infinite

Monday, February 27, 2017 (6:14 a.m.)

Holy, Loving Lord God,

Thank You. Praise You. Trust You. Need You. Mm, the list goes on. Yes. Thank You Father that You are trustworthy. Unchanging. Eternal.

Huge, deep breath and yet another sense of wonder.

A word I had much earlier was infinity. More specifically, infinity sign. Almost immediately I linked it to eternity and remembered the dread, practically fear, I used to feel as a child while trying to grasp the idea of heaven and a life that never ends.

Thank You Father that You never end. Your love for each and everyone of us goes on forever. Sitting here, I'm torn between wanting to understand more and just resting in Your Truth. For now I choose asking You to enter our time together.

Once again I find myself reading of Your prophet Jeremiah. Thank You Father for his faithfulness to You and Your message. Thank You for his Hymn of Praise to the Lord (Jeremiah 51:15-19).

He begins it by speaking of Your power and wisdom and ends it declaring, “the God of Israel is no idol! He is the Creator of everything that exists, including His people, His own special possession. The LORD Almighty is His name!”

Holy God, I absolutely do not understand most things about You. I confess to questioning, doubting, even open attempts of negotiating my way with You. Thank You that You alone are Sovereign. Wisdom. All powerful. Infinite!

Yes. Thank You for taking me exactly as I am and transforming me each and every day into who You created me to be. This morning I am here asking You to continue Your work in, with, by, through and for me. I desperately want to be all that You desire of me.

Thank You for Your love. Thank You for the true celebration the husband and I shared yesterday. Thank You for the love You have provided us that both of our children recognize and acknowledge as a love that is something to be cherished and shared.

Thank You for the lessons You continue teaching us. We love You and long to serve You exactly as You know is best. Infinitely. Thank You. Amen.

(362 words ~ 7:51 a.m.)

40 years!

Anniversary Sunday, February 26, 2017 (6:49 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

Thank You!! 40 years! Oh most dear and blessed God how we thank You for the love and adventure that have accompanied us these past forty years.

Forty years of learning. Loving. Practicing. Praising. Mistake making. Rebounding. Rebuilding. And YOU!

Deuteronomy 8 - A Call to Remember and Obey

 

big decision

Saturday, February 25, 2017 (5:36 a.m.)

Blessed Holy God,

Thank You! Forty years ago tonight I had a big decision to make. Do I marry him or not?

Thank You for working in us all these years and getting us to this point where we love and trust You with all our hearts, all our souls, all our minds, and all our strength (Mark 12:30). Thank You for guiding us through many big decisions.

Thinking back over the years I remember some more than others. The best decision I ever made however was the day I recognized Jesus was missing from my heart and I invited Him in. Thank You Father. Thank You Jesus. Thank You Holy Spirit.

It is You Who have worked through every decision we have had to make through the years. Sometimes speaking more loudly to us than others. Thank You for bringing us through these forty years intact.

We've had bumps and bruises along the way. Times we almost didn't make it. Thank You for counseling us to never give up and say good bye.

Thank You for teaching us to be honest, open and willing. Those are big decisions right there. Too many times it's easier to pretend. To act tougher than we really are. Thank You that it is in our moments of weakness that You make us strong (2 Corinthians 12:10b).

Thank You for Your love. Your strength. Your guiding force in our lives. Use us in making great decisions this day. We love You. We long to represent You well.

Thank You for giving us these forty years with which to work and grow together. Thank You Father. We love You. Amen.

(281 words ~ 7:11 a.m.)

courage to hope

Friday, February 24, 2017 (6:19 a.m.)

Holy God and Father,

You gave me courage yesterday. Courage to be honest with You. And with others. Thank You Father. Thank You.

Thank You for providing me the courage to hope that things can be better. It was You who prompted me to pray to You. Asking Your presence. And Your guidance.

Oh how I thank and praise You Blessed God. Thank You for reminding me to take deep breaths. And baby steps. Thank You for coming into my mess and starting to lead me out. I'm here inviting You in again.

You supplied my every need yesterday (Philippians 4:19). Even allowing me to recognize the various times I used the word want instead of need. Thank You for teaching me that there is such a big difference between the two.

Your Word is speaking so much Truth to me right now that I am once again completely agog with You!

Starting over in 1 Chronicles 28, I read David's Instructions to Solomon. In taking the time to pass Your wisdom on to his son, David urges Solomon to, “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Don't be afraid or discouraged by the size of the task, for the LORD God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. He will see to it that all the work related to the Temple of the LORD is finished correctly” (v. 20).

The Life Recovery Bible's comment for the preceding verse reminds us that because we are each “a 'temple' of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), God actually dwells inside all His people.” Rebuilding our life according to YOUR plan for healthy living is our way to go.

A Serenity Prayer Devotional for this chapter has a power filled side note. “Full recovery doesn't stop when our broken parts are repaired. It includes building a new life that is free, full, and rich. Fear of failure, humiliation, or disappointment can keep us from seeking life in all its fullness. It takes courage to dream of the life we truly desire.”

Yes. It truly does! And You give me that courage. Courage to hope. Thank You Father. Empower and embolden me to using it well again this day. We have what appears to be a “SMART” [s-pecific, m-easurable, a-ction oriented, r-ealistic, t-ime bound] plan. We present it to You, seeking Your approval and/or changes.

We love You Father. We long to build our relationship and use this day according to Your best for us. Thank You once again for the courage to hope. Praise You. Thank You. This I ask through Your Son, by the working of the Holy Spirit. We love You. And we thank You. Amen.

(453 words ~ 7:46 a.m.)

my all in all

Thursday, February 23, 2017 (6:28 a.m.)

Holy God,

You are good. You are loving. You are kind. You are... ♫my all in all.♫ Mm, yes. Teach me what this means.

The hymn note refers me to Colossians 3:11. My head nods. Mind stirs. Soul struggles. I find myself unwilling. I read the hymn. Believe the Truth of which it speaks. Yet I refuse to get my hopes up again.

Holy Father God, I confess to feeling disappointed with myself. I make plans I don't keep. Consider projects I don't even begin, much less finish. We spoke together yesterday about procrastinating. This seems much deeper than that.

Oh Jesus, thank You! Thank You for reminding me just now that I had awaken filled with hope. Two words [glitter and glimmer] had presented me with much joy. Hallelujah! How I thank and praise You!

You truly never cease to amaze me! As long as I sit bemoaning myself and my perceived lacking, I sink deeper into my thoughts of negativity. Turning back to Your Word with just a glimmer [one of the earlier two words] of hopefulness and I want to break out into song.

Jesus, praise You! Thank You. Lead me here I pray.

The Voice concordance has referred me to Isaiah 59:9. “People: That's why we can't make things right; good and true can't gain any ground on us. We look earnestly for a bright spot, but there isn't even a glimmer of hope; it's darkness all around.” How very often I feel exactly like this!

Oh, but turning to this verse in The Life Recovery Bible I find a Twelve Step Devotional on the very same page. “Clearing the Mess BIBLE READING: Isaiah 57:12-19”. A question jumps off the page reminding me once again that You truly ARE my all in all!

“Will God really come into the mess and lead us out?”

Oh my dearest Lord, I have been trying desperately to effect my own transition here. The harder I attempt to push myself the more exhausted I become. This mess didn't occur overnight. It absolutely won't be gone tomorrow. I need help. YOUR help.

Will You please come into this mess and lead us out?! How I thank You for another glimmer of Your grace!

Thank You that Your Word is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12). Thank You that it provides us Your Truth on which to truly build and hope. I ask You to come into this mess I have made for myself and lead me out.

I look to You. Asking, seeking, knocking (Matthew 7:7). Trusting that ♫You are my strength when I am weak, You are the treasure that I seek; You are my all in all♫

Jesus, I love You. I trust You. And I ask You to do ALL for me today that I truly cannot do for myself. Thank You for the glimmer and the glitter that is Yours alone. Let me use the hope that I have found in our time together here for Your good and for Your glory. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(517 words ~ 8:33 a.m.)

lexical

Wednesday, February 22, 2017 (6:41 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You! I confess to falling back into procrastination. And You just showed me that word!

Funny. I was looking in Your Word for a different word altogether. Problems. Yes. I was planning to tell You that I've started taking things personally again. I'd gone back to once more looking at life so seriously.

Thank You Father. Thank You that You honestly have such a wonderful way of speaking to me. I love how I can feel absolutely sure about any one thing and in almost no time at all You show me where my thinking is flawed.

Thank You Father. Thank You. I readily admit to You the procrastination that has taken over my household in addition to my own well being. Thank You for bringing this word to light. Thank You for bringing YOUR Word to Light!

I confess to lacking enthusiasm and determination, to once again becoming carelessly lazy [see; Revelation 3:15-17 and spiritual indifference]. The words just keep coming. I continue nodding my head. My heart. My soul.

Oh Blessed Father, do ALL You must in and with me. I confess to harboring bitter and hurt feelings. Slights I could easily choose to release. YOU know what is best! You are 'able to give me more than I need, so that I will always have all I need for myself and more than enough for every good cause' (2 Corinthians 9:8 Good News Translation).

Father I believe You can change me. Right where I sit. Your Word proves it. Do all You must to align me with Your perfect plan. I want to share. Freely. Give. Readily. Forgive. Completely. Make it so Dear Blessed God.

The word lexical means “relating to the words or vocabulary of a language”. It stems from the Ancient Greek leksis, meaning “word”. Your language, Your Word speaks to my core. My very being. Do all You must to end the procrastination to which I have again succumbed.

I love You Father. Take this day and do all You wish with and through me. Thank You Father. Praise You. Amen.

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

align us

Friday, February 17, 2017 (10:14 a.m.)

Most Holy God,

(11:06 a.m.)

There's a song I've been trying to find all this time. I don't know the words. I'm not sure of the tune. YOU know what it is. If You want me to find it, please bring it forward.

Saturday, February 18, 2017 (5:18 a.m.)

Well Lord,

I still haven't found it. I continued looking throughout the day. This morning I woke up with another potential line to the tune. ♫Hum, hm, hm, hm, hm,hm,hm,hm, hm,hm,hm,hm♫

Today I ask that You would have Your way here. Should YOU want me to finally have the words, let me know. On the other hand, if You want me to just let it go let that happen for me.

Holy God, I love You. I want You to be glorified in the choices I make. You are good. You are holy. You know the plans You have for us. Align us. Hm. Yes. Align us to Your will. To Your way. To Your timing. To Your plan.

We have severe weather warnings. Heavy rains. Winds. Many road damages. And our own plans to celebrate friends and family in various locations. Align us to what You would have us do.

(6:46 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

I am presently introduced to John 5:24 in The Message. I am asking Your understanding. “It's urgent that you listen carefully to this: Anyone here who believes what I am saying right now and aligns himself with the Father, who has in fact put me [Jesus] in charge, has at this very moment the real, lasting life and is no longer condemned to be an outsider. This person has taken a giant step from the world of the dead to the world of the living.”

Yes Father, this is what I am asking. I looked for the origin of a very similar phrase the other day. Holy God, I am asking You to align us to Your will and “let us live as long as we're alive and not die until we're dead.”

There is so very much controversy going on around us. Align us to You. We love You. We long to serve You. And one of these days You will fill in the words to the worship song singing in my soul. Until then, let us continue singing our hearts out to You. Thank You Father. Amen.

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

delighted admiration

Thursday, February 16, 2017 (6:46 a.m.)

Gloriously Awesome God,

The sky truly reflected Your glory just now. And I get to turn to Your Word and read even more about it. Illustrated Bible Handbook says, “Psalm 19. Here is a measured statement of God's revelation of Himself in nature (1-6) and in the written word (7-14).”

Most Dear and Holy God, hear my prayer this morning. I KNOW You to be good and glorious! Truly. I look at Your heavenly display of marvelous craftsmanship (Psalm19:1) and I am genuinely filled with wonder. Your work is a magnificent thing to behold. And I do!

While at the very same time You know my heart dearest God. You know all the things that are happening in conjunction with one another and weighing me down. This is where I confess to You that I don't know what to do with all the sadness.

The bitterness of others. The hurt. The pain. The questions. The doubts. It all seems unending. And I feel stuck in it.

I keep reading and once again I am blessed by Your powerful presence in my day. I believe I'm just going to have to deal with all the tears. I give You control of this day. Use all of my heart, all of my soul, all of my mind and all of strength for Your good and for Your glory.

The Life Recovery Bible comment for Psalm 19 says, “19:7-11 Adhering to God's laws will produce wholeness in our life. Applying God's truth revives our inner being and gives insight – even to the least of us – into how we should live. His Word is not a burden that robs us of the good things of life (see Matthew 11:29-30). Instead it transforms us and replaces our discouragement with joy.”

Yes, please! I believe this. I know You to be True!

Verses 12-14 speak volumes to me. “How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart? Cleanse me from these hidden faults. Keep me from deliberate sins! Don't let them control me. Then I will be free of guilt and innocent of great sin. May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing to You, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.”

Mm, yes. Yes. Please.

Blessed God thank You for speaking Your Truth to my heart. Thank You for reminding me of the power of Your Word. Keep working in me that I would come to readily rely on It over circumstances.

Thank You for stirring Revelation 3:19 The Message back into my thinking. “The people I love, I call to account – prod and correct and guide so that they'll live at their best. Up on your feet, then! About face! Run after God!”

Yes, please! With delighted admiration! Make it so Blessed God. Make me so! Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(485 words ~ 8:29 a.m.)

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a daughter of the King

Wednesday, February 15, 2016 (7:28 a.m.)

Holy, Holy God,

Oh, how I love You! Let's talk about love this morning, shall we?? Your love for us. Our love for one another.

(9:03 a.m.)

And have we!!!

Holy God, thank You! Thank You for the places You lead me. In Your Word. And on the internet. To Biblical teachings about Your Truths.

Oh, most dear and blessed Father, thank You. My heart is filled with so much to consider and process. It is to You I look for leading and understanding.

(10:15 a.m.)

Thank You that You have so much to say and I have ever more to learn. Keep guiding me Father I pray. In the study and application of Your Word.

Continue Your work in showing me exactly what it means to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength” (Mark 12:30). And the second most important commandment, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (v. 31).

Mm, yes Father. As I go out into this day, let that be my prayer. That You would teach me how to love the way You wish. You completely. And others as You designed me to love and care for myself.

Let me truly live this day as though I genuinely believe that Jesus' life, death and resurrection are enough to warrant myself Yours. A true daughter of the King. Hmmm. Let's imagine that for the day! Thank You, Father. I love You. Amen.

(251 words ~ 10:37 a.m.)

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awesome God as Father

Sunday, February 12, 2017 (5:46 a.m.)

Awesome God and Father,

I confess to You, I'm not much for poetry. It is most often far over my head. But this morning there is something in Psalm 68 that is speaking deep within me. I turn to You, seeking Your understanding.

By searching the phrase, “awesome God as Father” I came upon Psalm 68:35. Inching my way up verse by verse as I so often do, I finally started back at verse 1. There's such symbolism and so many word pictures sprinkled throughout this chapter, that I find myself fighting back tears that I truly don't comprehend.

(7:25 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You for the opportunity of searching “understanding psalm 68”. So many commentaries. And many of them begin by announcing, 'the difficulty of this psalm'. Thank You that I am not alone in my confusion.

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary breaks the chapter contents down quite nicely. “A prayer – The greatness and goodness of God. (1-6) The wonderful works God wrought for His people. (7-14) The presence of God in His church. (15-21) The victories of Christ. (22-28) Enlargement of the church. (29-31) The glory and grace of God. (32-35)”.

It's this commentary, on verses 32-35, I quote before typing out the New Living Translation version of this section:

“God is to be admired and adored with reverence and godly fear, by all that attend in His holy places. The God of Israel gives strength and power unto His people. Through Christ strengthening us we can do all things, not otherwise; therefore He must have the glory of all we do, with our humble thanks for enabling us to do it, and for accepting the work of His hands in us.”

“Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth. Sing praises to the Lord. Interlude Sing to the One who rides across the ancient heavens, His mighty voice thundering from the sky. Tell everyone about God's power. His majesty shines down on Israel; His strength is mighty in the heavens. God is awesome in His sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to His people. Praise be to God!”

Mm. Yes. Praise You. Thank You. I love You. Empower me to live this psalm out to You this day. I love You awesome God and Father. Thank You. Amen.

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

living Lord

Saturday, February 11, 2017 (5:54 a.m.)

Holy Loving Lord,

Thank You! I have a huge smile. I started with loving Lord and it very quickly became living Lord. Hmm. What is here to consider this morning?

(6:43 a.m.)

Mm. Thank You God! Thank You Jesus. Thank You Holy Spirit.

Hymns. Old Testament. New Testament. Devotions. Truth. Promises. Hope. It all comes from You. Our living, loving Lord God. How I thank You!

My heart wants to jump out of my chest. I read Your Word. Other people's commentaries. Confess to not understanding much. And wanting even more of Your Truth.

Holy Living Lord, thank You! Thank You for being alive and filled with love. Thank You for calling us to live in and through You and Your incredible, unending love. It's all so much. And so perfect.

Use me this day. Exactly as You wish. Enable me to accomplish whatever it is You have for me to do. I want to be at Your disposal. Ready. Willing. Able. And raring to go. Yes Father. Use Your Truth to guide and direct my every feeling, hope, thought and action.

I am Yours. And You are the Lord my God, who rescued me (Exodus 20:2). Loving. Living. Eternal. Thank You Father. With all my heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30) I commit this day to You. Through Your Son. By the workings of Your Holy Spirit. Yes. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(244 words ~ 7:24 a.m.)

whole scope

Friday, February 10, 2017 (7:01 a.m.)

Holy God,

Good morning.

(8:39 a.m.)

Yes. Yes. Good morning. And thank You.

Unlike other mornings of many distractions, to day I have been delving in to others' understandings of Your Word. Particularly Ecclesiastes 3:11.

“God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end.”

Mm, Father. How I thank You for the privilege of sitting here, contemplating the whole scope of Your work. Thank You that the Preacher/Teacher states right there that “people cannot see”.

One study I'm looking at [Time's Up (Ecclesiastes 3:1-15) Bible.org] reminds us that “Timing is everything”. It then breaks this section into four necessities.

1. Expect change (3:1-8).
2. Accept limitations (3:9-11).
3. Enjoy life (3:12-13).
4. Fear God (3:14-15).

Holy God, as we prepare to go out into our day, these are the Truths of Your Word I long to take with us. Yes. Enable and empower us in expecting change, accepting limits, enjoying life and fearing You.

Yes, Father. While we cannot see the whole scope of Your work, allow us the glimpses of Your grace that keep us inching forward. We love You Lord. Use us this day. Exactly as You wish. Thank You. We love You. Amen.

(227 words ~ 9:32 a.m.)

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filled with hope

Thursday, February 9, 2017 (6:10 a.m.)

Awesome God,

Good morning. Thank You. Thank You that we have Your Word. Thank You that It is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12). I read. I hope. I think. I listen.

Father, thank You. Thank You that we have hope in You. Your promises bring hope. Praise You. Thank You.

It's beautiful outside. Sunny. Bright. Hopeful. There's that word again. Yes! Father, this morning I keep circling back to feeling hopeful. Thank You.

Thank You for the smile on my face. And the one I sense somewhere deep inside. Thank You that we get to experience You as awesome.

Three sections of Old Testaments writings continue to bring us hope this day. Deuteronomy 7:21-24, Nehemiah 1:5-6, Isaiah 35:1-2. Thank You Father. Thank You.

Father, Your Word is filled with hope and so am I. Thank You for the ways with which You choose to speak to us. Use me this day with all the hope You have provided us.

Thank You that You are indeed awesome. Thank You for Your never ending provisions of hope. Thank You Father. I love You. Use me as You wish. Amen.

(193 words ~ 8:29 a.m.)

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love and respect

Wednesday, February 8, 2016 (5:26 a.m.)

Good Morning Holy God,

Thank You for sleep. Thank You

(6:55 a.m.)

And I'm back!

Blessed God, thank You for TV time spent with this sweet husband. Thank You for the work You have done in our relationship these past four decades.

Father, thank You for the emotions You are teaching us to express. Thank You for love, respect. Mm. Yes, Father. Speak to me this day about the love and respect that You would have us share with one another.

Holy God, how I thank You for the incredible privilege of loving and respecting You.

(8:34 a.m.)

Mm, thank You for the honor of sitting here reading Psalm 111 and pondering the importance of revering You (v. 10). Truly Father, it is because of our love and respect for You that we are able to love and respect one another. Thank You, Father. Thank You.

Dearest, Holy God, as I sit here asking You to empower us to live Your Word, I read this paragraph in a devotional for Psalm 111:1-10 in The Life Recovery Bible. “Turning our life over to God is a wise move! Like most aspects of recovery, walking in wisdom is a process that we grow into. These three elements are the groundwork: reverence for God, listening to His instructions, and following them.”

Yes. Yes. Yes! Keep growing us in Your wisdom Blessed God. Teaching us how to love and respect You and one another. We love You so much and ask these things through Your Son, by the workings of Your Holy Spirit. Thank You. We love You. Amen.

(271 words ~ 9:24 a.m.)

3:33

Tuesday, February 7, 2017 (5:31 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You. It happened again. I woke up thinking, thinking, thinking. Finally looked at the clock and it was another day at exactly 3:33. It makes me wonder if You're trying to tell me something.

I started thinking in threes. ♫Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord, God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee♫ Looking to The Celebration Hymnal, where do I find it? On page 3.

♫Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!♫ Yes. These are three I long to consider.

In John 3:22-35, John the Baptist teaches the crowd following him the importance of believing Jesus. Verse 3:33, “Those who believe Him discover that God is true.” Hmm. Three more important words to contemplate. “God is true.”

And here at the end of the verse referenced by the hymn above is another valuable three. Revelation 4:8, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty – the One who was, who is, and is to come.” Yes!

So, blessed Father, as we prepare to go out into another wet and rainy day I ask You to go before us. Oh! Would You just look at this.

A benediction by Blair Monie. “As you leave this place may the Living Lord go with you; May He go behind you, to encourage You; beside you, to befriend you; above you, to watch over you; beneath you, to lift you from your sorrows; within you, to give you the gifts of faith, hope, and love; and always before you, to show you the way.”

Oh, yes please Dearest God. Three more vital words. Faith, hope, love.

Have Your way with us this day. Remind us as is necessary that You are true. We love You. We thank You and we long to serve You as You wish. Thank You Father. Amen.

(315 words ~ 7:10 a.m.)

showers of grace

Monday, February 6, 2017 (7:02 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You. We have rain this morning. And I learned something big from church yesterday. Pastor Ed spoke of our need to receive Your grace.

He mentioned that while Your grace showers around us continuously, we need the capacity to receive it. Adding how often throughout the day that he himself asks You to expand his capacity of reception.

Father God, thank You for his honesty and encouragement to each of us. Thank You for the reminder that Your grace [which is sufficient for us (2 Corinthians 12:9)] showers down upon us and it is up to us to receive it.

(9:16 a.m.)

What perfect timing You have for me to begin a study of Your showering grace! The rain continues to come and go this morning. I am less apt to walk out in cold rainy weather. I much prefer sitting warmly inside, watching to see what all will transpire.

Oh, but right this minute I remember a day just last week that I held hands and skipped through a water park with our much loved son as the drizzles began. Father God, the concept of asking for increased capacity to receive Your grace is brand new to me. I am here asking You to teach me what it is You would have me take with me this morning.

As I continue to practice praying all things to You, through Your Son, by the workings of Your Holy Spirit I'm learning to call on “the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit” (2 Corinthians 13:14). Even as I do so, I confess to not really understanding what it all means.

Again, I look to You for the ability to follow Your lead. Like now. Hebrews 4:14b-16, “Let us cling to Him [Jesus the Son of God]. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for He faced all of the same temptations we do, yet He did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it.”

Holy, holy God. We, as Your people, are in desperate need of learning how to receive Your grace. Teach me I pray Dearest Lord. I love You. I thank You. And I ask You to enable me to live this day exactly as You wish. Thank You for Your blessings and Your showers of grace. I love You. Amen.

(427 words ~ 9:43 a.m.)

well beyond

Sunday, February 5, 2017 (6:15 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

Thank You!

We are home. Safe. Sound. Rested. Hopeful. And so incredibly grateful. Father, You have blessed us well beyond our wildest expectations.

Mm. Yes! Well beyond → far beyond → Ephesians 3:20 → various translations → excitement and eagerness to tell.

And at the very same time, words won't come. Thoughts swirl. There is so much

so many

Saturday, February 4, 2017 (6:39 a.m.)

Port Tampa Bay, FL

Holy, Holy God,

Thank You! Thank You. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You.

There are so many reasons to be grateful. An unspecified amount of things for which to sing Your praises. Thank You Father for all the blessings You provide us every single day. Thank You for the big and the small of it all.

Blessed God, You amaze me! You give and You love and You do it all perfectly. Thank You for the privilege of being counted as one of Your own.

You provided us with opportunities this past week. Time to spend with our much loved son. Occasions to interact with a wide variety of people. Moments to savor new and different experiences. Thank You God.

The tears want to start again. Rather than fight them off, I am choosing to let You do whatever it is that You know is best. Isn't that what we ultimately want? Your best.

Mm. What will that look like for us today?

Holy Father God, I love You. I long to live in You. All the while having You dwell in me.

It is to the words and Truth of Philippians 4:8 I turn right now. So many different emotions could occur at any second. Let them all be filtered through that which is “true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and worthy of praise”. Let my mind be stayed on You and all of the good things You provide.

Thank You for Your love Father. Thank You for the grace of Your Son. Thank You for the fellowship of Your Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:14). Use us this day exactly as You see fit. Turning us back to You as is always necessary.

We love You. We long to serve You. You have blessed us with so many reasons to share You freely with others. Empower us in doing exactly as You know is best. Thank You for Your loving, forgiving grace. Make it apparent to all those we encounter that we belong to You.

Yes Blessed God. Use us this day for Your good and Your glory. That is my desire. Thank You for Your blessings. So many that we can never list them all. Thank You Father. We love You. Amen.

(395 words ~ 7:38 a.m.)

"Oh, thank You God!"

Friday, February 3, 2017 (7:17 a.m.)

Cruising northeast to Tampa, FL

Oh, most blessed Father God,

Thank You! It's what I've been saying for the past three hours. Oh, thank You that my ankle doesn't hurt. Oh, thank You that I woke up remembering that ♫This is the day, this is the day that the Lord hath made, that the Lord hath made. I will rejoice. I will rejoice and be glad in it and be glad in it. This is the day that the Lord hath made. I will rejoice and be glad in it. This is the day, this is the day that the Lord hath made♫

Thank You, Father. Yes thank You for all the blessings You continue bestowing upon us. Last night there was an incredibly squishy, somewhat painful problem with my left ear. I tried my go-to drying drops to no avail. Pulling, tugging, tilting all resulted without success.

Oh, but I remembered! Pray! Ask Jesus to do for me all that I cannot do for myself. Right there in a public restroom stall, I presented my case. I confessed to not knowing the cause nor the cure. I trusted. I believed. I surrendered it all.

Later in the night a few more drops were added, just in case. Leaving them in longer with my head tilted further still felt stranger than ever before. Mindfully sleeping on my left side, I prayed for change.

Somewhere in the early morning hours I rejoiced with the catch phrase for this day, “Oh! Thank You God!” Thank You that there's no pain. No squishiness. No clog. No more fear that something was in there that shouldn't be.

Mm, yes. Thank You God. Thank You for the opportunity of laying flat on my back on a lounge on a back balcony at three o'clock in the morning watching the stars. “Oh, thank You God!” was said repeatedly. Oh, thank You for the beauty. Thank You for the privilege. Thank You for Your love.

Yes Father. Thank You for Your love that enables us to love others. Thank You for the pleasure of meeting new people. Freely, gladly, readily, willingly encouraging those in need of a few kind words.

Holy God, if this is what is meant by living Your Word, sign me up. Through the power of Your Son and the workings of the Holy Spirit some of it actually happens without any thought at all.

Does this mean I can ever do it all by myself, on my own, without You? Absolutely not! I am in constant need of “the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit” (2 Corinthians 13:14). This I ask of You this day.

This day that You have made. This one last day on this ship. Accomplish Your will and Your way in us. Through us. We are here to serve You. Use us. Exactly as You wish.

Thank You Father. Let me be completely aware every single time I say, “Oh, thank You God!” Yes. Please. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(522 words ~ 8:23 a.m.)

another opportunity for fun

Thursday, February 2, 2017 (7:41 a.m.)

Cozumel, MX

Most Dear and Holy Father God,

Thank You! Completely. Whole-heartedly. Thank You!

You reminded me yesterday to approach difficult circumstances with the phrase, “When such and such a thing happens, I feel _________.” What a tremendous help to my attitude. Thanks Dad!

Thank You for the sheer delight of playing with our son in a Mayan designed Zip-line and Water Park. A tiny bit of foreboding met with an overwhelming amount of fun. And safety! Thank You God.

Thank You for Your presence in the completely unexpected and crippling pain of the unknown-to-me injury regarding my ankle. Father You know exactly what, when, where, why and how it happened. Thank You for guiding us in the ultimate treatment for healing.

Father, thank You for this son who knows so much of the mechanics and workings of our bodies. Thank You for ice and rest. Medication, gentle movements and massage. Oh bless You Father. Praise You. Thank You.

We have another opportunity for fun this day. Go before us. Beside us. Above, beneath and behind us. Help us see glimpses of Your good. Your grace. Your glory. This I ask to You, through Your Son, by the workings of Your Holy Spirit. Let us freely share Your blessings to us with others.

Thank You, Father. I love You. Amen.

(230 words ~ 8:20 a.m.)

a grace note of sadness

Wednesday, February 1, 2017 (7:53 a.m.)

Costa Maya, MX

Holy God,

Thank You! We are in a brand new month and a new to us city. I am grateful. With a side, a grace note if You will, of sadness.

It started last night when I saw the number 5 on today's Cruise Compass. Day 5? How can it already be day 5? Didn't we just get here? Don't we still have many days to go? How can it almost be over?

Blessed Father, I want to be grateful. Truly, deep in my heart grateful. And I am. I know I am. Yet, there are tears and all these extra feelings that I don't find to be helpful at all.

So... I'm bringing it all up to You. Every single mixed, confusing feeling and emotion. I look to You to show me what to do with them all.

Let me remember that You are God my Father. Jesus is my Savior and Redeemer. The Holy Spirit, my Comforter. A very present help in time of trouble.

I am NOT alone here in my feelings! I can be grateful, with a grace note of sadness. Show me how this extra emotion adds to the music of this day. Thank You Father. I love You. Amen.

(220 words ~ 8:46 a.m.)

exceedingly grateful ~ 1/31/17

Tuesday, January 31, 2017 (7:14 a.m.)

Anchoring off Belize

Holy God,

Thank You for Your glory and grace. That's what I long to look for today. Signs of Your glory and grace. Hmm. What will that be like? I ask You to show me.

You bless us so profoundly. And we are exceedingly grateful. Yes. That's the phrase. Exceedingly grateful. Keep me aware of all the blessings You provide that render us exceedingly grateful.

Just thinking about Your blessings causes me to smile. Thank You. I confess to not eagerly taking the time to fully appreciate the blessings You so readily provide. Work on me in this area I pray.

You are good. You are holy. I want to approach every moment with that Truth as my mantra! God is good. God is holy.

Yes Father. Help me BE exceedingly grateful! I love You so very much. Let it be obvious to others. Thank You that You are good. Thank You that You are holy. Make me fully aware of Your glory and grace.

Thank You Father. I love You. Amen.

(187 words ~ 9:30 a.m.)

"Thank You" ~ 1/30/17

Monday, January 30, 2017 (7:09 a.m.)

South to Roatan, Honduras

Blessed God,

Thank You. Thank You for the rain and cold we've experienced. Thank You for changes in locations and weather. Thank You for cloudy skies and warmer air temperature.

Thank You that You are God and You are good. Thank You that I am here just to say, “Thank You”. Yes. Thank You Father.

Thank You for the privilege of calling You Father. Thank You for the invitation to Know You, Your Son and Your Holy Spirit.

Thank You for the opportunity of sitting here, watching it rain. Thank You for the faith I have in people being capable of doing their jobs so well that I am able to enjoy watching the fog roll in. Trusting that the ship and all its passengers are perfectly safe.

Faith. Trust. Perfectly safe. Those are words I want others to know I experience with You.