contentedness

 Saturday, April 24, 2021 (7:35 a.m.)

Good morning Lord,

Thanks for extra sleep. Yes. And thank You for dreams. And songs. And rest. And all the many things You provide us.

Oh, look. Here’s a smile. A simple, sweet, contented smile. Mm, thank You Lord.

Blessed Father God, You allow us such joy. Especially when we stop long enough to actually take it in.

Thank You for Your teachings. Your call to pay attention to the things that matter.

Waking up with Billy Joel music in my head, I find and read his words. Reminding me again, ♪You’re Only Human… You’re allowed to make your share of mistakes♪

What a perfect song to prompt me to remember the importance of fully embracing failure!

♪You better believe there will be times in your life When you’ll be feeling like a stumbling fool So take it from me you’ll learn more from your accidents Than anything that you could ever learn in school Don’t forget your second wind Sooner or later you’ll get your second wind♪

Lord God, You know my heart. My needs. My interests. And You supply all that is necessary to meet them.

Searching Your Word to express the contentedness I am experiencing, I land at Proverbs 17:1. The Passion Translation. “A simple, humble life with peace and quiet is far better than an opulent lifestyle with nothing but quarrels and strife at home.”

Thank You Father. Your Word speaks such Truth! “Better is a dry morsel with joy, than a house full of sacrifices with chiding, (or with arguments).” Wycliffe Bible.

Continue Your work in shaping us into the people You would have us be. We love You. We thank You. Use us. Amen.

(289 words ~ 8:29 a.m.)

love more; fear less

Friday, April 23, 2021 (7:38 a.m.)

Blessed Holy God,

How 

(8:31 a.m.)

truly delighted I am to experiment and try new things!

Thank and praise You Father. You provide us so much opportunity. Work in me this day that I will genuinely come to love more and fear less.

♪Have Thine Own Way, Lord! Have Thine own way! Thou art the Potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after Thy will, While I am waiting, yielded and still♪ (Isaiah 64:8).

Holy God, I love You. ♪I Honestly Love You♪ Use me this day exactly as You know is best. Loving more; fearing less.

Thank You for all You do. Praise You for all You are. Do all You must with us this day. Amen.

(129 words ~ 8:53 a.m.)

filled

Friday, April 23, 2021 (6:10 a.m.)

Holy God,

This is odd. I’m looking for things I am not finding. And there are songs that keep coming to mind.

It seems as though I’m ♪Looking For Love in All the Wrong Places…♪ Mm, how completely true is that?

How often do I look to other people to provide me with what only You can? It happened again last night. I wanted some positive affirmation and felt disappointed instead.

Over two hours later I was still talking with You about it. You brought one particular “Aha!” Truth to mind and I remember smiling and falling straight to sleep.

It’s been awhile this morning and I am looking to remember that “Aha Truth.” Another smile just came as I recalled playfully twisting John 8:32 to fit the occasion. 'And you will know the Truth and the Truth will let you sleep.'

That’s exactly what happened so much earlier this morning. Will You please remind me what it was?

All of this review to get back to the first song of this morning. ♪I’ve Been Redeemed… by the blood of the Lamb… blessed by the Holy Ghost I am... ♪ And right here is a missing line.

What’s up with me missing so many things this morning? OH! This is what it was!

Huge smile! The “Aha Truth” that set me free and let me sleep was that I had failed big! Thank You for reminding me just now.

I was preparing to tell You that with everything I’m missing how grateful I am that You still love me. Even when we miss the mark of our attempts. We can fail big and we are still accepted and redeemed.

Thank You Father for the ability to seek and find (Matthew 7:7) the missing line of this hymn. Not listed in either of our hymnals, You helped me remember I could look it up on my phone AND find correction to what I was singing.

As much as I AM blessed by the Holy Ghost, the phrase is really ♪… filled with the Holy Ghost I am All my sins are washed away I’ve Been Redeemed♪

Blessed Holy Father God, how deeply and truly I thank You Lord.

You provide the peace we need to sleep. To remember. To sing, smile, stand firm and stay our minds on You. Your Truth. Your love.

Thank You. Praise You. Use me. I love You. Amen.

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

eternally

 Thursday, April 22, 2021 (5:59 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

How truly I thank You Lord. You love us. Always. Eternally. Perfectly. Thank You that You do Dear God.

(6:29 a.m.)

The peace and calm I experience as I search Your Word is real. True. Genuine. Appreciated! Mm, yes. Father how deeply I appreciate You. Your Truth. And Your promises.

Thank You Lord that we have so many Biblical translations from which to choose. At this moment it is The Voice. The apostle Paul’s benediction in his second letter to Your believers in Thessalonica.

Blessed Lord, I truly can ask nothing more than these words written so long ago. “Now may our Lord Jesus (the Anointed One Himself) and God our Father (who has loved us, comforted us eternally, and given us a good hope by His grace) bring comfort to your hearts and strengthen your wills to accomplish every good work and word” (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17).

Oh yes, most dear and blessed God. It is to You, Your hope, Your grace that I turn this morning. Seeking to be marinated in Your Word. Let it get deep into all of my heart, all of my soul, all of my mind and all of my strength that I would genuinely come to love You, others and myself (Mark 12:30-31) as You would have me.

It is absolutely You I long to serve Dearest Lord. Taking my direction from Paul’s call to the Thessalonians (v. 15) to 'stand firm [strong] and hold tight [fast] to his teachings whether by what he said or what he wrote' (Christian Standard Bible).

It IS Your Word, Your Truth, Your grace, Your hope, Your joy I want to share this day. Eternally. Thank You Father. Praise You. I love You. Amen.

(301 words ~ 7:22 a.m.)

TEARS!

 Wednesday, April 21, 2021 (9:24 a.m.)

Holy God,

THANK YOU! 

I have tears. Huge tears. My heart is breaking wide open. Because You provided me a want. Not a need. Yet something that speaks deep within my soul.

Six minutes and fifty seconds in to a 7:19 video. “That’s why we’re here young squire. Never forget that” [Dr. Rollie Guthrie to resident Angus Leighton on Code Black].

Lord God, thank You. Praise You. Use me. Knowing why I am here. And never forgetting that. I love You. Amen.

(79 words ~ 9:31 a.m.)

bits and pieces

 Wednesday,April 21, 2021 (6:28 a.m.)

Holy God,

You gave me bits and pieces of a memory throughout the night. Enough that I was able to put it all together.

(7:25 a.m.)

I confess to You Father the side track I just took in trying to find the TV phrase You gave me during the night. It was satisfying. Exciting. And now gone. Thank You for having given me what I needed at that time.

Put my focus back on the Scripture (John 3:34-36) You have for me. The apostle John telling “all people everywhere” (The Life Recovery Bible THE BOTTOM LINE AUDIENCE) about John the Baptist’s introduction of Jesus.

Holy God, Your words are so much more important than the inspiring television [Code Black] quote that fleetingly flashed through my mind between sleeping and waking. Even this confession reminds me of the verses (1 Peter 1 :24-25) I read before bed last night.

The more I search Your Word, Lord, the deeper is my understanding. The greater my excitement.

The apostle Peter quoted the prophet Isaiah in his effort “To show us how to live well in a shattered and hopeless world” (The Life Recovery Bible THE BOTTOM LINE PUROSE). Thank and praise You Lord.

“As the prophet (Isaiah 40:6-8) says, ‘People are like grass that dies away; their beauty fades as quickly as the beauty of wildflowers. The grass withers, and the flowers fall away. But the Word of the Lord will last forever. And that Word is the Good News that was preached to you.”

Oh Dearest God, how I thank You for the bits and pieces You provide here and there that make us truly whole!

Confessing wholeheartedly to You right now, I DO still want to remember the quote You briefly provided me so much earlier. If that be Your will I’m asking. If not, provide me the practice in just letting go of that desire.

These are John the Baptist’s words according to The Message. “The One (Jesus) that God sent speaks God’s words. And don’t think He rations out the Spirit in bits and pieces. The Father loves the Son extravagantly. He turned everything over to Him so He could give it away - a lavish distribution of gifts. That is why whoever accepts and trusts the Son gets in on everything, life complete and forever! And that is also why the person who avoids and distrusts the Son is in the dark and doesn’t see life. All he experiences of God is darkness and an angry darkness at that.”

Oh, most Dear and Blessed God, how I long to “get in on everything, life complete and forever.” Mm, yes. I want to avoid the darkness. The angry darkness at that!

I know that my desire to recall the words from earlier have everything to do with the insightful kindness I remember from the character [Dr. Rollie Guthrie] portrayed at the time. A soft spoken, Truth telling individual who went out of his way in encouraging others.

Mm, yes Father. I am asking You to work in me that I will come to represent in real life something I’ve mostly witnessed through fictional roles. Even the description of this nonexistent individual is one I aspire to.

“Warm, genuine, reassuring… gifted when it comes to connecting… enjoys taking people under his wing, often guiding them with meaningful anecdotes that illuminate complicated situations… a man of faith… when things get tough, he looks to his faith to guide him.”

Yep! I’m asking Father. Embolden, empower and enable me in being the woman You created me to be. Loving. Kind. Wise. Complete. In You!

Do all You must. I love You. I thank You. Amen.

(623 words ~ 8:40 a.m.)

TRUTH

 Tuesday, April 20, 2021 (6:23 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy God,

How very much I thank You Lord! We get to come to You seeking (Matthew 7:7) and expecting Your Truth. Mm, yes. Your Truth!

I noticed my thoughts going in a negative direction just now and I remembered to ask myself, “What is the lie?” A question I learned yesterday.

(7:17 a.m.)

Dearest Father, because You are great, glorious, good and gracious I get to rest In Your Truth. I am able to turn from (Revelation 3:19) the negativity that would have me believe and build on the lies satan tells us.

Yes, Jesus! I get to choose You. Because of Your teachings I am here believing You instead of a lie. Thank and praise You Lord.

John (16:12-15) tells us You promised The Holy Spirit to Your disciples. Amplified Bible says, “I have many more things to say to you, but you cannot bear [to hear] them now. But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth [full and complete truth]. For He will not speak on His own initiative, but He will speak whatever He hears [from the Father - the message regarding the Son], and He will disclose to you what is to come [in the future]. He will glorify and honor Me, because He (the Holy Spirit) will take from what is Mine and will disclose it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Because of this I said that He [the Spirit] will take from what is Mine and will reveal it to you.”

We don’t have to be afraid. We don’t have to be alone. We get to ask ourselves, “What is the lie?” And counter that with “What is the Truth?”

The Truth is You are great. Glorious. Good. Gracious. Always. And You call us to trust and believe in You. Praise and thank You for reminding me of Your Truth.

The smiles keep getting bigger. International Children’s Bible. John 14:1, “Jesus said, ‘Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. And trust in Me.’”

And why should we trust You? Because You are the Way and the Truth and the Life (v. 6)!

Use me today exactly as You know is best. In Truth. Your Truth. The Truth of which You spoke (John 8:32) that releases true freedom into our lives.  Thank and praise You, Lord. I love You. Amen.

(394 words ~ 8:11 a.m.)