according to His purpose

 Sunday, June 30, 2024 (7:42 a.m.)

Finally! Here’s a smile. Thank You God.

Moping doesn’t serve me well. It does come easy though. Thank You that Your way is better. Praise. Rejoice. Be glad. Strong. Courageous. In You. Your teachings.

Guide me in Your Word this morning I ask. My mind continues taking darker turns when left to its own accord.

Father God, I love You. I need, trust and want You as Lord of my life. Jesus thank You that ♪Your name is the highest Your name is the greatest Your name stands above them all♪ Thank You that You truly are Holy Forever.

Blessed are we to be called according to Your purpose (Romans 8:28). Having NO idea where that thought came from [other than YOU!] I feel my guard dropping. Rather than wasting time considering how circumstances might have been different, thank You for the smile that comes along with that important piece/peace of accepting how things are.

Yes. Father. Thank You for mistakes made. Thank You for all we have opportunity to learn. Thank You for Your goodness. And Your grace. Your faithfulness. Your love. For calling us out of darkness into Your wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9).

Thank You that it is YOU who works in us to will and act in order to fulfill Your good purpose (Philippians 2:13). Trying to think my way out of a sad and downcast mood never works. Turning to Your Word of Truth and promises does!

The Life Recovery Bible writes, “Obedience to God’s program is one of the requirements for spiritual growth” (Philippians 2:12-18). Adding “God not only asks us to live a godly life, He provides us with the power to do it.”

See? Right there! Another smile. You do in and with, by, through and for us all that we cannot do on our own. 

“He works in us, giving us the desire and the ability to obey Him.” Thank You that You do.

Thank You for leading me deeper into Your Word. Reminding me that You are sovereign. With me in all our circumstances. No matter how dire they appear, You make everything work out according to YOUR plan (Ephesians 1:11c).

It’s Your Word that points us in Your direction. And here my smile keeps growing. I’ve made mistakes. And Your power is greater than all of them. Thank You Father.

Thank You that I get to trust that nothing can happen that is outside of Your plan for our good. Whatever that may be or look like. It’s when we turn back to Your Word that we can stand firmly on Your teachings.

“God is continuously working in the hearts and lives of people who love Him and are called according to His purpose. The Lord is causing everything to fit together for our good and His glory. Standing on this solid Truth reframes our difficulties. We can face them with confidence, trusting that every challenge is part of God’s ultimate plan to transform our old nature into what He has purposed for us to be… (Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-10).” gotquestions.org

Thank You Father. Let my song to You today be ♪Thy Will Be Done♪ again and again. Thanks Dad. I love You. Use me as only YOU know is best. Amen.

(562 words ~ 8:49 a.m.)

Welcome!

 Saturday, June 29, 2024 (5:46 a.m.)

Thank You Father. Praise You Jesus. Be with us Holy Spirit. Yes! You are welcome here.

We had fear and pain last night. Loss of sleep. More pain. And more fear.

Thank You for reminding me just now that we are to be brave/strong and of good courage (Joshua 1:9). We are not to fear. Though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, FOR THOU ART WITH US! (Psalm 23:4).

Thank You for singing out to me ♪Worthy is Your name Jesus♪ as well as yesterday’s ♪Your name is the highest Your name is the greatest Your name stands above them all♪

There is POWER in Your name. There is power in the BLOOD. “For God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power and love and a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:7).

Here from EasyEnglish Bible. “Be strong, because God has given us His Spirit. And His Spirit does not cause us to be afraid. Instead, His Spirit causes us to be powerful to serve God. He helps us love God and other people. And He helps us to control ourselves properly.” 

From whence does this power come? ♪The precious blood of the Lamb♪ Thank You God that there truly is ♪Power In The Blood… wonder-working pow’r In the precious blood of the Lamb♪

Father God, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, we call upon Your holy names. Standing firm in Your teachings. Joshua 1:9. You command us. “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.”

Yes! You are welcome here. Be and work in, with, by, through and for us this day. We love, need, trust and want You. Use us as only YOU know is best. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(314 words ~ 6:27 a.m.)

♪Your name...♪

 Friday, June 28, 2024 (5:20 a.m.)

Thank You again,

♪Your name is the highest Your name is the greatest Your name stands above them all All thrones and dominions All powers and positions Your name stands above them all… Oh, Jesus, Your name is the highest…♪

Thank You, thank You that it is. Thank You that I get to wake up again singing of its Truth. And power

♪Holy Forever♪

 Thursday, June 27, 2024 (5:58 a.m.)

Thank You God,

Waking with an immediately identified song. ♪Holy Forever♪ Thank You Father for the ways You provide for our every need. Keep our eyes on You and Your provisions. Thank You. Praise You. We love You. Amen.

(47 words ~ 7:00 a.m.)

practice of living the Word

 Wednesday, June 26, 2024 (6:57 a.m.)

Most Holy God,

Thank You for another day to say, “Thank You.” You have blessed us in so many ways. Thank You for reminding us of the importance of being grateful.

Thank You also for the practice of living Your Word each day.

cloudy moon

 Tuesday, June 25, 2024 (6:10 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You.

Another beautifully cloudy moon. Bright midnight sky. Fluffy white clouds. And now? An immediately recognized song from just the other day.

♪I’m fully KNOWN and loved by You♪ How blessed we truly are to be able to speak and sing directly to the Creator of the universe. Thank You God.

♪It’s so unusual, it’s frightening You see right through the mess inside me And You call me out to pull me in You tell me I can start again And I don’t need to keep on hiding♪

Thank You. Thank You God. ♪You won’t let go no matter what I do And it’s not one or the other It’s hard Truth and ridiculous grace To be fully known and loved by You♪

The more of the song I sing here, the more it absolutely applies to me. ♪It’s so like You to keep pursuing It’s so like me to go astray But You guard my heart with Your Truth A kind of love that’s bulletproof And I surrender to Your kindness…

♪How real, how wide How rich, how high is Your heart I cannot find the reasons why You give me so much… It’s so unusual, it’s frightening I’m fully known and loved by You♪

(7:09 a.m.)

Father God, thank You for knowing each of Your children so well. And loving us anyway. There is no end to Your goodness. Your grace. Your love. Your faithfulness. We get to see evidences of it every single day. When we are willing to look.

Thank You for this beautiful summer sky. Blue with patchy white clouds. Just right for making me pause long enough to align my heart and mind with You. Thank You. Thank You Father.

Use us this day [which You have made (Psalm 118:24a)]. Rejoicing and being glad in it (v. 24b). We love, need, trust and want You Lord. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(331 words ~ 7:18 a.m.)

smile worthy

 Monday, June 24, 2024 (6:25 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You.

We have little smiles. The clouds surrounding the moon at 3:45 this morning. Very smile worthy!

Remembering just now the happenstance of getting to see it brings another smile. And a song.

Seeing brightness through the curtain caused me to reach, pull it back and grin. Such beauty. Thank You Father.

Thinking of the moon and the clouds just now quickly became ♪The moon and the stars declare who You are…♪ How cool is that?

(7:02 a.m.)

Looking further at the lyrics of the song, Phil Wickham explained his writing process. “Cannons was written one night, just looking up at the stars and thinking that the universe itself is acting like a worship leader for the human race if we just take time to look around us and look above us.”

Father how I thank You for the things You have to teach us. All that You want us to know. About love. Respect. Forgiveness.

Keep working in us Lord. With. By. Through. For us. All as only You know is best. We love You. We need, trust and want You. Use us. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(200 words ~ 7:10 a.m.)

boundless joy in heaven

 Sunday, June 23, 2024 (6:50 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You for another day of practicing gratitude. Joy. Thanksgiving. Praise. Hope. Love. All those things You provide. Especially when our focus is on You.

I just read the phrase “boundless joy in heaven.” Thank You for the ways You infuse Your Truth throughout our days.

(7:50 a.m.)

Thank You for Your Word Lord. Filled with hope. Truth. Promises.

(8:21 a.m.)

Thank You for the privilege of being Yours. Thank You for the ease with which I found the song singing in the back of my mind. ♪Known♪ by Tauren Wells. Especially the recurring phrase ♪It’s hard truth and ridiculous grace To be Known and loved by You♪

Turning to Romans 11:33 I am again comforted by the Truth of Your Word. “Oh what a wonderful God we have! How great are His riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand His decisions and His methods!”

Continuing to the end of the chapter (vs.34-36). “For who can know what the Lord is thinking? Who knows enough to be His counselor (Isaiah 40:13). And who can ever give Him so much that He would have to pay it back? For everything comes from Him; everything exists by His power and is intended for His glory. To Him be glory evermore. Amen.”

I have no intention of questioning or arguing with Your plan Dearest God. Only asking (Matthew 7:7) for Your gracious favor and power to work best in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).

We love, need, trust and want You Lord. Do in, with, by, through and for us all that You know is best. Use us. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(295 words ~ 8:48 a.m.)

ease

 Saturday, June 22, 2024 (6:39 a.m.)

Most Dear and Blessed Loving Father God,

I love You. Thank You for the ease with which we get to come before You.

many hours

Friday, June 21, 2024 (1:53 p.m.)

DaVita corner chair

Holy God,

You did NOT give me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). Let me use ♪all Thy hand hath provided Great is Thy Faithfulness Lord unto me♪

(3:33 p.m.)

I am confessing FEAR to You Dear Lord. Not the Fully Esteeming And Revering You as I prefer. No. This is the “I feel afraid of the unknown and unexpected” kind of fear.

Thank You that You are SO much bigger than every single one of our fears all combined.

(4:06 p.m.)

Thank You Lord for this opportunity of reaching out to family and friends for requests of their prayers on our behalf. Asking (Matthew 7:7) Your best for us.

Thank You for the reminder that there is ♪Pow’r, pow’r, wonder-working pow’r In the precious blood of the Lamb♪

(5:15 p.m.)

And here I sit, these many hours later. Still reaching out to You and many others. Asking. Seeking. Knocking that Your power be made strong in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Your grace IS sufficient for us. Yes. Yes Lord. Teach us evermore to be content in Your grace!

Thank You. Praise You. Use us. Amen.

(216 words ~ 5:20 p.m.)

"You're blessed when..."

 Friday, June 21, 2024 (6:31 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy, Loving Father God,

Thank You for Your goodness. And Your grace. Your glorious greatness (Psalm 145:5-8). Your kindness. Love. Joy. Peace. Patience (Galatians 5:22).

Thank You Father for sending Jesus to teach the world how You would have us live. Matthew 5:1-12. “You’re blessed when…”

Your ways are so much better than ours. The apostle Paul taught the importance of loving as You would have us love. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 spells out so plainly what love is and what it is not.

Continue working in us, Father, that we would come to love as You would have. You. Others. Ourselves. Wholly. Fully. Completely. With ALL of our hearts, souls, minds and strength (Mark 12:30-31). Forgiving completely as well (Matthew 18:23-35).

Mm. Yes Jesus. Keep teaching us to live each day we have in You. With You. By You. Through You. For You.

We love, need, trust and want You. Do all You must that we will truly “rejoice and be glad” (Psalm 118:24b) in this day which You have made (24a).

Use us as only You know is best. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(191 words ~ 7:04 a.m.)

YOURS!

 Thursday, June 20, 2024 (6:53 a.m.)

♪Have Thine Own Way Lord…♪

Yes! ♪Have Thine own way Thou art the Potter We are the clay mold us and make us after Thy will While we are waiting, yielded and still♪

You are doing such amazing things in, with, by, through and for us. Teaching us so very much about accepting that which we cannot change and having the courage to change that which we can. Father Gd, we do ask (Matthew 7:7) to be given the wisdom to know the difference between the two.

Reading the lyrics to this great hymn, I smile and hope at ♪Touch me and heal me, Savior divine!♪ Thank You God that You do have that power.

Verse four begins and ends with another request from each of us. ♪… Hold o’er my being absolute sway! Fill with Thy Spirit till all shall see Christ only, always living in me!♪

(2:23 p.m.)

How blessed we truly are Dear Lord! I started praying, “Father God, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit” the other day. Not knowing what else to say in a moment of fear. “Father God, Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit.” Thank You for being present. Thank You for calming shaky nerves. Thank You for being the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 14:6).

You are a Good, Good Father. ♪It’s who You are… And we are loved by You It’s who we are…♪

Thank You Blessed God. Continue Your work in each of us. Molding, making, fining and refining us into exactly who You would have us be. Yours!

Thank You. Praise You. Use us. Amen.

(273 words ~ 2:33 p.m.)

unaware

 Wednesday, June 19, 2024 (6:27 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You. You’ve blessed us in ways that we are yet unaware.

practice makes better

 Tuesday, June 18, 2024 (6:03 a.m.)

Blessed God,

You gave us many opportunities to practice yesterday. Kindness. Communication. Speaking truth in love. Medicine without a license. Joy.

Thank You Lord. We get to keep learning. Far more than we ever expected.

Thank You that through it all, You are still good. Great. Glorious. Gracious (Psalm 145:5-8). 

Be with each of us this day. The one You have made (Psalm 118:24a). Let us truly rejoice and be glad in it (v. 24b). Mm. Yes. Rejoice. Be glad. YES!

We love You Lord. Use us as You alone know is best. Loving You, others and ourselves with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength (Mark 12:30-31). Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(122 words ~ 6:28 a.m.)