with purpose and joy

Monday, April 6, 2026 (6:39 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You

 I woke hours ago. Thinking how one moment leads to the next. Followed by another. Until an hour, day, weeks, months, years, decades, an entire lifetime have been lived.

Father God, I am truly amazed by how quickly moments pass. So often without any thought or recognition.

I want to learn to live each moment You’ve allotted me with purpose. And joy. Hmm, yes. With purpose and joy.

Blessed Lord, this Lenten season has given me many opportunities to get to know myself a little bit better. To pay closer attention to my own particular quirks and peculiarities. Thank You for this Dearest Dad.

I can honestly say to You, I am learning to look back, at the present and toward whatever is ahead with a greater acceptance of myself than ever before. Thank You Father. This is truly a post Easter celebration.

I want to utilize each moment You have set for me. Learning to live, love and laugh with You on a moment by moment basis.

Searching what this might mean, I find instructions on living abundantly. Isn’t that what Jesus spoke of in His Good Shepherd analogy (John 10:10b)?

Because of various doubts and fears I have entertained throughout my lifetime, the thief has definitely been able to steal, kill and destroy (v. 10:10a) so much of the abundance Jesus came to give.

Thank You for another reminder to trust You. In all things. At all times. Every single moment.

I also read that I am to love without fear. Which for me also involves trusting. You! 

Loving You, others and myself with all aspects of myself [heart, soul, mind and strength] as recited by Jesus Himself (Mark 12:30-31) can only be achieved in, with, by, through and for the power of Your Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8). I cannot will myself into obedience. Only into complete surrender. Allowing Your perfect love to remove all fear (1 John 4:18).

Remembering to laugh, especially in the most dire of circumstances, provides me another opportunity to practice Your Truth and promises! Thank You Father.

Proverbs 15:13 “A glad heart makes a happy face; a broken heart crushes the spirit.”

Proverbs 15:15 “For the despondent, every day brings trouble; for the happy heart, life is a continued feast.”

Proverbs 17:22 “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength.”

Use the moments You have set for me that I will live the life You designed. Love each opportunity You provide. And laugh with the joy Jesus made possible.

I love, need, trust and want You dear Lord. Thank You for every, single moment You have planned. Praise You for Your goodness and Your grace. Do all You must. Amen.

(469 words ~ 8:17 a.m.)

exploring Easter

Easter Sunday, April 5, 2026 (5:18 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You for the privilege of exploring Easter with You.

I’ve taken a much different approach this year. Observing, rather than participating. Thinking the season, far more than engaging in it. Remembering other years, while being curious about this one.

Thank You Father for making me the woman that I am. Interested. Wondering. Willing. 

(6:00 a.m.)

Father God, I am grateful for the ways You change me. My heart. My mind. My thoughts. My wants.

I just saw it written. “The Importance of Easter: A Celebration of Hope and Eternal Life” Yes! It is so true.

I confess to down playing the whole Lenten Season this year. Considering our traditions far more manmade than Biblical.

(6:29 a.m.)

Father, thank You for the curiosity and wonderment than teaches me to look at and to see circumstances in different lights.

(7:33 a.m.)

Thank You for this privilege of looking beyond the baskets, bunnies and colored eggs. Thank You for phrases such as: “victory of life over death”, “heart of our faith” and “where sorrow turns to joy and death gives way to life.”

(8:50 a.m.)

Additional exploring. More words: Forgiven. Restored. Act of love. Sacrifice. Substitute. Pierced. Crushed. Punished. Healed. Resurrected. Pause. Reflect. Respond. Draw near. Worship. Rejoice.

 

settled rest

 ♪God’s Not Done With You…♪

Saturday, April 4, 2026 (5:57 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You for Your Truth.

(6:03 a.m.)

Yes Father!

Thank You for the privilege and opportunity of singing and searching Your Truth.

(6:45 a.m.)

You never cease in amazing me Lord. I come to You with one thought. In this particular case, the Truth that You are not done with me (Philippians 1:6). And it quickly morphs into the grace and peace the apostle Paul opens each of his letters.

Grace. And peace.

Not the peace the world knows as the absence of conflict. No! Peace, as in “settled rest.”

Grace and peace that come from You, our Father. And Christ, Your Son.

The grace and peace that multiply as we get to know and trust You all the more. That “settled rest” with which Paul closed his second letter to the Thessalonians believers.

“Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you His peace at all times and in every situation. The Lord be with you all” (2 Thessalonians 3:16).

Father God, You are teaching me. To love. And trust. Listen. Learn. Wait. Enjoy.

Some seven hundred years before Jesus’ birth the prophet Micah foretold Him as “a ruler of Israel” (Micah 5:2b) who “will stand to lead His flock with the LORD’s strength, in the majesty of the name of the LORD His God” (v. 5:4a). Adding “And He will be the source of peace” (5:5a).

Holy God, it is only when I look to You, Your Word, Your Truth, Your promises that I am reminded and strengthened by all that You have done for us.

The Life Recovery Bible comment for Micah 5:1-5 tells us, “God uses ‘insignificant’ people and places to achieve great things. He can take our broken and useless life and turn it into a blessing to others if we let Him.”

VERY key words there! “IF we LET Him.” Yes! Yes. Oh, yes.

“This can begin as we share how God delivered us. As others hear how God has blessed us, they will experience hope that God can do the same for them. Out of hopeless situations, God can bring hope. Out of the confusion and chaos we have created, God can rebuild a world of peace.”

Yes Father. I can so easily create chaos, crisis and confusion. Thank You that Your antidote for it all is the grace and peace of Your blessed Son.

Use me in sharing Your settled rest with others. I love, need, trust and want You Dearest Lord. Thank You that You truly are not done with me. Praise You. Amen.

(448 words ~ 7:37 a.m.)

solemn appreciation

 Friday, April 3, 2026 (6:29 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You for music singing in my mind. Thank You for the smiles that keep coming to my face. Unexpected

(7:20 a.m.)

Speaking of unexpected… a phone call. Much discussion of Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalves. 

Solemn appreciation often gets lost.

(7:31 a.m.)

Mm, yes. Solemn appreciation…

Searching to learn more about Jesus’ solemnity, I find “… the truth and fact that our existence in this world is for nothing else other than to know God, love God, worship God in this world and come back to Him in His eternal and heavenly kingdom…” (St. John’s Seminary 11/22/25).

As I read,

♪When did I forget that You’ve always been the King of the World?♪

keeps singing to me.

(7:59 a.m.)

Next I am reading words I’m sure I recognize. Sure enough. They are from a part of a “hymn” in Colossians (1:15-20).

Father, thank You for the various ways You keep bringing me back to remembering 

♪You will always be the King of the world♪

Yes! King!!

(8:43 a.m.)

Hmm. “Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).

(8:53 a.m.)

♪I’ll never know how much it cost

To see my sin upon that cross

So, 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!♪

Use me in my solemn appreciation of You and all You have done on my behalf. I love, need, trust and want to serve You as You alone know is best. Worshiping. And bowing down. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(292 words ~ 8:59 a.m.)

Your presence and Your goodness

 ♪Holy Spirit, You are welcome here

Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere

Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for

To be overcome by Your presence, Lord♪

Thursday, April 2, 2026 (5:15 a.m.)

There truly is NOTHING worth more! Your presence. Your goodness. The sweetest of love. Where our hearts become free. And our shame is undone.

Mm. Let me sit with this for a bit. 

Your presence. And goodness. Freed hearts. And defeated shame.

(5:34 a.m.)

Thank You, Blessed God, for the various ways You get my attention. Through music. Catch phrases. Nature. The writings of others.

Have I ever genuinely given thought to what it is to have my shame undone? To truly believe and live as though “Jesus is the way our sins are taken away. And He is the way all people can have their sins taken away too” (1 John 2:2 Easy-to-Read Version).

What?! I have repeated and sung of Jesus being the Way and the Truth and the Life (John 14:6) for years. Never completely understanding the full impact here.

Father, thank You for each tiny glimpse I get. Every little “Aha!” that comes in connecting one of Your teachings to another.

Jesus. The Way. The Truth. The Life. The propitiation for our sins. The atoning sacrifice. The reconciliation. The payment. The means. The righteous. The One. The forgiveness. The payment. Expiation. Obtainer of grace.

Father, forgive me for the years I have missed the depth of pain He endured on my behalf. That I would be able to live freely and shamelessly.

Teach me to fully accept the power of Your Word (Hebrews 4:12). Overwhelm me with Your presence. Your goodness. Your grace.

I love, need, trust and want You as the only Lord of my life. Use me as You alone know is best. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(318 words ~ 6:50 a.m.)

God's greatest gifts

 Wednesday, April 1, 2026 (6:45 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You. You encourage me to put my hope, faith and trust in You. Even [especially!] when I don’t feel like it. Thank You that You do.

You blessed me yesterday. One step after another. Reordering and reconfiguring my choices of how best to spend my time. And money.

Father, thank You that You are

♪The only One who is worthy, worthy

Worthy of all of His names♪

(That’s Who I Praise)

Yes! You are worthy to be praised. And I do Dear Lord.

(7:40 a.m.)

Thank You for the opportunity of loving and being loved by You. Thank You for the gifts You provide for us. Each in its very own uniqueness.

Direct me in using them as You would have me. 

(8:47 a.m.)

Your Word has much to say about You. Your good gifts. And us using them well. Teach me Dearest Dad.

James 1:17

1 Peter 4:10

Ephesians 2:10

Matthew 5:16

Thank You for all You have planned. Make me an eager recipient and utilizer of the generous gifts You provide.

I love, need, trust and want You Blessed God. Use me as You alone know is best. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(203 words ~ 8:51 a.m.)