the Rubber meets the road

Saturday, October 29, 2011 (9:51 a.m.)

Birmingham, AL

♫Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

♫There’s just something about that name♫ I noticed it yesterday right after I had posted and shut down the computer. It’s been almost three decades and I still call You “Lord”. Your name is Jesus. I need to practice saying, “Thank You JESUS”. Not just Lord.

I had the opportunity last night. I didn’t use it, but it was there. I received some unexpected, unsettling news and one of my first thoughts was to announce, “You know what? I’m going to thank Jesus in advance for what He is going to do in this situation.” I thought it. But I didn’t SAY it.

Today Lord, I mean, Jesus, I want to do better. You ARE my Savior! My hope. My Shepherd. And I want to announce it regularly to all I meet. Not hiding behind Our Father’s most holy, more socially acceptable name. No Jesus. I want to say Your name. Loud and proud!

Who ♫paid it all♫? All to whom do I owe? Who ♫took my crimson stains and washed them white as snow♫? YOU did Jesus. You did! Who is “the Gate for the sheep” (John 10:7)? Who came “that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (v. 10b)? YOU did Jesus. That was You too!

Help me learn to speak Your name as easily as all the others of people I know and love. I’ve been “agog with God” for years. I want to be as free sharing Your name as I have in using His all this time.

There truly IS ♫something about that name♫! ♫Master, Savior, Jesus Like the fragrance after the rain Jesus, Jesus, Jesus Let all Heaven and Earth proclaim Kings and Kingdoms will all pass away But there’s something about that Name♫! Let me start saying it freely. Often. Unreservedly. Loudly. Lovingly.

“Jesus!” I love You. I thank You. I want to come to You as naturally [spontaneously, genuinely, unpretentiously] as the little children whose mothers brought them to be touched and blessed by You (Matthew 19:13-15, Luke 18:15-17). Help me, Jesus, to share Your blessed name as readily, freely, boldly as did the Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:28-30, 39). I love You Jesus.

♫Take me, teach me to be more like You All that You are Jesus I want to be… Teach me to weep for the times that I’ve failed You Teach me to wait Lord for Your hand to move Teach me to watch for the dawn in my darkness And teach me to walk in a way You’d approve… Take me, teach me to be more like You Touch these blind eyes Jesus I want to see I want to see♫ YOU! Jesus ~ my Rubber that meets the road ~ “the most important point for something, the moment of truth”. You, Jesus. It IS ♫all about You Jesus… the heart of worship♫ I love You. I thank You. Amen.

(505 words ~ 11:41 a.m.)

"Thank You Lord!"

Friday, October 28, 2011 (7:52 a.m.)

Blessed Lord God,

Thank You! Thank You for plans. And hopes. Dreams. Ideas. Friends. Family. Beauty. You. Mm, yes Lord. More than anything at all, thank You for YOU! Your love. Your kindness. Generosity. Your plans. Hopes. Dreams. Ideas… You provided us them all.

Lord God, how I thank You for the way You are changing my thinking. The Way. Your Way. Mm, yes Lord, Your Way!

I used to be so cocksure of all the things I thought I knew. I had an air of overconfidence. Smugness. Presumption. You’ve changed all that Lord.

Then for an extremely long while, I stumbled around in the dark. Feeling my way around, fearful of making ANY decision on my own. And now, I keep looking to You. Funneling, filtering my plans, hopes, dreams, ideas… through You. Thank You Lord.

Thank You for continuing to show me that even though there are so many things I am not sure about, I KNOW You are good. I may have no idea where the next step may take any of us, but I absolutely know that You are good!

It’s a choice. A conscious decision to trust You. Something I didn’t use to readily do. I thought I had to trust myself. My parents. Teachers. Authorities. Those with higher educations... It’s when I look to You, Your Truth, Your Will, Your Way I find peace. Calm. Hope. Joy.

Lord God, thank You. Thank You that You came into this world. Not “merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was” (John 3:17 The Message). You “came to help, to put the world right again.” And in doing so we have the Truth of which John wrote (see chapter 16).

You came and told Your disciples ‘these things to prepare them for rough times ahead’ (v.1). You told them what was ahead for them: being thrown out of meeting places (v.2), “There will even come a time when anyone who kills you will think he’s doing God a favor. They will do these things because they never really understood the Father” (3). You came Lord to prepare us for what was to come. “I’ve told you these things so that when the time comes and they start in on you, you’ll be warned and ready for them” (4).

Thank You, Lord! Thank You for coming. Preparing. Warning. Teaching. Promising. I can’t even begin to thank You enough for all You’ve given us. Hope. Life. Your promise that “when the Friend comes, the Spirit of the Truth, he will take you by the hand and guide you into all the truth there is” (13).

And right now, for me, the biggest promise of them all? Verse 33. “I’ve told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I’ve conquered the world.”

When things appear to go wrong, I can practice saying “Thank You Lord!” I’ve thanked You for the good things for decades now. Here is where I ask You to help me become obedient to the call of 1Thessalonians 5:16-18. “Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live.”

What can I add? Just my most sincere and robust, “Thank You Lord!” I love You. Amen.

(579 words ~ 9:14 a.m.)

turn of events

Monday, October 24, 2011 (3:09 p.m.)

Awesome, Blessed God,

How I thank You Lord for turns of events. Mm. Yes. Turn of events. I almost didn’t even bother to look in Your Word for the chance that there might be a verse [or THREE J] referencing this phrase. Three individual verses. Two separate sets of circumstances.

Wednesday, October 26, 2011 (7:50 a.m.)

A day and a half later and I’m still looking around thinking, “How quickly things change.” One moment we had a fifty-minute drive planned for the week and the next we have nine hours of flying and connections to look forward to. A HUGE turn of events!

Lord God, I read here in Your Word of people making decisions based on overconfidence (Joshua 7:5) or foolishness and self-confidence (1Kings 12:15, 2Chronicles 10:15). I read the overall theme of both accounts and I am filled with quiet awe. I respect You Lord. Admire. Revere. Esteem You.

In the retelling of the event in Joshua, the commentary says, “The Israelites grew overconfident.” How often do I resemble that statement! “Their small force was soundly defeated because God was angry at Israel for the sin of Achan… We must be careful not to take back control of our life once we see what God can do when He is in control.” Oh, Your goodness Lord! Isn’t that the truth?

Concluding the comment my head nods in agreement. “On our own, we may allow some seemingly insignificant area of our life to lead us away from God’s plan. Our call is to submit our whole life to His control.” Yes Lord! Every aspect of my being.

The section in 1Kings tells of the two kings who followed Solomon. Both “made foolish, self-serving decisions.” One (Rehoboam) followed his own selfish inclinations, while the other (Jeroboam) led out of fear of losing his kingdom [even though YOU appointed him king!]. The commentary here says, “The selfish attitudes of these two men led entire kingdoms on the path toward sin. We need to realize that our decisions always touch the lives of others. We should measure our decisions by God’s truth and by how they will affect others.” Oh, dearest Lord. YES!

The comment in 2Chronicles regarding the rebellion of the people and the splitting in two of the kingdom of Israel accurately reminds us, “Two wrongs never make a right.” The people made things worse for themselves by acting rashly. As tempted as we may be to take matters into our own hands “when we are mistreated by others or when they fail to take our claims seriously. Before doing anything, we must be extremely careful.” Lord God, how I thank You for the ways You get my attention. You are so good, so very generous. And You love us so much.

Keep us in Your care. Guide and direct our interactions with others. Thank You Lord for the love You’ve given us to share with others. Continue Your work in each of us, making us people after Your own heart. I love You so very much blessed Lord. Thank You. Amen.

(513 words ~ 8:36 a.m.)

blessed

Sunday, October 23, 2011 (7:52 a.m.)

Awesome God,

You blessed me yesterday. You blessed me with a plan. A desire. A gut instinct. I didn’t know how it was all going to come to pass. But I knew what I wanted to do. Thank You Lord. Thank You.

From the very first realization earlier this month that I wanted to make puppy dog tail cookies for my brother, to us sitting in a van in his driveway last evening reviewing the happenings of the past several months, it was You Lord. ALL You!

Thank You that You blessed me with the ideas and I was able to bless him with the execution. Thank You that his traditional birthday dinner (ground beef enchiladas and coleslaw) was precisely prepared and lovingly served to him as his after moving meal. Perfection Lord. Start to finish. Perfectly executed. And it was YOU Lord. All You!

Rarely do I get to experience the satisfaction of completing a plan. The ideas come. They get questioned. Analyzed. Doubted. Then scrapped. Yesterday was different. One thing just ran into another. Effortlessly. BLESSEDLY. From the loading and unloading of moving vehicles to the sharing of food we were blessed Lord, by You. Thank You Lord!

Thank You for the desire You gave me to clean windows and screens. Thank You that when help was offered to me, I was able to respectfully take back my strategy and continue with it at my own pace until completion. Blessed, Lord. That’s how I feel about the whole of yesterday.

Even upon returning home, I knew if a certain car was here my job was done for the day. If not, I would mow the lawns. Thank You for the foresight Lord. Effortless. Knowing. Certainty.

A ‘hiccup’ occurred shortly after and even that was short lived. Not taken too personally. It was just a matter of fact. A misunderstanding. A preference of one person, not readily endorsed by the other. No big thing. A matter of fact, left alone for awhile and then completely resolved. Again, YOU Lord! ALL You.

It’s days like these that help remind me of how blessed we truly are. You guided me Lord. From the very first bite of a purchased cookie that didn’t taste anything like our mom’s, to the celebratory hugs at the end of a very exhausting weekend You blessed us Lord. With safety. Guidance. And love. Most importantly, Your love. Bless what You have put together with the hard work we were able to accomplish only through You.

Thank You Lord. I truly can’t thank You enough. I love You. Amen.

(421 words ~ 8:46 a.m.)

Make a Difference

Friday, October 21, 2011 (10:45ish a.m.)

Victoria Gardens Parking Lot

Loving Lord,

Saturday, October 22, 2011 (9:55 a.m.)

Stater Bros. Parking Lot

Blessed Loving Lord,

Thank You! Yes Lord – thank You for righteous anger. Talk to me at this very moment about being angry and not sinning in my anger (Ephesians 4:26). Talk to me about setting, enforcing and maintaining healthy boundaries. Talk to me Lord. Speak to me about being strong (Ephesians 6:10) with Your mighty power, being alert (v. 18b) and persistent in my prayers for Christians everywhere.

Empower and enable me to “Be faithful (Revelation 2:10b) even unto death” and to “Be earnest and repent” (Revelation (3:19b).

Lord God, I confess to You the tendency I have for letting slide things I ought to be taking care of. Perhaps it’s my attempt of taking an easy way out. Lord God, I KNOW You can make a HUGE difference in me. And on this national “Make a Difference” day that is EXACTLY what I’m asking.

Lord, our family IS making a difference today. A mother and her son are coming to live together under the same roof for the first time in over nine years. They are being surrounded by loving, helpful family and friends. Bless this move Lord. Let it make a HUGE difference in Your Kingdom. We love You SO much Lord. Use us to Make YOUR Difference Lord. It’s in Your blessed name I ask these things. Thank You Jesus. Amen.

(250 words ~ 10:11 a.m.)

unprepared

Thursday, October 20, 2011 (7:50 a.m.)

Blessed Lord,

H-E-L-P! I am completely unprepared. And now, after reading several verses containing this word, I’m in tears.

Lord God. Thank You for Who You are and the Way You work. When we choose to put our faith, hope and trust in You, You do indeed show us Your Way! Thank You Lord. Thank You.

My plan was to come to You this morning with a list of all the things I am unprepared to accomplish this weekend. Instead, You broke my grieving heart wide open! Thank You Lord for the opportunity, the PRIVILEGE to come before You completely uncensored.

I didn’t know I was hiding. I thought I was being proactive. Go to a funeral and then distract ourselves by going and hugging a baby. It made perfect sense in the planning of it. Of course, I didn’t think to stop and ask what YOU thought of my idea.

Thank You Lord that this morning I don’t have to judge myself harshly for being unprepared this morning. I get to consider the circumstances. Out of the five obituaries I read in the paper yesterday, I knew three of them. That’s big odds. That’s a lot of grieving friends and acquaintances. Lord God, how I ask You to come along side each and everyone of them and be their comfort.

As I sit here, not at all ready to do the things I had planned for today, I turn instead to You; asking, seeking, knocking (Matthew 7:7-8) while at the very same time singing ♫Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is and is to come♫ (Revelation 4:8).

Most blessed and loving God, I do NOT know what today holds. But, I DO know that You hold it! Thank You Lord. I love You. Amen.

(307 words ~ 8:30 a.m.)

I danced

Wednesday, October 19, 2011 (7:55 a.m.)

Blessed Lord,

Thank You. I danced last night. I smiled. I had fun. And then I slept. Really well. Thank You Lord.

Thank You that the first song that came to mind this morning reminded me of a friend, now long passed. I remember singing it with her in church. Her favorite. A lively “catchy” song about YOU dancing, ♫I danced in the morning when the world was begun I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun I came down from heaven and I danced on the earth At Bethlehem I had my birth♫

Thank You Lord. In looking up the words, I read about its origin and learned that in 1967 Sydney Carter “adapted the tune from the famous American Shaker dance song ‘Simple Gifts’.” I read. I sing. And get ready to dance again. My heart smiles at the thought of You calling all to dance with You. ♫Dance then, wherever you may be I am the Lord of the Dance, said He! And I’ll lead you all, wherever you may be And I’ll lead you all in the Dance, said He! ♫

Yes Lord. In learning to dance I must learn to follow. To be led. Who better to be my Teacher than the Lord of the Dance Himself!

Thank You Lord. Thank You for music and for dance steps. Thank You for joy and laughter. For friendships and most importantly for Your love. Your surrounding and enveloping love, calling us all together to ♫Dance then, wherever you may be…♫

I ask You this morning to lead and guide me in the dance You have for me this day. I love You Lord. Thank You. Amen.

(290 words ~ 8:56 a.m.)

pay attention / ♫Blessed Be Your Name♫

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

Blessed Lord,

I’m asking You to help me pay attention today! It’s relatively early and I’ve already made mistakes. Not ground breaking, earth shattering ones. But substantial enough to bring me to You, Lord, asking that I pay attention. To You!

Lord, I didn’t expect so many verses to choose from. I wasn’t prepared for the history and warnings these two words brought up.

(8:28 a.m.)

With over 40 entries to choose from, it’s Proverbs 22:17-19 where I finally stop. “Pay attention [♫pay, pay attention♫ - I hear it as a cheer! J] and listen to the sayings of the wise; apply your heart to what I teach, for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart and have all of them ready on your lips. So that your trust may be in the Lord, I teach you today, even you.”

Tuesday, October 18, 2011 (8:07 a.m.)

Ah, that I would truly listen and apply the sayings of the wise. Lord God, I confess to You my propensity to running amuck. I get so excited about all Your Word has to say and then I become distracted with the random details of everyday life.

Yesterday’s call to “pay attention” did keep me mindful. Today I ask that I would use Your word, Your Truth far more effectively.

The Living Bible tells the above verse thusly, “Listen to this wise advice; follow it closely, for it will do you good, and you can pass it on to others: Trust in the Lord.” How simple is that? Even I can’t complicate it!

While I woke up singing quite a different song, right now I will lead with the obvious ♫Trust in the Lord With all your heart And lean not on your own understanding In ALL your ways acknowledge Him And He will direct Your path♫ Blessed Lord, how I thank You for ever turning my thoughts back to You!

Thank You also for waking me up singing this morning ♫Blessed be Your name In the land that is plentiful Where the streams of abundance flow♫ Lord it is so much easier for me to bless Your name when positive things are happening around me.

Thank You that You don’t want us to stop there. No. You also teach us to boldly sing out our hearts in difficult times as well. ♫Blessed be Your name When I’m found in the desert place Though I walk through the wilderness Blessed be Your name Every blessing You pour, I’ll turn back to praise When the darkness closes in, Lord Still I will say Blessed be the name of the Lord… Blessed be Your glorious name♫

Most blessed Lord, thank You. I don’t always remember to bless You first. I confess too often to falling back on fear and frustration. I whine a WHOLE lot more than I bless and thank. Bless You that You let me practice things until I get them better. You are patient and kind. You forgive. You wait.

The Life Recovery commentary for yesterday’s proverb (22:17-19) reminds us that, “it is wise to put our trust in God. He alone is the source of perfect love and truth. It is only by surrendering to Him that we can experience true love and discover how our life should be lived.” You know what You’re doing. I may rarely understand or agree with Your methods but I want so very much to get better at readily acquiescing [accept something reluctantly but without protest] to Your will.

Continue Your wonderful, mighty, glorious work in my heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30) that I can not only sing out to You ♫Blessed be Your name When the sun’s shining down on me When the world’s all as it should be Blessed be Your name♫ but readily and wholeheartedly ♫Blessed be Your name On the road marked with suffering Though there’s pain in the offering Blessed be Your name… You give and take away You give and take away My heart will choose to say Lord, Blessed by Your name♫

Lord God, how I thank You for such a privilege. Help me use it well. I love You. Thank You. Amen.

(704 words ~ 8:40 a.m.)

choices

Sunday, October 16, 2011 (7:14 a.m.)

Blessed Lord,

Where to start? With “Thank You!” It’s Sunday and we get to go to church. What a gift is that? We live in an area where we not only get to choose which church to go to, but which service to attend.

Thank You Lord. Thank You for the decision, the choice made several years ago between husband and wife, to find the church YOU would have us attend. Thank You Lord that it involved seeking. Searching. Actively communicating our hearts with You and one another.

Thank You Lord for leading us. Thank You that we asked and You answered. We sought and finally found. Thank You Lord for all the choices we were given through the process.

This morning, in searching the word ‘choices’ I came to Proverbs 2:11. “Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.” Lord, how I thank You.

Thank You for the choice to come to and follow You in the first place. Thank You for the freedom to choose. Thank You for Your leading and Your guiding when we put our own stubborn egos and pride aside.

Thank You Lord for the truth of Your Word. Thank You that Wisdom Is from God: Proverbs 2, “My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands. Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding. Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding. Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures. Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God” (vs.1-5).

You are amazing Lord. So good. Kind. Loving. Perfect. “For the Lord grants wisdom! From His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to Him” (6-8).

You make promises that You keep Lord. We’re not always used to that anymore Lord. You are trustworthy. Faithful. And we are grateful!

We wander. We stray. We get lost. And when we finally come back to You with all of our choices, You answer. “Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy” (9-10).

Lord God, how I thank You for time together with You. Thank You for the wisdom You provide to save us from ourselves and evil people. Thank You for the truth of the remainder of this proverb. Thank You that You truly are here to guide us in making the right choices. Keep us asking and seeking You.

I love You so very much. Thank You for Your wisdom. Your guidance. Your love. Please make sure I use them well. I love You Lord. Thank You. Amen.

(493 words ~ 8:25 a.m.)

different

Saturday, October 15, 2011 (6:14 a.m.)

Awesome God,

Thank You!

(6:45 a.m.)

I got out of bed hoping to find a re-creation of yesterday morning’s beauty. Today could not be any more different than what I had anticipated! It’s dreary. A bit chilly. Gloomy. Foggy. And still, I’m so very excited to be up for it. Thank You Lord. Thank You!

(7:34 a.m.)

Wow Lord. This is all so much different than I expected. Instead of being outside experiencing Your beauty, I’m in Your Word reading of when Samuel first anointed Saul to be king. I must confess. These details are new to me.

I remember learning long ago that because Samuel’s two sons [Joel and Abijah] were not like their father, the people of Israel pleaded for “a king like all the other nations have” (1Samuel 8:2-5).

What I find exciting as well as encouraging here Lord is that Samuel’s very first response was to turn to You. “Samuel was terribly upset and went to the Lord for advice” (v. 6).

These are kernels that I have pretty much read passed before. Not taking the time to fully absorb and appreciate Your willingness to give the people what they wanted, even though You fully knew ahead of time where it would all lead (7-18). You are so good Lord.

Thank You for this lesson about Samuel and Saul this morning Lord. We have the advantage of looking back and learning from their choices and decisions. Help us to take to our very core – our hearts, minds, souls and strength – the Truth Samuel spoke to Saul as he anointed him. “At that time [on Saul’s way home from searching for missing donkeys] the Spirit of the Lord will come mightily upon you and you will prophesy with them, and you will feel and act like a different person” (1Samuel 10:6).

From this single verse another song began singing to me ♫Let the glory of the Lord rise among us… Let the praises of our King [YOU Lord!] rise among us… Let the songs of the Lord rise among us… Let the joy of our King rise among us Let it rise Oh, let it rise♫

Oh yes Lord. Let Your Spirit come mightily upon us that we would each truly let Your glory, praises, songs and joy rise among us!

Yes Lord. Thank You for this day that began so very different than I had first imagined it would. I love You. Be with me this day in all my feelings [heart], being [soul], thinking [mind] and doing [strength] (Mark 12:30). Empower and enable to me to represent and love You well. I love You. Amen.

(445 words ~ 10:18 a.m.)

"Pretty!"

Friday, October 14, 2011 (7:38 a.m.)

Most Glorious Lord,

The very first word out of my mouth an hour ago was, “Pretty!” So pretty was the sky that I went outside to see it better. The longer I stayed out there, the prettier it got. There was so much color going on in the sky. Then when I thought I was done, it started all over again. Turning back toward the house, I found the roses have bloomed. An unusual amount of birds were chattering in the trees and the moon was still visible behind a misty cloud. I honestly turned around in circles, not knowing which way to look because of the beauty. Your beauty Lord. Your gift for starting the day. Thank You Lord.

♫For the beauty of the earth, For the glory of the skies, For the love which from our birth, Over and around us lies: Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise♫

(8:33 a.m.)

Thank You Lord. I got distracted. Started looking at other things. My first glance down at my open Bible just now was at Psalm 108:1. “O God, my heart is ready to praise You! I will sing and rejoice before You.” How is that Lord?

My heart IS ready to praise You and instead I go off and check the email for messages. Keep me HERE Lord. With You. Focused. Attentive. Learning. Absorbing.

Mm Yes Lord! The song sung above referenced Psalm 107:8. “Oh, that these men [the exiles brought back from the farthest corners of the earth. The ones who had wandered homeless in the desert, hungry and thirsty and faint (vs. 3-5) that You led straight to safety (7) after they cried, ‘Lord, help!’ (6)] would praise the Lord for His loving-kindness and for all His wonderful deeds!”

Oh Your goodness Lord. Your deep, vast, glorious goodness! The first paragraph of this chapter reads, “Say thank You to the Lord for being so good, for being so loving and kind. Has the Lord redeemed You? Then speak out! Tell others He has saved you from your enemies” (107:1-3). You HAVE redeemed me Lord! How is it that I don’t spend the bulk of my time singing Your praises?

Oh most good and glorious God, You provide such beauty. ‘Singing and rejoicing before You’ (Psalm 108:1b) IS the proper response to You and Your gifts to us.

♫For the wonder of each hour Of the day and of the night, Hill and vale and tree and flower, Sun and moon and stars of light Lord of all, to Thee we raise This our hymn of grateful praise♫

This song of praise goes on to mention: ‘the joy of human love, Brother, sister, parent, child,’ ♫Friends on earth and friends above, For all gentle thoughts and mild♫ Your Church, holy hands, pure sacrifice of love, You, ‘best Gift divine’, Your great, great love, ‘Peace on earth and joy in heaven’.

Lord God, we would do so well in focusing our thoughts and efforts in saying thanks to You “for being so good, for always being so loving and kind” (Psalm 107:1). Keep me in this mindset, Blessed Lord. Remind me of the very first word out of my mouth this morning. “Pretty!” Thank You Lord. I love You. Amen.

(549 words ~ 9:14 a.m.)

"a far better way"

Thursday, October 13, 2011 (6:26 a.m.)

(6:47 a.m.)

Blessed Lord,

Starting out blessing, thanking and asking You probably would have been a far better way. A far better way! To heck with the song I’ve been humming for more than an hour and can’t figure out what it is, YOU are “a far better way”!

(7:09 a.m.)

So here I’ve been for twenty more minutes reading in Hebrews about the priesthood of Melchizedek. Lord, I confess. There’s more here that I don’t understand than that which I do. Help me Lord.

(8:06 a.m.)

Yes Lord. Help me. Help me be an encourager. A good steward. An ambassador for You. Faithful. Persistent. Yours.

There’s so much to learn and to apply. I still haven’t found the song I continue humming, but You’ve given me something better this morning. Truth!

Hebrews 7:20-22 (CEV) “God Himself made a promise when this priest (Jesus) was appointed. But He did not make a promise like this when other priests were appointed. The promise He made is, ‘I, the Lord, promise that You will be a priest forever! And I will never change my mind!’ This means that Jesus guarantees us a better agreement with God.” Or as Eugene Peterson put it, “This makes Jesus the guarantee of a far better way between us and God – one that really works! A new covenant.”

Thank You Lord. I may continue looking for things that I might never find, but You will ALWAYS be “a far better way”! Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(256 words ~ 8:21 a.m.)

too many things

Wednesday, October 12, 2011 (7:11 a.m.)

Awesome God,

I’m asking for help this morning. Too many things remain unfinished around here. I start too many things and finish few.

And that’s what I thought we’d be talking about this morning!

Oh, but God. You are SO good! Thank You for not allowing me to go off in my own direction. Thank You for leading me to a brand new area. The Apochrypha. Specifically Sirach 11. Which led me right back to Luke 12:13-21 and A Story about a Rich Fool.

Oh my Lord! You DO have Your way about You! I’ve been asking everyone that will listen to please pray for me to become a better steward. Lord God, I absolutely believe that this is imperative.

Beloved Father God. I confess to You. I have too many things! Here Lord is a truth I have know for far too long. Along with this reality is another underlying piece. Fear, Lord. I fear making a mistake. I confess to being frozen in the fear of hurting someone. Getting rid of things that somebody might want. Things continue piling up because of the fear I have of letting them go.

Lord, I confess this to You. I know You are a good God. You have provided us so many blessings throughout the years. I feel embarrassed here Lord. Ashamed. I’m holding back the tears that want desperately to fall all over the keyboard. I stifle the sobs that could represent freedom from the too many things that I fear.

I read of ‘true freedom and contentment’ being found in depending exclusively on You. Luke 12: 30-31, “All mankind scratches for its daily bread, but your heavenly Father knows your needs. He will always give you all you need from day to day if you will make the Kingdom of God your primary concern.” Too many times I think that I do exactly that Lord only to find that I really don’t.

“So don’t be afraid little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom. Sell what you have and give to those in need. This will fatten your purses in heaven! And the purses of heaven have no rips or holes in them. Your treasures there will never disappear; no thief can steal them; no moth can destroy them. Wherever your treasure is, there your heart and thoughts will also be” (vs. 32-34).

A section of Theology in Brief in the Illustrated Bible Handbook helps hammer this truth home. Under Money and the Christian we’re told “Jesus’ followers are freed, by relationship with God, to concentrate on that of which life does consist” (see Luke 12:15). “Freedom comes when we grasp how greatly God loves and values us. Thus He will meet our needs (12:30,31). Freedom is expressed by use of our possessions to meet the needs of others (12:32; 2 Corinthians 8:13-15)… Those who are ‘generous and willing to share’ (1Timothy 6:18) have a valid ministry to others. What is really important then? To not let money distract from what Scripture shows us is the true center of life for Jesus’ followers. We are called to love and trust God – and to value persons above possessions.”

Lord God, hear my prayer! Please Lord, make me “generous and willing to share”. This HAS to be the antidote for ‘too many things’! Yes Lord. And just as I am finishing up this prayer today, I turn over to 2 Corinthians, chapters 8 “A Call to Generous Giving” and 9 “God Prizes Cheerful Givers”. Oh yes Lord. Make me so!

I love You. Work in and through me this day I pray. Thank You Lord. Amen.

(621 words ~ 8:44 a.m.)

Wow!

Tuesday, October 11, 2011 (7:16 a.m.)

Wow God!

When was the last time I started off our time together with a “Wow”? Thank You Lord. Right now I ask that You would make me acutely aware of every single wow moment of this day.

It started very simply with the full-blown singing of ♫Our God Reigns♫ followed by my looking up the lyrics. Seeing two books of scripture listed under the title, I found my attention taken from the song directly into Your Word.

Father, I am amazed. Wowed, if You will. Lord, how easy it is for me to freely belt out the chorus here. Its truth filling my soul. But then I looked deeper into the lyrics. These are not words taken from the heart and mind of a songwriter. No. They are found right here in Your Word. Wow God. Wow!

Isaiah (52:7; 53) foretold Your coming. Your purpose. Your Passion. This always amazes me. Such detail as to what was to come. It’s one thing to have Dr. Luke (24:5-6, 39) give the historical account after the fact, but Isaiah speaking of it beforehand? Amazing!

♫How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him Who bring good news, good news Announcing peace, Proclaiming news of happiness. Our God reigns, Our God reigns…♫

Wow Lord! Straight from Your Word into our hearts and our souls. Wow God! Let us use Your Truth well. Exactly as You would have us. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(250 words ~ 9:33 a.m. 10/12/11)

Light

Monday, October 10, 2011 (7:07 a.m.)

Anaheim, CA

Most Blessed Father God,

Lord how I thank You. Thank You for beauty and light and change. Thank You for choices Lord. And options. And songs. Thank You Lord that You allow us to fear, or to have faith. Thank You that You provide. You ARE Light in our darkness.

Yes Lord, this morning I thank You for Your faithful Light. According to Moses, it was the very first thing You called into this world. “And God said, ‘Let there be light’ and then there was light. God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day’ and the darkness He called ‘night’. And there was evening, and there was morning – the first day.” (Genesis 1:3-5) What a gift Lord!

Over one and a half columns in the concordance reference Bible verses containing light. Samuel (2 Samuel 22:29) called You his lamp, “the Lord turns my darkness into light.” Mm, yes Lord. You do that!

Ezra (9:8) told how “for a brief moment, the Lord our God has been gracious in leaving us a remnant and giving us a firm place in His sanctuary, and so our God gives light to our eyes and a little relief in our bondage.” Thank You Lord!

With the myriad of other verse to choose from, I am drawn instead to the commentary to a section from Ezra (9:6-15) containing the above quoted verse. “Ezra’s prayer of confession followed his mourning. He freely admitted the sins of the people and pleaded with God for their restoration. He realized that until they removed this major obstacle to their spiritual success, they would never achieve the victory that God intended for them.” Your Light, Lord, helps us see these things to which we would otherwise remain blind.

“Often we hold on to some area of our life that prevents us from experiencing everything that God has for us.” Yes Lord. Too often I hold, rather than release. Shine Your Light on these areas for me Dearest Lord.

You are wonderful and I need Your glorious Light to guide and direct every single step I take today and always. I love You so very much Dearest Lord. Thank You for Your love and Your Light. Amen.

(391 words ~ 10:06 a.m. 10/12/11)

Really Lord?

Saturday, October 8, 2011 (6:51 a.m.)

Really Lord?

I’ve been trying to avoid and/or change this song for over an hour. It won’t go away. It’s not one of the words of which I have ever been fond. “Groovy” as in ♫Wouldn’t You agree Jesus You and me got a groovy kind of love♫ Really Lord? Kind of cheesy, don’t You think?

Okay. Cheesy or not, here I come. I’m here willing to let You teach me what You’d have me learn this day. Let’s start with cheesy: Tacky, cheap, tawdry; trite; corny, cornball; cheap, unpleasant, blatantly inauthentic. Definitely not what I EVER want to be with You!

Right then. Off we go. [Icky. Squirmy. Smarmy. L] Ahem – blah – ‘groovy’ – skin crawl. I am REALLY having a negative reaction to this word Lord! It takes me right back to high school and all those times I didn’t fit in because I couldn’t/wouldn’t use the lingo! Thank You Lord that You are so much bigger than my worse memory!

One thing is for sure. I could spend the whole trying to avoid this and it still isn’t going away. So here we are. You and me. And like the word or not ♫When I’m feeling blue, all I have to do Is take a look at You, then I’m not so blue When You’re close to me, I can feel Your heart beat [kind of J] I can hear You breathing [I wish I could!] near my ear Wouldn’t You agree, Jesus You and me got a groovy kind of love♫

It’s a stretch. A lot of the words lean differently than I’m used to with You. And right there I know what it is and now I’m getting eager and excited to tell [agog J] I never visualize You as humanly present! Years ago? Yes. Currently? Absolutely not. There is always just the essence of You.

And with that thought comes a whole different song and mindset. Almost two years ago to the date, I wrote another prayer with the very same words of this title, “Really Lord?” I was hesitant over the word ‘flavor’. As I pursued it, it took me to another song ♫Sabor A Mi♫ - loosely translated as ‘The Taste of Me’. I struggled with You that day as well Lord.

Thank You for reminding me. That day I was led to Mark 9:50. A commentary for verse 43-50 speaks of the importance of getting rid of anything in our lives that might draw us away from You. It mentions addictions and emotional baggage that we hold onto instead of You. It goes on with the need to “identify our weakness by making a fearless moral inventory of our life.” And instructs of the need to take action by cutting off any offensive parts of ourselves so we can begin the process of healing. This rather long commentary also speaks of the importance of having a support group to help us through such drastic measures. That brings me back to thinking of You in human form.

So what did I do with that thought? Me, being me, GoodSearch.com d “Jesus with skin on”. And now I HAVE to ♫agree, Jesus You and me got a groovy kind of love We got a groovy kind of love We got a groovy kind of love♫

I read websites that told of people being You with skin on in their volunteer missions and ministries. Reading more, I came across Bob Kellemen’s RPM ministries and his having awoken “this morning with a deep longing to love well.” He referenced Matthew 22:35-40 as his basis for his premise.

Summing it all up rather succinctly, I have to say “Really Lord!” ♫We got a groovy kind of love♫ Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(635 words ~ 8:27 a.m.)

THINK!

Friday, October 7, 2011 (7:02 a.m.)

Loving Lord,

Thank You. Thank You that the very first thought [song J] I had this morning was ♫Think, think, think on these things. Think on the things that are lovely. Think, think, think, think on these things, Think on the things that are good♫

(8:59 a.m.)

Lord! It is SO easy for me to think negatively! This could go wrong. That person might misunderstand me. What if…

And the next thing I know, I wake up singing a simplistic song from our children’s childhoods and I am reminded, ♫When I am starting to think about things that are yucky and gloomy and dreary, I stop myself short and start over again To think about things that are cheery♫

Truly Lord, I wish it were that easy! Your Word reminds us repeatedly of all You are. All You’ve done. How much You have overcome. And still I sit. Paralyzed by the fear of making mistakes. Not being good enough.

Thank You Lord that You DID come to save this world and not condemn it (John 3:17). Thank You that You have provided our every need.

In reading ‘A Fruitful Life’ thought for the day “Peace is not the calm before the storm, but the calm during the storm” I was reminded of another of Your Truths. John 16:32-33, “But a time is coming, and has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home. You will leave me all alone. Yet I am not alone, for my Father is with me. I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

Ah, yes! YOU are our calm during the storm! Thank You Lord. We can endure trials and sorrows with Your help. It is with You that we find the peace and courage to make changes in our lives. Thank You Lord! You have the power we need to walk the path You would have us go. You have already overcome all the obstacles that stand in our way.

Lord God, how readily I forget that. Through You we really can focus on solutions instead of problems.

(11:21 a.m.)

And once again, You fascinate me Lord! Right in the midst of typing the sentence above, I thought of a Patch Adam’s quote I have referenced in The Life Recovery Bible. Not thinking I had a snowball’s chance of finding it any other way, I began single page turning in the book of Acts. Ending up empty-handed in Revelation, I went backwards through John. As time was drawing close to my leaving for a walk, I found myself wondering, “Why didn’t you just pray and ask God to show it to you?”

My very sad answer to that simple question was, “Because I don’t think He will.” Followed immediately by my prayer that You would prove me wrong. Still not quite believing that You would indeed give me what I asked, I shot up the “Please help me find the reference Lord.” Three random thumbs through the Old Testament (and not a full minute) later, I saw the arrow I had drawn to point me to the comment for Isaiah 26:3. Lord God, thank You!

Whether I am to be reading Psalm 104 and thinking of how all of nature displays Your glory, or Philippians 4:8 and the ‘true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy’ things You can help us concentrate our attention on I am grateful for Your call to me this morning to THINK!

A commentary for the Philippians verse reads, “True happiness can be found in any situation of life when we recognize that God is at work. Because Christ is with us and His return is certain, we can act calmly in the face of painful and difficult situations. Peace comes when we focus on those things that provide lasting value to our life.” Thank You Lord.

Again I turn to Isaiah (26:3) and read, “He [that would be YOU! J] will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in Him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord!” Thank You Lord! ♫I capture my thoughts before they capture me And drag me to depths of depression. I think about things that are lovely and true, Thought after thought in succession♫

Thank You Blessed Lord for calling me to think and feel and be and do (Mark 12:30) Your love and peace this day. I love You so very much. Thank You. Amen.

(764 words ~ 12:11 p.m.)

masquerade

Thursday, October 6, 2011 (7:20 a.m.)

Blessed Lord God,

I love You. And just like that, You surprise me again! Not having much sound sleep, I woke up singing ♫Masquerade! Paper faces on parade. Masquerade♫

Immediately I thought there was no way I would find a Bible verse using this word. Again I was proven wrong!

In writing his second letter to the church at Corinth, Your apostle Paul warned the Corinthian believers against false teachers “masquerading as apostles of Christ” (2Corinthians 11:13). “And no wonder, for satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness” (vs. 14-15a).

I forget Lord. Far too often I am ready and eager to believe all of what I see and hear, no matter how far fetched. Thank You for reminding me to look carefully at who and what I am dealing with. ♫Masquerade! Every face a different shade. Masquerade! Look around – there’s another mask behind you!♫

Ah, most blessed Lord. Thank You that even as we are confronted with Your truth that satan and his minions do indeed masquerade among us, it’s Your promise at the end of verse 15 that encourages us onward. “Their end will be what their actions deserve.”

Lord God, the commentary in The Life Recovery Bible reiterates what Paul preached in all of his letters. “Salvation is a free gift, paid for by the sacrificial work of Jesus Christ… Without God, we are helpless against the power of sin in our life. But with His help, no problem is too great to overcome.”

Unlike a phrase in the song ♫Masquerade! Hide your face, so the world will never find you! Masquerade♫ Lord how I ask You to embolden, empower, enable and equip me to live each day without masks of any kind. Help me live honestly, openly, willingly. Obeying Your will and following Your way. Set me free to live and speak truthfully, far away from the masquerade.

I love You Lord. Thank You. Amen.

(340 words ~ 8:52 a.m.)

lyrics

Tuesday, October 4, 2011 (8:02 a.m.)

Most Beloved Lord God,

Thank You! It wasn’t until I had already been up awhile that I heard music in my head. Then I recognized it. And smiled. Just now, in ‘GoodSearch’ing the lyrics I smiled again. ♫For greater things have yet to come And greater things are still to be done in this City♫

Right here I am stuck in having no clue as to what to title this entry. ♫You’re the God of this City You’re the King of these people You’re the Lord of this nation You are♫

These are big thoughts! ♫You’re the Light in this darkness You’re the Hope to the hopeless You’re the Peace to the restless You are♫

Lord, there are so many things that You are!

Wednesday, October 5, 2011 (7:39 a.m.)

I didn’t see it yesterday Lord. This morning it leaped off the screen. ♫You’re the Light is this darkness♫

I spent time yesterday looking up verses that tell of many of the things You are. I confess to feeling somewhat overwhelmed [given too much of a good thing J] by the many descriptions of You Lord.

While I didn’t pay close attention to yesterday’s A Fruitful Life calendar page, I remembered it this morning and took a better look at it just now. 2Samuel 22:29, “For Thou art my lamp, O Lord: and the Lord will lighten my darkness.”

Here I am reading of King David’s joy of being protected by You. Not only does he tell of it, he sings it in a song of praise. These are lyrics Lord. Much like the ones I awoke to again this morning ♫You’re the God of this City♫ Thank You Lord that You ARE ♫the King of these people♫

Blessed Lord, I continued reading down to verse 34, which took me over to Psalm 18:33 and Habakkuk 3:19. Each was set to music, singing very much the same thing, three different ways. “The Lord God is my strength; He will give me the speed of a deer and bring me safely over the mountains” (Habakkuk – “A note to the choir director: When singing this ode, the choir is to be accompanied by stringed instruments”).

“What a God He is! How perfect in every way! All His promises prove true. He is a shield for everyone who hides behind Him. For who is God except our Lord? Who but He is as a rock? He fills me with strength and protects me wherever I go. He gives me the surefootedness of a mountain goat upon the crags. He leads me safely along the top of the cliffs” (Psalm 18:30-33 – “This song of David was written at a time when the Lord had delivered him from his enemies, including Saul”).

“O Lord, You are my light! You make my darkness bright. By Your power I can crush an army; By Your strength I leap over a wall. As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the Lord is true. He shields all who hide behind Him. Our Lord alone is God; We have no other Savior. God is my strong fortress; He has made me safe. He causes the good to walk a steady tread Like mountain goats upon the rocks (2Samuel 22:29-34 – David’s Song of Praise).

Lord God how I thank You for lyrics that stand the test of time. Lyrics that are just as true today as the day they were originally penned. Thank You for providing joy and hope in scary times of our lives. Thank You that Your Word is true and works in those who believe (1Thessalonians 2:13). Thank You too Lord that You Word is active and living (Hebrews 4:12) and changes us as we grow in it. Thank You Lord.

Thank You for lyrics which set our hearts to the music of our souls. Thank You for lyrics that uplift and give us hope. Thank You for lyrics that remind us ♫You’re the God of this City You’re the King of these people You’re the Lord of this nation You are You’re the Light in this darkness You’re the Hope to the hopeless You’re the Peace to the restless You are There is no one like our God… For greater things have yet to come And greater things are still to be done in this City Greater things have yet to come And greater things are still to be done here♫

Oh “Amen!” “Yes God.” “So be it!” I love You!

(756 words ~ 10:15 a.m.)

joy!

Saturday, October 1, 2011 (7:59 a.m.)

Primm, NV

Awesome, Incredible, Wonderful God,

Lord. Thank You. Thank You for fun and frolic. Thank You for friends and helpfulness. Thank You for learning.

Thank You for a beautifully clear sky one minute and pouring down rain the next. Thank You for flashes of lightning in the late night desert sky. Thank You for a quick, safe drive to our destination.

Lord God, thank You for the desire to be thankful. Thank You for this husband who aims so high to please. Thank You for the shifts in our relationship that has afforded us the opportunity to truly enjoy each other’s company. Mm. Yes. Thank You Lord for joy!

(1:23 p.m.)

Thanks of joy took me to the book of Jude, verses 24 and 25. “Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, To God our Savior, who alone is wise, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and forever more. Amen.”

Thank You Lord. Thank You that You came into the world, not to condemn it, but to save it (John 3:17). Thank You that You know our every need. Thank You that You knew there would always be false teachings about You and You supplied letters from Your followers to warn other believers of their need to “stoutly defend” Your Truth (Jude 1:3).

Lord God, How I thank You for who You are. Maker. Defender. Creator. Master. Father. Son. Holy Spirit. You are good Lord. Mighty. All-powerful.

Continue teaching, preparing and growing me Dearest Lord. I see Your hand working so profoundly in our lives. And I am truly grateful.

Do all You must in making me into a conduit of Your joy. I love You so very much and I want desperately to share You and Your love with others. Thank You Lord for all You are and all You do. I love You. Amen.

(337 words ~ 2:09 p.m.)