grateful heart

 ♪Give Thanks (With A Grateful Heart)♪

(1 Chronicles 16:34)

Saturday, August 1, 2026 (4:08 a.m.)

Good morning Lord,

Today I am thanking You for gratitude. This grateful heart that allows me to smile. Hope. Seek and find (Matthew 7:7b) joy.

Father, You are ever teaching me. Many times I am becoming more willing than before. Thank You that I am learning, and experiencing, the joy that is found in simply letting You be the mighty, awesome God You are.

Isaiah 30:18. “So the LORD must wait for you to come to Him so He can show you His love and compassion. For the LORD is a faithful God. Blessed are those who wait for His help.”

“This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: ‘Only in returning to me and resting in me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence [trust] is your strength. But you will have none of it’” (v. 15).

Here I am in the very first verse! “‘What sorrow awaits my rebellious children,’ says the LORD. ‘You make plans that are contrary to mine. You make alliances not directed by my Spirit, thus piling up your sins.’”

Yet again in verses 29 and 30 Your promises prevail. “But the people of God will sing a song of joy… And the LORD will make His majestic voice heard…”

Why? Because "perfect love casts out all fear” (1 John 4:18b New Matthew Bible).

(4:38 a.m.)

Most Dear and Blessed God,

Thank You for the ways You work in our hearts. Our souls. Our minds. And our strength. Thank You for calling us to love You, others and ourselves completely. No holds barred. Without added conditions (Mark 12:30-31).

Thank You that with every passing day I discover more things I never knew. Experiencing new to me ways of looking and seeing all it is You have to offer us.

Thank You for teaching me to drop my preconceived notions. Leaving room for You to fill me with Your best.

(4:56 a.m.)

Father, You do provide Your best.

♪Jesus Paid It All

All to Him I owe

Sin had left a crimson stain

You washed it white as snow♪

(Isaiah 1:18; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

How deeply I thank You for the Truth You sing to my soul. Changing my heart and my thoughts.

Where fear and doubt once reigned supreme, little by little, in Your perfect time You have been reminding me that You’ve indeed “got this!” Thank You that You do Dear Lord. Thank You that You do.

I love, need, trust and want You. Use me as You know is best. Continue Your work in bringing out the best that is yet to come. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(312 words ~ 5:03 a.m.

458 words ~ 5:30 a.m.)

Life!

 ♪It's a narrow road

That leads to ___

And I wanna be on it♪

(Take You At Your Word)

Friday, July 31, 2026 (4:41 a.m.)

Good morning Lord,

It’s been the song of the morning for hours now.

Thank You that I would wake up singing again.

Where does the road lead? I’m thinking to You. Let’s find out…

(4:45 a.m.)

Life! It leads to life. Talk with me more about this please.

(4:56 a.m.)

Oh how awesome is this?

I bring my curiosity back to Your Word. And find myself blessed again. Thank You God.

It’s the simple things really. Like appreciation for the smallest hope of something more.

Lord God, You never disappoint! While people and circumstances might, You don’t. Thank You for the Truth and promises we find in Your Word.

Take the narrow road for instance…

Looking for the origin of its reference, I’m taken straight over to Matthew 7:13-14. Section titled The Narrow Gate. Just one verse (12) above? The Golden Rule.

Immediately recognizing these as subjects of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. How blessed we truly are to have ready access to how He called His followers [of which I am one] to live. And behave.

These are marching orders (Matthew 28:19-20) I could never muster on my own. Thank You that that was never Your intent.

Thank You for Jesus’ promise (John 14:16) and Your overwhelming provision (v. 17) of “the Holy Spirit, who leads into all Truth.”

It’s never our job to muscle our way through any part of life on our own. No! We are to live by the Spirit’s power” (Ephesians 5:15-20).

Thank You Father that none of us are lost causes. We each are called to “Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power” (Ephesians 6:10).

Do all You must Blessed Lord to keep me on Your narrow road. Leading me straight to the life You would have me live. In, with, by, through and for You.

I love, need, trust and want You. Use me in representing You well. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(355 words ~ 5:29 a.m.)

positive change

 Thursday, July 30, 2026 (5:27 a.m.)

Holy God,

Again I thank You Lord. I said it repeatedly upon waking.

Thank You that giving You thanks in all circumstances (1 Thessalonians 5:18) comes far more naturally now. As does the apostle Paul’s urging to “Always be joyful” (v. 16).

Thank You for working in, with, by, through and for me all these years in providing me “the grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed, the courage to change the things that should be changed, and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other” (Reinhold Niebuhr).

Oh yes, Blessed God. It is YOU who is the Master behind every positive change that has come my way through the years. Thank You that You are.

Hmm… It is You that is currently equipping me with what is necessary to let go and part with things that no longer serve a purpose in this household. How genuinely grateful I am for You and all the power You offer us.

Yes! It is YOU who causes my heart to sing.

♪I wanna be Different 

I wanna be changed♪

Yes Father, truly I thank You. Do all You must that I readily glorify and enJOY You. I love, need, trust and want You. Use me EXACTLY as You know is best. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(229 words ~ 6:09 a.m.)

ultimate one-liners

 Wednesday, July 29, 2026 (4:50 a.m.)

Yowza. Wow. And so many other exclamations.

Father, thank You for waking [which meant I DID go back to sleep!] with a willing spirit. Coinciding with a dream dealing with confrontation. Explanation. And a beginning toward reconciliation.

The fact that it was only a dream allows me to examine its whole without getting lost in attempting to make sense of any of the details. Thank You God that I truly want Your willing spirit (Psalm 51:12).

Yes! That life force within that has me smiling. Often. Seemingly for no reason.

The one that was able to remind me yesterday of the origin of my love for inspirational one-liners. A weekly wall calendar hanging in my parents’ kitchen throughout their lives. A new to me motivation each week.

Thank You for the memory Lord. And thank You for the desire to want it.

Yes. That is exactly the saying that started the whole thought process yesterday!

“Happiness is not having what you want, it’s wanting what You have.” 

♪Let us become more aware of Your Presence 

Let us experience the Glory of Your Goodness♪

(Holy Spirit)

Father, You are the One behind every Truth and promise in Your Word. The ultimate one-liners that teach us to “give thanks in all circumstances” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). “Always be joyful” (v.16). Forgive as we have been forgiven (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13).

Tall orders to be sure. But not ones we are left to muscle through on our own. Jesus paid every single debt we could ever owe (Colossians 2:13-14). He even announced "It is finished!" from the cross on which He hung (John 19:30).

Blessed God, thank You for His promise of the Holy Spirit (John 14:16-17, 26). The One who will never leave us. And leads us to all truth.

It’s Your Truth that helps me remember that I always have a choice. I can choose to “be bitter or be better.” I get to remember to “take what I get and like it” [thank you, Mom!]. 

Thank You for teaching me the value of choosing wisely! Carry with me the weight and burden of grudge holding hurts from the past? Or cast all my cares upon You (1 Peter 5:7; Psalm 55:22).

You allow me to be hurtful and hateful or helpful and kind. Father, how I thank You for all You have provided that helps me want to choose the latter.

As You use me today, I ask (Matthew 7:7) that You keep making me aware of the smiles that are available. The songs yet to be sung. The power found in standing firmly and staying my mind on the ultimate one-liners found in Your Word.

Your perfect love drives out all fear (1 John 4:18). Thank You that it does.

Do all You must that I would love as You would have me love (Mark 12:30). You. Others. Myself (v.31). Reminding me at every turn that “unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”

I want to live Dear Lord! Truly. Freely. Abundantly. Joyfully. Lovingly. Yours! Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(522 words ~ 6:15 a.m.)

making it well

 ♪Make It Well 

      With my soul♪  

Tuesday, July 28, 2026 (4:53 a.m.)

Father God,

Thank You for all the ways You have of making it well with our souls. Teaching us to trust You. And to hope. In You.

Mm, yes. So often I need crash course reminders of how much better our lives are when we put our faith, hope and trust in Your basket. Thank You Lord.

Learning to want Your way more than my own is quite the process. One I get to practice every single day. Thank You for the path You invite us to walk.

(5:06 a.m.)

Thank You that just as I turned in Your Word (Psalm 25:10, then 4, and 5…) a different song started singing. Thank You for providing the key words that enabled me to find It so easily.

♪It’s a narrow road that leads to life

But I wanna be on it♪

(Take You At Your Word)

Oh! Indeed. I want to be on Your road, Dear Lord. The one that leads through the gate to the abundant, rich and satisfying life (John 10:2, 10) of which Jesus spoke.

You offer us Truth. Life. Forgiveness. Grace. Peace. Comfort. Wisdom. Guidance. Things we can never earn. Oh! But when we choose to accept Your loving kindness? Your mercies fall fresh every single day (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Lord God, I want desperately to:

♪…take You at Your Word

If You said it, I’ll believe it

I’ve seen how good It works

If You start it, You’ll complete it…♪

Do all You must Dear Lord that I represent You well. I love, need, trust and want You. Thank You for making it well with our souls. Praise You for Who and ALL You are. Amen.

(296 words ~ 5:42 a.m.)

wonderment

 Monday, July 27, 2026 (4:45 a.m.)

Most Blessed and Holy God,

Good morning. And thank You. For so very many reasons.

(5:08 a.m.)

Sitting. Reflecting. Considering. Remembering. Exploring. Trusting. Wanting.

Mm, yes Father. I want to know more.

Not facts, per se. No. I am realizing I know and understand so very little. And that’s okay (Proverbs 3:5).

I get to come before You with an open heart. No expectations. With a true sense of wonder. Not thinking that I have any answers at all. Not only that… I have yet to form the questions. And that’s okay.

(5:22 a.m.)

Blessed God, how truly I thank You for wonderment. This incredible opportunity of being awed and wowed by the things You provide.

Father, I ask (Matthew 7:7) You to continue molding and making me exactly as You would have me be (Isaiah 64:8). Keep teaching me to readily share every fear and all my hope and gratitude directly with You.

I love You Father. Having no idea what today may hold, how I thank and trust You for all You are ready, willing and able to do on each of our behalfs. Thank You for being the truly awesome God and Father You are.

Do all You must in making me who You know is best. I need, trust and want You as absolute Lord of my life. Use me. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(240 words ~ 5:49 a.m.)

love personified

 Sunday, July 26, 2026 (5:04 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

You did it again! Thank You for once more showing me Your love personified.

Yes! Same family as usual.

This time banding together to honor and celebrate their “90 Years Loved” matriarch. Complete on a throne. In a Catholic hall. Transformed into a magical setting. With various shades of her favorite [purple] color. 

All because of the love, YOUR love, that guides them into unity.

Father, this family never ceases to amaze me with the loving care and support they have for and show to one another. Praise given to one daughter-in-law is immediately credited to the others.

My tendency to say this is new behavior for me doesn’t hold up here. This dear and loving family has been showing me YOU in person for over 30 years. Yet I still find it astounding!

The details... Oh Lord, they didn’t skip a beat! Balloons. Streamers. Flowers. Live music. Their priest to bilingually bless the meal and occasion. Even a remembrance table set up with the perfect photo of their loving dad.

Everyone playing to their own particular strength. Caring. Encouraging. Serving. Yes! Sons and grandchildren bringing food to their regally treated and seated guests.

Lord God, how I thank You for these past three decades of You showing me firsthand what family really is! Not the back biting, put down, do better, be more model with which I was most accustomed.

Blessed Lord, the largest common denominators here come back to this particular family living Your love (1 Corinthians 13:1-7). The firm foundation on which they are built (Matthew 7:24-25). And their roots having visibly grown down into Jesus (Colossians 2:7).

Yes Father. Thank You for this family who never ceases to teach me another aspect of Your love personified.

Use me as You know is best. Continue Your work in, with, by, through and for me that I will somehow serve as a positive example of Your love to others. I love, need, trust and want You as absolute Lord of my life. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(346 words ~ 6:17 a.m.)