You alone

Tuesday, September 22, 2015 (6:05 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

Thank You that You alone are holy (Revelation15:4b). Thank You that You alone are the one and only God (Deuteronomy 6:4). Thank You that it is in You alone that I place my faith, hope and trust. You alone.

Blessed Father, there is “STUFF” swirling around me. Every where I turn. There is hurt. Pain. Misunderstanding. Frustration. Willful determination. Exasperation. Desperation. And then there is You. Your will. Your way. You. You alone.

Holy God, I turn to You on behalf of friends, family, loved ones. There are financial concerns. Physical and emotional health issues. Behavioral problems. Take a look around. The hurts of the world are evident. Obvious.

It's You I long to see in them. Through them. Your power. Your might. You. You alone.

I'm walking a fine line these days. The one that's between saying too much and much too little. I am asking You to lead me here. That I would truly follow. I love You. I count on You. I have trust in You. In You. In You alone.

Thank You that You alone provide our every need. You alone know our every heart.

"a message of faith and hope"

Sunday, September 20, 2015 (7:45 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You. I just heard the words, “a message of faith and hope”. Thank You. YOURS is our message of faith and hope. Thank You that it is a message that is never-ending.

attentive, eager learners

Saturday, September 19, 2015 (7:00 a.m.)

Awesome God,

Thank You. Thank You that You indeed are awesome. Thank You for the power of forgiveness. Thank You for Your willingness to continue Your work in each of us.

This morning I am asking You to guide me in Your teachings. Blessed, Powerful Father, You know exactly how You would have us live every single moment of our lives. In full esteem and reverence to You.

Blessed Father. Yes, Holy, Blessed Father. Teach us to honor You. Glorify You. Give back to You the love You have so freely given to each of us.

We live in a fallen world. Taking a look around it is easy to fall into a trap of despair. Here I offer back to You the words of Your dearly beloved Son. His teaching to His followers.

Break each segment down for me that I would truly ingest them into the very core fibers of my being.

“Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. On earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen” (Matthew 6:9-13).

Yes, Blessed Father. Forgive us our debts. Teach us to forgive ourselves and others. There are SO many lessons to be learned. Make us attentive, eager learners. I love You Father. Use me well this day. To Your good and to Your glory. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(277 words ~ 9:19 a.m.)

casting cares

Friday, September 18, 2015 (6:17 a.m.)

Awesome God,

Long distance travel plans for a friend have already hit so many snags. Father, how I ask Your hand in every single leg of the trip.

Yes Father. Turning to You. Seeking to follow Your lead. Let us live our every day this way. We have much to do around here. There are always plans of some kind. Each with its own potential of a twist we hadn't anticipated.

Here I very simply sing of casting all our cares upon You. Laying our burdens down at Your feet. ♫And any time I don't know what to do I will cast all my cares upon You♫

Thank You Father. Thank You that we have such a loving, involved God as You. Thank You that Your care of us is perfect.

Like just now for instance... I searched Your Word using the key words, “God's hand” and came immediately to 1 Peter 5:6. Reading just one verse down from that I am reminding of Your great care for each of us.

J.B. Phillips New Testament puts it this way, “So, humble yourselves under God's strong hand, and in His good time He will lift you up. You can throw the whole weight of your anxieties upon Him, for you are His personal concern.”

Your hand. Your mighty, strong hand. Lifting us up. And we get to practice casting our cares upon You. Blessed Father, thank You. Thank You for loving us so very much.

Bless us. Keep us. Make us obedient to You will. We love You. Long to serve You. And want desperately to learn how to cast our cares upon You. The One who cares more for us than any other ever could. Thank You Father. Amen.

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

quiet trust

Thursday, September 17, 2015 (6:57 a.m.)

Mighty, Powerful, Awesome God,

Thank You Father. Keep working on our behalves. You are good. Mighty. Holy. And we absolutely, positively trust in You.

Thank You! Thank You that when we are quiet we find You in our midst. Thank You that You ARE the God who is holy. Honorable. Trustworthy. Thank You that we get to come before You in quiet trust. Believing You to care. About each and every single one of us.

Blessed Father God, how I thank You for circumstances that are completely beyond our control. Thank You for the practice it takes to wait upon You. To wait for You to speak and act in our best interests.

Holy, Holy God and Father, it is to You [Your Son, His Spirit] alone I turn when heartbreak and fear surface. Thank You for bringing me to the words of Your prophet

(10:27 a.m.)

Zephaniah.

Thank You for interruptions. Thank You for more details. Thank You for even more things for which to pray.

Father, thank You! Thank You that You encourage us to share You and Your Truth freely and readily with others. Thank You that we really, truly get to practice trusting You.

Father God, You know all the situations for which my heart, soul and mind are occupied. How I ask Your peace, wisdom and guidance in them all.

Now... back to Your prophet Zephaniah. The man You “called during the days of King Josiah, the last of Judah's good kings” (The Life Recovery Bible). THE BOTTOM LINE tells us You used him “to shake the people of Judah out of their complacency and get them back on the path of recovery.”

Oh, how I pray You will use our current states of affair to accomplish exactly this end!

The comment for Zephaniah 3:9-20 (TLRB) says, “Zephaniah described a future age that would follow the ultimate 'day of the LORD.' This will be an age of blessing marked by honest and pure worship of God. God will remove all dysfunctions from our personalities and relationships; sorrows and burdens will no longer exist; and the nation of Israel will finally be restored to its land of hope and security. As we journey toward full recovery, even in a physical sense, we can rejoice in this promise.”

May I just say, “Oh Hallelujah!” and “Thank You Jesus!”

Yes, thank You Jesus for walking these roads with us. Thank You for the way You intertwine Yourself in our day to day scenarios.

Zephaniah told the people of Judah that the day would come that the announcement to them would be, “Cheer up, Zion! Don't be afraid! (NLV) The LORD your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zephaniah 3:16b-17 NKJV).

Blessed Father, I do feel quieted. Calmed. Rested. Renewed. Given new life. [And hope!] All because of Your marvelous, wonderful, healing love.

Thank You Father. Let us go out and use this day to Your fullest. Unscramble my mixed up thoughts. Show me how to prioritize the time You have given me. Bless the friends, family, loved ones You have so generously provided.

Blessed God, I love You. And I long to serve You well. Make it so Blessed God. Make it so! Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(568 words ~ 11:32 a.m.)

healing power

Wednesday, September 16, 2015 (6:41 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You. Thank You that You are so incredibly good. Thank You for restful sleep. Thank You for opportunity to turn to You with concerns for loved ones.

Thank You Father. Thank You. Have I mentioned, thank You? I confess feelings of fear and dread and gloom. Worry and sadness would come easily. Thank You that You call us to turn to You instead.

Blessed Father, I have absolutely no idea what Your plan is for my loved ones. I stand firm on my belief that as bad as it all looks You know the plans You have for our lives. Plans for good and not for evil. Plans to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

Thank You for allowing me to wake up this morning singing ♫I Surrender All♫ Thank You for the reminder that all the fretting in the world is not going to change a thing. You are our very good God. We are in desperate need of Your loving kindness.

Thank You that despite our sin and brokenness, You do not withhold Your healing power. My early thoughts this morning were of the things around us we see as shattered. Bones. Dreams. Hopes. Plans. Hearts. Spirits.

Thank You for leading me in Your Word to Psalm 51:17 (Healing the Brokenness The Life Recovery Bible) and Jeremiah 31 (Hope for Restoration TLRB). Here I quote the comment for 31:1-40.

“God paints a joyful picture of recovery, with all the elements of repentance, sorrow, forgiveness, laughter, restoration, and hope. Once again God's people would follow His plan for them, and He would receive their worship and praise. We can experience this kind of restoration, too. We start the process by admitting our need for God's healing power in our life. God desires to rebuild His relationship with each of us, no matter how far we have strayed from Him. He delights in finding new ways to exhibit His love to those who belong to Him.”

Please Father, we are in desperate need of Your healing power. Do in and through, by, for and with each of us all that we cannot possibly do ourselves. Heal our shattered spirits and hearts.

We love You. We look to You. Asking. Seeking. Knocking (Matthew 7:7). Thank You. Amen.

(389 words ~ 8:55 a.m.)

plans change

Tuesday, September 15, 2015 (7:02 a.m.)

Holiest God,

Thank You. Thank You for friendships. Thank You for plans. Thank You for rain. And the probable interruption of a best laid plan. Yes. Father, thank You.

Take this day. All the details that I intended to work out in it. Add some rain. And poof... plans change.

Thank You Father that YOUR plans

(10:06 a.m.)

And here I am straight out asking, “Are You kidding me?”

Oh our Blessed God! A phone call. Pouring down rain here. A prayer, mixed with a magnificent view of the ocean at the other end. Followed by a dropped phone. My name being very faintly and frantically called out. A possible broken arm. And me 250 miles away.

Father God, talk about changed plans! Bless my “Sissy”. Be with her physically. Emotionally. Spiritually. Mentally.

My immediate response is, “NO! This is too much!” While the Truth is NOTHING is too much for You.

Thank You Blessed Father for reminding me of Your Truth! Thank You for the song that sings so perfectly in my mind right now.

♫Ah, Lord God, Thou has made the heavens And the earth by Thy great power. Ah, Lord God, Thou has made the heavens And the earth by Thine out-stretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for Thee. Nothing is too difficult for Thee (CLAP!). Great and mighty God Great in counsel and mighty deed Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing Nothing is too difficult for Thee♫

Not broken hearts, spirits, bones or promises!

Nothing, nothing, absolutely NOTHING. Nothing is too difficult for Thee! (Jeremiah 32:17).

Thank You Father. Thank You that You ARE the God that You are. Perfect. Unchanging. Loving. And completely capable of doing all that we cannot.

Change our hearts Blessed God. Our minds. Our hurts. Our hopes. Align them with Your magnificent plan for each of us.

Teach us how to glorify and enjoy You. Do all You must to bring healing into our brokenness. Use all the plans that have been changed so far today to Your ultimate good and glory.

Father, we love You. We long to serve You as You wish to be served. Show us exactly what and how to do precisely that which is most pleasing in Your sight.

How I thank and praise You for changed plans. Use them and me as You choose. I love You. And thank You. Amen.

(401 words ~ 11:16 a.m.)

more sleep

Monday, September 14, 2015 (7:13 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You! I asked You for more sleep. And You provided. In such a big way. Thank You.

Thank You for the added rest that was needed for us to be able tackle the “elephant” we currently have taking over our household.

Thank You for such a kind and considerate spouse. One who has been loving and patient enough to wait with me for You to move us in Your direction of order for our living environment.

Thank You that even here I get to look to Your Word (1 Corinthians 14:40) and ask You to teach us how to do all things “decently and in order.”

Thank You that in turning to this passage in The Life Recovery Bible I am again able to read the comment reminding me of the importance of working together.

Keep working in each of us Blessed Lord. Teach us how best to live in healthy interdependence with others. Building one another up. Meeting each others' needs. Loving selflessly as Paul proposed all those years ago. “Restoring our broken, dysfunctional relationships, turning them into healthy interdependent ones.”

Yes, Father, continue doing all You must in, through, by, for and with us. Returning us to the people You would have us be. We love You so very much and we depend on You for clarity. Direction. Ambition. And ability.

Now about this elephant. The one that needs to be eaten one bite at time... Guide, direct and give us the strength and courage it's going to take in getting us back on YOUR track for us.

We love You. We thank You. And we pray all this in Your Son's most precious name. Thank You. Amen.

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

♫God My Rock♫

Monday, September 14, 2015 (2:16 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

Thank You! Thank You for easy access in finding the song I just woke up singing. ♫God My Rock♫ Yes! Thank You. Praise You. Bless You. Keep You.

You ARE all the things listed here. You stand when others fall. You are faithful through it all. You ARE the strength of my heart! The joy of my life. My song in the night.

When my heart is overwhelmed, I get to look to You alone. In the blessing, in the pain YOU never fail. When I've struggled to believe You have NOT let go of me. God, my Rock!

Praise You, God, my Rock! Praise You for carrying me through the darkest storms. Praise You for holding me in Your arms. Praise You that I get to rely on You. Trust in You.

Praise You. Thank You. And now, perhaps a little more sleep? Please? Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(154 words ~ 2:32 a.m.)

  

taking heart

Sunday, September 13, 2015 (3:46 p.m.)

Most Blessed God and Father,

I'm feeling scared. Anxious. Irritated. Exasperated. On the verge of tears. And all I know to do is bring it all to You.

You know every single aspect of the struggle going on right now. I don't. I only know the tiny portion I'm dealing with. The stubborn fear of another.

I keep attempting to share Your Word. Your Truth. Your love. And for all I can see it falls on deaf ears. Please most Holy God, do every single thing You can [which is everything!] to turn my loved one's heart, soul, mind and strength to You (Mark 12:30).

Patience is wearing thin. Fear keeps wanting to pop its ugly head. There's hurt and disappointment. Differing opinions and thoughts for courses of treatment.

Help us Father! Help us through to victory over pain and disillusionment. Your Son said it best. “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” I do NOT want to argue with that!

Blessed, Holy God, You absolutely know what is best for each of us. Thank You that You are our Daddy and we are Your children. Here I ask You to do all You must in, through, by, with and for us. All those things we cannot possibly do for ourselves.

Get us out of Your way that You can perfectly execute Your plans for our lives (Jeremiah 29:11). I am actively seeking Your will and Your way. Please Father, I believe I am standing in the gap for my much loved one.

I offer up Deuteronomy 4:29-31 for the benefit of this other. Please do all You must to show Your compassionate presence to this one who hardly knows Your goodness and Your grace. Your love and mercy. I do not believe continued pain and loneliness to be Your best for this one who has known so much already.

Hear the prayer of my soul. My heart. All that I truly am. I love You Father. And I am taking heart in Your promises. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(370 words ~ 5:29 p.m.)

so many things

Saturday, September 12, 2015 (6:26 a.m.)

Awesome, Blessed God,

Thank You. Thank You for the many things You have blessed us with. Thank You for challenges. And opportunities. Thank You for so many things.

As I sit here surrounded by so many things that need attention, I ask Your guidance and help in sorting through the very idea of getting back to taking care of business. I have failed. Slacked off. Not followed through on most things.

I look to You to provide every ounce of effort that is going to be required in getting our household back on track. While I never stopped caring completely, I did quit long and often enough to get us where we are today. In desperate need of Your sense of order.

Holy Father, thank You that we are never alone. Thank You that we do not have to approach giant undertakings in our own strength and power. Thank You that You gave us Jesus and His Holy Spirit to right all the wrongs we create for ourselves.

Thank You that in realizing again just what a giant mess I have made of things I was led to read once more of the ideal wife of Old Testament times (Proverbs 31:10-31). Thank You that this is not a list of so many things I am supposed to be able to do.

Thank You that You provide us strength. Power. Hope. Thank You for the comments and teachings I get to read about this particular section of Scripture. Illustrated Bible Handbook states, “The many challenges facing her [the wife] gave her opportunities to use to the fullest every capacity and potential that God has given to all human beings.”

Oh, most Blessed God, please! Please keep teaching, instilling, inspiring me to put Your excellent qualities to good use.

The last sentence of this Woman's Role, OT THEOLOGY IN BRIEF tells us, “For each [men, as well as women], personal fulfillment came as personal potential was stretched and developed by meaningful work and by participating in family life.” Ah, yes Blessed God. Make it so for this household.

Reading the comment in The Life Recovery Bible inspires me to ask (Matthew 7:7) this of You. “A wife should not fall into the perfectionist's trap of striving to measure up to these ideal standards. This will inevitably lead to frustration and despair.” Yes. Agreed!

“Instead, a woman should accept herself for who she is and commit to allowing God to transform her more and more into His likeness. As she grows to be more like Him, she will naturally exhibit many of the characteristics of this ideal wife.” Oh, yes, Father. Please.

Please continue Your work in me. Remove all that is not pleasing to You. Replacing it with the so many things that You want us to have and to share with others. We love You Father. Profoundly. Deeply. Wholly. And we long to love others as ourselves (Mark 12:31).

Make it so Blessed God. Make it all so incredibly so. Thank You. We love You. Amen.

(505 words ~ 7:39 a.m.)

always and never

Friday, September 11, 2015 (7:28 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You. Thank You that You are always holy. Thank You that You never change.

(3:10 p.m.)

Thank You that the only time I can accurately use the words always and never is in reference to You. Thank You that throughout a day of miscommunication and misunderstanding, Your Word stood strong.

Realizing and confessing to another that I wholeheartedly wanted to not be mad about a particular set of sensitive circumstances helped us reach resolution much quicker than in our past experiences. Blessed Father, this is all due to You and Your Word that never changes. Thank You.

Thank You that I have such ready access to a multitude of translations and paraphrases of Your Word. Thank You that You remind me constantly that I am to seek and search for You always. Thank You that in that search just now I came across 1 Chronicles 16:11.

The Expanded Bible tells us, “Depend on [Search for] the LORD and His strength; always go to Him for help [seek His presence/face continually].”

In turning to The Life Recovery Bible, the comment for this section reads, “In times of victory or defeat, recovery or relapse, God remains the same. Our response to Him in all circumstances should include thanksgiving and praise. There is never an inappropriate time to seek God; indeed verse 11 enjoins us to 'keep on searching' for His strength. This imperative must be observed by us in recovery.”

Thank You for always providing for our every need. When we needed clarity in our communication skills around here, You came through. Loud and clear. Your love never fails. It never gives up. It never runs out us. And because of You, Your love and Your Word we are again on the same page.

Thank You Father. Bless You. Praise You. Use us to Your good and to Your glory. With many thanks, praises and so much love we are Yours always. Thank You. Amen.

(332 words ~ 4:10 p.m.)

a great way to start the day

Thursday, September 10, 2015 (6:03 a.m.)

Thank You Father,

I just woke up singing ♫I like it, I like it♫ And it made me smile. Waking up singing and smiling. That seems to be a great way to start the day.

Yes. Thank You Father. I get to turn to You. Regularly. Often. As many times as needed. And this morning it just so happens I got to start off by singing about liking something. Remind me of this as many times as necessary this day.

I'm one of those people who forgets easily. You bless me. I get excited. Something upsets my plans and the doldrums begin again. Please let me counter each attack of the blues with a resounding rendition of ♫I like it, I like it♫ After all these years of getting to know You better, rejoicing in and praising You is still not always my number one response to challenges.

The beauty and clarity of the skies these past many days continue to be what gets me readily calling out Your name in adoration. David even wrote of how the heavens tell of Your glory and the skies display Your marvelous craftsmanship (Psalm 19:1). Let me continue being reminded that it is YOU that is completely in charge of every single aspect of our lives.

NOTHING gets by You! We are safe in Your hands. “You are the living LORD! I will praise You. You are a mighty rock. I will honor You for keeping me safe” (Psalm 18:46). Thank You Father.

Through Your great way of starting my day, I was again able to read David's psalm (19) to You. Verses 11-14 especially bring it all back around to Your power.

“There's more: God's Word warns us of danger and directs us to hidden treasure. Otherwise how will we find our way? Or know when we play the fool? Clean the slate, God, so we can start the day fresh! Keep me from stupid sins, from thinking I can take over Your work; Then I can start this day sun-washed, scrubbed clean of the grime of sin. These are the words in my mouth; these are what I chew on and pray. Accept them when I place them on the morning altar, O God, my Altar-Rock, God, Priest-of-My-Altar” (The Message).

Blessed Father, thank You for being THE Great Way to start my day! I love You so very much. Use me to share Your love with others as only You can. This all I pray in Your precious Son Jesus' name. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

♫I like it, I like it...♫

(439 words ~ 7:22 a.m.)

healthy steps

Wednesday, September 9, 2015 (6:03 a.m.)

Most Awesome and Holy God,

Thank You! Thank You that this morning I woke up genuinely joyful. It's a feeling I haven't experienced in quite some time. Thank You.

Thank You that yesterday I realized a sense of embarrassment early on and took immediate healthy steps to change my attitude. In fact, healthy steps were taken throughout the day.

Blessed God, thank You for directing me in making a conscious decision to keep no record of wrongs (1 Corinthians 13:5). Along with that commitment I took a very large piece of brown wrapping paper, scissors, tape and a washable [thank You for that decision!] purple marker.

Cutting the, as it turned out to be, much too large paper into two more workable pieces I taped them each to a bedroom door. With every single good decision that was made by our four and two year olds, I wrote them down. Focusing on the good things of the day was a delight I continued thinking about long after the deeds were done.

In fact, I can tell You [although I am fully aware that You already know!] the joy I have of remembering two decisions that were not just good, but “EXCELLENT”. My heart truly smiles just thinking of a four year old's decision to walk away, talking about and immediately forgiving an actual bodily injury, absolutely believing his baby brother meant him no intentional harm. Wow!

Oh, and, the healthy step I took the other day when You directed me toward gratitude? Yesterday when a 'grumpy attitude' started to form at nap time I was able to quickly identify it for what it was, combine the two words and say out loud that I was remembering to be grateful. Singing ♫Rejoice in the Lord Always♫, ♫This Is the Day That The Lord Has Made♫ and ♫The Best Day of My Life♫ were automatic and extremely helpful. Thank You Father.

Thank You for the presence of mind to speak less words, listen so much more intently, encourage and publicly verify good decisions that were made. How I ask for more of the same today. This day will be spent with adults. Medical personnel. Your guidance in the directing of healthy steps is paramount.

I look to You Blessed Father. Asking, seeking, knocking (Matthew 7:7). Thank You for Your love for each of us. Empower and embolden me in using it well. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(412 words ~ 7:11 a.m.)

God knows what He is doing

Monday, September 8, 2015 (4:34 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

Thank You. That was some seriously sound sleep I just had. Thank You for the decision to ask for help. And forgiveness before going to bed.

Wow! What a difference from laying awake wondering, ruminating and wanting things to be different than they are.

Thank You Father. Thank You that You love us. Thank You that You have a plan for each of us. Thank You that You know exactly what all You are doing.

(5:29 a.m.)

Like right now for example.

A miscommunication led me to think we had another hour together. What was said wasn't heard. Or maybe what was thought wasn't said. I'm not sure of the particulars. What I do know is I am feeling intensely irritable.

I want to throw around blame. Kick and scream like the toddlers do. Ah, and there's the calm. A smile. Some peace. Thank You Father. Thank You that I can bring mistakes, disappointments and an all around bad attitude before You and still You bless me.

Thank You Father. Thank You for Your goodness and Your grace. Let me use it well this day. Thank You that You really, truly do know what You are doing. I love You. Thank You. Amen.

(212 words ~ 5:39 a.m.)

a gift

Labor Day Monday, September 7, 2015 (6:20 a.m.)

Most Holy God,

Thank You. I've already smiled at least three times so far this morning. The fact the moon was still out. The beauty in the eastern sky. And the magenta title on a page in one of our bibles.

Thank You Father. There was not a lot of sleep for me this time. Trying didn't make it happen. Reading, breathing deeply, 'blanking my mind' all ended with another toss or turn. Even changing pillows didn't help.

The last thing I remember from just four hours ago was thanking You that the sleeplessness must be some kind of gift. True, a gift I didn't understand. Nor did I fully appreciate. But a gift nonetheless.

You saw my surprise just now as I turned to my randomly bookmarked page in The Learning Bible. “Life Is Puzzling, but It's a Gift from God”. Amen. Hallelujah. Thank You God!

Thank You that we get to look to You for every single aspect of our lives. Thank You that there is no part of all we encounter that is new or surprising to You. Thank You that here again is another smile.

THE BOTTOM LINE PURPOSE for the book of Ecclesiastes in The Life Recovery Bible is: “To show us that life is God's good gift to be enjoyed responsibly, not a puzzle that must be solved. Yes. Even in the middle of a night when I can't make myself fall asleep.

Blessed Father God, I ask (Matthew 7:7) You to bless us and keep us (Numbers 6 :24-26) this day. Make us strong with Your mighty power (Ephesians 6:10). Use us to Your good and to Your glory.

Mm, yes Father. As I read selected verses from the Preacher/Teacher in Ecclesiastes (5:18-20; 8:15, 9:7) it's a comment for the first verses referenced that has me smiling most right now. “Celebrate the beauty of God's gift of life and its simple pleasures. Being healthy and content with what we have are gifts from God.”

Yes blessed Father, empower and enable me to truly celebrate the good gift we have in You. Thank You. I love You so very much. Amen.

(366 words ~ 7:14 a.m.)

another new day

Sunday, September 6, 2015 (5:24 a.m.)

Most Holy God,

Thank You. Thank You for the most beautiful early morning sky I've seen in awhile. A crescent of the moon. Along with stars in the darkness. Beautiful. Yes, thank You Father.

Thank You for simple pleasures. Thank You for small delights. Thank You for reminding me yesterday to be grateful. Gratitude. It was a great word for us. Consciously remembering to turn to You when attitudes got grumpy waylaid quite a few upsets.

Thank You especially for the presence of mind to confess genuine awkwardness when not knowing what to do in the resolution of a certain problem. Father, You have so very much to for us to learn. Thank You for making us teachable.

Today is another new day. Ripe with possibilities. Show us how best to use it to Your good and to Your glory.

We love You. We long to serve You well. We ask You to empower and embolden us to that end. Thank You Father. Bless us and keep us... (Numbers 6:24-26). Thank You. Amen.

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

our word for the day

Saturday, September 5, 2015 (6:38 a.m.)

Awesome, Holy God,

Thank You. Sleep was spotty. Interrupted. Sorely missed. But You are still good! Many thoughts ran together, along with my prayers to You.

Thank You for taking what I offered and giving me our word for the day. Gratitude! You are good. You are holy. You never change. And along with all that, You provided me our fight song.

♫Wo-o-o-o-o-oh, wo-o-o-o-o-oh I'm never gonna look back Whoa, never gonna give it up No, just don't wake me now This is gonna be the best day of my life My li-i-i-i-i-ife♫

Blessed Father thank You. Thank You for Your promises to us. Thank You that You are good. ESPECIALLY when we are not. We get grumpy. Out of sorts. Distraught. Discouraged. You remain firm. Faultless. Loving. Kind.

Father, thank You. Thank You that we have Your Word to turn to. To search. Look through. Hunt. Explore. Thank You that It never disappoints. There's encouragement. Hope. History. [Isaiah 29:22-24]

Saving Grace

Friday, September 4, 2015 (7:09 a.m.)

Most Dear and Holy God,

Thank You! You are still teaching us. To listen. Learn. And obey. Thank You that we get to turn to You over and over again.

Blessed God, You are our Saving Grace. You are Who encourages us to hope. Truly, ALL our hope is in You Lord.

Father, thank You that we are invited to come to You exactly as we are. Thank You that You send us Your Word [2 Kings 20:5] in the most unexpected places [“A Fruitful Life” daily calendar]. Thank You that Your Word continues speaking through the ages.

Reading (Isaiah 38) of King Hezekiah's recovery from near death I am again reminded that all our hope really is in You.

We have the resources of the medical field and technology, but it is in You that our life, strength and hope truly lie. Blessed God, thank You.

Work in each of us this day that Your Saving Grace will be seen, desired and emulated by those around us. We love You Father. Thank You. Amen.

(181 words ~ 7:47 a.m.)

altogether

Thursday, September 3, 2015 (6:17 a.m.)

Most Holy God,

I love You. I thank You. And now I am asking You. I have another health concern. For a different loved one. There's pain. A LOT of pain. And I don't know how best to help. Or pray.

Again, I am here close to tears. Reading Your Truth. Confessing to not knowing how to pray for the power needed to affect change for others.

Blessed Father, You are good. Holy. Worthy. I sing to You, ♫Here I am to worship Here I am to bow down Here I am to say that You're my God You're altogether lovely, altogether worthy Altogether wonderful to me♫

I sing. I pray. I hope. I want. I trust. I ask. Please provide every single aspect of my loved one's care. There truly is so very much pain. Pain suffered through. Pain attempted to be ignored. Toughed out. You did not save us to live in excruciating pain.

You sent Your Son to save us (John 3:17). Jesus Himself said, “A thief comes only to rob, kill and destroy. I came so that everyone would have life, and have it in its fullest” (John 10:10). I am asking, seeking, knocking (Matthew 7:7) for that fullness.

Again I call on the mighty power of Your holy Word. “In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don't know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words” (Romans 8:26).

God, You are so incredibly good. “All of our thoughts are known to God. He can understand what is in the mind of the Spirit, as the Spirit prays for God's people” (v. 27). Blessed, Holy, Father God, You alone are One.

It is to You I look. You the altogether lovely, worthy, wonderful One. Work in the way that only You can to evoke relief from pain and bring healing. Please. I pray these things in the name of Your Blessed Son Who gave His very life for each of us. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(352 words ~ 7:19 a.m.)

use us

Wednesday, September 2, 2015 (6:13 a.m.)

Holy, Blessed, Father God,

Thank You. You are good. You love us so much. I don't know how to love like You do. I'm asking You to do in, with, by, for and through me all that I am unable to do myself.

I could easily make an enormous list of my faults and failings.

(9:22 a.m.)

I make mistakes so readily and often. Again I look to You to change my mindset. My focus. We have a completely unplanned day today. Let us truly use it to Your good and to Your glory.

Father, You are so good. You have blessed us so incredibly much.

(11:20 a.m.)

Wholeheartedly I ask You to instill in us the ability to take these blessings and use them as You would have us. I read Your Word. I believe It. I trust It. I depend on It. On You, to right my thinking.

So many passages. So much Truth. I continue confessing to You my penchant of finding fault with myself. Again I know this not to be Your best for us. I compare myself unmercifully with others.

As much as I long to live the life of love You provide, I fall short. Imperfect. I read Your promises and my heart quickens. I believe. I trust. I hope. And back and forth I go. Positive. Negative. Hopeful. Doubtful. Double-minded.

Knowing You to be good. Accepting the enormous blessings You provide. But wanting more, from myself. Longing to stand firm on Your Word. But having to pause long enough to look it up.

Here again, I pause, asking You to supersede my imperfections. I quote Paul's words to the church at Corinth. “But thanks be to God, who made us His captives and leads us along in Christ's triumphal procession. Now wherever we go He uses us to tell others about the Lord and to spread the Good News like a sweet perfume” (2 Corinthians 2:14).

Truly Father. This is my prayer. That You would use us as a sweet perfume for others to know, love and trust You through Jesus Christ our Lord. We love You. Let it show. Readily. Easily. Fragrantly. Thank You. We love You. Amen.

(373 words ~ 12:41 p.m.)

right decisions

Monday, September 1, 2015 (5:54 a.m.)

Most Blessed God,

Thank You for Your love for each of us. Help me learn to use it well. I still struggle with self. And anger. Disappointment. Fear. Lots of negatives that do not represent Your best for us.

I'm confessing to You a puny, minor irritation. It could just be a misunderstanding in communication. Or perhaps a long standing habit of onesidedness? Yes. I definitely feel an imbalance of care and consideration here. So Blessed Dad, I'm turning to You.

I am inviting You in to my thoughts and feelings. I'm asking You to take this heart of stone that is quickly developing and replace it with a new one. One that has new and right desires, and a new spirit just like You promised the people of Israel (Ezekiel 36:26).

Holy God, my thoughts keep turning to how best to repay a hurt with an equal or even greater dig. That's not You! That is absolutely, positively NOT Your best for us.

Jesus came. He lived. Taught. Obeyed. Sacrificed. Died. And rose again. For each and everyone of us. He left us His Spirit to help us make right decisions. Oh yes, Blessed God. Help me make right decisions today.

Hurt. Anger. Thoughts of revenge. Those things always come readily and easily to me. They were actually modeled for me early on. With much hope, trust and belief, I am asking You to “Create in me a new heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

You are the One who can take this irritant I am currently experiencing and create a pearl from it. This I ask (Matthew 7:7) according to Your holy Word. I love You Father. I thank You. And I ask You to enable and empower me in making right decisions. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(314 words ~ 7:05 a.m.)