much loved

 Wednesday, September 2, 2026 (4:59 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

It took until just now to remember it’s the day to celebrate the birth of a much loved one. Mm, Father. Thank You for the many things we have learned through these years. Many of them because of this fine young person.

Thank You God that You have so very much to teach us. Thank You for softening my edges. Making me more pliable. Willing, even eager, for more knowledge and understanding.

Thank You for the opportunities You provide for us to trust in You and not our own judgments. Mm, yes. Your provide. You make ways where there seems to be no way.

Thank You for directing me just now to the powerful Truth of the apostle Paul’s final letter. Sent to encourage Your faithful, yet discouraged, young minister Timothy. Thank You for their faithfulness. Their courage. Their examples.

Thank You Father for the love You have provided. Far before the beginning of time. Here again, I ask You to continue teaching me to live in, with, by, through and for Your love. Mm, yes Father. Yes!

We, like Timothy, are to remain faithful to the things we have been taught (2 Timothy 3:14). “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right” (16).

Mm, yes please. I absolutely want to learn and do what You know is right.

(5:46 a.m.)

Thank You for time to sit and be with You. Go before, behind, beside, below, above and within me that I am able to do and be all that You know is best.

I love, need, trust and want You Lord. Use me as You have planned. Loving. Caring. Praying. Glorifying and enJOYing You. Thank You. Praise You.

Happy Birthday to and thank You for our very much loved one! Amen.

(333 words ~ 5:50 a.m.)

♪Something Better♪

acute awareness

 Tuesday, September 1, 2026 (5:02 a.m.)

Rejoicingly cool weather. Thank You God! No longer unbearably hot and swampy. Who knew the difference a few degrees of temperature and percentages of relative humidity could make?

(5:20 a.m.)

Thank You God that this year, seemingly more than any other in the past, I appear to be acutely aware of the changing seasons. And the ways I am affected by them. Thank You Lord.

In searching these various thoughts I find others who have written quite a bit about them.

♪You give life, You are love

You bring light to the darkness

You give hope, You restore

Every heart that is broken

Great Are You Lord♪

Thank You Father for the ways You lead and guide our thoughts. Through Your Word of Truth and promises. And songs that sing of them.

♪All the earth will shout Your praise

Our hearts will cry, these bones will sing

Great are You, Lord♪

Thank You for making me acutely aware of the beauty of the skies these past many days. Unusually clear and bright contrasts of color. Reminding me regularly:

♪It’s Your breath in our lungs

So we pour out our praise to You only♪

Mm, yes! Father, it is to You I praise and sing of Your holiness.

(6:50 a.m.)

Choosing to look to and praise You, I become more aware of myself. My thoughts. And tendencies. Thank You Father.

I want You to use me as You alone know is best. Glorifying and enJOYing You forever.

Continue providing me with the glimpses of You, Your will and Your way I am discovering each day. I love, need, trust and want all that You are and do. Thank You for loving the world so much (John 3:16). Praise You Father. Amen.

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

riding the waves of emotions

 ♪It is well with my soul♪

(Make It Well)

Monday, August 31, 2026 (4:14 a.m.)

Most dear and blessed Holy God,

How I thank You Father. A full day of emotions, worship and rest. What a combination.

I confess to wanting to bypass the tears. It seemed every time I turned around there they were, falling again.

Thank You for reminding me to breathe. And ride ‘em like the waves that they were.

♪Goodbye yesterday

I’m living’ in the light of a new day♪

Thank You for the ways You change our hearts. Our minds. Our tunes.

(4:51 a.m.)

Mm, yes Father. You are teaching me to identify feelings. Not judge them. Providing me courage to address awkwardness as it comes.

I no longer feel as though I must, much less am qualified to, change circumstances. They are what they are. And they will be what they will be.

Thank You Dear Lord. Your Word is filled with hope and promises [see Isaiah 43:1-2 and Romans 15:13]. Thank You especially for the simplicity of Psalm 18:1.

“I love You, Lord. Your are my strength.” Oh! This just got so much better...

Talking about waves. And the feelings of being tossed about.

The Message says, “I love You, God - You make me strong. GOD is bedrock under my feet, the castle in which I live, my rescuing knight. My God - the high crag where I run for dear life, hiding behind the boulders, safe in the granite hideout.”

That is very much how I felt yesterday. Waiting for the storm of my emotions to pass.

Thank You Father for Your goodness. Your mercy. Your grace. Your faithfulness. All that You are that allows me to wait on (Psalm 27:14; Isaiah 40:31) and trust in (Proverbs 3:5) You.

Thank You Father for blessing me and keeping me (Numbers 6:24). Making Your face shine upon me and being gracious to me (v. 25). Turning Your face toward me [and SMILING] and giving me peace (26).

I love, need, trust and want You Lord. Do all You must in using me exactly as You know is best. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(360 words ~ 5:23 a.m.)

♪There’s no one like You

None like You♪

(Our God)

Oh!

 ♪O, Lord O, Lord♪

Sunday, August 30, 2026 (4:20 a.m.)

Thank You for the amount of times I have already exclaimed “Oh!” this morning. 

Raccoons in the backyard. Waking much earlier than hoped. The sultry (67% relative humidity) feel to the already warm (77°) air upon opening the doors to outside. Noticing the still activated solar powered string of dragonfly lights our very dear neighbor strung just for my benefit. Even becoming aware of which day of the week it is.

These two letters carry quite a bit of weight Dear Lord. Expressing a range of emotions. Surprise. Disappointment. Joy. Awe. Wonder. Amazement. Concern.

I’ve noticed myself using this particular interjection quite often these days. Such a small word for expressing so many different emotions.

Thank You Dear Lord for the number of verses I find using it in Your Word. I’m choosing two at this moment. Just to get started. And expanding from there.

Psalm 105:1(-5). “Oh give thanks to the LORD; call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Sing to Him, sing praises to Him; tell of all His wondrous works! Glory to His holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! Seek the LORD and His strength; seek His presence continually! Remember the wondrous works that He has done, His miracles, and the judgments He uttered”

Romans 11:33. “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His ways.”

Oh most blessed God, how truly I thank You for all You are and do. Thank You that I can use a word as simple as “Oh!” to express so very much.

Use me exactly as You know is best. I love, need, trust and want You as absolute Lord of my life. Do all You must Dear God. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(316 words ~ 5:28 a.m.)

"error related positivity"

 ♪It’s like a fire...

...I just Haven’t Seen It Yet♪

Saturday, August 29, 2026 (4:02 a.m.)

Thank You God.

Another very quick find. I really like when that happens.

Plus six hour of sleep. I like that two too.

(4:15 a.m.)

Thank You Father that You are teaching me to embrace mistakes.

(4:20 a.m.)

Oh yes! Thank You Dad for all there is for me to learn through the various goofs I encounter on any given day.

Searching through past prayers I find one from last month I had completely forgotten. Simply titled ERN, thank You for the smiles of hope that accompany my relearning about “error-related negativity.”

Taking that acronym into account I curiously entered “error related positivity.” Father God, once again You have so very much for me to learn! Thank You.

“Error positivity (Pe) is a positive brain wave component that occurs roughly 100 to 200 milliseconds after a person makes a mistake during a task.”

Having recently taken the phrase “Floating my way through life” and adding “one wave at a time” this new to me information about positive brain waves adds to the joy I find in You Dear Lord.

Thank You for speaking [singing] to me in so very many ways.

♪It’s like the brightest sunrise

Waiting on the other side of the darkest night

Don’t ever lose hope, hold and believe

Maybe you just haven’t seen it, just haven’t seen it yet

You’re closer than you think you are♪ 

(5:01 a.m.)

Father, thank You for the opportunity of following my thoughts concerning You. Waking with the song above so prevalently ingrained in my being I follow it all the way back to Your Word.

Reading other people’s works regarding You and our brain waves I marvel at the ways our faith and trust in You can alter how we think. And feel. Thank You Lord.

Having first experienced the power of the apostle Paul’s words of encouragement to the Philippian believers decades ago, I am delighted to realize that my brain has actually been changed by them.

Thank You for the power we find in being willing to follow his sometimes difficult perspective. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done” (Philippians 4:6).

Oh yes Bless God. There is so much Truth and power found in this action. Thank You.

“Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (v.7).  Hm, seems like altered brain waves to me thank You very much!

“And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final things. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me - everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with You” (8-9).

Thank You Father. For Your Truth and Your promises. Do all You must that I learn to ride these positive brain waves in glorifying and enjoying You forever. I love, need, trust and want You blessed Lord.

♪Only moments from the break of dawn

All His promises are just up ahead

Maybe you just haven't seen it yet…♪

Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(573 words ~ 5:27 a.m.)

♪You're closer than you think you are...

...Maybe you just haven't seen it yet♪

unshifting hope

 ♪Oh Lord, Oh Lord♪

Friday, August 28, 2026 (3:36 a.m.)

(3:48 a.m.)

Well this is definitely more than I imagined happening! Father God, thank You for the ways You work!!

A lunar eclipse right as I was going to bed last night. Texts sent out to help generate the excitement I was experiencing.

Not enough energy to stay awake for its duration. Seven complete hours of sleep. And waking to a beauty worth going outside to behold.

3:21 in the morning. Already 80°. With 60% humidity. All the while repeating 

♪Oh Lord, Oh Lord♪

Not thinking this enough to find the song, I searched anyway. Surprise! Very first result. Lauren Daigle’s ♪O’ Lord♪. Thank You Father.

♪O Lord O Lord I know You hear my cry

Your love is lifting me above all the lies

No matter what I face this I know in time

You’ll take all that is wrong and make it right♪

How awesome are You?! Incredibly. Powerfully. Perfectly. Yes!

Father, I've experienced a tiny taste of Your power behind the scenes these last few days. In the baby steps I've taken toward clarity.

It all comes back again to swimming. Spending time in and near the water. Wanting to help people have simple and fun explorations there.

You helped me clarify what’s been working. And what has not.

Not only that, You provided the words AND the courage to express them. Father God, again and again I thank You!

I confess to You the slowness in my brain while searching for names as young siblings took turns on a diving board. Recognizing immediately the names in my head were those of their female cousin and their uncle didn’t help the rolodex in my brain spin any faster.

Blessed God, thank You that I can be this free in sharing my thoughts with You. Thank You for knowing me so very well (Psalm 139:13).

(4:24 a.m.)

Father, thank You for the blessing that is You. Thank You for the ways You call us back to putting our hope, faith and love (1 Corinthians 13:13) on and in You.

Thank You for teaching us to recognize what is wrong. What isn’t working. And giving us the tools to correct situations. All based on the love and respect You provide.

Continuing to follow the fullness of the moon in the sky, ♪O Lord, O Lord♪ keeps singing through. Reminding me

♪I will stand my ground

Where hope can be found♪

And where do I find that hope? In You! And Your Word.

Hebrews 6:18 and 19. “So God has given both His promise and His oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to Him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us. This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary.”

Mm. Yes! Hope in You. Your Truth. Your promises.

♪Your strength is found at the end of my rope

Your grace it reaches to the hurting

Sill through the tears and the questioning why…

… You’ll take all that is wrong and make it right♪

Thank You Father that when our hope and trust are in You, we are on solid ground. No shifting. No turning.

Thank You that You provide all we need to stand firm in You. Your Truth. Your promises. Thank You for the unshifting hope we have in You.

Do all You must that I represent You well. I love, need, trust and want You Lord. Use me as You know is best. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(618 words ~ 4:50 a.m.)