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.)

knowing a name

 Thursday, August 27, 2026 (4:38 a.m.)

♪Dead things come alive♪

(I Know A Name)

Thank You Father.

I very much like when the intensity of a song grows. Especially when it seems I’m ignoring it.

Here it’s been singing to me for close to an hour and I finally paid enough attention to search for it. Thank You.

(5:01 a.m.)

♪I call You Jesus

I call You, I call You Healer

Risen and reigning in power

Something comes out of the grave♪

Blessed, Holy Father God, how truly I thank You that

♪Dead things come alive

Dead things come alive

Dead things come alive

In the name of Jesus♪

Yes! How much power and freedom there is in knowing this name. Thank You Father.

♪Every time I call You Jesus

I call You, I call You Savior

Worthy of glory forever

Something comes out of the grave

Chains break

Dry bones wake

Every time I call Your Name

The gates of hell shake♪

Thank You God for teaching us the awesome power there is in knowing and “call[ing] on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 1:2c). Every time we call Your name.

(5:37 a.m.)

Mm, yes Father!

Paul wrote and told the Romans (15:9) “He [Jesus] also came so the Gentiles might give glory to God for His mercies to them. That is what the psalmist meant when he wrote:

“‘For this, I will praise You among the Gentiles;

I will sing praises to Your name.’”

(Psalm 18:49)

Yes! I want desperately to sing praises to Your most holy name. Do all You must to this good and glorious end.

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

(301 words ~ 5:47 a.m.)

meditating on the promises

 Wednesday, August 26, 2026 (5:01 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You for the smile I have, reminding me how blessed I am. Yes Father. Sleep was interrupted.

(5:15 a.m.)

Again!

Rather than snark and complain, I truly want to thank and praise. That is what I’m practicing here. Yes! Thanking You in advance of an attitude I don’t yet possess.

What a concept! Indeed. Thank You God!

There is much written about sleeplessness. And using that time to meditate on Your promises.

I confess. I did not! 

But I am now. Thank You for Your Word that is filled with them.

Your faithful love never ends. Your mercies never cease. Great is Your faithfulness. Your mercies begin afresh every morning (Lamentations 3:23-24).

Amen! Hallelujah to that!

Matthew 6:25-34 reminds us of the senselessness of worry. We are to seek Your kingdom first (v. 33a). Above all else. And You will provide us all we need (33b). Thank You for being such a good and faithful Father.

Psalm 119:147-149 - rising early, staying awake, thinking of promises, being revived

Blessed Father, I ask (Matthew 7:7) You to train me in meditating on Your promises rather than dwelling on problems. Mm, yes please!

Thank You that my help comes from You (Psalm 121:2a). You, who made heaven and earth (2b).

Thank You that more than uninterrupted sleep, Your grace is what I need (2 Corinthians 12:9a). Your power works best in my weakness (9b).

What joy for those whose strength comes from You (Psalm 84:5). Thank You for Your unwavering steadfastness.

Reading the quote “God is most glorified in us when we are most satisfied in Him” reminds me again to be grateful. Yes Father. Thank You for every single blessing You provide.

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

(320 words ~ 5:55 a.m.)

truly enough

 Tuesday, August 25, 2026 (4:26 a.m.)

Thank You God,

I MUCH prefer greeting You with thanksgiving! Thank You for changing my attitude yesterday. And for teaching me the power of almost!

Father, I confess to so very often taking my eyes off of the prize You have set for me. Mm, yes! Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14 and Hebrews 12:1-2 both remind me of the importance of pressing on and enduring.

Throughout the night I was blessed by the lyric ♪Dead things come alive… in the name of Jesus♪ Thank You for the Truth found in Your Word Dear Lord.

Isaiah 43:19 - pathway in the wilderness, rivers in the dry wasteland

Ezekiel 37:4-6 - dry bones

Romans 8:11 - The Spirit of God living in us

Ephesians 2:4-5 - God’s mercy and grace

(5:08 a.m.)

Father God, I have misspent much time and effort believing untruths. Thinking I needed to be and do more. Not realizing that the me inside is truly enough because of all Jesus accomplished on our behalf.

♪Dead things come alive…

So much power in the Name of Jesus

Found my healing… freedom…breakthrough

In the name, Jesus…♪

(I Know A Name)

Father, thank You for teaching me the strength that comes from Your mighty power (Ephesians 6:10). Yes. Continue Your work in teaching me how to use the power of momentary defeats coupled with a willingness to keep trying. 

I love, need, trust and want You, Your will and Your way to override every fear and doubt I have. Do all You must to keep me trying and not giving up (Galatians 6:9).

♪I Know a Name…

And it’s worthy of all praise♪

Yes, Father. Keep me thanking and praising You. Glorifying and enJOYing You. Worshipping and adoring You. Thank You. Praise You. Use me as You alone know is best. Amen.

(315 words ~ 5:38 a.m.)

almost

 Monday, August 24, 2026 (4:59 a.m.)

Thank You God!

It took some convincing. And here I am. Smiling. Glad. Grateful. Willing.

What tipped the scale? The word almost.

Yes Father. After beginning with that first unprintable expletive of the morning I didn’t hold out a lot of hope.

Yet there I was, in under 15 minutes, ready to sing Your praises once again. Thank You Father.

Yes. Thank You for the power of almost.

Oh! Would You just look at this? Other people have experienced [and written about] this as well.

Ghulam Murtaza wrote of “almost” being a training ground for greatness. Where character is built, resolve tested and seeds of transformation planted. He encourages being alert. Aware and ready in acknowledging being on the way, although not there yet.

Thank You Lord. Continuing to look through the writing of others, I am heartened to read of the power found in trust. Respect. Kindness. Creativity. Understanding. And forgiveness.

Father, thank You for the ways You have been working in, with, by, through and for me all these decades. Thank You that I WANT and CHOOSE to believe in the power You have provided each of us through the inner workings of Your Holy Spirit (Ephesians 3:16).

Use me today Dear Lord. Exactly as You know is best. Thank You for changing that earlier first uttered word of profanity into words of praise and thanksgiving. I love, need, trust and want You Lord. Do all You must with the “almosts” I encounter today. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(260 words ~ 5:54 a.m.)

security

 Sunday, August 23, 2026 (4:46 a.m.)

Most Holy God,

Thank You! You provided every security I needed yesterday.

Being willing to step outside of my comfort zone, I asked for help from other people. Thank You God for 

(5:10 a.m.)

… oh so very many things.

Another cup of coffee. Windows and doors to safely open allowing cooler, fresher air to enter in.

Hmm… cooler. Fresher. Air. Allowing. Entering in. Isn’t that what we are called to do with Your Holy Spirit?

easiest find

 Saturday, August 22, 2026 (4:20 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You. This was the easiest find of song lyrics ever. Nobody But Jesus Thank You.

(4:47 a.m.)

How awesome is this? I enter the words “easiest find” into a search and I come to Deuteronomy 4:29. “But from there [a foreign land] you will again search for the LORD your God. And if you search for Him with all your heart and soul, you will find Him.”

Thank You Father. 

(5:07 a.m.)

I love when I recognize what You provide for us right when it’s happening. Tears at this very moment. A softened heart. Allowing simplicity to shine through.

Oh yes Dear Lord! How I long to keep things simple with You. Loving You (Mark 12:30), others and myself (v.31). With all my heart, soul, mind and strength (Deuteronomy 6:5). Yes Father.

Continue Your refining (Zechariah 13:9; Malachi 3:3) work in, with, by, through and for me. Making me into the “wonderfully complex” (Psalm 139:14) being You “knit together in my mother’s womb” (v. 13) all those years ago.

I love, need, trust and want You Lord. Do all You must that I spend this day (Psalm 118:24a) rejoicing and being glad in it (v. 24b). Use me. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(225 words ~ 5:41 a.m.)