celebrate, not berate

 Wednesday, February 25, 2026 (4:21 a.m.)

Blessed, Awesome, Powerful, Holy God,

Thank You that I slept. Woke up. Slept again. And woke up feeling hopeful. With a smile. And so many songs.

Father, I am experiencing You working in my life. Just yesterday, right as I began berating myself over one thing or another, You reminded me that I 

♪Don’t gotta be somebody when

I’m already Somebody to You

Got nothing to prove anymore

So there’s nothing to lose anymore

You’re gonna keep on loving me

For more than just the things that I do♪

Thank You for continuing to teach me. While I will NEVER be enough as I am, You are! Always have been. Always will be. ‘Your grace is all I need. Your power works best in my weakness’ (2 Corinthians 12:9a).

Lord, thank You that Your Truth is beginning to come more readily to me. Thank You that I can align myself with the apostle Paul as he told the church in Corinth, “So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me” (12:9b).

Yes! I need Christ’s power working in, with, by, through and for me. All day. Everyday.

I want to get to the place [like Paul] where I can wholeheartedly say, “That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses… For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

Yes Lord. Teach me to celebrate, not berate my shortcomings. Continue Your mighty work Dear Lord. This I truly ask (Matthew 7:7) in Jesus’ Holy name.

I love, need, trust and want You as absolute Lord my life. Do all You must in making it so. I want to worship, adore, glorify, enjoy and represent You well. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(305 words ~ 5:10 a.m.)

And praising!

 Tuesday, February 24, 2026 (7:38 a.m.)

Blessed God,

I have a mental list. Several as it seems. Songs that are singing. Gripes that are griping. Praises that want to be praised.

Let’s go with that last one. AND the lyrics to ♪Hard Fought Hallelujah♪ while we're at it.

♪Yeah, I don’t always feel it

Yeah, but that’s when I need it the most

So, I’ma keep on singing

’Til me soul catches up with my song♪

Yes Sir! I’ma keep on singing. And praising!

♪’Cause God, You’ve been patient

God, You’ve been gracious

Faithful, whatever I’m feeling or facing♪

Here again, I get to choose where to put my focus. On the list of things I can’t change? Or on the One who can change them all!

This is where the praise comes in. Remembering what the apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians all those years ago. “And now dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise” (4:8).

That’s the direction I want to go. With You. Do everything You must to keep my thoughts coming back to thanking and praising You for all You accomplish and are.

I love, need, trust and want to stay connected to You. Worshiping. Adoring. Glorifying. And enjoying You in the process. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(237 words ~ 8:18 a.m.)

Greater

 ♪Greater is He the One living inside of me

Than he who is living in the world♪

Monday, February 23, 2026 (5:30 a.m.)

Wow! God. You are good!

Great. Gracious. Glorious (Psalm 145:5-8). And I am blessed. Truly. Beyond all measure [♪Counting Every Blessing♪]. 

Father, thank You! From deep inside my heart, soul, mind and strength, I thank You. Praise You. Worship and adore You.

I was this close to launching a list of grumbles about the way I was feeling just now. And YOU reminded me that feelings aren’t facts. They come, they go. They ebb, they flow. I don’t have to judge them. Or change them. I can acknowledge them. Even thank them for whatever they are showing me. But I do NOT have to follow them! Nor let them dictate my attitude.

That’s YOUR job! Part of Your perfect design.

Blessed God, “Thank You for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship IS marvelous - how well I know it” (Psalm 139:14).

A pastor’s message just earlier helped me remember the importance of aligning my will with YOUR will. YOUR plan. YOUR purpose. Yes Father!

I feel a shift in learning to be kinder and gentler to myself. To remembering that YOU and Your Truth are Who and What I am to follow. Oh yes please!

This sudden realization has changed my entire attitude in the figurative blink of my eye. One moment I was feeling disheartened. Recalling Who and ALL You are allowed my focus to veer back to Your Truth and Your promises.

I absolutely do not know what today holds, but I am standing firmly on Your promise to Isaiah (41:10) for your people of Judah. The ones who “had developed self-destructive patterns of behavior” (The Life Recovery Bible).

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am Your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you with my victorious right hand.” Yes! I want to trust and believe this Truth with every fiber of my being.

Father God, I love, need, trust and want You as absolute Lord of my life. Do all You must that I will worship, adore, glorify and enjoy You as You alone know is best. Use me to Your good and to Your glory.

You provided me a marvelous day of beauty and hope yesterday. An unobstructed, clear, panoramic view of gloriously snow-covered mountain ranges. Time well spent with a much loved aunt. And hopeful health considerations of a very dear son. 

You know Your will. Your plan. Your purpose. They are perfectly designed by You. Align each of us accordingly. I want to sing, smile, stand firmly while staying my mind on Your Truth and promises. Thank You for this most sincere desire to represent You well Dear Lord. Praise You. Amen.

(473 words ~ 6:25 a.m.)

perfectly designed

 Sunday, February 22, 2026 (6:52 a.m.)

Awesome God,

I just heard the phrase “perfectly designed” and wondered what it would be like if I honestly believed that to be true. How do I come to trust and believe this without doubt?

(7:24 a.m.)

Father, thank You that much is written about Your perfect design. Starting all the way back to Genesis 1:1.

Reading The Life Recovery Bible comment for verse 1:24 I am struck by a sentence toward the end. “God accomplishes His will with certainty and precision.”

Prior to this, verses 9-12 and 14-15 are referenced. “... show[ing] us that God’s creative activity was done in complete conformity to the specifications He had originally intended.” Perfectly designed.

Blessed God, it is my desire to live each day [the ones You have made (Psalm 118:24a)] truly rejoicing and being glad in them (24b). I believe You are Who You say You are (Exodus 34:6-7). And I want to glorify and enjoy You forever.

Teach me to live out of Your abundance, not my own perspective of fearfulness. Your design is perfect. I want to represent You in all I am, think, say and do.

You provide our every need. Do all You must in, with, by, through and for my heart, soul, mind and strength that I will live out of the abundance You provide (John 10:10).

Remind me as often as necessary that You designed all of creation perfectly. I love, need, trust and want You Lord. Use me exactly as You know is best. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(266 words ~ 7:59 a.m.)

patient and gracious faithfulness

♪Hard Fought Hallelujah♪

Saturday, February 21, 2026 (4:22 a.m.)

Most Holy God,

This is DEFINITELY a hope filled song with which to awaken.

♪’Cause God, You’ve been patient

God, You’ve been gracious

Faithful, whatever I’m feeling or facing♪

(4:49 a.m.)

Father, thank You for the love You have for each and every single one of us. Love that is absolutely exemplified by Your patient and gracious faithfulness.

Thank You that Your Word is filled with verses of hope and Truth. Direction. Encouragement. Warning. Thank You for using It to teach us to bring to You our:

♪… hard-fought, heartfelt

Been-through-hell hallelujah

… storm-tossed, torn-sail

Story-to-tell hallelujah♪

Thank You for using music and Your Word to comfort, guide and direct us to living as You would have us live.

Yesterday I was able to explore the apostle Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. The beginning two sections for verse 11 of chapter 4 rang especially true for me.

“Try very much to live at peace with other people. Work hard at your own job.” Yes Father. That is honestly my desire.

Last night before falling asleep, I read again Paul’s urging to the believers in Ephesus. “Be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love. Always keep yourselves united in the Holy Spirit, and bind yourselves together with peace” (Ephesians 4:2-3). Yes please!

Following this, I went next to Colossians 3:15. “And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be grateful.”

It’s the Holy Spirit living in each of us (John 14:16-17) that empowers and enables us to live, trust and believe the Truth Your Word teaches about life in, with, by, through and for You. Father, open my heart, soul, mind and strength to receiving all You have for me.

I love, need, trust and want You Dearest Lord. Do all You must in using me exactly as You know is best. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(351 words ~ 5:53 a.m.)

Merciful and mighty!

♪Holy, Holy, Holy! Lord God Almighty!

Early in the morning our song shall rise to Thee♪

Friday, February 20, 2026 (5:08 a.m.)

♪Holy, Holy, Holy! Merciful and mighty!

God in three Persons, blessed Trinity!♪

Mm, yes. God in three Persons. Merciful and mighty. Blessed Trinity. Where would You have me go with this Lord?

living God's Truth

 Thursday, February 19, 2026 (6:17 a.m.)

Awesome God,

Thank You. I woke up singing parts of ♪The Truth♪ and realized I desperately want to know and live Your Truth.

John 8:32. The Message. “Then Jesus turned to the Jews who claimed to believe in Him. ‘If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.’”

(7:10 a.m.)

♪Who the Son sets free

Oh is free indeed

I’m a child of God, yes I am♪

(♪Who You Say I Am♪)

Holy Father, I confess to You. I sing the songs. Quote the Bible verses. Have an arm’s length association with all I believe about You. Your will. Your way. Your Truth.

And when all is said and done? I feel fearful. Of not being and/or doing enough. I keep waiting for this lifelong less than feeling to dissipate. To be gone forever.

That is not the case. No matter how many songs I sing. And Bible verses I recite. The overwhelming self-imposed verdict? I will never measure up.

I’m hoping/asking (Matthew 7:7a) for Your intervention with my own self assessment. I continue deeming myself unacceptable. Try again. Come back later.

Then again sings the verse:

♪The Truth is I am my Father’s child

I make Him proud and I make Him smile

I was made in the image of a perfect King

He looks at me and wouldn’t change a thing♪

Tell me Dearest Dad, why I can’t I truly believe this to be true about me?

♪The Truth is I am truly loved

By a God who’s good when I’m not good enough

I don’t belong to the lies, I belong to You

And that’s the Truth♪

I DON’T want to listen to the lies anymore!

(8:24 a.m.)

And here begins another song of Your Truth:

♪There is therefore now no condemnation

For those who are in Christ Jesus♪

(Romans 8:1)

(9:16 a.m.)

Tell me please, why is it that I can sing so readily of Your Truth yet still struggle with accepting and applying it to myself? Is this something inherent? Generational? Nurture or nature?

YOU have Your work cut out for Yourself Lord. I want to live and love as You designed. Gratefully. Joyfully. Do all You must to Your good and perfect end. I love, need, trust and want You to use me as You know is best. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

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