that the Truth Moses sang of in Deuteronomy 32 be seen in my choices, thoughts, words and actions. Verse 47 in the New Living Translation rings loudly and clearly this morning. “These instructions are not mere words – they are your life! By obeying them you will enjoy a long life in the land you are crossing the Jordan River to occupy.”

Awesome, Holy God, YOU are my life! Upholding Your Word in the choices I make is my desire. Teach me Blessed Father. Help me in learning to praise and worship You as You wish. You are every single thing we need. Let my goal today be to know You even more.

I love You Father. Bless us and keep us as only You are able. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(349 words ~ 7:15 a.m.)

true

Tuesday, March 1, 2016 (5:42 a.m.)

Gloriously Loving God,

Thank You! Thank You that Your love for us is SO big. Bigger, far greater, infinitely more immense than we could ever even begin to imagine.

Holiest God, I got a taste of that love last night. At an actual tenth birthday party for a forty year old loved one. It was love that was most easily seen by all in attendance. A mother's genuine love for her daughter. Sisters, nieces, off-spring, those related by marriage. Family.

Father, I am truly awed by the love and acceptance I experienced last night. So filled with wonder by it all that when I awoke just earlier that's where my focus fell. Blessed God, how I thank You for examples of Your love and faithfulness.

Upon awakening my heart was filled with concern over the struggling marriages of which I am aware. I immediately recognized those concerns as burdens and started singing them to You. Thank You Father.

Thank You that we are truly called to sing out our cares to You. I began by substituting all-inclusive words where necessary while pleading with You to ♫Change our hearts, O God, Make them ever true. Change our hearts, O God, May we be like You. You are the Potter, we are the clay; Mold us and make us, This is what I pray. Change our hearts, O God♫ (Psalm 51:10).

Holy God, thank You for Your godly woman of my early church going days who introduced me to this, her favorite Bible verse. Thank You for reminders of much loved ones.

Thank You too for the opportunity of identifying the burden I felt I was carrying and to immediately start singing to You about that as well. ♫I cast all my cares upon You. I lay all of my burdens down at Your feet. And anytime that I don't know what to do, I will cast all my cares upon You♫ A very simple song from our childrens' childhoods that still rings true for me today.

Checking the corresponding verse (Psalm 55:22) I am further encouraged. The Life Recovery Bible comment tells of David's anguish and betrayal of an old friend. “The solution for David, and for us, is to give our burdens to God. He is able to strengthen us, encourage us, and keep us from falling.”

Thank You most dear and holy Father. Thank You for yet another song that reminds me, ♫Anxiety in the heart of a man brings it down♫ Looking into the verse of its origin (Proverbs 12:25) finishes the Truth. “But a good word makes it glad.”

You make us glad. See? Even right there. Another song! ♫He has made me glad, He has made me glad, I will rejoice for He has made me glad, glad, glad♫

And would You just look at this? Now I am even more excited! Yesterday in the very midst of the heaviness my breaking heart was feeling I asked You for a song to fill my soul. ♫This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made, that the Lord has made; We will rejoice, we will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day that the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day, this is the day that the Lord has made♫ came immediately out of my heart, soul and lips.

Every single verse I look up leads to yet another Truth. You are so good. So faithful. So. Loving. Kind. All knowing. All powerful. And I look to You Father. With all of my cares. Hopes. Dreams. Wants. Needs. YOU are Who makes us glad!

Thank You for the songs in my heart. The praises on my lips. While the hurts and the fears are still here, standing on Your Word of Truth holds them at bay.

Having the opportunity of coming before You singing ♫I will enter His gates with thanksgiving in my heart; I will enter His courts with praise. I will say, “This is the day that the Lord has made!” I will rejoice for He has made me glad♫ gives me the strength and courage to face the challenges of every day.

Thank You Father. Thank You for Your love. Your Word. Your Truth. And for all the songs that are based on them. Thank You Father. Praise You.

Provide my every need this day. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(750 words ~ 7:06 a.m.)