word association

Wednesday, August 31, 2011 (7:52 a.m.)

Awesome God of Glory,

Good morning. Hello. Salutations. And finally, a smile. Hi God. I love You. Thank You for allowing me to come before You exactly as I am. Sometimes, silly. Others, a little odd. Remember? We talked about that the other day. I can be odd or awed. Which brings me all the way around to ‘word associations’ – the spontaneous and unreflective production of words in response to a given word.

I love following how one word leads to another. ESPECIALLY when I believe that I am being led by You to another important truth. Today I find myself again at the beginning of Proverbs. The Common English Bible warns in brackets preceding 1:8, “Avoid evil associations”. I read the Recovery Themes listed on this page in The Life Recovery Bible and I am once again amazed by Your provision of our every need.

The Importance of Common Sense, The Power of Priorities, The Role of Boundaries, Building Healthy Relationships. How could any of this surprise me? You know the number of every hair on our heads! (Matthew 10:30)

You set out clear examples of using common sense and wisdom so that we would not be counted as fools. You also provided us ways of identifying our priorities, straightening them our, turning them over to You and getting them in line with Your will. Ah, now THERE’S a need fulfilled!

In this particular book You have presented the importance of our learning to set personal boundaries, learning when and how to say no to others. You truly DID know us [and our needsJ] before we were ever born! “You alone created my inner being. You knitted me together inside my mother” (Psalm 139:13 God’s Word Translation).

And finally Dearest Lord, pertaining to this tiny synopsis of Proverbs – building healthy relationships! Here’s something we could have all used throughout our lives. This particular book helps us see that ‘we are called to be consistent and tactful and to use discipline.’ Now that’s EXACTLY what we all should have been practicing since learning it in kindergarten!

Lord God, how I thank You for associating my words to the betterment of this day. Be in and with me as I set out to use the common sense You have given me, order my priorities, set good boundaries and build healthy relationships. I love You so very much and I thank You more than I could ever express.

Thank You for ‘so loving the world [including me!] that You gave Your one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life’ (John 3:16). Thank You that You ‘did not send Your Son into the world to condemn it but to save it through Him’ (17).

Thank You for this awesome time of word association this morning. I love You so much. Now on to prioritizing… Amen.

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