peaceful joy

Friday, September 30, 2016 (7:15 a.m.)

Awesome, Holy God,

Thank You! You provide us opportunities for incredible joy. Thank You.

I am here asking (Matthew 7:7) You to guide and direct my feelings, thoughts, actions and overall being. I experienced Your presence yesterday. There was tremendous peace as tasks were either accomplished, or in some cases, left completely undone.

Thank You Father that I got to consciously choose to spend time with people over getting things done. As I sit here there is still such a peaceful joy surrounding me.

Turning in Your Word I stop again at New Life in Christ (Colossians 2:4-15). There are dates, brackets, arrows, stars and exclamation points showing my previous agreement with Your Truth.

As I settle in, taking another deep breath, I ask You to truly encompass me with Your presence. Quoting verses six and seven here I also add, let it be so Dearest Lord, let it be so!

“And now just as you trusted Christ to save you, trust Him, too, for each day's problems; live in vital union with Him. Let your roots grow down into Him and draw nourishment from Him. See that you go on growing in the Lord, and become strong and vigorous in the Truth you were taught, Let your lives overflow with joy and thanksgiving for all He has done.”

Yes. Please. This I pray with the peaceful joy that comes only from Your surrounding presence. Thank You Father. I love You. Amen.

(248 words ~ 8:14 a.m.)

indwelling

Thursday, September 29, 2016 (6:23 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You! I sat here for over ten minutes. Waiting for a change in my demeanor. And then it came. Not from without. From within. Thank You Father.

Thank You for smiles which remind me to breathe deeply. Thank You for a relaxing of the intensity with which I was holding myself. Thank You for Your presence in our lives.

The next time I am feeling out of sorts, please remind me of the play on words I just had. Demeanor... de-mean-her. Yes. Father, You and Your Word never fail to de/un-mean me. Thank You!

In this vein I am asking once again that You would lead and guide me through every single aspect of this day. Once again there is much to do. Choices to make because it can't all get done. Direct me as You know I need to go. Just like You did earlier when I asked You to change my attitude.

You provided the word indwell for me to search. And with that came an immediate peace upon reading Titus 3:5 in The Living Bible paraphrase, “then He saved us – not because we were good enough to be saved but because of His kindness and pity – by washing away our sins and giving us the new joy of the indwelling Holy Spirit.”

New joy. Indwelling Holy Spirit. Thank You Father!

The Message reference starts at verse three and follows through to eight. “It wasn't long ago that we ourselves were stupid and stubborn [can I have an, “Amen”?], dupes of sin, ordered every which way by our glands, going around with a chip on our shoulder, hated and hating back.” It's like You REALLY know me, Lord!!!

“But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, He saved us from all that. It was all His doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God's gift has restored our relationship with Him and given us back our lives. And there's more life to come – an eternity of life! You can count on this.”

Thank You Father. Thank You that You are always so willing to work with changing my attitude. All I have to do is ask. Thank You for reminding me.

Indwell me this day. Guide. Direct. Let me truly live with, in, by, through and for You. Taking deep breaths and teeny, tiny baby steps until You know it's time for me to run.

Yes. Thank You God. I love You. I thank You. And I ask (Matthew 7:7) You. Amen.

(462 words ~ 8:02 a.m.)

Lord God Almighty!

Wednesday, September 28, 2016 (6:03 a.m.)

Holy, Holy God,

Thank You! Thank You for some really sound, uninterrupted sleep. Mm, yes. Thank You!

Thank You for the opportunity to see the early morning moon and stars. And to sing ♫Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty! Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee; Holy, holy, holy! Merciful and mighty! God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!♫

Mm, yes! Thank You that I get to see and to sing. Thank You for the reparative sleep that truly allows my body to 'make ready again'. Thank You that You alone are good.

(7:38 a.m.)

Holy Father, my mind and body wander. There is much to accomplish. I have peace-filled energy but little stick-to-it-tive-ness. So once again I turn to You.

Yes! I turn to You. Asking. Seeking. Knocking (Matthew 7:7). Guide me Blessed Father. You are Lord. God. Almighty. And my life is in You. It's another song. ♫My life is in You, Lord My strength is in You, Lord My hope is in You, Lord In You, it's in You...♫

As I prepare to go out into this day, I pray Your guidance. Your direction. And discernment. Enable me to make wise decisions on how best to use this energy.

A devotional on Hope in The Life Recovery Bible references Jeremiah 17:1-14. It quotes verses 5-8 which refer to “those who put their trust in mere humans and turn their hearts away from the LORD.” Those people “are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future.”

These verses compare the curses of one group to the blessings of another. Those “who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach down into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they go right on producing delicious fruit.”

Psalm 1:3 comes immediately to heart and mind. Trees planted along the riverbank. Fruit born each season without fail. Leaves that never wither. Again Blessed Father, I turn to You. Trusting. Hoping. Asking.

Guide, direct and use me exactly as You wish this blessed day. I love You. I want to serve You. And I thank You. You! Lord God Almighty! Mm, yes. You. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

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

asking as I sing

Tuesday, September 27, 2016 (6:40 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You for the privilege of coming before You. Exactly as I am. Thank You for the questions. And the doubts. Thank You for the joy. And the sorrow. Thank You that You are God over it all.

Thank You that nothing surprises You. Not one thing. Thank You that although I can never be good enough to warrant Your love, You love me anyway.

Amazing! You truly are amazing. Thank You.

Thank You for the honor of asking. Seeking. Knocking (Matthew 7:7). Thank You for the joy that is found in relying on You. Thank You Father. Yes. Thank You.

I come before You this morning asking as I sing. ♫Open My Eyes, That I May See Glimpses of Truth Thou hast for me; Place in my hands the wonderful key, That shall unclasp and set me free♫

Thank You for the opportunity of seeking and finding You when I sing. Thank You that while I've been aware of You in song before, I don't know that I've ever realized that it truly is You I encounter.

Of course I've noticed the chills and the tears. I'm usually fully aware of something tapping deep inside. Now I get to wonder, “Is that You, Lord?” Your Holy Spirit?

As I continue asking as I sing, another song comes to mind. ♫Open the eyes of my heart, Lord... I want to see You♫ Oh, yes! I want to see You.

Continue working in us as only You can. Opening our eyes to see You and Your Truth. Mm, yes. Thank You Father. We love You so much. Amen.

(275 words ~ 7:53 a.m.)

thoughts...

Monday, September 26, 2016 (3:31 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Good very early morning. Thank You for some pretty good sleep. There are many thoughts running around inside my head right now. I'm here asking You to order them.

(7:33 a.m.)

And here I am again. Asking (Matthew 7:7) Your order on my thoughts, hopes, plans, steps and accomplishments. Holy God, there is a LOT to do! Thank You for some extra sleep to get me started.

You alone are good. You are God. And Father.

(9:20 a.m.)

You know the thoughts You would have us think. Guide me in them this day I pray. Thank You that we have You Who turns our thinking back to wanting to thank and praise You in all things.

Thank You for Your power and Your strength. Your love. Your kindness. Your will. Your way. Thank You especially for Your Word. Your Word which guides, teaches, nourishes and nurtures us along Your path for us.

It is to You I turn this day. Seeking Your love, the grace of Your Son and the fellowship of Your Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 13:13) to lead and direct my actions as well as my thinking. I love You. And long to serve and represent You well this day. Make it so I pray. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(220 words ~ 9:50 a.m.)

"wonderful"

Sunday, September 25, 2016 (7:40 a.m.)

Awesome, Holy God,

Thank You. The word that came to me so much earlier was “wonderful”. Guide me in Your Word to where You would speak with me now.

Mmm. Tears. Emotional, physical, spiritual tears. Why? Not only do You speak to me, Your Word SINGS to me! The NIV Compact Concordance snippet for 1 Peter 2:9, “out of darkness into His wonderful light” led me straight to Chris Tomlin's ♫Marvelous Light♫

Holy God, how I thank You for the way You work and guide and direct. Reading The Life Recovery Bible comment for 2:9-10 again my heart, soul and mind sing at the words ♫no longer a slave♫ 

Blessed Father, thank You for the various ways You remind us of Your mercies and Your grace. Those that fall afresh every single day (Lamentations 3:23).

Thank You, Father. Thank You that again my heart sings out ♫Into marvelous [wonderful] light I'm running Out of darkness, out of shame By the cross You are the truth You are the life, You are the way♫

Keep speaking to me. Direct my heart, soul, mind and strength “out of the darkness into [Your] wonderful light”. Yes. Please. I love You. Thank You. Amen.

(206 words ~ 8:53 a.m.)

shining brightly

Saturday, September 24, 2016 (6:37 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You for the work You are doing in us. The Life Recovery Bible comment for Philippians 2:12-18 tells us, “God not only asks us to live a godly life, He also provides us with the power to do it. He works in us, giving us the desire and the ability to obey Him.”

We see Your work in us every day. Our reactions and responses are so much more in line with the mercy and grace that You provide us than the erratic behaviors we used to regularly demonstrate. You are changing us. And we are so incredibly grateful. Thank You.

Verse 13 of Philippians 2 says, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire to obey Him and the power to do what pleases Him.” And I again say, “Thank You!” Thank You for all Your work on our behalf.

Back to the comment for this section of Scripture, “As we get to know God by reading the Bible and spending time with Him in prayer, He can transform us from the inside out so we can shine brightly for Him.” You are doing exactly that. We see it in each other. And we know it comes from You. Thank You Father.

Use us this day. Exactly as You wish. Empower us to shine brightly on Your behalf. We love You and long to serve You – well! Thank You. We love You. Amen.

(246 words ~ 7:48 a.m.)

change may come

Friday, September 23, 2016 (7:06 a.m.)

Incredibly Holy God,

Thank You! I got to go back to sleep. That is always such a treat. And often a rarity. Thank You. Thank You for thoughts that swirl. Thank You for change that may come. Thank You that You are so good.

(7:47 a.m.)

Thank You for another opportunity to hear from You. This time in the book of Joel. Father, this is where I confess to You my inability [unwillingness?] toward obedience.

Blessed God, Your Word clearly states Your warning of impending judgment (1:1- 2:11), A Call to Repentance (2:12-17), Promise of Restoration (2:18-27), promise of Your Spirit (2:28-32), Judgment against Enemy Nations (3:1-16) and Blessings for God's People (3:17-21).

Father, I confess to wanting the blessings without the hard work. Change me I pray.

Reading the various renderings for Joel 2:13 it is The Life Recovery Bible comment for 2:12-17 that I quote here. “God wanted the people of Judah to come to Him with torn and broken hearts, admitting their guilt and helplessness, instead of responding to His judgment in the usual way (tearing their garments). The people needed to commit themselves to God, examine themselves, and let God change them. Since God is gracious and merciful (2:13), it makes sense to commit our life to Him. He wants to change our pain into joy and send us a blessing.”

Heart torn and broken. Check. Guilty and helpless. Check. Committing myself to You, examining myself and letting You change me – check, check and check!

Father You ARE gracious and merciful and absolutely want my life committed to You. Do all You must too make it so. Change me that I may receive Your power, forgiveness and blessings.

I love You. Empower me to live this day exactly as You wish. Thank You Blessed God. I love You. Amen.

(310 words ~ 9:43 a.m.)

a letter

Thursday, September 22, 2016 (1:22 p.m.)

Blessed God,

It's much later in the day and I am still struggling to find the words to express remorse to another. I've looked to You and to Your Word without coming specifically out and asking Your guidance.

So here I am. Asking (Matthew 7:7) You to lead me in this letter of amends.

Seven years ago I made a mistake. A profound error in judgment. I'm not sure if a prideful mind and heart were involved, but just the other day I recognized an even bigger motivating factor on my part... FEAR!

I wanted what I wanted when I wanted it – at the expense of a little child's feelings. A wide degree of variables kept a young swimmer from meeting the goal I had set for her. Rather than be considerate of her and her supporting family's desires, I pushed her far passed her breaking point.

Blessed Father, forgive me. Forgive the amount of years that have gone by and the other children I have pushed in much the same way.

First Thing

Thursday, September 22, 2016 (7:37 a.m.)

Awesome, Holy God,

Help! My thoughts are scrambled. There's a list of many things I would like to accomplish today and zero motivation. “Tomorrow” has been my mantra for so long now I honestly don't know where to begin.

In the realm of “first things first”, identifying the first thing is paramount. Blessed God, YOU are my First Thing! First. Foremost. Always.

(8:16 a.m.)

Deep breath. Heavy sigh. And much praise.

Thank You God. Thank You for leading me to Ephesians 2:1-10, Made Alive with Christ. Speak to me here I ask. Loudly. Clearly. Plainly. Arrange my thinking as You must.

I love You. I long to follow You.

(10:29 a.m.)

And again I am thanking You.

Time away for some phone calls, with laundry sorting and a bit of exercise thrown in as well. Thank You Father. Thank You for reminding me just exactly who I am. YOUR masterpiece. Workmanship. Work of art. Handiwork. Accomplishment. Creation. Making (Ephesians 2:10a). Created anew in Christ Jesus, to do the good things You planned long ago (10b).

Because You know every single thing there is to know about me I am asking You to guide and empower me this day. Exactly as You wish. Do in, with, by, through and for me all that You know is needed to accomplish whatever YOU want done.

I'm not at all sure what any of it is. But I do know You to be my First Thing and I am asking You to show me the very next step. Thank You Father for Your love. Your mercy. Your grace. And Your creativity in making me uniquely me. Use me exactly as You desire. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(291 words ~ 10:48 a.m.)

imagine

Wednesday, September 21, 2016 (8:22 a.m.)

Holy, Loving Lord,

Thank You. Thank You for Your holiness. Thank You for Your love. Thank You for Your plans that are far greater than anything any of us could ever imagine.

(8:49 a.m.)

Imagine. Mm, yes. Thank You that I get to read Your Word and be reminded that You are so very much more than we can imagine!

1 Corinthians 2:9, Isaiah 64:4 and 1 John 3:2 all have me feeling affirmed in my thinking. You are so incredibly broad in providing every single detail to accommodate Your plans. Thank You.

Thank You that one reading leads directly to another. Further cementing proof of Your perfection.

signposts

Monday, September 19, 2016 (5:36 a.m.)

Holy God,

Much earlier I asked You for three more hours of sleep and You gave them to me. Thank You. Now I am asking You to lead me in Your Word regarding signposts.

For right now I will focus on 1 Kings 8:58. Going back and forth between The Message and New Living Translation. Father, thank You.

Even as I prepare to type out both of these renderings, I ask You to seal Your meaning deeply in my heart. In my soul. My mind. Even my strength.

“May He [GOD, our very own God] keep us centered and devoted to Him, following the life path He has cleared, watching the signposts, walking at the pace and rhythms He laid down for our ancestors.”

Yes! Please Father. Keep me centered. Devoted to You. Following the life path YOU have cleared. Watching the signposts. Walking at the pace and rhythms YOU laid down!

That from The Message. Now from the NLT, “May He give us the desire to do His will in everything and to obey all the commands, decrees, and regulations that He gave our ancestors.” Yes. Please. You provide the desire to do Your will.

Other versions say: “may He incline, bend, turn, draw, bow our hearts to Him”. I say, “Yes. Please!”

Very quickly before I leave here to get started on a seemingly ambitious day let's also look together at Psalms 19:7-9.

“The revelation of GOD is whole and pulls our lives together. The signposts of GOD are clear and point out the right road. The life-maps of GOD are right, showing the way to joy. The directions of GOD are plain and easy on the eyes. GOD's reputation is twenty-four-carat gold, with a lifetime guarantee. The decisions of GOD are accurate down to the nth degree.”

Your signposts are what I long to follow this day Blessed God. Give me the eyes I need in order to see them clearly. I love You. Empower and enable me to follow and represent You well in all I do. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(349 words ~ 6:38 a.m.)

"a pathway to peace"

Sunday, September 18, 2016 (6:00 a.m.)

Mm, Loving Lord,

Yes. Indeed. Loving Lord. Hmm...

A very deep breath. Followed by a feeling of relaxation. Contentment. And peace.

Yesterday I took another look at The Serenity Prayer in it's original form.

(8:40 a.m.)

And I'm back!

A bit of a nap. A complete change of schedule and many more deep breaths.

Father, thank You. Thank You for having people in my life who've taught me to always check things with Scripture.

Take The Serenity Prayer for instance. It's good. Really good. But is it Scriptural? You tell me please.

“A pathway to peace”. See: ASSURANCE >>SAINTS PRIVILEGED TO HAVE >>Peace with God by Christ (Romans 5:1).

(12:43 p.m.)

And here I am again. Thank You God!

Thank You for the hiccups in scheduling that allow for change. An earlier time for doing chores to beat the expected heat. A later time to hear Your Word taught to us.

Thank You for the message on “Igniting Your Faith” (1 Thessalonians 3) in today's teaching which directly corresponds with what I was learning earlier from Paul's letter to the Romans (5:1).

The Living Bible paraphrase says, “So now, since we have been made right in God's sight by faith in His promises, we can have real peace with Him because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us.”

Looking at this verse it appears a pathway to peace begins with faith. That makes sense. Faith in Your promises leading to peace. Keep working with me to that end. I love You so much. Thank You. Amen.

(268 words ~ 3:55 p.m.)

"enjoying one moment at a time"

Saturday, September 17, 2016 (8:01 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

Thank You! Three words from The Serenity Prayer have kept me company for the past several hours. Acceptance. Courage. Wisdom.

More fully awake now I sought out the original version and found so many more empowering, encouraging words. Grace. Serenity. Distinguish. Living. Enjoying. Trusting. Surrender.

“Living one day at a time” is a phrase with which we are quite familiar. It's what comes next that has expanded my thinking this morning.

“Enjoying one moment at a time, Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace”. It's You Blessed God that teaches us how to do this.

exciting, cheerful, bright

Friday, September 16, 2016 (6:39 a.m.)

Holy God,

Good morning. Thank You. Sleep was good. I like when that happens. Hmm. Yes. Can we talk about when I like what happens?

There are so many times that I come before You feeling dreary and uninterested. Looking at the antonyms I find the words: exciting, cheerful and bright. Those are the words I want to use in describing myself.

Again I look to Your Word and I am excited to say I didn't see this coming! But why wouldn't I? Here I confess I am often unexpectedly delighted to be reading along and think, “Hey! This is me!”

There is such peace for me here in Your Word. And here again I confess I don't know which way to turn. There's Psalm 4:4-8; 21:1-6; 119:64-77; Proverbs 15:13-14; Philippians 4:8 and Numbers 6:24-26. Truth. Hope. Praise.

Train me Blessed God. Yes. Train me up in the way I should go (Proverbs 22:6). I love You and I want others to see You represented through me as exciting, cheerful and bright. Do all You must to make it so Holy God.

I love You. I thank You. Amen.

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

"Thank You"

Thursday, September 15, 2016 (7:03 a.m.)

Awesome, Blessed, Comforting Father God,

Thank You!

Predawn hours had me telling You how much I love having my very first words to You be, “Thank You”. Immediately following those thoughts I found myself singing ♫Praise Him. Praise Him. Praise Him in the morning, Praise Him at the noon time. Praise Him. Praise Him. Praise Him when the sun goes down♫

Thank You that in the midst of sleep and resting, my thoughts were of You and how much I want to love You with all I feel and am, think and do. Mark 12:30.

Breathing deeply. Smiling contentedly. Reaching. Stretching. Wanting. Asking. It's all here in my desire to know more of how to truly love You this day.

Reading first in Mark, then Matthew 22:33-40. Next I'm all the way back to Deuteronomy 6:5. And now Numbers 6:24-26.

Sweetest Jesus. I truly am experiencing that ♫peace that passes understanding down in my heart♫ (Philippians 4:7) right at this moment. Thank You. There's that early morning, predawn phrase again. Yes. Indeed. Thank You!

Reading The Life Recovery Bible comment for the blessing Aaron gave to the people of Israel (Numbers 6:24-26) again my heart warms. My being settles.

“The simple words of this blessing reflect God's desire for all His people. He is the source of all blessings, grace, and peace in life; only through a relationship with God can we hope to experience the fullness described here. The blessing seems to build to its final word – peace (shalom). The Hebrew word for peace means much more than an absence of conflict. It implies a complete sense of well-being, health, and contentment. God offers this to anyone who is willing to follow Him and especially to those whose lives have been bruised and broken.”

Oh, most dear and blessed Father, how I thank You! You remind us constantly of Your presence and Your desire for each and every one of us.

Live in me this day. Love through me. As only You truly can! I love You. Embolden me to share Your love with others. Thank You for covering me with Your blessings and Your blood. Use me. Exactly as You wish. I love You. Thank You. Amen.

(377 words ~ 8:01 a.m.)

live honestly

Wednesday, September 14, 2016 (8:27 a.m.)

Hey God,

Hi.

Thanks.

How's that?

I have an occasional smile. A sense of peacefulness.

It's a long way from the sullenness with which I originally began my thinking so much earlier. Thank You!

Thank You for extra sleep. Thank You for a dream that drastically shifted my thinking. A dream that showed me getting much needed extra sleep and the benefits of just living each moment honestly. Truthfully.

Father God, how I thank You for loving us. Blessing us. Wanting so much more for us than we even know to want for ourselves.

(9:23 a.m.)

Can I just once again say that You amaze me? Really, truly, blow my mind!

I'm reading in Hebrews 13 about desiring to live honestly (verse 18b) and my head keeps nodding in agreement with the author of this letter. I desperately want to live each day loving others (v. 1).

The Life Recovery Bible comment for verses 1-6 depicts me fairly well. “Many of us with a dysfunctional background struggle to determine which behaviors and attitudes are acceptable; God's clear standards can guide us. We can be confident that God's presence and power are available to help us practice right living.”

Yes. Please! Empower me to right living! Confident in Your presence and power – NOT the fear of making mistakes with which I am so familiar.

I love You. I thank You. And I especially ask You (Matthew 7:7) to continue teaching me how You would have me live. Honestly. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(260 words ~ 9:51 a.m.)

every part of who I am

Tuesday, September 13, 2016 (6:04 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

Thank You that You are blessed and holy.

(6:30 a.m.)

Thank You that as I even attempt to begin an understanding of what that actually means another song starts singing to me.

♫Bless the Lord oh my soul Oh my soul Worship His Holy name Sing like never before Oh my soul I'll worship Your Holy name The sun comes up It's a new day dawning It's time to sing Your song again Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me Let me be singing When the evening comes♫

10,000 Reasons. We sang it here in our living room the other morning. It references Psalm 103.

Turning to The Voice translation (verses 1 and 2) the words used span ever more deeply within my being.

“A song of David. O my soul, come, praise the Eternal with all that is in me – body, emotions, mind, and will – every part of who I am – praise His holy name. O my soul, come, praise the Eternal; sing a song from a grateful heart; sing and never forget all the good He has done.”

Every part of who I am. It's what I asked You yesterday. Speak Your Truth to all of my heart, soul, mind and strength.

“O my soul, come praise the Eternal with all that is in me – body, emotions, mind and will – every part of who I am – praise His holy name.”

♫Bless the Lord oh my soul Worship His Holy name... You're rich in love And You're slow to anger Your name is great And Your heart is kind For all Your goodness I will keep on singing Ten thousand reasons For my heart to find♫

Thank You Father. Praise You. Bless You. Use me – every part of who I am. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(317 words ~ 7:13 a.m.)

delights

Monday, September 12, 2016 (7:10 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You.

(7:58 a.m.)

I've been searching Your Word this morning to find the Truth. Thinking of You through much of the night, I got up believing You delight in me.

Reading Zephaniah 3:17, I am asking You to speak Your Truth to my heart, my soul, my mind, even my strength, that I would us It to love You as You commanded (Mark 12:30).

treasure trove of Truth

Sunday, September 11, 2016 (7:03 a.m.)

Awesome God,

Good morning.

(8:12 a.m.)

What a whirlwind we have been on together so far this morning!

I looked up “awesome God” and read again in Nehemiah (1:5-6). Considering the rebuilding necessary to insure personal boundaries I searched verses that deal with demolition. Your Word is such a treasure trove of Truth!

I get to read of warnings and history. Promises and obedience. One thought leads to another phrase and I find myself reading in Ezra, Philippians, 2 Corinthians, James and Hebrews. Words like obedience, double-mindedness, strongholds, grief and surrender take me deeper into reading one page and then another.

Holy God, I ask You to guide me in my take away this morning. I know You to be good. Holy. Omniscient. You absolutely know Your best for us. I am before You seeking Your will and Your way. I love You.

(10:48 a.m.)

Amid a partial online church service, several text messages and a skyping chat with our far-off [having spent this day in Ephesus] son, I am back here to continue. Yes. “Continue!”

It was a phrase used in a church service many years ago. A dedicated pastor speaking in a parking lot to a group of women in recovery. It speaks equally loud to me this morning.

Father, I confess to being one who so easily wants to quit when the going gets tough. I often appear to be double minded. Ah, but when I read Your Word. When I have opportunity to read testimonies of other people's experience [POWERFUL PRAYER – DEMOLISHING STRONGHOLDS by J. Mark Copeland] with Your Truth, my resolve is strengthened.

Not determination in my own strength. No. My single-mindedness is found only in the treasure trove of Your Truth!

I love You Father! Live in and with, by, through and for me this day. Rebuild, renew, restore me as only You are able. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(308 words ~ 11:00 a.m.)

Almighty

Saturday, September 10, 2016 (7:14 a.m.)

Amazing, Almighty God,

I like that You are always amazing. And almighty. Always. Hmm...

(7:54 a.m.)

Thank You Loving Father.

(8:23 a.m.)

Thank You that I have such ready access to seeking Your Word and finding direction, encouragement and hope. This morning I am reading in Paul's first letter to Timothy, his “true child in the faith” (1Timothy 1:2).

How I thank You for opportunity to read. Study. Learn.

(9:35 a.m.)

As I turn to You, Your Word and Paul's letter of encouragement to his close companion, I ask (Matthew 7:7) that You would empower me to “bend every effort to pursue 'righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness'... [and] win all that is truly important in life” (Illustrated Bible Handbook Paul's Charge to Timothy; 6:11-16).

It is true contentment in You (v. 6) that I desire. Do all that You must. I love You.

Considering this plea I find myself singing ♫Holy Spirit You are welcome here, Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere. Your glory God is what our hearts long for, To be overcome by Your presence, Lord. Your presence Lord♫

Yes. Please. Your almighty presence! I love You. Thank You. Amen.

(203 words ~ 10:14 a.m.)

indeed!

Friday, September 9, 2016 (6:02 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You.

(10:17 a.m.)

Yes. Indeed. Thank You!

Thank You that You are good. Thank You that You have a plan for each of us. And they are plans for good and not for evil. Plans to give us a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

I confess to You Blessed Father that I fall into the trap of not wanting to be wrong. I don't want to misinterpret what I read. I don't want to lean on my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). In all my ways I want to acknowledge You. Trusting that You will indeed direct my path (v. 6).

So... With that all being said... Let me be quite honest and open with You right now... My mind keeps scrambling. I have one thought on one hand and then an equal or greater thought on the other. Some of them are of very present day events. And others from 23 years ago.

And back and forth I go. I have watched You work in our lives. I know You to be incredibly good and kind to us. I want to give You far more than I do. And here again I hedge. I falter. Attempt to play it safe.

Deep breath... Asking You to guide and direct my every thought and word right now.

I love You Dad. Deeply. Profoundly. Tears are forming in my soul as I even consider all You have done to bring us to this particular point and day.

You love us. More than can ever begin to be understood. Having Your One and Only Son come live here on earth to save us from our sins? I can't even begin to fathom the pain. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally. Spiritually.

The many times I am tempted to play the “Oh, woe is me” card, thank You for reminding me that I truly don't know woe! I am familiar with annoyances. Inconvenience. Trivia. And You provide my every single need (Philippians 4:19).

(2:20 p.m.)

Oh! And do You ever!

Father, I have been here reading in Your Word and of Your Word. Material on Bible.org by Lehman Strauss entitled “In God's Waiting Room – 'Learning Through Suffering' 6. All You Need”. How I thank You for Who You are and all You provide!

We are blessed. Uniquely. Individually. Continually. Majestically. And I am grateful. Yes. Grateful indeed!

Use me as You wish. Teach me to trust You to provide exactly (Matthew 6:33-34) as You alone know is best. I love You. I thank You. Amen.

(428 words ~ 3:20 p.m.)

holy and good

Thursday, September 8, 2016 (6:35 a.m.)

Holy, Good God,

Mm. Yes. Holy and good. Father, how I thank You that when all is said and done I know You to be holy and good.

Turning in The Message to Proverbs 16:2, I find myself intrigued and digging deeper. Thank You Holy God. Thank You that there is so very much Truth and hope found in Your Word.

“Humans are satisfied with whatever looks good; GOD probes for what is good.” How I thank You for knowing our spirits. Our motives. The thoughts of our hearts.

Blessed Jesus, how I thank You for the honor and privilege of sitting here with You. Reading this collection of God-given wisdom. Considering all of Your best for each of us.

I have tears. There is such an incredible desire to truly relax and trust You at Your Word. So many translations for verse one and the Truth I find herein.

Expanded Bible, “People may make plans in their minds [hearts], but only the LORD can make them come true [from the LORD comes a responding tongue].”

International Standard Version, “People do the planning, but the end result is from the LORD.”

New Living Translation, “We can gather our thoughts, but the LORD gives the right answer.”

Along much the same line is what we gather from verse 9, “The human mind plans the way, but the LORD directs the steps” (New Revised Standard Version).

Common English Bible, “People plan their path, but the LORD secures their steps.”

New Century Version, “People may make plans in their minds, but the LORD decides what they will do.”

It is to You I look this morning. We have cool, overcast weather with hopes of playing in the pool. Just one tiny example of the best laid human plans.

You have been reminding me of just how good You are since very late last night. I bring You all of my thoughts and hopes asking that You truly would secure my steps.

I love You. I thank You. And I ask You to work in, with, by, through and for me exactly as You wish. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(365 words ~ 8:34 a.m.)

made strong

Wednesday, September 7, 2016 (6:18 a.m.)

Awesome, Holy God,

Thank You for Who You are and all You do. I've had music much of the morning. And dreams with peaceful, beautiful settings.

Jesus, thank You. Thank You that You know our needs long before we do. Thank You that You are our firm foundation.

(7:03 a.m.)

“Firm foundation” led to ♫The Church's One Foundation♫ and 1 Corinthians 3:11. From there I compared with (cf.) 2 Corinthians 5:10.

I read. Sing. Compare. Hope. Sing some more. And now confess.

Blessed God, I continue hedging. Playing my cards close to my chest. Looking up the definition, one meaning begins, “protect oneself”. That's Your job. I know [believe, trust] protecting me is what You do.

2 Thessalonians 3:3 speaks exactly to this. How I thank You that this verse begins by describing You as: faithful, trustworthy, utterly to be depended upon, never let[ting] us down, true to [Your] promises, stedfast.

Worldwide English ends this verse powerfully. “He will make you strong. He will keep you safe from all that is wrong.”

Thank You Father. I am one who looks away from all that is wrong. Work in me that I would indeed be made strong. I smile, even as I consider all this would mean. No fear. Standing firm.

I woke substituting the word “Spirit” in the song ♫I've Got The Music In Me♫. As I continue reminding myself through music that yes I've got the Spirit in me, I ask You to surround us with Your presence.

♫Holy Spirit, You are welcome here Come flood this place and fill the atmosphere Your glory, God, is what our hearts long for To be overcome by Your presence, Lord♫

Mm, yes. Your presence making me strong. I love You Father. Thank You. Do all You must to make it so. Thank You. I love You Amen.

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

daily strength

Tuesday, September 6, 2016 (7:10 a.m.)

Awesome, Holy God,

How I thank You! There was a bit of a funk around me yesterday. No particular reason. Just a little snarly. Thank You for the patience of others to put up with me.

Thank You especially that I am not finding it anywhere near me today. Thank You for Paul's reminder in his letter to the churches in southern Galatia. Chapter 6, verse 9, New Living Translation. “So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the right time.”

I experienced part of that blessing just hours ago. In our darkened room at 3:32 a.m. I found myself singing to You again. No Longer Slaves. The Doxology. The Lord's Prayer. Gloria Patri. This continued for hours. With my heart and soul being sweetened with each new verse.

Thank You God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. What joy truly does come in the morning!

Today I am asking for the strength You know is necessary to meet any all the challenges out there for me to face. I am asking for Your grace and decorum in warding off whatever unseemliness that may arise throughout the day.

I am Yours. Created in Your image. I long to live each moment in grateful praise. And here begins more music. And another smile. For The Beauty of the Earth.

How I thank You for Your presence in my life. This day. This moment. I love You. Empower me to represent You well. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(272 words ~ 7:50 a.m.)

turning

Labor Day Monday, September 5, 2016 (7:17 a.m.)

Holy God,

There is quite a list of all the words that could describe me right now. Rather than record them here and stay in that mindset, I'm asking instead that You would help me become good-natured. Kind. Friendly. Ooh, and patient too!

Yes. Let me turn to the fruit of Your Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23).

And in so doing I'm reminded to not get tired of doing what is good. To not get discouraged and give up (Galatians 6:9).

the good in all things

Sunday, September 4, 2016 (7:34 a.m.)

Awesome God,

Thank You! There was an injury yesterday. One I didn't even realize had happened. Thank You for all the circumstances that worked together for my good.

Yes! Another song! ♫You make all things work together for my good... Your love never fails There may be pain in the night But joy comes in the morning♫ Indeed! Thank You! Praise You. Yes!

I sit here with such a peaceful smile on my face. I'm thrilled as I consider the good of all things from yesterday. Big changes in scheduling allowed extra time to rest. Rest I didn't even know I would need.

I made a mistake. I wasn't paying close attention to what I was doing. I slipped right into the pool. And stayed there. Never giving it another thought. Until the unbelievable pain I experienced four hours later.

Blessed God, how I thank You for working Your good into all my things!

Insights for Romans 8:26-28 in The Life Recovery Bible reminds us, “As we entrust our life to God, He allows the events of our life, even the painful ones, for our good. He can turn even our sins and mistakes into the means for our growth and blessing.”

You took such perfect care regarding the injury of which I was completely unaware. How I thank You Father. Be with me this day. Watch my every step. I love You. I thank You. Amen.

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

opportunities to practice

Saturday, September 3, 2016 (2:13 p.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

Thank You for more fun. Thank You for yet another day filled with changed plans. Thank You for kids (young, as well as fully grown) who love playing in the water.

Thank You for opportunities to practice. Mm, yes. Practice.

Jesus, thank You. Thank You that I get to watch people's lives change as challenges turn into skills. And continued practice gives way to all out fun.

Mm, yes. Thank You. This afternoon I have the opportunity to sit looking in Your Word. Reading first in Galatians 6 and then over in Romans 6.

Turning in Illustrated Bible Handbook I read of Freedom. There are two sections that hold my attention. “Freedom is a union with Christ by which the tiger in us is bound and the best in us is unchained. This is explained in Romans 6.”

And this Truth, “We are freed to concentrate on loving Jesus and so experience the changes God is working within.”

In Romans 6 I read Sin's Power Is Broken (vs. 1-12) and Freedom to Obey God (13-23). Galatians 6:4 tells us, “Be sure to do what you should, for then you will enjoy the personal satisfaction of having done your work well, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else.”

So much Truth. Freedom for the taking. Continue providing the opportunities I need to practice all You would have me learn.

I love You. Thank You. Amen.

(246 words ~ 3:49 p.m.)

adjusting to change

Friday, September 2, 2016 (1:58 p.m.)

Loving Lord,

Thank You! There were big plans for this weekend. Some kind of “bug” changed them all. Thank You that again we get to adjust to change.

Yes. Holy God. Right here, let me just say, “Hallelujah! And please keep speaking to me!”

Looking to Your Word concerning 'adjusting' I went first to Romans 12:1-2. Reading about offering ourselves as living sacrifices to You I wanted to know more.

Turning to Illustrated Bible Handbook, I read of the preceding four verses. “A Doxology of Praise; 11:33-36. Paul concludes this section with a doxology that links the word of Isaiah 40:13 and Job 41:11. God's plan is great and complex. Its very complexity shows us the depth of the riches of His wisdom and knowledge.”

Oh, amen! Your plan. Great. Complex. Depth. Riches. Your wisdom. Knowledge.

I love it when I read Your Word and get so excited [AGOG] that I want to shout it out to all! Romans 12:1-2 in The Message. 

“[Place Your Life Before God] So here's what I want you to do. God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life – your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life – and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for Him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what He wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.”

Oh, Hallelujah Jesus!

Back to The Life Recovery Bible and the comment for (Romans) “11:33-36 After sketching out the broad contours of God's plan for us, Paul could only worship God's majesty. God's plan, wisdom, knowledge, and ways are all so far beyond ours that we have only one option: to humbly give Him the praise He deserves! For those of us who recognize how limited and helpless we are, the fact that God's power and wisdom are great can be an encouragement, especially since He loves us and wants to help us.”

Yes! Verse 36 in so many translations. New Living Translation speaks loudest to me at this moment. “For everything comes from Him; everything exists by His power and is intended for His glory. To Him be glory forevermore. Amen.”

Yes. Please! I love You Father. Thank You for once more allowing us the opportunity to adjust to change. Be glorified Dearest God. Thank You. Amen.

(444 words ~ 2:54 p.m.)