Your Way's better

 ♪Your Way’s Better♪

Saturday, January 31, 2026 (4:52 a.m.)

Thank You Father God,

Your way IS better!

I’ve been choosing sullen. Grumpy. Reclusive. Irritated. Annoyed. It hasn’t helped.

Neither has trying to ignore the testy feelings. Puzzling. TV. Reading. Stomping. None of it has changed my sour attitude.

(6:15 a.m.)

Thank You for singing Truth to me in the early hours.

♪Oh Lord, I need You now more than ever

Would You put my heart back together

I searched the world ’til my head hurt

Just to find out Your Way’s better♪

Yes Father! Your Way’s better!

Psalm 18:30, “As for God, His way is perfect. All the LORD’s promises prove true. He is a shield for all who look to Him for protection.”

Isaiah 55:8-9, “‘My thoughts are completely different from yours,’ says the LORD. ‘And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts.”

My ways won’t shake me free from these gloomy feelings. But Your’s will. Your Way’s better. Won’t You put my heart back together?

Here’s a smile. That’s a start. I love You. I need You. I trust and want You Dear Lord. Do everything You must in ridding me of all that is not pleasing to You.

“Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious behavior. Instead, [I want to} be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another [including myself] just as God through Christ has forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:31-32).

Forgive me the fear that continues rearing up. Faith in You and Your Way’s better! Use me as You know is best. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(305 words ~ 7:03 a.m.)

loving God's way

 Friday, January 30, 2026 (6:22 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

Thank You for Your love.

(6:45 a.m.)

Reading about Your love. That You ARE love (1 John 4:8) singing begins within.

♪Come believe it

Come receive it

Oh, the power of His Spirit is now forever yours

Come believe it

Come receive it

In the mighty name of Jesus, all things are possible♪

(Katy Nichole’s In Jesus Name (God of Possible))

Father, this is what I have for You today. My gratitude for Your love. My asking (Matthew 7:7) that You continue Your work in, with, by, through and for me that I would learn to love as You would have me love.

♪This is My Commandment

That you love one another

That your joy may be full♪

(7:38 a.m.)

Taken from John 15:11-12, I begin quoting verse 10 [under Abiding in the Vine]. “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and your joy may be full.

“This is My commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this: that he lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you” (vs.10-14).

I want to be Your friend Dear Jesus. Teach me to love Your way.

Philippians 2:1-2. “Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from His love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and sympathetic? Then make me [Paul] truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one heart and purpose.”

Yes Father. Let us learn to work together with one heart and Your purpose. I love, need, trust and want You Lord. Do all You must that I fulfill Your call In John 15:4.

“Continue to live in Me, and I will continue to live in you. A branch cannot make fruit by itself. It can make fruit only if it continues to be part of the vine. You are like that. You cannot make fruit unless you continue to live in me” (EASYEnglish Bible).

A footnote here tells us, “Jesus speaks about fruit as a picture of the good things that will happen if we keep near to Him, like a branch that belongs to a vine.”

I want to love Your way and be a fruit bearing branch (v. 5) Dear Lord. Use me as You know is best. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(449 words ~ 8:19 a.m.)

 

responsive obedience

 Thursday, January 29, 2026 (5:29 a.m.)

Holy God,

Good morning. And thank You so much.

I knew exactly what I wanted to do yesterday. And it worked out better than I had hoped.

Attending a funeral in the morning was the main goal. Followed by coming back home. Spending the entire day alone. Watching whatever I wanted on TV. And finishing a puzzle I had been working on. The seven uninterrupted hours of sleep was an absolute bonus. Thank You Father.

Lord God, I look to You for today. There are many things that need attention. I am very well rested. “Put me in Coach.” Exactly where and how You want me.

(6:32 a.m.)

While considering You as Coach, I read the words of the apostle Paul written to the Philippian believers. Father thank You that we have these records of encouragement and instruction.

EasyEnglish Bible tells us we are to “be like lights in the world.” I want to be a light for You Lord.

Chapter 2, verse 12 says, “So, my friends, you must continue to obey God. When I was with you, you always obeyed. Now that I am not with you, that is even more important. God has saved you. You must always live in a way which shows that is true. Respect God and obey Him. Remember that He is great and powerful.”

The Message describes the importance of living “in responsive obedience.” Father, I very much want to be responsive and obedient to Your leading.

Verse 13 directs, “It is God Himself who is working in you. Now you want to obey Him, and He makes you strong to do that. When You obey Him, that makes Him very happy” (EASY).

The Message uses these words. “Be energetic in your life of salvation, reverent and sensitive before God. That energy is God’s energy, an energy deep within you, God Himself willing and working at what will give Him the most pleasure.”

Do all You must in making me responsively obedient to You Dear Lord. I love, need, trust and want You. Use me exactly as You know is best. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(363 words ~ 7:07 a.m.)

celebrating happy

 Wednesday, January 28, 2026 (7:21 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You. You have blessed me again. And again and again... I heard a new-to-me phrase yesterday. “Celebrate Happy.”

Use me in celebrating happy. Exactly as You know is best. I love, need, trust and want You Lord. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

A song of thanks.

Tuesday, January 27, 2026 (4:35 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You. Praise You. You are good (Psalm 100:5). And I am grateful.

As many songs as I have sung with and to You, this [in its entirety] is new for me. I’m very used to singing Psalm 100:4 about entering your gates with thanksgiving in my heart and entering Your courts with praise. This is the first time I’m putting a musical spin, rather than just reading, the whole psalm to You.

A song of thanks.

100 Earth, sing to the LORD!

2 Be happy as you serve the LORD!

Come before Him with happy songs!

3 Know the LORD is God.

He made us, and we belong to Him.

We are His people, the sheep He takes care of.

4 Come through the gates to His Temple giving

thanks to Him.

Enter His courtyards with songs of praise.

Honor Him and bless His name.

5 The LORD is good!

There is no end to His faithful love.

We can trust Him forever and ever!

(Easy-to-Read Version)

Father God, I want very much to sing with and to You today. Knowing, trusting, believing You are God and You are good. Do all You must to keep Yourself in the forefront of all that You created me to be.

I love, need, trust and want You Lord. Use me exactly as You know is best. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(240 words ~ 5:05 a.m.)

opportunity and privilege

♪In Jesus Name♪

Monday, January 26, 2026 (4:26 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You.

♪Come believe it

 Come receive it♪

Thank You for the opportunity and privilege of waking up singing to the Creator of the universe. 

(4:40 a.m.)

Lord, my heart is filled with gratitude. I accomplished sorting. Labeling. And packing away yesterday.

Not in the typical “have to do this” mindset of my past. No. The approach was a bit more playful. Confident. Definitive. Yes. It was done decisively and with authority.

Which means, I believed I knew what I was doing. You did this for me. In. With. By. And through.

I kept calling on Your name. Asking (Matthew 7:7) for Your help.

Yes it may very well have taken close to three weeks to “git ‘er done” but done it did get. Thank You Lord.

You are helping me learn things about myself. To accept what I see as flaws and allow You to use them for good (2 Corinthians 4:7).

(5:18 a.m.)

Well, this is fun. Delightful I’d even say!

While thinking of accepting myself, the tune of an early 1970’s song immediately started singing to me. Changing ♪Express Yourself♪ to ♪ACCEPT Yourself♪ I believe You are on to something here Dear Lord.

Continue Your work in guiding and growing me. I want to live for You. Do all You must for Your Kingdom and Your glory. I love, need, trust and want You. Use me as You know is best. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(259 words ~ 5:26 a.m.)

"Do I really?"

♪I know who I am

‘Cause I know who You are♪

(Made for More)

Sunday, January 25, 2026 (4:50 a.m.)

Holy God,

I woke up singing this. And then asked myself, “Do I really?”

Looking into the lyrics I find I am:

Chosen (1 Peter 2:9)

Free (John 8:36)

Forgiven (Acts 10:43)

Baptized into Christ’s death and raised to new life with Him (Romans 6:2-4)

This is all very technical. How does it translate to who I am? In You?

(7:37 a.mm.)

Father God, thank You for time to ponder. To wander. Wonder. And even shed a few tears.

Thank You for the phrase that lets me know I was “made ON purpose FOR a purpose.” I look to Your Dearest God to use me exactly as You know its best.

Depending on which translation I read, Ephesians 2:10 tells me I am Your “workmanship, handiwork, accomplishment, making, work of art, creation, masterpiece, poetry” created in Jesus to do good works.

Contemporary English Version relays to us, “God planned for us to do good things and to live as He has always wanted us to live. This is why He sent Christ to make us what we are.” Yes please. Sign me up to live as You designed.

Father I love, need, trust and want You. Do all You must that I truly glorify and enjoy You. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(237 words ~ 8:10 a.m.)