blessed Redeemer

Monday, May 9, 2016 (8:58 a.m.)

Blessed Jesus,

Praise You! Thank You for reminding me that it is at Your name that every knee shall bow (Philippians 2:10). “And every tongue [frankly and openly] confess and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord (sovereign God), to the glory of God the Father” (v. 11 Amplified Bible, Classic Edition).

Remembering this Truth prompted me to start singing ♫Praise Him! Praise Him! Jesus, our blessed Redeemer! Sing, O earth, His wonderful love proclaim!♫ Mm, blessed Redeemer. Yes. All that I am not. All that I long to be. You are!

Thank You Jesus. Thank You that we get to come to You (Matthew 11:28). There's even an ♫Untitled Hymn (come to Jesus)♫ by Chris Rice that speaks of all the ways we get to come to You. Singing. Falling. Crying. Dancing. And ultimately flying. Why?

Because You are our blessed Redeemer! I need to not only remember this. I want and need to trust, believe and ACT on it! Ack! I confess to not being much into action these days.

James 2:17, “So you see, it isn't enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn't show itself by good deeds is not faith at all – it is dead and useless.” Here again I turn to You my blessed Redeemer. I look to You. Asking. Expecting You to work with, in, by, through and for me.

Jesus, I love You. I haven't said that in a really long time. I need You. I want You. And how I ask You to do all You must in changing me into the woman who will truly embrace “Faith and Endurance”.

James 1:2-4, “Dear brothers and sisters, whenever trouble comes your way, let it be an opportunity for joy. For when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.”

Dearest Jesus, blessed Redeemer, redeem me please. To Your good and to Your glory. That I would truly represent You well in thought, word and deed. I love You. I thank You. I praise You. Amen.

(363 words ~ 10:19 a.m.)

right now

Mother's Day Sunday, May 8, 2016 (7:34 a.m.)

Holy, Holy Father God,

Thank You! Thank You that You made me a mom. Thank You that You surround us with Your love. Thank You for Your blessings and our challenges. Thank You Father for reminding me of the tremendous importance of keeping my mind in the right now.

I tend to run ahead, speculating on our circumstances. Or ruminate often on the past. Occasionally, perfectly, I recognize You encouraging me to stay current. Paying attention to what is going on. Right here, right now.

Psalm 40. (v. 17) !

(11:02 a.m.)

Jesus! A church service reminding us of the importance of using Your name.

Yes. Jesus, be Lord of my life. Lord of this day. Lord of right now. Yes, right now. I love You. Bless me. Keep me. Use me. As You wish. I love You. Praise You. Thank You. Amen.

(148 words ~ 11:05 a.m.)

through the years

Friday, May 6, 2016 (6:28 a.m.)

Holy God,

It's the date and actual day of the week our baby was born so many years ago. Thank You Father. Thank You for the opportunity to parent. To love. To learn.

Hmm. So many reflective thoughts. Joys. Challenges. Laughter. Tears. Father, thank You for leading and guiding us through the years.

(7:59 a.m.)

Very deep breath and “Hmm” [used to express reflection] again. “Through the years”. This simple phrase lands me reading again in Habakkuk.

Father, thank You for the examples of this prophet. One who questioned why You allowed so much evil in the world and didn't do more to make sure people don't sin (Psalty's Kids Bible).

Thank You for his precedent of dealing with doubt by affirming that in spite of the evil in the world, You have not changed in Your person or Your purpose (The Life Recovery Bible). Hmm. Truth. Thank You.

Thank You for very deep breaths. Reflective thoughts. Your Truth and audible “Hmm” responses. Holy God, thank You that in You we have every single thing we need to be the people You created us to be.

Here I quote from Habakkuk's prayer to You. “LORD, I have heard the news about You; I am amazed at what You have done. LORD, do great things once again in our time; make those things happen again in our own days. Even when You are angry, remember to be kind” (Habakkuk 3:2 New Century Version).

Mm [used to express contentment or pleasure; agreement or approval]. As I sit here with the most pensive and satisfied grin on my face, my heart is shouting out thanks to You!

Your Word is alive and active (Hebrews 4:12). And takes me from Old Testament prophets to New Testament writings and back to God-given wisdom (Proverbs). Thank You Holy Father!

Let me fully embrace and use this portion of Habakkuk's prayer, “Even when you are angry, remember to be kind.” Yes, please!

Using this time of remembering our past many years of parenting, my soul cries out to You. Here I am asking You to imbed Your Truth in me even more deeply.

“My child, don't ignore it when the LORD disciplines you, and don't be discouraged when He corrects you. For the LORD corrects those He loves, just as a father corrects a child in whom He delights” (Proverbs 3:11-12).

The comment at the bottom of the page begins, “When God disciplines us, He is not doing so because He hates us or likes to se us suffer. He is correcting us because He loves us and doesn't want us to go any farther into our sin.”

What a perfect Parent You are. I wanted to be. Tried, in my own power, to be. Thank You Father that You absolutely are!

Let this day unfold exactly as You would have it. Reminding me to be kind, even when I feel angry. I love You Father. Thank You. Amen!

(495 words ~ 8:55 a.m.)

joyful hope

Thursday, May 5, 2016 (4:50 a.m.)

Blessed Father God,

You know me. The hurts. The hopes. The willingness. Or lack thereof to fully participate. I look to You to guide and teach me again this day.

Thank You Father.

(6:52 a.m.)

Thank You for extra rest. Thank You for added hopefulness.

It's our National Day of Prayer and I was just beginning to feel distressed and disappointed with the state of our nation. Thank You Blessed Father for once again reminding me of the joyful hope we have in You.

I was again dreading and doubting. Feeling cynical and skeptical. Considering all the reasons I might use to support my rationale of “What's the use? There's just no hope.”

Then You had me reading of how You used Joseph's imprisonment (Genesis 39:19-23) to Your good and to Your glory. Thank You Father that in searching the phrase “high hopes” I came across a study by Stephen J. Cole entitled, “Lesson 68: High Hopes, No Hope – But God (Genesis 40:1-23).

It was here I read of hopes being dashed. “If it happens more than once, to protect yourself from further hurt you may stop praying and hoping at all.” Uh, yeah!

Thank You Father that it was while reading this article that I remembered that I am to hope in YOU, not circumstances! Joseph's experiences were used as examples of having high hopes and the disappointments that may follow when they are not met as we expect.

I confess to You right now that I still tend to lean toward the cause and effect approach to trusting You. If I feel, am, think or do thus and such then You will answer my prayers in my time according to my desire. Uh, no!

Not even. You know exactly all that is best. In this article I am reminded that while we “can't control many of the things that happen” to us, we can control our attitude to those things. I forget this. Often! I think I want what I want when I want it when in reality what I really want is You!

Attempting to deny reality or overlook problems is never the answer. Hm. Look at this. I've been thinking of having “joyful hope” and what I'm reading refers to the apostle Paul's experience (Philippians 4:12) as “hopeful joy”.

Even this I bring to You Blessed God. Last night I thought on the Holy Spirit controlling our lives and producing “this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23a).

I coupled that Truth with 1 Corinthians 13:13. “There are three things that will endure – faith, hope, and love – and the greatest of these is love.” Love is listed first in the fruit of the Spirit and as the greatest of what will continue forever. Followed by joy in one verse and hope in the other.

I am in desperate need of huge doses of both. Whether it be joyful hope or hopeful joy, You be in charge. Leading. Guiding. Directing me to becoming exactly who it is You have always desired for me to be. Yours and Yours alone, eternally!

Father, how genuinely I thank You. Do all You must. In, by, through, with and for me. I love You. Thank You. Amen.

(556 words ~ 9:23 a.m.)

thoughts vs. Truth

Tuesday, May 3, 2016 (5:41 a.m.)

Blessed Holy God,

Thank You. Thank You for Your willingness to teach us. I have so very much to learn. Thank You for your reminder yesterday that I am made in Your image (Genesis 1:27). And when You looked over everything You made; “it was so good, so very good!” (v. 31).

As I practiced taking this Truth to heart, I remembered also that I am fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). Thank You Father. Thank You for retraining my thinking. Thank You for teaching me to counter my thoughts with Your Truth.

Thank You Father for taking my often harsh self-judgments and filtering them through Your Word. Believing Your way to be so much better than mine (Isaiah 55:8-9) I get excited with each affirmation I read.

Your Word, Your Truth, supplies rest for the weary (Matthew 11:28-29). It calls us to “Be still and know” that You are God (Psalm 46:10). Blessed Father, I ask You to keep Your Truth readily available to battling my own negative thoughts.

What a privilege and honor to have Your “mighty weapons, not merely worldly weapons, to knock down the Devil's strongholds” (2 Corinthians 10:4). Father, thank You. I am not alone in my ways of thinking and faith in Your Truth is here to counter every fiery arrow aimed at us by satan (Ephesians 6:16).

Looking to Illustrated Biblical Handbook under Meekness and Gentleness (2 Corinthians 10:1-6) I read of the divine power required “to demolish the inner strongholds and bring hearts and minds into an obedient relationship with the Lord.”

Comments in The Life Recovery Bible for Psalm 46 describe You as “more than able to protect us”. When we try “in our own strength, we have good reason to fear. But if God is with us, we have no reason to be afraid.”

Blessed Father, these are the truths on which I must depend. Continue corralling my thoughts that I will truly stand. Firm. In Your Truth. I love You so very much. Thank You Father. Praise You. Bless You. Use me exactly as You wish. I love You. Amen.

(357 words ~ 7:19 a.m.)

crowned with glory and honor

Monday, May 2, 2016 (6:25 a.m.)

Blessed God,

Thank You. You love me. Exactly as I am? Talk with me about my thinking will you? I am made in Your image (Genesis 1:27). How do I accept this Truth as being enough?

Wow! I ask. You answer. Thank You Father!

So many references to look at. SELF-ESTEEM. See: Self-Perception. Human Nature: Man in the Image of God. Again I ask You Father, right my thinking.

I want to let Your Truth guide me. I desire to have You lead that I would truly follow. Thank You that it is when I come to the end of myself that I find hope in all You have to offer us.

Reading Your Word (Psalm 8) and The Life Recovery Bible comments explaining it help me hope. I'm confessing to You right here, it is far easier for me to dread than it is to be optimistic. Oh, but look right here!

The word dread can also mean “regard with great awe or reverence”. Like we are supposed to be toward You. Father, thank You.

Thank You that I can come before You not knowing. Clearly not understanding. Practically not believing and You fine tune my thoughts. Much like our TV repairmen of decades ago. They took the fuzziness away by simply knowing what they were doing.

You absolutely know what You are doing. Thank You that You are more than able to “grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can and the wisdom to know the difference.”

Praise You Father! Quoting The Life Recovery Bible concerning my 'warped ability to see myself as I truly am in Your eyes' again I look to You. “Understanding how God sees us and the value He has placed on us can help us overcome the negative self-perception that many of us have developed.”

You know me. You created me. In Your image. Teach me the importance of living each moment as though I truly believe “that God has made us to be fantastic beings with great honor and authority.” I am to not sell myself short.

Truly, I ask You to teach me to allow my thoughts of my own self worth be based on what You think of me. Created in Your image (Genesis 1:27). Made a little lower than Yourself, to be crowned with glory and honor (Psalm 8:5).

Illustrated Bible Handbook declares what I already know, “We carry God's likeness imperfectly.” Thank You that it follows immediately with, “But the basic fact is that we human beings have the potential for restoration.”

Regarding Your promise to give Your faithful followers “the crown of life” (Revelation 2:10) The Life Recovery Bible reflects, “As we entrust our life to God and obey Him, He will slowly transform us.” Yes, please.

Although my natural bent seems to be more toward thinking negatively, I depend on You to do for me that which I cannot do for myself. Teach me to truly live as though I honestly believe I am “crowned with glory and honor.”

Wow! What would that be like? Show me please. Father, I love You. I thank You. And I ask You. Please. Thank You. Amen.

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

right my thinking

Sunday, May 1, 2016 (6:51 a.m.)

Holy God,

Thank You. Once again we've been singing, sleeping and singing some more. And this time? ♫With the measure you use, it will be measured to you♫

I tried looking it up as a song and it came back to me as a Bible verse. Luke 6:38. So here I sit with a question mark over my head. On one hand I'm pretty sure I've always thought of this as speaking of an act of generosity. “Give, and it will be given to you.”

Now I read it as a caution of judging others. Thank You Father. Thank You for always being here to right my thinking. I come before You asking that You would do exactly that. Right my thinking.

(9:12 a.m.)

Philippians 4:8. True. Honorable. Just. Pure. Lovely. Admirable. Excellent. Praiseworthy.

These are the fine, good things on which I am to think. Father, keep me learning. Practicing. Trusting. Depending on You and all You would have me hope, be, think and do. Loving You, others and myself with all my heart, soul, mind and strength (Mark 12:30-31).

Thank You Father for helping me right my thinking. Continue speaking that I can hear. Leading that I will follow. I love You and I long to serve You as You wish to be served. Empower and Embolden me to that end. I love You. Thank You. Amen.

(236 words ~ 9:23 a.m.)