continued presence

Thursday, January 26, 2017 (6:43 a.m.)

Glorious God,

Thank You. There is a lightness to my spirit that wasn't here earlier. Although it comes in spurts, I can tell it's there. Thank You.

Thank You that I can count on You. I do not have to try and power though any of the sadness on my own. Thank You for reminding me of the importance of smiling. And singing. Stretching. And staying my mind on Jesus.

Thoughts and feelings frantically toss to and fro within my very being. There is hope. Despair. Faith. Fear. Seemingly one step forward, followed by two steps back.

Jesus, You know the plan You have for me. I don't. I confess to faltering at seeing possibilities instead of problems. I think. I fret. I stew. Thank You for speaking to me through it all.

This morning I am asking You to again live in my heart, my soul, my mind and my strength. I want to love as You would have me love (Mark 12:30-31) and I can only do that with Your continued presence in my totality.

Lead me this day. Exactly as You know is best. I want to sing, smile, stay and stretch. Wholeheartedly! For You. I love You. I long to serve You. And I ask You, by the workings of Your Holy Spirit to please make it so.

Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(232 words ~ 8:31 a.m.)

to, through, by

Wednesday, January 25, 2017 (7:33 a.m.)

Loving Lord,

(8:21 a.m.)

Once again I have become side tracked with the question, “To Whom Do We Pray?” Thank You for affirmation that I am not alone in my wondering.

Searching, reading and asking You to guide my understanding, one opinion stands out to me more than any other. Communion With God Ministries 'Your home for trusted Spirit-anointed resources' [cwgministries.org] believes “we are to pray to the Father, through the Son, by the working of the Holy Spirit.” Involving the entire Trinity in prayer.

It even quotes the verse for which I searched the other day. 2 Corinthians 13:14, “Let the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, be with you all through the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.” Mm, Father I love when You speak to me.

With all this said, I come back to the very first words with which I honestly wanted to begin this conversation with You. I am feeling great sadness.

There is so very much hurt going on around us. There was a tragedy involving a train and an elderly woman pedestrian. Her loved ones are all in such a fragile state.

The death of a young father losing his long fought battle with cancer. The state of what now appears as our country's disunion. Loved ones truly just not feeling good. A hospital stay, followed by more than a week in a skilled nursing facility leaving a spouse feeling completely overwhelmed.

So very much sadness Father.

I look to Your Word and hymns written concerning Your grace, love and mercy. I long to tap into Your Truth. It's 2 Corinthians 13:11 that I'm asking Your understanding. So many different ways of presenting key words.

Expanded Bible says, “Now [Finally], brothers and sisters, I say good-bye [or be joyful; rejoice; a common greeting and farewell]. Live in harmony [Seek restoration; or Mend your ways]. Do what I have asked you to do [Follow my exhortation; or Encourage/Exhort one another]. Agree with each other [Live in unity], and live in peace. Then the God of love and peace will be with you.”

Oh how I pray it so Blessed God! These are such powerful truths!

“Be what you should be. Listen to what I say. Be good to each other. Agree with one another. Live in peace with one another. And the God who gives love and peace will be with you” (Worldwide English).

Young's Literal Translation, “be made perfect, be comforted, be of the same mind, be at peace, and the God of the love and peace shall be with you”.

How I ask You to revive my sagging spirit Blessed God. This I pray to You, through Your Son, by the working of Your Holy Spirit. I love You and I long to live in, with, by, through and for You. Teach me. Please. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(488 words ~ 9:55 a.m.)

risks vs. benefits

Inauguration Friday, January 20, 2017 (9:20 a.m.)

Port of Los Angeles – San Pedro, CA

Blessed Jesus,

You know what You are doing. I believe that. I trust You. We are back in the country an entire day early. Definitely not what we had planned.

Thank You for our ship's captain's skilled executive decisions based on expected bad weather conditions. For the good of the ship, crew and guests we bypassed a planned day at sea to arrive safely back in port. Thank You Jesus.

Thank You that You have us covered Lord. Covered by Your blood. Covered with Your love.

Sitting here, docked safely at our final destination I'm watching the weather turn quite dark and stormy. Thank You Jesus for our captain's fine assessment of risks versus benefits.

The political climate of our country seems at such a precipice. It's Inauguration Day and many are boycotting, even protesting. Jesus, I am turning to You. You know all of the risks, as well as the benefits the next four years hold for this nation. It is YOUR best for our country that I pray.

Yes Jesus. Your best. Played out exactly as You know is necessary. I don't know what Your will looks like, but it is what I am asking. In Your most holy name. Thank You. We love You. Amen.

(229 words ~ 10:44 a.m.)

Jesus

Thursday, January 19, 2017 (7:00 a.m.)

Port of Ensenada, MX

Blessed Jesus,

It's happened before. I want to pray to You. I long to call out Your name. And I don't believe I know how.

I'm used to praying to our Father as You taught Your disciples (Luke 11:2). That's what comes most readily and naturally. But then I remember

(8:38 a.m.)

What do I remember?

I went searching through past prayers and reading some of the other times I have attempted calling Your name. I sing ♫Jesus, Jesus, Jesus There's just something about that name. Master, Savior, Jesus Like the fragrance after the rain♫

You know all that is inside me that keeps me from freely calling out Your name. You are far more aware of my hesitation than I. You are all power and strength. You are ♫Jesus. Name above all names. Beautiful Savior. Glorious Lord. Emmanuel. God [is] with us. Blessed Redeemer. Living Word♫

Oh, how I long to live this day as though I truly believe this! You are The First, The Last, Alpha and Omega. I don't really know what all this means, yet I want to. Invest me in You this day Jesus.

Put my thoughts, my hopes, my dreams into honoring and glorifying You this day. We are called to love God with all of our passion, prayer, intelligence and energy (Mark 12:30 The Message) and our neighbors as ourselves (v.31).

Teach me to do precisely that. I don't know how, but You do. Make me a good student that I will ultimately become a good steward. I want to live this day for You. In You. With You. By You.

I am preparing to go out into the day. There's exploring and shopping, seeking and finding to be done. Before I go I am turning to You Blessed Jesus, inviting You to come along with us. Go before, behind, above, below, beside and within us as we journey into the day.

Philippians 4:13 tells me “I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power.” Calling on You to guide, direct, bless and keep us, Jesus I ask You to do all You must on our behalf.

We love You and want to spend our day in Your presence. Show us what that would truly be like. Thank You Jesus. It is in You we pray. Amen.

(410 words ~ 9:47 a.m.)

healing

Wednesday, January 18, 2017 (6:57 a.m.)

Santa Barbara, CA

Awesome God,

Thank You Father. Thank You for fun. And beauty. Thank You for opportunity. And healing. Yes, Father. That's the word with which I awoke this morning.

Healing. The process of making or becoming sound or healthy again. Yes. Holy God, I look to You for healing.

Asking You to intercede on the health of others. There is much brokenness going on in the lives of friends and family. Broken hearts, dreams, hopes, health, relationships. And we know You to be the Master Healer.

Holy, Loving God, how I ask Your healing hand be upon each of us in need of becoming emotionally, spiritually, mentally or physically sound again. There is so much fear in the unknown. Coupled with self-will and doubt. Lord we are in desperate need of Your healing.

This morning I look to Your mighty power. Your perfect plan in creating and providing for us. You alone are good. Holy. All-knowing. Let us learn to trust, believe, have faith that what You have planned is for our absolute best.

I want to know You Father. That I would trust You. Completely. Without question. Do all You must that I would truly come to love You with all my heart and all my soul, all my mind and all my strength and my neighbors as myself (Mark 12:30-31).

It is to You I look. To You I ask. Thy will be done on behalf of all in need of Your perfect healing. Thank You for loving us. Teach us to love and trust as You would have us. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(282 words ~ 7:45 a.m.)

ABLE!

Tuesday, January 17, 2017 (6:45 a.m.)

Holy, Loving God,

Help me please. I love You. I want to finally finish a time set aside for You. Without interruption.

You are so good. And able.

That is the word I woke up with this morning. Able. I thought of it as the ending of many words. And remembered, because of a song, that YOU are able!

Mm. Yes Father, thank You for reminding me that You are indeed able. ♫Able. Our God is able♫ And from there, Ephesians 3:20 (New Life Version) “God is able to do much more than we ask or think through His power working in us.”

Holy Father, I believe this. I really, truly do believe this. And I confess that I far too often find myself pushing aside faith in Your Truth for what I see before me. Political and social unrest. Media frenzies. Physical maladies.

Here I ask You to do all You must in empowering me to trust, honor, hope, believe and have faith in You and Your mighty power. I long to glorify You with my very core. All of my desires, inspirations, thoughts and actions. Guide me in loving You as Jesus commanded His followers (Mark 12:30-31).

I love You. I want desperately for that to be undeniably evident. Not just to me, but to others as well.

Keep my focus on You. Your Word. Your Truth. Empower and enable me to 'Trust in the LORD with all my heart; leaning not on my own understanding. In all my ways acknowledging You, that You will direct my path' (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Forgive my reluctance to trust and believe You at Your Word. You know me. You know far better than I all that is going on in my heart, soul, mind and strength. Keep me out of Your way. I invite You in to my inner most being. I love You. I want You. And I thank You.

Go before me this day. Within me. Beside. Behind. Above. Below. Completely encompass me in Your will that I would not only trust, but obey You as well.

Teach me to truly live as a child of Your light (Ephesians 5:8). Free. Loved. Forgiven. Able. In You. Thank You Father. I love You. Use me. Amen.

(381 words ~ 8:24 a.m.)

forgive

Monday, January 16, 2017 (8:23 a.m.)

Holy, Holy God,

Forgive me. Yes. Please. Forgive me.

I have been attempting to avoid You. I keep trying to push You off to the side. It hasn't been the least bit successful, yet I keep turning from instead of toward You.

staying put

Wednesday, January 11, 2017 (7:38 a.m.)

(7:51 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Here I am. Once again trying to stay put. My mind [and body] wanders. Father, I love You. I'm asking You to keep me here with You.

(8:23 a.m.)

Starts. Stops. Searches. A game. News.

sickness and health

Friday, January 6, 2017 (12:22 p.m.)

Loving, Holy God,

Bless You. Praise You. Thank You. Yes, Blessed Father, thank You!

Thank You for a week's worth of fun, adventure, sickness and health. Thank You

sickness, sledding and snow

Thursday, January 5, 2017 (6:42 a.m.)

Lake Arrowhead, CA

Blessed God,

Thank You! So many days into the new year and finally I am here to say to You once again, “Thank You!”

Thank You for the blessings and privileges You have provided us. Thank You for special time away with grandkids. Thank You also for the challenges and genuine joys involved all this week.

We've had sickness, sledding and snow. Oh my! How I thank You for Your presence in it all.