completely grateful

Tuesday, May 30, 2017 (6:31 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You! You worked in us and through us this past weekend to accomplish a huge goal. We had some unexpected tasks and more than a few changed plans. But we saw it all through to the end and we are grateful Father. Completely grateful to You!

Not only have You been working for us to come to value teamwork, You have provided us the tools. This is huge Father!

We used to question and doubt one another. So sure that our own way was the best. Thank You for working to change our thinking. YOURS is the best Way.

Mm, yes. Your Way. Jesus!

Thank You that I get to sit here loving You. Breathing deeply. Considering all You have done for us through the years. Thank You Father. Thank You Jesus. Thank You Holy Spirit.

♫Amen, Praise the Lord♫ Found here in Psalty's Kids' Bible right across from John 14:6 with the preface, “You can use the words of this song to praise Jesus for Who He is and for all He has done for You.”

And I do Jesus. Yes. I do! ♫I'm gonna jump down, turn around, Touch the ground and praise my Lord♫

For this same section of Scripture, The Learning Bible tells me “Without me, no one can go to the Father: Jesus here claims that He is the “Way” people can learn the “Truth” about God and find “life” with God.”

Oh, amen. Amen. Amen! Thank You Jesus for BEING the Truth and setting us free (John 8:32). Yes. Yes. Yes!

Use us this day exactly as You wish. To Your good and to Your glory! We love You Lord. And we thank You. Completely grateful as we are. Amen.

(295 words ~ 7:24 a.m.)

watching the wind through Whitewater

Memorial Day Monday, May 29, 2017 (6:06 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You. 69 years ago this morning my two very young, not yet parents “watch(ed) the wind through Whitewater” as they drove off to be married. A phrase regarding safety that has lovingly been repeated many times throughout the years.

My thoughts are deep this morning, Blessed God. There's a huge sob of lament just beneath my surface that wishes things had been different throughout all those years. I consider all the missed opportunities of having loved ones truly know You.

Okay. Deep breath. Close my Bible. Let it simply fall open wherever it may. Huge smile. Almost laugh. “Lamentations RECOVERY THEMES”. Kind of funny!

The Importance of Grief; The Pain of Consequences; The Gift of Our Emotions; Forgiveness – A Way of Life. Mm, yes, Father guide and direct my thinking and understanding this morning.

“Grief is the process that helps us to recover from our losses. In it we come to terms with the past and find freedom to live in the reality of the present” (The Life Recovery Bible).

Mm, yes Father. I spent years romanticizing my familial history. This morning I am here asking You to enable me to truly celebrate all the mistakes and discord that have brought us to this time and place.

(8:17 a.m.)

Most Blessed and Holy God,

I just got off the phone with one of the by-products of my parents' union. Generations of miscommunications has struck another relationship. Hurts. Silence. Inability to feel and speak Truth have yielded more pain.

Father, I call on Your most Holy name to intervene. You and Your name were not the basis of our early home life. Well... except when it was taken in vain. We have learned through the years, by trial and error, Who and All You are. Be there with this “kid” Blessed God.

Let him truly come to know and trust You. Let him give in fully to living in and with You. You alone are good (Mark 10:18; Luke 18:19). Teach him how to depend on You. Your love. Your Truth.

Yes Father. 69 years ago wind was watched. Mistakes were made. Generations have suffered. And You are still God. Able to “accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope” (Ephesians 3:20).

This I pray Dearest God. Bless and keep, smile on and be gracious to, show Your favor and give Your peace (Numbers 6:24-26) as You so desire to do.

Thank You Father for the love of those two teenagers so long ago. Misguided and tumultuous as it was. Thank You that through all these years we are at a place where their offspring are coming to know, love, trust and desire YOU most of all.

We love You Dad and we thank You for teaching us all to “watch the wind through Whitewater”. Oh, look. More tears. Thank You God. I love You. Amen.

(489 words ~ 8:50 a.m.)

perfection

Sunday, May 28, 2017 (6:47 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You. Thank You for forgiving us our mistakes. We make so many of them. Thank You that You do not. Thank You for Your perfection.

(8:19 a.m.)

Mm, Blessed, Holy God,

How I thank You for righting my thinking. Rather than focusing on my mistakes as I was leaning, You completely turned me to consider Your absolute perfection.

Deuteronomy 32:4; 2 Samuel 22:31; Psalm 18:30

God as goodness?

Saturday, May 27, 2017 (6:32 a.m.)

Holy, Holy God,

Good morning. And thank You.

Thank You for Your presence in our lives. Thank You for the goodness that You are. I don't think that I have ever thought of You as goodness. Will You help me confirm or deny this thought?

1 John 4:8 tells us that You are love. Psalm 136:1 says You are good. As do 1 Chronicles 16:34; Psalm 34:8; Psalm 100:5 and so many more.

Am I making a stretch when I consider the Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and wonder if each of these attributes is representative to Who and All You are?

“But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives He will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23, The Living Bible).

I love You Father. I want to know You more. Guide and direct me in understanding Your Truth.

I'm finding lots of articles and sermons about Your goodness. Nothing yet naming You as goodness. Mm, Dad. Guide my thinking please.

(8:33 a.m.)

Psalm 107. “The Goodness of God”. Still not referring to You AS goodness. Oh, but so important!

“Give thanks to the LORD, for He is Good! His faithful love endures forever. Has the LORD redeemed you? Then speak out! Tell others He has saved you from your enemies” (vs. 1-2). Oh You are, Blessed God. It does. You have. I will.

Goodness. Faithful love. Redemption. Telling others. Mm. Yes, Father. Make it so!

43 verses “of redemption – from wandering (4-9), prison (10-16), rebelliousness (17-22), and distress (23-32)” Illustrated Bible Handbook. Teach me more.

Footnotes in The Life Recovery Bible (107:10-20) tell of our rejecting You and Your plan, causing us to “live in spiritual darkness; …like prisoners in chains… (107:23-32) Bad memories and a sense of failure make our world seem dark and hopeless. The longer the storm rages, the more we fear and lose all hope of rescue.”

All this rings so true Blessed God. And then? Your goodness!

“But when we cry out to God in our trouble, He will turn our storm-tossed life into a calm and peaceful sea and restore our joy. We must turn to Him for help, follow His plan for healthy living, and patiently await His deliverance.” Mm, yes!

“ 'LORD, help!' they cried in their trouble, and He rescued/saved them from their distressed” (Psalm 107:6, 13, 19, 28). You led them straight to safety (v.7), from darkness and deepest gloom (14a). You snapped their chains (14b).

You “spoke, and they were healed – snatched from the door of death” (v.20). You “calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves” (29).

Our hope truly is in You Blessed God. In Your inexhaustible goodness. I know You as good. Does that translate to You as goodness? I still don't know. Continue working in my heart, my soul, my mind and my strength that I will be able to speak clearly of Who and All You are.

I love You Father. I thank You. And I ask You. Be with me in every aspect of this day. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(538 words ~ 9:24 a.m.)

"maturity comes through loving"

Friday, May 26, 2017 (6:02 a.m.)

Oh most dear and holy God,

Thank You. Thank You that at the end of the day, or of the dream whichever the case may be, “these three things remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).

Blessed God, thank You that as I awoke from a rather unusual dream this verse immediately came to mind. Along with the “look for America” song, which really makes no sense to me.

Yes Father, as the song continues singing in my mind I still don't understand why. I look to You Blessed Dad. Is there something here You want me to see?

Otherwise, will You talk to me more about the “spiritual maturity [that] is revealed by love, and [the] maturity [that] comes through loving” (Illustrated Bible Handbook Chapter 13. Love). Mm, yes Father. Maturity.

“This brief chapter presents the priority of love in understanding spirituality. No gifts benefit the users if they are not motivated by love (vs. 1-3). Love is not shown in the use of a gift, but in the patience, kindness, selflessness, and forgiveness which infuse a person's character (4-7)…”

Mm, Father, I read. I think. I stop. And wonder. Now I ask You to empower me to live this day as You would have me live it.

A footnote for The Life Recovery Bible speaks of Your Truth.“13:11-13 Recovery and growth are never complete in this life; we are always in recovery – always growing. We are still children, needing to mature. Only when we see God face to face will we be complete and whole. Paul shares this truth not to discourage us, but to give us hope that someday we will be made perfect.”

Oh, yes. Please continue Your work in maturing us.

“We will persevere in the process of recovery if we have faith in God and those around us. We need hope to endure and be healed from our painful problems and addiction. Most of all we need genuine love to conquer the barriers and bondage of our past. Faith, hope, and love are all necessary to successful recovery. Genuine love, however is the greatest healer of all.”

We've been witness to Your genuine love quite a bit this past week. Thank You Father. Yes, use Your perfect genuine love to heal us that we would continue growing in Your Word. Maturing into the people You would have us be.

Thank You God. Use me this day as You wish. Mature me that I would come to love as You originally designed us to love. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(443 words ~ 7:58 a.m.)

"Friendship at its best"

Thursday, May 25, 2017 (5:13 a.m.)

Most Blessed, Holy God,

Thank You!

(6:55 a.m.)

Yes Lord. Thank and praise You!

Thank You for a little bit of extra rest and a whole lot of Your comforting presence. Thank You for clearer thinking. And shared feelings.

Father I am here, asking You to do a miracle. These past several days of funerary [how's that for a word I didn't know!] services has shown me so very much.

The precious husband You have given me labeled it most appropriately. “Friendship at Its Best”. I like that Lord. It helps me breathe easier. More deeply. Oh, look, now there are tears I can't see through.

So, let's take this time together and I won't even try to keep from crying. My words here will reflect my thoughts which are all coming at once and might not make much sense.

Let's start with I love You. Yes. Great place to start. Also, I SEE You. In people. Circumstances. Situations. Thank You. Yes, thank You Father that You love us so much that You are actually here with us.

I forget that. Far too many times I become so focused on details I forget to take a deep breath and look for You.

You know that in no time the powerful events of these past few days will begin to fade from my consciousness. You've been witness to my every experience. That's why I'm bringing it all to You.

Father, You are so good. Your love so pure. Perfect. Unadulterated. We live in such a fallen world that many times we become so accustomed to the counterfeit that we don't recognize the real thing.

Here I beg You. PLEASE let us know You more!

Still the tears fall. And now my nose runs. Thank You for the tissues here at my ready.

Okay, back to the request for a miracle. And I am preparing for the gut wrenching sob I am sure will accompany it.

My friend has been so incredibly hurt through the years that it is hard for her to trust all the love that is right here in front of her. The horrors that she has endured have made her incredibly strong, independent and wary. Father, how I ask You to help her know Your peace.

That ♫peace that passes understanding down in our hearts♫ The peace (Philippians 4:7) that only comes from knowing, loving and trusting You. Blessed God, I'm asking You to gently, yet powerfully, teach her how to let down her guard and rest in You (Psalm 46:10).

Your Word is filled with Truth. With Promises. Guide her to the verses that You would have her claim as her own. Enabling and empowering her to live the abundant life (John 10:10) Your Son came into this world to bring.

Blessed Holy God, we love You. We need You. And we ask You all this in Jesus' most holy and loving name.

Now, back to this “Friendship At Its Best” experience.

Thank You for the opportunity of participating in a seemingly effortless expression of love and support for our friend. Talk about second nature. The decision to be there for her in whatever ways possible was instantaneous. Automatic. An absolute “no brainer”.

Thank You for that Father. Thank You that through our willingness to fully participate in what You have been laying out for us all these years many have been profoundly blessed.

Which brings me once again back to the request for a miracle. Let the scales fall from her eyes, Lord (Acts 9:18). Empower and enable her to TRULY experience the love You have for her.

Jesus said (in John 10:10), “The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness.” I am asking You to make good on Your promise here.

Work a mighty miracle in her. Perform major surgery on her hurting heart, soul, mind and strength that she would truly come to know, love and trust You. It is only by our experiencing Your perfect love for each of us that we can even begin to live and love freely in You. By You. With You. Through You. For You.

Mm, yes. Please, Father God.

In searching the word loyalty [as in, “Friendship at its best”] I came to Psalm 36. “For the choir director: A psalm of David, the servant of the LORD.” Illustrated Bible Handbook tells us, “The wicked (1-4) are held up and contrasted with God's loving faithfulness (5-12).”

Mm, yes!

The Life Recovery Bible expands on this. “36:1-4 Sins and repeated failures have taken a toll on our life. Sometimes we aren't fully aware of how deceitful we have been or how much damage our sin has done to others. That is why it is important to examine our life carefully as we take moral inventory so that God can begin to help us change the things that need to be changed.”

When it comes to “Friendship at its best” it is our Friendship with YOU that is truly the best! It is only in You that “we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28a).

So many translations of Your Word present Your Truth in such different ways. As I prepare to go out into this day that You have made (Psalm 118:24) I truly do ask that “I will rejoice and be glad in it”.

Let me stay reminded that The Message descriptively states, “God's love is meteoric, His loyalty astronomic, His purpose titanic, His verdicts oceanic. Yet in His largeness nothing gets lost; Not a man, not a mouse, slips through the cracks” (Psalm 36:5-6).

Thank You most dear and holy God. Let me serve You well this day. I love You. Amen.

(962 words ~ 8:39 a.m.)

blessed by unexpectedness

Wednesday, May 24, 2017 (6:12 a.m.)

Awesome, Holy God,

Thank You for the opportunity of already being here with You for over an hour. Talk about healing. Wow!

I didn't see it coming. With all the memories I have considered through the years, watching a grieving brother reach into a coffin to tenderly kiss his sister goodbye was nothing I ever expected.

Thank You Father for the surprises You bring us each day.

Thank You for the times we simply know what it is You would have us do. Like rearranging our schedules to make time to support a hurting loved one.

Thank You that in our decision to be home yesterday we were blessed by unexpectedness. Like just this moment finding out that that is even a word!

Yes, because we were home yesterday we got to be here when a mother and daughter unexpectedly dropped by with a graduation announcement. What an impromptu time of catching up. Thank You Father.

Yes Father. Thank You for the unexpected ways You bless us. Even now with the Truth of Your Word.

The Message Ephesians 3:20, “Now glory be to God, who by His mighty power at work within us is able to do far more than we would ever dare to ask or even dream of – infinitely beyond our highest prayers, desires, thoughts, or hopes.”

Illustrated Bible Handbook expands on this Truth by stating, “God's Work Within; 3:20,21. Living and loving each other as family is our heritage in Christ. But it is only possible because God is able to do immeasurably more than we can imagine, 'according to His power that is at work within us.' ”

Surrounding these verses are titles that speak Your Truth in themselves. The Family of God; United by Christ; Christ's Love for Us and Living as the Body of Christ, the People of Light. Oh that we would truly live our lives as You would have us live them. As Your family.

This is my prayer this day Dearest Father. May we again be blessed by the unexpectedness that only You can provide. Witnesses to Your pure life-giving love.

I saw glimpses of it yesterday. And I'm asking for even more today oh Lord. Continue teaching us how to truly let go of our old lives that we would fully embrace the new life we have in You (Ephesians 4:17-24).

We love You. We thank You. We praise You. Amen!

(408 words ~ 7:49 a.m.)

The Gift

Wednesday, May 24, 2017 (5:00 a.m.)

Most Dear and Holy God,

You gave me such a beautiful gift last night. One I never could have imagined. Not in a hundred million years. Being true to all You are, it came in the most unexpected place. A mortuary chapel.

Father God, I can't even begin to thank You enough for the way You answered prayers on our behalf. I'm not going to lie, I had great trepidation while planning to attend the visitation and Rosary of the mother of my “BFF” since high school.

I didn't know her as the kind, loving, never speaking a mean word to anyone woman various people talked about last evening. For over 45 years I've remembered always being afraid of getting on her bad side.

Holy Father God, You changed all that for me last night. In the form of an aging brother who genuinely adored his sister and her family. Thank You Father. Thank You for the man who came to speak Your Truth into our hearts.

Well, actually two men. Jesus came first.

Last night You gave me the gift of seeing real live actual love in action. The love You describe in 1 Corinthians 13:-4-7. The love The Message says: 

never gives up.

Cares more for others than self.

Doesn't want what it doesn't have.

Doesn't strut

Doesn't have a swelled head,

Doesn't force itself on others,

Isn't always “me first,”

Doesn't fly off the handle,

Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,

Doesn't revel when others grovel,

Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,

Puts up with anything,

Trusts God always,

Always looks for the best,

Never looks back,

But keeps going to the end.

Yes Holy God, I saw that love the moment this particular uncle hugged and held and spoke gentle, kind, nurturing words to his niece. I heard it in the stories he shared with the people who had gathered to honor his sister. I witnessed it again as he tearfully said his final tender goodbye to the one he called his best friend.

Such a genuine loving moment Father. Thank You for all You did in arranging for me to observe the gift of such love. Let us learn to use it well Blessed God. Exactly as You call us to do.

Thank You for Who and All You are. I love You. Let me serve You well. Thank You. Amen.

 (401 words ~ 6:24 a.m.)

Great Are You Lord

Tuesday, May 23, 2017 (6:26 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You! Thank You for a very easy find to the song I just woke up considering. I had the tune, not the words. Thank You that once I started looking, there came the chorus.

♫… Great Are You Lord♫ Yes! “You give life, You are love - You bring light to the darkness – You give hope, You restore – Every heart that is broken”. Mm, yes Father God.

My mind is spinning. There are so many thoughts coming one right after another. Death. Tragedy. Terrorism. Sadness. Countered by Truth.

♫It's Your breath in our lungs – So we pour out our praise… Pour out our praise to You only♫ Yes, Father. There's hurt all over the place. But in You, we have hope!

Just the other day, two preschoolers quoted Deuteronomy 10:17 to us hours after learning it in each of their Sunday School classes. Unexpected. Almost missed. Yet there they were with hand gestures and everything.

Thank You God! ♫You give life, You are love – You bring light to the darkness… All the earth will shout Your praise Our hearts will cry, these bones will sing Great are You Lord♫

Mm, yes! Great are You Lord!

Real life continues. There is joy mixed with sadness. And we have Your Word. Your Truth. Your promises on which to depend.

“He is the great God, the mighty and awesome God, Deuteronomy 10:17.” This from a three year old. Oh, yes Father! Yes.

I am encouraged by a prayer for strength and peace in a recent obituary. Referencing 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, “God Offers Comfort to All All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us” (The Life Recovery Bible ).

Dearest Father, continue turning our hearts, our souls, our mind and our strength completely to You. May we truly come to You in our broken weakness. Stubborn and rebellious as we may be. Work in us to not only hear Your Word, but to apply it to Your good and Your glory.

I love You Father. Thank You for Your greatness. Use it as You know is best.

Like having me look up to read Deuteronomy 10:16. “Therefore, cleanse your sinful hearts and stop being stubborn.” Oh, yes please Father. Teach us to stop being stubborn!

And as we do, ♫Our hearts will cry, these bones will sing Great Are You Lord♫

Yes! Please. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(457 words ~ 8:37 a.m.)

blessings untold

Monday, May 22, 2017 (6:21 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

Thank You. Thank You for the blessings You provide.

why not?

Sunday, May 21, 2017 (6:43 a.m.)

Holy God,

Why a rhinoceros? That's the question of the morning. I keep trying to let go of the crazy dream I had. Yet the overwhelming wonder continues popping up, why would we possibly think buying a rhinoceros for a pet was a good idea?

And here is the counter thought. Why not? Yes. Father, work in me this day that I can come to let go of the things that are impossible for me to understand.

Mm... Blessed Being, thank You! Here I get to take another look at Job's suffering and the misguided advice of one of his friends. Bildad from Shuah (Job 8) had his own opinion and understanding of his friend's misfortune.

The Life Recovery Bible footnote tells us “8:8-22 Bildad was correct in some of his theology, but he erred in the application of his knowledge. God saw Job as blameless and upright (see 1:8; 2:3), not as unfaithful or disobedient. Job's suffering was not the result of a wayward life. It is not our job to guess the purpose of another person's pain. It is our job to offer comfort and support.”

Yes. Yes. And yes! How often I sit around wondering, “Why?”

It is NOT my job to guess Your purposes – even the reason of buying a rhinoceros as a pet. Instead, why not learn to offer comfort and support, genuine love. Only YOU truly know Your plans and Your reasons.

Work in me Blessed God. Lead and guide me in becoming one who comforts and encourages. I love You. Thanks for guiding me in Your Word this morning. Why not learn to let go of old patterns? Yes, please. Keep up Your fine good work on my behalf.

I love You. I long to serve You. And I thank You. Amen.

(302 words ~ 7:54 a.m.)

adumbrate

Saturday, May 20, 2017 (7:00 a.m.)

Most Dear and Holy Lord God,

Thank You! You gave me two very descriptive dreams on friendship. One representing a time decades ago, and the other foreshadowing an upcoming funeral.

Oh, most dear and Holy God. You are so good. So faithful. So perfect. And even here I get to learn another new-to-me word. Adumbrate - “to outline, to sketch; to foreshadow vaguely; to overshadow”.

That's what these dreams have done for me this morning. The first depicted the willingness of others to help a hurting soul through a horribly, difficult time of her life. The last, just upon awakening, showed two preschoolers and the purity of their friendship before real life took hold of them.

Mm, thank You God. Thank You for the hope You provide. Hope that is only found in You. Your Word. Your Truth.

I confess to being one who leans toward unforgiveness. Grudge holding comes easily. Second nature actually. Oh, look... here's two thoughts: a definition for unforgiveness describes it as “unwilling or unable to forgive”. Wow! Thank You Father.

All the years I have held so tightly to bitter resentments and grievances I have chided myself for not being willing to let go of them. What if they fall into the unable category? The glorious Truth here is that “I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power” (Philippians 4:13 The Living Bible).

Oh, amen. Amen! Father, You will do in, with, by, through and for me ALL the things I am unable to do myself. Shortening steps one, two and three of the 12 Steps yields: 1 – I can't. 2 – God can. 3 – I'll let Him. Yes, please God, do all You must to enable me to forgiveness.

Very perfect of You to have me find the “foot note” written in my own lettering. Side one, “Proverbs 11:17 'Your own soul is nourished when you are kind; it is destroyed when you are cruel.' ” Such absolute Truth!

The Promise on the other side? “ 'I will give peace... and none shall make you afraid...' Leviticus 26:6 KJV (Thanksgiving 2010) November 25 A Fruitful Life”. Holy God, it is completely to You I look this morning.

As I prepare to get busy with our day, I ask You to go ahead, behind, beside, above and beneath me. Keep my thoughts on You and my words kind. I love You Father.

Thank You for the adumbration You provided me in my dreams. There were definitely faint images of what all life can be when we live in the childlike wonder and forgiveness that You command.

Work with me as only You can. Thank You. I love You. Amen.

(463 words ~ 8:07 a.m.)

God's good plan

Friday, May 19, 2017 (5:47 a.m.)

Holy God,

(6:44 a.m.)

Thank You Father.

It's taken me almost an hour to smile. To hope. To know that You alone art God. Holy, Holy God, I confess to You the confusion I experience. I start to hope. I get excited. I anticipate with great joy. And then I am waylaid by pain.

There are so very many things I just don't understand. I want to hope. I want to trust. And I confess, I don't want to hurt. Take the good with the bad? I'd really rather take the good with the better.

So, You definitely have Your work cut out for You. I turn to You. Your Word. Searching. Seeking. Asking. Knocking. And finally, thanking!

Thanking You for being good. Faithful. Eternal. Always.

I honestly came out here tired this morning. Then I felt my spirit start to sag. Thank You that in searching Your Word I actually felt a spark. A sense that all is not lost just because I can't see passed my surroundings.

Jeremiah 31:25 The Message, “I'll refresh tired bodies; I'll restore tired souls.” Bless You Father. “Those who feel tired and worn out will find new life and energy” (Contemporary English Version).

We live in a fallen world. All is not right here. But YOU paint “a joyful picture of recovery, with all the elements of repentance, sorrow, forgiveness, laughter, restoration, and hope” (31:1-40 The Life Recovery Bible footnote).

Hallelujah Jesus! Thank You that Jeremiah was faithful in his call “to warn the people of Judah to turn from sin and denial, and to obey God's good plan for them” (THE BOTTOM LINE TLRB).

It is in confessing my powerlessness to circumstances beyond my control that I am freed to hope in You. Thank You. Praise You. Bless You.

Work in me this day I pray. With, by, through and for me.

But wait! There's more!!!

Psalm 86:10, “For You are great and perform great miracles. You alone are God.” Illustrated Bible Handbook, “Psalm 86. God's abounding love meets David's deepest needs (1-10) as he chooses to commit himself fully to God's Truth (11-17).”

The footnotes in The Life Recovery Bible speak to: our need for deliverance, the answers that don't come quickly, “and though we pray constantly, nothing seems to happen.” Impatience is listed, as well as our inclination “to begin to wonder if God will ever act.”

“86:11-17 We only know God's will as we seek to know Him through prayer and the study of His Word. The more we know about God, the more we know what He expects of us. As we get to know God better, we will discover that He gives us not only direction but the strength and encouragement we need to walk the pathway He has chosen for us.”

Yes Father. Direction. Strength. Encouragement. Your good plan for us. Align and empower me to follow You as You lead. Thank You God. I love You. Amen.

(498 words ~ 7:52 a.m.)

"Can we talk?"

Thursday, May 18, 2017 (6:28 a.m.)

Holy God,

Borrowing the catchphrase of a comedienne from years back, “Can we talk?” Thoughts have been swirling in my head, and I've got wonders.

First there's the verse I came across yesterday that reminds me “Many are the plans in a person's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails” (Proverbs 19:21 New International Version). Wow! How true is that.

I can spend countless hours spinning and concocting our intentions. Ultimately it is YOU who “says what will happen” (Easy-to-Read Version). Yeah. I tend to forget that.

So here I am. Coming to You with a laundry list of ideas. Do this? That? Something else? Care? Don't care? Wonder? Hope? Trust? It all seems so banal.

And yet there truly is a call on my heart to believe You. Your Word. Your promises. So what's a girl to do? How do I allow You to right my thinking?

You know? I just have to say... I LOVE when You do that!

I started to pray, “how do I right my thinking?” And before I even had the words out, You reminded me that it's YOU who does the work in me.

Not even finished with the thought and ♫Into My Heart♫ started singing. Yes! ♫Into my heart, into my heart, Come into my heart, Lord Jesus; Come in today, come in to stay, Come into my heart, Lord Jesus♫ Mm, yes. Come into my heart, Lord Jesus!

Wanting to strengthen the believers in Ephesus, the apostle Paul wrote “When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will give you mighty inner strength through His Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in Him. May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love” (Ephesians 3:14-17).

The more I read, the more I want all this to be true for each of us! “And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love really is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it. Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God” (vs. 18-19).

I read these verses. These prayers. These promises. I dare to risk hoping. Yep! There it is. The Truth that comes from asking You to talk with me.

I have been playing the risks versus benefits game with You again. If I risk believing You at Your Word, I might get disappointed. My thinking is so often skewed by things of this world that I fall into the trap of clinging tightly to my hopes rather than releasing them to You.

With the plans of yet another trip coming up, my thinking is colored by many catch phrases. Just right now it was “Catch and Release”. What if I were to get into the habit of catching my thoughts [just as others spend hours catching fish] and releasing them to You?

Holy God, I desperately want to follow after Your best for us. I truly do not believe I wisely spend the time You have provided us. I think. I plan. I hope. I dream. And then I sit. And wait. Stall. Debate my thinking. Waver. Fizzle. And ultimately give up.

How I ask You to ♫Have Thine Own Way, Lord Have Thine own way Thou art the Potter, I am the clay♫ See? You just did it again! Took my thinking and turned it into a hymn. Thank You Father.

So, back to this laundry list of indecisions I have for how best to spend my time today. I want to glorify You. You reminded me yesterday that this world is not our home (Hebrews 13:14 The Living Bible). How would you have me use this day in preparing for “our everlasting home in heaven”?

I don't want to spin my wheels, stuck in a rut. Nor do I want to exhaust my energies in activities not to Your liking. Guide and direct me as only You can Blessed God. I love You. I want to serve You. And I ask You to teach me to do it well! Amen.

(745 words ~ 7:52 a.m.)

♫Hallelujah, Hallelujah♫

Wednesday, May 17, 2017 (7:06 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You! Bless You. Praise You. Three hours of hearing the strains ♫Hallelujah, Hallelujah♫ singing deep within my soul and here I sit “ruminating on the nature of existence”.

Mm, Blessed God, thank You. Thank You for the peace that these chords and lyrics bring to my heart and mind. There is such opposition going on deeply inside of me. “But what about... ?” flies back and forth between my warring thoughts.

Thank You that You are so much bigger than all of my fears combined. For every doubt I concoct, You offer Truth. Every fear? Faith.

You alone are good (Mark 10:18).

(8:23 a.m.)

And in Your goodness, You invite us to come back to You. Holy God, how I thank You. As I read of Your unending love in Hosea and Your warnings, grace and mercy in Joel (2:12-14) I nod and shake my head simultaneously.

♫You're a Good, Good Father It's Who You are, it's Who You are♫. Even this I am hearing to the tune of ♫Hallelujah♫.

I know You to be True. Straight. Plumb. It's my understanding that is off. I focus on circumstances instead of You. My hope is in outcomes to my liking, not in Faith.

How I ask You to work in me Blessed God. “Hope in Faith (The Life Recovery Bible) Hebrews 11:1-10... Step Two [of 12] is often referred to as 'the hope step.' ” Teach me to hope in You, Blessed God. You have so much for me to learn.

“How can we be confident that something we want is going to happen, especially if all of our hopes have been dashed? How can we risk believing that the life we hope for is waiting for us around the bend?” Yes, Lord. Hear my echo in this Step 2 devotional.

“The Bible tells us that the key is in the nature of the higher Power we look to. We are told that 'anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that there is a God and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him' (Hebrews 11:6). If we see God as One who is reaching out to help us, we will be more eager to look for Him.”

And right here I see myself as either one of the preschoolers with whom I spent last evening. One moment repeatedly gushing, “I love you”s and the very next wildly pushing all the limits. I do this with You Dear Lord. I want all I want as I want it. On my terms. Asking Your stamp of blessing.

Do all You must to change my childish, immature approach to following You. I want my singing of ♫Hallelujah, Hallelujah♫ to truly be music to Your ears. Pure. Holy. Faithful. Hopeful. True.

I love You Lord. Grow me in trusting, believing, depending on YOU; not my own understanding (Proverbs 3:5-6). You know my needs. You know my hope. Align them with Your perfect will. Thank You Father. I love You. Amen.

(512 words ~ 9:25 a.m.)

freedom and joy

Tuesday, May 16, 2017 (6:33 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

Thank You for waking me up with another song this morning. ♫Blessed Be the Name of the Lord♫ started singing to me at 4:59 and has continued off and on until right now.

Thank You that as this musical refrain kept coming to mind I was quickly able to trace its roots back to Psalm 72:19. “Blessed be His glorious Name forever. May all the earth be filled with His glory! Amen and Amen!” (Tree of Life Version).

Oh, most Holy God, even here I get to read that various scholars hold different thoughts as to the author of “this strong messianic psalm” (Illustrated Bible Handbook). I take a little bit of comfort knowing that very learned people don't always agree on all there is we don't yet know for sure.

Thank You Father that we have Your Word on which to feast and to question. When I read that after all these years the author (Solomon or David) and the subject (Solomon and/or Jesus) are still unconfirmed, I breathe a little deeper and easier in my wonderings of all it is I do not know.

Thank You Most Holy One. Thank You that we each get this tiny bit of understanding to share with others.

As I go to the beginning of “A psalm of Solomon” and begin my reading there, I immediately think of this country and the burden we have of praying for our leaders. With that as my starting point, the needs of other countries rush to mind.

Reading The Life Recovery Bible footnote (72:12-14) thoughts of friends and family immediately come rushing in. “God acts on behalf of those who have no power to free themselves from their problems. He helps those who are oppressed and have no one to defend them.” Oh most Holy God, yes!

“He has great love and compassion for those who are weak and needy. As we face our addiction, we know what it means to be powerless. Alone, we are helpless to overcome the temptations of dependency. But with God's help, there is always hope for us. His power can help us overcome any problems we face, and He wants to see us through the hard times to a new life of freedom and joy.”

Hmm, yes, freedom and joy! Do for each of us all that You must that we would truly come before You singing ♫Blessed be the name of the Lord, He is worthy to be praised and adored; So we lift up holy hands in one accord, Singing, “Blessed be the name, blessed be the name, Blessed be the name of the Lord!”♫

Mm. Yes! Blessed. Worthy. Holy. You are all those and we are blessed with the privilege and honor of knowing, trusting, believing and following You to our "new life of freedom and joy".

Freedom and joy. In You. Please. I love You. I thank You. Amen.

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

unlimited love

Monday, May 15, 2017 (7:02 a.m.)

Loving Lord,

Thank You for Your love. Mm, yes. This morning I am struggling with the conflicts in my mind of all Your Word claims love to be and what I see going on in the world. It actually feels like an all out war. So here I am, bringing it again to You.

Holy God, thank You that we are invited to bring You our messy lives (Matthew 11:28-30). Once again I confess to hesitating to trust. There is a lot of potential hurt out there. If I let my guard down I could get my feelings hurt. At the very same time, locking myself away doesn't keep me safe from myself.

Your Word. Your Truth. Your promises. Those are where I need to put my focus.

♫Hallelujah♫ is playing in my mind. Tears are filling my eyes. And my heart just keeps breaking. Again I tell You, I don't trust. I won't trust. There is just so much hurt out there.

I read of Your unlimited love (Ephesians 3:16-19). I get excited. I believe. I risk hoping. Then the indifference of others floods my mind. Your Word tells me to counter these thoughts with those that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and worthy of praise (Philippians 4:8).

I ask You to keep my focus on You. And Your unlimited love. Root me. Ground me. Grow me in Your “glorious, unlimited resources” (Ephesians 3:16) that I would truly come to love You and others as You would have me love. With all my heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30-31).

Left in my own thinking, I readily go to the negative, grudge holding, case building thoughts that want to take hold. Do all You must to change me Lord. My heart (Psalm 51:10). My mind. My hopes. Put it all in You Blessed God. I love You. I need You. I want You. Amen.

(323 words ~ 9:07 a.m.)

such a HUGE taste of friendship

Mother's Day Sunday, May 14, 2017 (5:31 a.m.)

Most Blessed, Holy God,

You gave me such a HUGE taste of friendship yesterday. Thank You!

Thank You for using a decades old friendship to comfort a dear friend in dealing with the very recent loss of her mom and ALL the old wounds that are re-opening because of it. Holy God, You are so good to provide for our every single need.

Blessed Father, I am asking You to mother all of us who are experiencing the “absent presence” (Yolanda Pierce Why God Is a 'Mother,' Too) of our moms this day. Professor Pierce (Princeton Theological Seminary) cites Isaiah 49:15 as just one of the verses that supports naming You as Mother as well as Father.

She goes on to say, “We do not have to choose only one form of address. God is Creator and Sustainer. God is Protector and Defender. God is Mother and Father.” I don't know if I've ever looked into this thought before.

Continuing she adds, “If we are humble, we know that human words and metaphors are incomplete and can never do justice to describing the majesty of who God is.” Amen to that!

Blessed, Holy God, thank You for always helping me seek to think outside of my own rigid mindset. Guide and direct my thinking here I pray.

(6:27 a.m.)

And now back to the friendship with which this time together began. After a full day of true fellowship with You yesterday, we ended last evening with this Truth from our Psalty's Kids Bible. “Jesus Is a True Friend” 2 Timothy 4:17.

“Jesus is the very best friend you could ever have. I'm sure of it. Do you know why? Because the Bible says He stands at our side. He doesn't stand behind us and push us. He doesn't stand in front of us and pull us along. He stands next to us – at our side – to give us strength and to encourage us and to let us know that He's right with us even during the hard times. True friends stand together. Jesus is a True Friend. Trust Him.”

Mm, yes! True Friend.

“But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion's mouth” (2 Timothy 4:17).

How many times have You stood at my side, giving me strength Blessed Friend? Once again I ask You to go into this day with me. Blessing me. Keeping me. Turning me into the woman You would have me be.

If wishing You “Happy Mother's Day” is not some blasphemous act then that is exactly what I am saying. Otherwise, straighten out my thinking. I love You. I need You. I want You. And I ask You into every aspect of this day. Thank You, Holy PARENT. Amen!

(492 words ~ 6:46 a.m.)