Jacob

Monday, January 31, 2011 (7:50 a.m.)

Morning God,

Talk to me this morning about “joy coming in …” and its homophonous word ‘mourning’. While waking up just earlier I kept interchanging these two words while softly singing to myself ♫… has broken like the first …♫

I like the way You work God. Constantly drawing us closer to You. Hmm. I just had the thought of struggling with someone with all my might. When all strength is gone and surrender finally comes, I distinctly remember the tight hold of conflict giving way to the tender embrace of comfort. THAT’S what You do for us. When we let You!

Thank You Lord. Thank You for giving me enough room to thrash around and carry on in the safe and secure confines of Your love. Blessed Lord, how I thank You!

You are growing me Lord. Deeply. Irrevocably. I will never be the same as I was. You are truly changing me from the inside out. Making me more dependent on You for my every choice, thought, word and deed. Thank You Lord. Thank You.

I struggled with sleep last night. I wrestled with my thoughts. Actually I believe them to have been more hurts and fears than just plain thoughts. Thank You Lord that I get to come before You with every single notion that enters my head. My heart. YOU can keep them from taking root in my soul and my strength. Thank You Lord.

Thank You that You are so good to send us Your Word of great comfort and joy. Your Holy Word reminds us that others have struggled and grown throughout the history of mankind. Mistakes have been made. But reconciliations, reunions and recovery have taken place as well.

Through all the twists and turns of my scrambled thoughts this morning, I keep coming back to Jacob. All the way back to his time with his older twin brother in their mother’s womb. YOUR absolute decision to show that we are to rely on Your purposes and not on the traditions or works of men. Thank You Lord.

Thank You that I get to keep turning my attention to You and Your Word, while checking my own attitude at the door. There’s a lot of deceit and dissension in the Genesis chapters concerning Jacob (25:19 – 49:33). Beginning in the womb he shared with his brother and ending with his death.

Lord. You offer us freedom. Too often we choose fear. Your way is best. Honesty. Love. Personal boundaries. Forgiveness. Healing. Joy. It’s all found in You. When we decide what to keep. And of what to let go. Thank You Lord. Keep working in me. Growing me. Changing me. Turning me into the ‘me’ YOU most want me to be. I love You Lord. Thank You. Amen.

(471 words ~ 8:50 a.m.)

sad

Sunday, January 30, 2011 (10:14 p.m.)

Loving Lord,

I’m here again because I’m feeling sad. REALLY sad. So much sadder than I’ve felt in such a very long time and I don’t know what to do with it. So I’m here. With You. And just like that I feel better. Less alone.

Thank You Lord. Thank You that as sad as I may feel at any given moment I get to come before You and confess it straight out loud [in this case, in print J] and I feel less desperate. Or is it more desperate? No. No. It’s less. WAY less desperate.

So Lord. Let me tell You how very much I love You. You cover me with Your goodness and Your grace. You let me come before You and literally pour my heart out to You. I don’t even have to spell anything out and the tears just start falling. Yet, at the very same time I know You are buoying me up. Thank You Lord!

I turn to Ezekiel 19 and read this “sad song, a text for singing the blues” (v.10 TLB) and I reaffirm my commitment to trusting You. You ARE our very good God! I read Your Word and I smile. I cling. I hope. I believe. I trust. And I pray Lord. Asking that ‘You will give me a new heart – new and right desires – and put a new spirit within me. Take out my stony heart of sin and give me a new heart of love’ (Ezekiel 36:26).

Do this Lord that I can forgive myself for being so blessed and feeling so sad. You know my hurting heart Dear Lord. You know my reeling mind. I come directly to You to break the past patterns of behaviors. Instead of score keeping and grudge holding Lord I am asking specifically for Your gift of forgiveness. I ask You to forgive me that I will forgive others, as well as myself. Keep working in me Lord. Making me more and more into the woman You have always wanted me to be.

Thank You for being here with me and for me Dearest Lord. I love You. I need You. I want You. And I thank You. So incredibly much. Thank You. Amen.

(381 words ~ 11:37 p.m.)

Leviathan

Sunday, January 30, 2011 (4:39 a.m.)

Holy God,

Blessed Lord. Good morning. I love You. What would You have me learn this morning?

I LOVE when I ask and You answer!

Leviathan.

Absolutely brand new to me. Never do I remember having heard nor read of Leviathan. Thank You Lord. What an incredibly good God You are. Thank You!

(8:19 a.m.)

Having read some and then slept some more, here I am for more learning of Your power. Your love. Your grace.

Much earlier our Bible had opened to a picture of the prophet Isaiah holding a scroll. In bold print under the caption are these words, “The LORD Can Be Trusted”. I had just asked You what You would have me learn and there I was getting to read of Your perfect peace (Isaiah 26:3). Your ‘shalom’.

Thank You Lord. In reading in both The Learning Bible (CEV) and The Life Recovery Bible (TLB) I have sidebars and recovery commentary notes to help me understand more than I would on my own.

The more I read the more I want to know! “Perfect peace: The kind of inner peace that comes from confidence in God’s promise.” Mm God. Teach me more!

“Leviathan (Isaiah 27:1) is the sea monster of chaos God conquered at the time of creation. In the Bible, it often symbolizes evil. Victory over this monster can stand for God’s power over all creation or for defeat of His enemies, especially Egypt.”

Excited to learn more, I turn to the various verses where Leviathan is mentioned. The sidebars and extra articles are where I find myself reading even more. For Genesis 1:21, “giant sea monsters: This refers to Leviathan or Rahab, familiar monsters in Canaanite mythology. Sometimes the opponents of God and God’s people are described as sea monsters. Here the sea monster is important simply as a part of God’s good creation.”

As I turn to the references mentioned in Job (3:8; 41:1, 5, 12) and read the accompanying notes, I find so much more than I ever imagined! But more still is the description of Your power.

It’s YOU who can calm the monsters of our lives! YOU who can be trusted to destroy our enemies and the holds they have on us, whatever they are. YOU “will vanquish these creatures that live in the depths of our life.” Thank You Lord. Thank You for Your power. Your strength. Your love. Have YOUR way with us this day. I love You. Amen.

(416 words ~ 9:16 a.m.)

W.I.S.H.

Saturday, January 29, 2011 (8:06 a.m.)

Blessed Lord,

I like waking up thinking of You. Especially with wonders, ideas and songs. Following the ‘yellow brick road’ cadence, I immediately heard myself thinking “Wonders, ideas and songs, oh my!”

Putting an ‘h’ at the end and spelling out “wish” I wondered [again! J] what Your Word has to say about wishing.

Right then a completely different song came to mind. ♫Wishin’ and hopin’ and thinkin’ and prayin’…♫

You DO want us to hope and pray. Those things I know. Speak to me this morning Lord about what You want me to know concerning wishes.

No sooner asked than done! For over an hour I’ve tried finding what You could possibly want me looking at and it wasn’t until I asked that I received! Thank You Lord!

1 Corinthians 7:39 and 2 Corinthians 10:17 both point to the same verse. “As the Scriptures (Jeremiah 9:24) say, “The person who wishes to boast should boast only of what the Lord has done.’”

Turning to Jeremiah, Lord, once again I get to read of the underlying hope that is found in this book. How I thank You for his continued faithfulness to You.

Reading primarily in the Contemporary English Version this morning I find myself clinging to Your every word. Especially the verse (24) cited above, as well as the one immediately preceding it. “The Lord says: Don’t brag about your wisdom or strength or wealth. If you feel you must brag, then have enough sense to brag about worshiping me, the Lord. What I like best is showing kindness, justice, and mercy to everyone on earth.”

Oh most dear and blessed Lord that is indeed my W.I.S.H., my prayer, this day! Let me worship You in all Your glory!

The New Living Translation presents this verse thusly, “But those who wish to boast should boast in this alone: that they truly know me and understand that I am the Lord who demonstrates unfailing love and who brings justice and righteousness to the earth, and that I delight in these things. I, the Lord, have spoken!”

Thank You for speaking Lord! To Your prophet. To Your people. To the generations to come. How I love You Lord and ask that I may truly know You. Thank You Lord. I love You. Amen.

(394 words ~ 10:16 a.m.)

love

Friday, January 28, 2011 (2:34 a.m.)

Blessed Lord,

This is definitely an early morning wake-up call. I’m not at all sure what it’s about, but thank You! Thank You for loving me. Thank You for creating me. Thank You for creating me to love You in return.

Maybe that’s it. Do You want to teach me more about love today? That would be nice. Seems like a good day for it. I’m in! Let’s do this.

Really Lord? The book of Esther? Okay…

(7:17 a.m.)

Wow! Lord. You never cease to amaze me. NEVER have I looked to Esther to learn more about love. But don’t her words “If I perish, I perish” (4:16b) perfectly exemplify Yours of John 15:13? “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his [in this case HER J] friends.”

This book is filled with intrigue. It reads like a modern day suspense story. A Persian king feeling disrespected by his queen. A minor official in his court who adopted his orphaned family member. A eunuch in charge of the young girls who might become queen. And Esther herself. Beautiful. Wise. Obedient. And ultimately willing to go to her death for the good of her people.

Yes Lord. Teach me to love as only You can. Sacrificially. Wholeheartedly. Well. On this day especially Lord, I ask that You would continue changing my heart, soul, mind and strength that I would love You as You so rightly deserve and others as myself (Mark 12:30-31). Thank You Lord. I love You. Amen.

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

The Lord's Prayer

Thursday, January 27, 2011 (7:35 a.m.)

Blessed Lord,

I love You. I had trouble getting back to sleep much earlier this morning and I started talking to You. The next thing I knew, it was 6:30. There were some really bizarre dreams where I wondered (and even asked You) if I was awake or not.

The two things I remember most before falling asleep again are: repeating the Lord’s Prayer and the emphasis on forgiveness.

(8:35 a.m.)

Lord God, how I love when these predawn encounters take me deeper into Your Word. Never do I remember looking into Your example of prayer (Matthew 6:9-13) as much as just now. How I thank You Lord.

Thank You that there is so much more here than just a group of set words to be mindlessly repeated as a selfish attempt of ‘getting out of jail free’. Lord, Your example is that of mindful devotion. Help me mirror that mindfulness.

Much earlier I asked You to work in, on and through me concerning forgiveness. I believe there is much to be forgiven. I think I have unknowingly carried around senseless, back (and spirit!) breaking bags of unforgiveness for years.

Lord, how I ask You to teach me to better forgive and be forgiving. You have provided far too much joy for me to squander it all in fruitless attempts of score keeping. And far worse, that of useless desires of score-settling.

Beloved God. “Our Father…” As I go into this day with the full intent of letting go of far more physical ‘stuff’ than I have been able to accomplish in my entire life, I ask that You go with me. Go before me to show me the way, behind me to encourage me, beside me to befriend me, above me to watch over me, and within me to give me peace.

I love You so incredibly much Dearest Lord. Thank You for Your love and Your help. Enable me to use it all well. I love You. Thank You. Amen.

(334 words ~ 9:13 a.m.)

life

Wednesday, January 26, 2011 (6:49 a.m.)

Most Blessed Lord,

Thank You! Thank You for good sleep. Thank You for beautiful color in the sky. Thank You for hope and faith and love (1Corinthians 13:13). Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for Your life. Thank You for Your blood and Your body. Thank You for all You have for us to learn, to know, to believe and trust.

Lord. Today I seek to follow You. Teach me more about the life You want me to live. John 10:10 readily comes to mind. And while turning there I am led all over Your Word.

Lord God, so often I think it’s my own distraction that takes me away from my original intents. This morning however I do believe it is You. Looking to learn more about the abundant life You came to give (John 10:10) I was directed to read more about sheep and the separating of goats (Matthew 25:32). From here I went to an article that speaks of the importance of being born again and ends with trusting ourselves to You.

From there I followed the path to “Belief/Faith” and found myself all the way over to reading of Abram’s faith in Genesis 15:6. Lord, life in You is anything but dull! Thank You.

Thank You that along the way there was another article about love and a wonderful sentence that states, “Being loved by God is just a beginning.” It goes on to state how we are to share that love with others. Which is only possible because of You.

Now. Back to Abram. And an answer to something I posed to You yesterday about righteousness. “And Abram believed God; then God considered him righteous on account of his faith.” (TLB) Hmm. Glancing to the bottom of the page I read this about being righteous, “This is one of the most important verses in the Old Testament, Abram believed God, and God considered him righteous. In other words, it was Abram’s faith, not his works, that made him righteous before God.”

This little section goes on telling of the importance of trusting You more and our own works less. “We are powerless over the pressures of sin, but God will help us through the toughest temptations if we trust Him.” Oh Dearest Lord thank You for that!

But wait! There’s more. “He will count us righteous because of our trust in Him, not because we are perfect.” Oh most dear and blessed Lord, thank You for coming “so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest.” Let me live this life You’ve given me with great gusto and zeal Lord. Enable and empower me to be one that truly shares Your faith, hope and love with others. I love You so very much Dearest Lord. Thank You. Amen.

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

dreams

Friday, January 21, 2011 (8:49 a.m.)

Buffalo Bill’s Resort and Casino #118A

Primm, NV

Blessed Lord,

Good Morning. Hello. I love You. I’ve had two more nights of fairly vivid dreams concerning my mom and places of my childhood. I truly don’t know if You would have me pay any attention to them or not. I confess to You Lord, I don’t understand dreams and their make-ups.

Turning to the end of 1 Samuel (28:6, 15) I read about Saul’s disobedience and rebellion, which led him even further away from You.

Tuesday, January 25, 2011 (10:53 a.m.)

Beloved Lord of All Life ~

Oh how I thank You Lord! How I praise and thank Your most Holy name. YOU, the King of all Kings ~ Lord of all Lords. Most Holy of all. Thank YOU!

I’ve been gone from here but not from You. Never can we be away from You (Psalm 139:7). We can run, but we cannot hide. Thank You Lord.

Thank You for Your ever present benevolent hand on our lives. Lord, although I HAVE been absent from the sitting down and studying Your Word each morning, the joyful praises of my heart have still been present.

The dreams of prominent women in my life have continued. As has my wonder of a possible meaning or message behind them. Ah, but that is not my reason for coming before You this morning. No. Lord. I want to thank You wholeheartedly for Your mercy and grace concerning a horrifying car crash shown on television last night. A long time pursuit of an erratic driver through many Southern California streets ended horribly. Thank You Lord for Your merciful hand in preventing death from occurring.

Having prayed hard for the unsuspecting driver I am still in awe of Your protection of her. I know no further details other than she lived. Lord, thank You! How I ask You to ‘bless her and keep her and make Your face to shine upon her. Be gracious to her; turn Your face toward her and give her peace” (Numbers 6:24-26).

Mm, yes Lord. Even as I pray these words for a person unknown to me, the thoughts and names and faces of others come to mind. Lord, how I ASK You to make me a deeply rooted woman of prayer. Let my greetings and farewells become blessings of You!

Having received the good news of a young woman’s life being spared, the truth of James 5:16b immediately came to mind. “The prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Lord, I must confess I do not feel, nor do I see myself as being anywhere near ‘righteous’. Desperate? Fearful? Concerned? Yes. Yes. And yes. Righteous? What does righteousness even look like Lord? I confess I don’t think it’s me!

Ah but God. You made it so we can be heard by You. Through the blood and suffering of Your precious Son. HE alone is righteous!

The first part of this verse tells us to confess our sins (admit our faults) to one another and pray for each other that we will be healed. That I can do Lord. Because of YOU ~ Your love, Your life, Your truth, Your sacrifice I get to come right here before You singing out my heart’s content ♫My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness♫ Thank You Lord that YOU are in Whom I ‘live and move and have my being’ (Acts 17:28). Not dreams. Not wonders. Or thoughts. YOU Lord! ♫On Christ the Solid Rock I stand; All other is sinking sand All other ground is sinking sand♫

I love You Lord! Thank You. Amen.

(612 words ~ 12:23 p.m.)

?

Wednesday, January 19, 2011 (6:13 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Prison? Prisoner? Truth? Justice? Freedom? What exactly do You want to speak with me about this day?

The dream I just had was so vivid. There was so much detail. We were at my grandma’s house. There were many different types of guns which led to a shooting. And my mom was going to take full responsibility. She was setting it all up so that everything pointed to her as having done it. I was going along with it. Until we were alone together in the kitchen and I realized she would be going away and I would never be able to touch her or hold her again. We hugged tightly as I cried and wouldn’t let her go. I kept telling her, “No. Mama. You can’t do this. There has to be another way.”

Lord, I don’t put a lot of stock in finding the meaning of dreams. I’m just wondering if there is something in all this You want me to know today?

Last night as I went to sleep, I thought about looking at Peter’s first letter again this morning. Right now that seems like a good idea.

(7:13 a.m.)

Reading around in Your Word Lord, I still don’t know what You would have me practice today. Is it love? Truth? Sacrifice?

I love You Lord. My thoughts are disjointed. I don’t want to put more emphasis on a dream than I ought. I come to You eager and excited to tell of Your love. Your peace. Your grace. Your joy. Guide me in it all today Blessed Lord.

I love You. I need You. I want You. I thank You. Amen.

(284 words ~ 7:25 a.m.)

humble

Tuesday, January 18, 2011 (8:22 a.m.)

Good Morning Lord,

Am I looking for the word humble this morning? Or is it humility? Guide and direct me in what You want me to learn today Dearest Lord.

Mm. Yes. Humble it is! Especially as Peter wrote of it in his first letter to the Jewish Christians who were suffering persecution for their faith. Oh Your goodness Lord! Oh, Your great and glorious goodness.

Even as I sat here wondering which way You’d have me turn in Your Word, the song in the background of my mind grew louder into recognition. ♫Open the eyes of my heart, Lord Open the eyes of my heart I want to see You I want to see You♫

Oh, most dear and blessed Lord ♫To see You high and lifted up Shinin’ in the light of Your glory Pour out Your power and love As we sing holy, holy, holy♫ Mm Lord, thank You for the opportunity to experience such an intense connection with You. My insides actually feel as though they’ve come alive with the excitement of learning something new from You.

Thank You Lord. Peter wanted Your followers to know that ‘suffering is a valuable part of life’, that Your way can be painful. He also taught that ‘nothing is hopeless with God’.

Blessed Lord this is where the AGOG comes in! There is hope on every single page here. I confess I too often bristle at the very thought of having to suffer for You. And I still can’t say that I am one who willingly accepts and embraces trials as the faith test (1Peter 1:7) that they are. Oh but Lord, when I read this letter once more I am again reminded of [and EXCITED by J] the hope and truth that lies within!

Peter has advice for wives and husbands (chapter 3) that indeed transformed our marriage more than seventeen years ago. He tells of hope for those who suffer (3:18-22) and calls us to love each other (4:7-11). His truthful words of encouragement (4:12-19) remind us that ‘hard times bring reward’. Oh most dear and blessed Lord, how I thank You for this holy reminder of the importance of “loving one another with tender hearts and humble minds” (3:8).

It’s all spelled out so perfectly here Dearest Lord. Make me a good student in learning how to truly be humble. I love You so very much Dearest Lord. Thank You. Amen.

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

greetings

Sunday, January 16, 2011 (8:04 a.m.)

Blessed Lord,

Hello. Good morning. I love You.

(9:39 a.m.)

Only You could take me from greeting You, to reading others’ greetings (Colossians 4:10-18) and finally to learning more about Onesimus’ return to Philemon.

There’s talk of the necessity of forgiveness and a runaway slave who stole from his master is now referred to as a faithful and much-loved brother (Col. 4:9). In Paul’s letter of appeal to Philemon on Onesimus’ behalf, he refers to him as his son (Phm 1:10).

Only You can change people and their hearts that much Dearest Lord. Just look at how You changed Saul of Tarsus into Your apostle Paul!

Monday, January 17, 2011 (7:28 a.m.)

Greetings Lord,

It’s another new and beautiful day. Thank You for the beauty and the greetings of yesterday. I was fully aware of them both.

The clarity and quality of the air was such that there was a vivid intensity of the mountains that surround us. Beautiful Lord. Absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful. Thank You Lord. Thank You for the opportunity to experience such beauty.

And then of course there were the greetings. Greetings of strangers, of loved ones and of very long time friends in the most unexpected places. Thank You God. Thank You for another chance to greet You. Warmly. Sincerely. Genuinely. Gratefully. Joyfully. The list goes on Dear Lord, as do You.

As I prepare to get started with things that we’d like to accomplish around here Lord, I ask that You would be in every single aspect of my doing today. There are lots of Christmas remnants that don’t necessarily need to be kept anymore. Help me in the decision factor.

As You continue working in me toward the ability of freely letting go of that which we don’t truly need, I ask You Lord to ♫Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Thou art the Potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after Thy will, While I am waiting, yielded and still♫

I HAVE been pretty yielded and still lately, Lord. Today I’d like to be just as yielded, but perhaps a little more active. I love You Lord. I like the work You are doing in us. Help me do just a little bit more positive, productive work around here. Thank You Lord. I love You. Amen.

(394 words ~ 8:13 a.m.)

be responsible

Saturday, January 15, 2011 (7:18 a.m.)

Sweetest, Blessed Lord,

Thank You! I have a sore throat. Thank You. I didn’t sleep well all night. Thank You. Thank You that in the midst of all the tossing and the turning a song very distinctly spoke to my heart and I held on for the rest of the night knowing that You are in charge.

Thank You Lord for the multitude of ways that You remind me that You are here in my life looking out for me. There was a dream that let me know that I was sleeping AND that I am in Your good hands. There was the remembrance of my not wanting to be responsible for anything that is not what You would have me being concerned with.

And then there were the comforting melody and lyrics that I tried several times to push aside as being just plain silly. That is until I wondered if You could possibly mean them specifically for me and I just settled in and relaxed.

There I was. Tired of being tired and right here came the lulling phrase ♫Ooh-oo child, things are gonna get easier Ooh-oo child, things’ll be brighter…♫

Lord, thank You for having every aspect of my being in Your care. Whether it’s a physical thing (like a potential ’nother cold) or emotional (my not having clear boundaries as to what really is my business and that which is not) YOU are here reminding me of Your presence. ♫Some day, yeah WE’LL put it together and we’ll get it all done Some day when your head is much lighter…♫ Lord thank You for teaching me to trust and rest in You!

With that said, Lord I confess to the mounds of responsibility I have taken on over the years. Responsibilities that were not mine, but others', to have. Forgive me Lord. I was caught in a cycle of ‘good doing’. My intentions were definitely in the right place, but my inability to be the author and perfecter of my own destiny reigned supreme!

And with all this said Dearest Lord, here I am reading in Numbers of Your chosen people wandering in the wilderness. They had You right there with them, guiding their every step and still they were afraid. The Israelites had the option of following You into the Promised Land (Numbers 13-14) but they chose fear over faith and trust in You. How often do I resemble them Lord?

I trust the opinions of the majority, often believing there to be safety in numbers. Teach me to trust and follow You dearest Lord. Help me to ‘recognize Your voice and follow You’ (John 10:27). Show me clearly the things for which You would have me be responsible. I love You so very much. Thank You for singing me to peace and rest in the much earlier morning hours. Could THIS be the ♫Some day, yeah [when] We’ll walk in the rays of a beautiful sun Some day When the world is much brighter♫? Mm. What a joyous, peaceful thought! Guide and direct me in the responsibilities You have laid out for me Lord. Make me learn to be responsible as YOU would have me be. Thank You God. I love You. Amen.

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

crowd of witnesses

Friday, January 14, 2011 (7:10 a.m.)

Hi God,

How’s that for a roaring great start? You’re the Creator of the Universe and the best I can come up with right now is “Hi”?

Lord, You are awesome. Wonderful. Holy. Perfect.

(9:12 a.m.)

Okay. Let me start again. Lord, I’m feeling scared. I woke up at 2:30 excited by the idea of having my deceased family around me as my own personal ‘crowd of witnesses’ (Hebrews 12:1). The more I look at Your Word, the more I don’t want to misinterpret what I am reading.

There are words of hope and faith, as well as persecution and sacrifice. I confess to You Dearest Lord, my history is one of being long on recovery theories and short on discipline. I can talk a good game, but putting all I believe into practice is sometimes harder than it looks!

Thank You Lord that You are here to comfort and to guide us. As I look to the book of Hebrews this morning seeking YOUR truth and not my own understanding of it, I find myself bouncing around between near giddy joy and deep seeded tears.

Lord! There are so many translations. Each with a different way of saying the same thing. All pointing to You as the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2 KJV). Each using different words to say it.

Reading Hebrews 11 and the list of the great heroes of our faith, I find it reads much like a history lesson. At 2:30 this morning when I found myself instead imagining my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and namesakes watching me from the grandstands (12:1 TLB) yelling, “You go Girl!” I felt so encouraged. Having actual faces to put on this mighty crowd (or cloud, depending on which version is read) of witnesses made it so much easier for me to actually picture such encouragement.

Lord, I love You. I long for You to help me break the longstanding habits of my upbringing. As I continue praying the remainder of verse one, Lord I ask You to enable me to ‘throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let me run with perseverance the race marked out for me.’

You are good. You are to be trusted. I am here asking You to train me up in the way I should go (Proverbs 22:6). I love You so very much Dearest Lord. Thank You for such an honor and a privilege. Amen.

(417 words ~ 10:41 a.m.)

JOY!

Thursday, January 13, 2011 (7:30 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You. I get to come before You with thanksgiving in my heart. I get to enter Your courts with praise. I get to boldly sing ♫This is the day that the Lord has made, I will rejoice for He has made me glad.♫

You HAVE made me glad Lord! You have made me glad. I DO rejoice for You have made me glad. And with that said Lord, will You talk to me today about joy?

Many years ago I came to understand ‘rejoice’ to mean ‘feel joy’. Even looking at a thesaurus this morning I read, ‘be joyful, be happy, be pleased, be glad…’ and that’s cool. But what I’m asking Lord, is what does true joy look like to You?

Reading in the Illustrated Bible Handbook of John’s first letter to an unnamed group of churches, it says that “John’s message is always Jesus: Jesus as God’s life-giving word”. In this particular “Invitation to Joy” John shared his knowledge that “fellowship with God is our only hope to know real joy.” Here I say “Amen!” I absolutely agree.

The subtitle (in the Handbook) of Paul’s letter to the Philippians is “The Sharing of Christian Joy”. Each chapter has an overview beginning with joy in the title. Chapter 1. “Joy in the Gospel”; 2. “Joy in Following Jesus”; 3. “Joy through Commitment”; 4. “Joy in the Lord”.

When Jesus told His disciples of what all to expect in His upcoming death and resurrection (John 16) He promised that after their initial heartbreak, their grief would turn to joy. Lord, You are so good to us.

The prophet Isaiah (25, 32-35) was able to point to the joy the people of Judah would experience after their sin and denial turned to healing and rebuilt lives. Lord, You have such tremendous promises for us. Give us the power and the strength to trust, believe and act on them.

Thank You for the initial “Thank You” this morning that led me to looking deeper into Your Word for messages of joy. Lord, I love You so very much. Let me be a source of joy for others. Teach me more of what that really looks like. As I enter Your gates and Your courts with thanksgiving and praise (Psalm 100:4) I DO ‘give thanks to You and bless Your name’. Thank You Lord for what all You have to teach me this day concerning joy. Make me a good learner. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(424 words ~ 9:25 a.m.)

rest

Wednesday, January 12, 2011 (7:40 a.m.)

Awesome God,

What a l-o-n-g night! Lots of time to think and plan and alphabetize cities! Thank You Lord that even in the midst of not being able to get back to sleep, my thoughts kept going to You. Thank You Lord for the rest that’s found in You.

Thank You that while I thought I was going to come to talk with You about separating the stuff there is for me to let go of, I find instead the desire to know more about the rest that is found only in You.

(8:51 a.m.)

Following this brief intermission of a quick breakfast and dish washing, I’m back to learn more about resting in You. I confess Lord, I believe I have been doing exactly that these past many weeks. I turn to You far more readily. The things that used to consume my thoughts and concerns have moved out of the way of Your presence with me. Thank You for this Dearest Lord. Thank You for a renewed eager [agog] ness in wanting to spend time getting to know You even more.

Two verses speak to me this morning concerning rest. Matthew 11:28 where Jesus calls out, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” And Exodus 33:14 where You Yourself promise Moses, “I will personally go with you, Moses. I will give you rest – everything will be fine for you.”

In looking deeper into these verses in other translations, I find the word rest being interchanged with victory, success, and peace. Lord, You are amazing! I tend to see things as rather cut and dried and then You start peeling back the layers of my understanding. Before I know it, I am very readily confessing that I don’t know what I think I know. Thank You for this Lord. What a limited world we would be living in if one such as I could understand it OR You!

The passage in Exodus is surrounded by Your people’s rebellion (the golden calf), Moses’ prayer on their behalf, Your judgment upon them and finally restored fellowship. Prior to this is an article [Illustrated Bible Handbook] about Old Testament Priesthood which points to one on New Testament Priesthood.

Where ‘the OT priests represented God to man, and man to God’, ‘in the NT we see all these functions carried out by Jesus.’ In the NT Priesthood ‘Jesus is able to perfectly represent God to man, communicating to us by His Living Word in a voice we can recognize in our every today.’ This excites me Lord. I am presently experiencing rest/peace in You! This is new for me and I am truly enjoying and rejoicing in its freedom!

The very next sentence has me singsonging a phrase from Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz. “At the same time He [You, Jesus! J] stands in God’s presence to guarantee us access, forgiveness and aid.” Access, forgiveness and aid – oh my! Oh Most Dear and Blessed Lord. It IS in Your access, forgiveness and aid that I find rest!

Back in Exodus 33 (12) Moses spoke with You, reminding You that You had said You were his friend and that he had found favor before You. In verse 13 (TLB) he asks You, “please, if this is really so, guide me clearly along the way You would want me to travel so that I will understand You and walk acceptably before You.”

Lord, I must admit, I don’t even want to understand You as much as I want to trust You! We can call it blind faith if we want, but I am truly seeing and believing the changes You are making in our lives and I absolutely want to walk acceptably before You.

This desire leads me straight over to Micah 6:8 where we are reminded that “the Lord has already told you what is good, and this is what He requires: to do what is right (act justly), to love mercy and to walk humbly with Your God.” And herein I find my rest Dearest Lord. Always, ever in You. Thank You Lord. I love You. Amen.

(705 words ~ 10:02 a.m.)

trustworthy

Tuesday, January 11, 2011 (6:24 a.m.)

Most Awesome, Blessed Lord God,

You are amazing. Wonderful. Phenomenal. Holy. Worthy. Did I mention wonderful?

Lord, how I thank You for being such an awesome, amazing God. You do for us that which we cannot do for ourselves. You are trustworthy: “able to be relied on as honest or truthful”.

(7:28 a.m.)

Oh yes Dearest Lord, You are indeed trustworthy. For over an hour I’ve gone from one translation to another reading Titus 3:4-8 for better understanding. I’ve also gone outdoors and come back in several times while partaking in Your glorious sunrise.

Lord, I truly am speechless to Your majesty this morning. I think of You. I read and meditate on Your Word. I reflect on Your kindness. And I truly am in awe of You.

Thank You for Your foresight Lord. Thank You for the love You knew we would need. Thank You for the truth You promised we would get to know and the freedom that would come from it (John 8:32). I read Your Word Dearest Lord. I look around. I bask in the truth of all You have done for us. All that we could not do for ourselves. Lord, I am humbled and in awe of You.

I look to Your Word and truly become agog (excited and eager to tell). All the thoughts in my head and my heart just want to blurt themselves out at once. With no rhyme nor reason. Just a heart full of worship and praise.

Lord, how I thank You that You alone are trustworthy. Able to be relied on as honest and truthful. Your Word is trustworthy. I can stand and depend on it. Thank You Lord.

Thank You that as I get excited about all You have for us to experience in this life here and the next with You I want desperately to share Your trustworthiness with others. Lord, teach me how to do that. Without overwhelming and saying too much, give me the words, the tone, the attitude to speak Your truth in love (Ephesians 4:15).

I love You so very much Dearest Lord. Thank You for showing Yourself to be trustworthy. Thank You for giving me eyes to see and faith to believe Your trustworthiness. Thank You Lord. I love You. Amen.

(388 words ~ 7:58 a.m.)

Lord, You are...

Sunday, January 9, 2011 (7:20 a.m.)

♫Lord,

You are more precious than silver. Lord, You are more costly than gold. Lord, You are more beautiful than diamonds, and nothing I desire compares with You♫ Blessed Lord, I love waking up thinking and singing about You! Thank You for this pleasure and this wonderful opportunity.

I don’t even know what it was that helped direct my first thoughts to all the things You are, but I am grateful Lord. And with that, I am going to take a stretch here. I thought I was going to come out here and start listing all the things You are. You know? Like wonderful, marvelous, holy, worthy…

But here I am at Proverbs 3:13-26 reading about wisdom and common sense and I consider for the first time I can remember that Lord, You are wisdom! Verses 14-15, “Wisdom is worth more than silver; it makes you much richer than gold. Wisdom is more valuable than precious jewels; nothing compares with her.” That describes You Lord!

The more I read on this, the more there is to follow. “See the note at 1.2 and ‘Foolishness and wisdom’.” Going there, I am directed to chapter 8, “Wisdom’s Invitation To Find Life”

Monday, January 10, 2011 (7:18 a.m.)

As I flipped over to chapter 8 I realized I was not the only one to ever wonder if You could be described as Wisdom. But as I spent so much time reading the various thoughts and ideas surrounding the concept it was time to get dressed and ready to go.

There were farewells to make yesterday. Over coffee here at home and out at brunch. Biggest mistake I made in all of it Lord was not asking for safe travels for our son as he flew out of Southern California. This morning, Lord, that is exactly what I am asking!

Thank You Lord for Your emergency care and feeding of him as his layover turned into a night over when weather conditions in the South cancelled his second flight. As he makes his way to airports and planes today Lord this mom is asking for safe travels not only for him but others as well.

Looking at the reports of snow and sleet and driving rains Lord, I ask Your presence overall. I understand that to be a pretty broad and open-ended request. It reminds me very much of my childhood bedtime prayer, “And God bless Mama and Daddy and all the people in the whole wide world” but the truth is Lord I still don’t want to leave anything out.

Lord, You are able “to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us” (Ephesians 3:20). Lord, You ARE that power!

How I ask You Lord, as I did when leaving the airport yesterday and again in the late afternoon, keep knocking on the door of our son’s heart that he will trust You enough to invite You into being Lord of his life.

Lord, You are vital to each and every one of us. How I ask You to do exceedingly abundantly above all I ask or think. You are good. You are holy. You are righteous. And I love, worship and adore You. Help me live this day that others will see You in me. Thank You Lord. I love You. Amen.

(557 words ~ 8:03 a.m.)

wanting

Saturday, January 8, 2011 (7:11 a.m.)

Beloved God,

You challenged my thinking the other night. On our way to having dinner with our children You reminded me that instead of focusing on what I am wanting, You would have me want what I already have. Thank You Lord. You are such a good and holy God. I am blessed to be considered one of Your children.

Lord, thank You for always reminding me that Your plan is that we love one another. Looking up a scripture to go along with wanting what I have, I found Romans 13:8-10 in The Message. “Don’t run up debts, except for the huge debt of love you owe each other. When you love others, you complete what the law has been after all along. The law code – don’t sleep with another person’s spouse, don’t take someone’s life, don’t take what isn’t yours, don’t always be wanting what you don’t have, and any other 'don’t' you can think of – finally adds up to this: Love other people as well as you do yourself. You can’t go wrong when you love others. When you add everything in the law code, the sum total is love.”

You have blessed me with love Lord. Your love. Love for and from others. Learning to love (and accept) myself exactly as I am. That’s a lot of love Lord! Continue Your work in and through me that I will use this precious gift of love for Your good.

I love You so very much Dearest Lord. Use me this day as an instrument of Your love and holiness. Use me as You will, for Your own ultimate good. Teach me to share and give and love and live as You originally designed me. I want what You want for me, ‘to love other people as well as I do myself.’ Help me with this. I need Your faithful example always. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

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

addiction?

Friday, January 7, 2011 (10:26 a.m.)

Loving Lord,

We’ve talked about this many times before. I have a problem holding onto things. [Which is not to be confused with my dropping them J] No. I save too much. I don’t get rid of. Where always before I’ve been aware of the emotional attachments I have to things, now I am wondering if there is actually an addiction involved.

Aren’t You just the Perfect One to ask all things about myself! No sooner am I searching scripture to find a listing of addiction and Galatians 5:19 pops up to help me take a good, hard look at myself.

Lord, I confess I saw myself in the hopeless resignation of a hoarder shown on TV the other night. I related with the pain he exhibited as others encouraged him to part with everything he considered to be of potential use someday. Lord, I long to be free of the hold things have on me.

My heartstrings tug at the mere thought of parting with most of the things that others have given me through the years. I experience varying degrees of being afraid of hurting someone else’s feelings by getting rid of a gift OR of missing something desperately once it is gone.

Lord, I am looking to You with this. I have witnessed Your work in me. I absolutely know that You are able to do in and for me that which I cannot do for myself. I am laying myself at Your feet. I trust You Lord. I believe You not only can but WILL work with me in this area.

As I admit my powerlessness to You in this area (Step One of the Twelve Steps) I absolutely believe that You, “a Power greater” than myself can restore me to sanity (Step Two). And I am making the decision to turn my will and life over to Your care (Step Three).

Blessed Lord God, as You accompany me on this journey of making “a searching and fearless moral inventory” of myself (Step Four) how I ask Your presence with every single step I take. Don’t let me wander off on my own. I can be so easily overwhelmed without You. Hold my hand here Lord. Making me honest, open and willing to the changes that MUST take place within me to overcome this dependence I have of holding on to stuff.

I love You so very much Dearest Lord. Thank You for Your love, Your patience, Your mercy and Your grace with me all these years. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(430 words ~ 12:40 p.m.)

Day of Epiphany

Thursday, January 6, 2011 (8:22 a.m.)

Loving Lord,

Blessed Lord, Sweetest Lord.

(9:41 a.m.)

I practically got lost while looking for information about today being the Day of Epiphany and what all that really means.

(10:12 a.m.)

There is way too much to look at. Far too many traditions, thoughts and ideas. Lord, guide me in the direction that You would have me take this day. Keep my focus on You. Let me love and share You in the way You most want to be loved and shared.

Provide for me exactly what it is You know I need. And let me share it all with others ~ honestly, openly, willingly. I love You Lord. Thank You that I am so loved by You (John 3:16).

Help me use the blessings You so freely give to me equally as freely. Help me give Lord. Mm. Just as the Wise Men came to worship and adore You with gifts Lord, let my life be a gift to You. Freely given to and for You. I love You Lord. Use me this day as an instrument of Your love. Thank You. Amen.

(190 words ~ 10:28 a.m.)

restless

Wednesday, January 5, 2011 (8:07 a.m.)

Sweetest Lord,

Thank You for a fairly restless night’s sleep. There were many starts and stops to it. One dream that I remember involved my mom and another had me insisting that a little girl who had drank too much alcohol with her grandmother at lunch drink water. Strange, but they help me know that I did sleep. Thank You Lord.

This is such a different approach for me Dearest Lord. Usually I whine and complain over the fact that the sleep was interrupted. This morning is different. I have found three verses in the Contemporary English Version of Your Word that all say the same thing. Psalm 42:5, 11, 43:5 all begin, “Why am I discouraged? Why am I restless? I trust You! And I will praise You again because You help me”. The last two verses add, “and You are my God.”

Lord, thank You. Thank You that the truth is that as much as You love me, there are still going to be times [like yesterday] when things all don’t go well and I become discouraged and restless. What a wonderful encouragement to be reminded here in these verses that not only will I trust You, but I will praise You again. Why? “Because You help me, and You are my God.”

You kept me calm in the middle of an upset yesterday. You gave me words to sing and things I could do. You even spoke to my heart when I was playing around with stubbornness. Thank You Lord.

I can do none of this life in You on my own. How blessed and fortunate I am that never will You leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5). Looking at this quote just a little bit more, I trace its origin to Joshua 1:5. Reading some of the verses that follow again I am reminded to “be strong and brave” (v. 6) “be strong and courageous and to obey (7). And then the big finish of verse nine.

“Yes, be bold and strong! Banish fear and doubt! For remember, the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Even in a restless night’s sleep. Thank You Lord. Thank You that I can always count on You. I can always turn to You. Thank You Lord that ALWAYS “You are my God”! Thank You. How I love You. Amen.

(399 words ~ 9:03 a.m.)

Ask God

Tuesday, January 4, 2011 (8:29 a.m.)

Awesome Savior, Knowing God,

Good morning. Thank You. I love You. Upon awakening I was aware that not only was I not singing anything, I didn’t seem to be thinking of You either. That is, until I asked.

That’s when I remembered that we are to ask and seek and knock (Matthew 7:7; Luke 11:9). I chose to forcibly shift my thinking from nothing to You. Wow! What a reality.

Lord, I have been on this walk with You for most of my life. I don’t know if we count all the trips to Sunday School as a toddler and elementary school child. Or the very rare occasions in high school. Or if we have to wait until that one particular day 29 years ago when I said straight out loud that what was missing from my life was You. All I do know for sure is that my dependence on You has grown. I have to spend time with You every single day in order for me to function properly. And not just any kind of time will do. No. It has to be You centered. Not You on the fringe. Not You as something to check off my list of things to do. No! You - as my Very Best Friend. You, as the Author and Finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

Mm, Lord. How very much I thank You. Thank You for leading me to this particular passage of scripture just now. Reading again of the “huge crowd of men of faith watching us from the grandstands” (v.1) I am reminded of the love You have for each and everyone of us. I ask You Dearest Lord to make me worthy of such a love as this. This love of which there is none greater that You laid down Your life for us (John 15:13).

Thank You Lord that I am so loved (John 3:16) by You. I ask You Lord to enable me to use this love for Your good. Let me shine Your light to the world letting us realize that You are indeed all that is holy and good and deserving of all our thanks and praise. Thank You Lord for the love that You so freely give. I ask that You would teach me to open my hands to fully receive and give all that You have to offer.

I love You so much Dearest Lord. Help me love others and myself as You would have me do. I ask ALL this in Your most holy name. Thank You. Amen.

(433 words ~ 11:23 a.m.)

first

Monday, January 3, 2011 (7:38 a.m.)

Awesome God,

Thank You. The first conscious thoughts I had this morning, even before opening my eyes, were of You. There was an element of You in the dream that I no longer remember. And the song I was first aware of, although not quite correct, thereto concerned You.

I sang the song most on my mind and heart upon awakening this day without realizing I had changed one key word. ♫On a stormy night, we sing His praises, Sing His praises loud and strong♫ That’s when I remembered this was a camping song, for ♫sitting ‘round the campfire as it blazes♫ on a starry night!

Getting up and looking at the rest of the words, I saw that with just a little bit of tweaking the remainder of the song could fit rather nicely to the rain we had throughout the night.

Changing the word ‘crickets’ to ‘raindrops’ and we have ♫Listen to the raindrops sing His praises, Sing His praises all night long. Squeakin’ out a tune with lilting phrases, We’ll join in their happy song♫ I haven’t paid this close of attention to the words before Lord.

♫My Father made the universe And everything it holds; And every day before my eyes His handiwork unfolds♫ What a wonderful, glorious truth!

Thank You Lord that while I can change words to songs to fit my own personal circumstances I am to “not add to or subtract from” Your commandments (Deuteronomy 12:32).

(10:13 a.m.)

Lord, I’ve been here with You all this time. Looking here and checking there to find the verses that say that we are to neither add to nor subtract from Your Word. Deuteronomy 4:2 and the one mentioned above are the closest I can find for now. How I ask You Lord to keep me in tune with You.

Many things are going to change. Words to songs, thoughts, feelings. But not You. You are “the same yesterday, today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8).

Thank You Lord. Thank You that You are good. You are holy. You are “gentle and humble of heart” (Matthew 11:29). Lord, these are the things I want to focus upon this year. Being more and more like You.

Gentle, here described as ‘strength under control’ and humble of heart ‘having a lowly estimate of one’s own importance’. Yes Lord. More than anything else, I want to become more and more like You. First and foremost, I want to be like You.

Thank You Lord. Thank You for this very extended time with You. I love You. Work in and through me I pray. Thank You. Amen.

(440 words ~ 10:32 a.m.)

walk this way

Sunday, January 2, 2011 (6:48 a.m.)

Lake Arrowhead Chalets #120

Lake Arrowhead, CA

Most Loving and Beloved Lord God,

Thank You. Thank You for rest. Thank You for fun. Thank You for family. And thank You Lord for the struggles and challenges that remind us to put our focus on You.

Lord, I love when I wake up thinking of You. I especially love when the most bizarre thoughts and songs tie into what could possibly be another way of considering You.

Take this morning as a perfect example. I was thinking about moving home today. I was also considering a hiccup with a much-loved one last night. At the same time I was remembering so many of the mistakes I have made through the years. Where did all of this take me? ♫Turn your eyes upon Jesus Look full in His wonderful face And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace♫

Yes Lord. Even before getting to the end of the chorus I was remembering words like ‘forgiveness’ and ‘grace’. Grace – God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense.

And then completely unexpectedly, practically out of the blue came another song. Looking up the rest of the words to it, I can’t possibly believe You would take me in this direction. Rather than spend any more time considering the rest of the lyrics, I am still drawn to the chorus that took me there in the first place. ♫Walk this way♫

The first (and only) verse I found mentioning these words is Isaiah 30:21. And it speaks of You Dearest Lord. You telling Your people, “This is the way; turn around and walk here.” Mm. Yes Lord. I want to follow You. I long to walk where You would have me walk.

And speaking of walking, it’s time to “Walk this way” as we pack up the car and move home again. How I ask Your mercies on us Lord. Mercy for safe travels in inclement weather. Mercy in continuing to build healthy relationships. Mercy to learn to love and know You better. Mercy as we continue to turn our eyes upon You Lord.

Continue speaking to me Lord. In ways that not only get my attention, but my obedience as well. I love You Lord. Thank You for loving me so well. Amen.

(395 words ~ 8:00 a.m.)

love

Saturday, January 1, 2011 (7:32 a.m.)

New Year’s Day

Lake Arrowhead Chalet #120

Lake Arrowhead, CA

Wow Lord,

Would You look at that? 2011. I thought I’d start the day with You. How awesome that we’re starting a whole new year together as well. Thank You Lord. You are so good.

Lord, I love You. I want desperately to love You so much better than I have in the past. Will You teach me how? Teach me to know You and the things that You love.

How perfect You are. No sooner do I have the thought forming, but You have direction for me. Beginning with Ephesians 3:16-21, Your Word verily comes alive for me! How I thank You Lord. How I love You!

Turning the pages to focus on these particular verses, I am drawn to the titles of other sections. “Living in Christ’s Freedom” (Galatians 5:1-15) “Living by the Spirit’s Power” (16-26). Oh Lord, make it so!

(9:10 a.m.)

How easily I get distracted. I start out strong and little by little am drawn to watching the 122nd Rose Parade and baking and frosting cinnamon rolls. The tradition of this favored event pales in comparison to the richness of Your Word Dear Lord.

Various versions of Ephesians 3 speak deeply to my heart and soul right now. One titles Chapter 3 as “A Loving People”, with a brief theological section explaining “The Family of God”.

Oh Dearest Lord, how I long to live this in my everyday life. I want desperately to live a life of Your love. Your strength. Your presence. “Rooted and grounded…

(11:59 a.m.)

[love – take three!] “… in love for each other” The Illustrated Bible Handbook. Oh yes blessed Lord! “As we live together as family, loving one another as Christ loved us, we will grow together toward all it means to be a Christian.” I want that Lord.

Ephesians 3:14-16 (TLB), “When I think of the wisdom and scope of His plan, I fall down on my knees and pray to the Father of all the great family of God – some of them already in heaven and some down here on earth – that out of His glorious, unlimited resources He will give you the mighty inner strengthening of His Holy Spirit.”

Lord, I can’t even begin to fathom the wisdom and scope of Your plan. Oh, but I long to take part in Your unlimited resources that will give me the mighty inner strengthening of Your Holy Spirit. It reads wonderfully Lord. So much to even think of asking for. But I am.

In The Living Bible verse 17 reads, “And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in Your hearts, living within you as you trust in Him. May your roots go down into the soil of God’s marvelous love;”. The Cotton Patch Gospel says the same thing this way, “God grant that Christ, through your faith, might establish residence in your hearts. May love be your taproot and foundation.” Yes Lord. May love be my taproot and foundation!

And now as I quote to the end of the chapter I ask again and again Lord, please may it be so! “and may you be able to feel and understand, as all God’s children should, how long, how wide, how deep, and how high His love really is; and to experience this love for yourselves, though it is so great that you will never see the end of it or fully know or understand it. And so at last you will be filled up with God Himself. Now glory be to God, who by His mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of – infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes. May He be given glory forever and ever even through endless ages because of His master plan of salvation for the Church through Jesus Christ.”

Yes. Oh yes. Oh yes, Dear Lord. Fill me up with YOU. Long and wide, deep and high! Fill me to capacity with You and Your love. What a perfect way to begin not only a new year, but a new decade.

Thank You Lord. Thank You for Your patience with me. Thank You for Your blessings. And mostly importantly, thank You for Your love. I love You. SO much! Thank You. Amen.

(738 words ~ 12:40 p.m.)