best words

 Friday, June 11, 2021 (7:19 a.m.)

Tahoe Vista, CA

Holy God,

Thank You! Yes. Finally. Best words out of my heart.

(8:08 a.m.)

 

Searching Your Word, I land at Psalm 139. And the understanding that You are more concerned with my attitude than my words. Thank You Father.

The smile on my face begins in my heart. Having struggled with weather related disappointment for several days I was keenly aware of the genuine joy flooding through me yesterday when I realized there was no wind.

Something as incredibly simple as calm, still water and trees set my spirits soaring. I couldn’t thank You fast enough.

Lord, I confess my fickleness to You. You know my heart and thoughts even before I do. Thank You that You love me anyway.

Thank You. Yes, thank You Father. I truly appreciate the way You take my dreadful thoughts and prayers of this past week and address them all right here in Psalm 139. Here I get to see myself being seen by You.

You HAVE examined my heart and know everything about me (verse 1). Every negative thought or comparison doesn’t surprise You. Nor do they keep You from loving and accepting me. Exactly as I am.

Father God, I love You. Deeply. Truly. I long to be the woman You created me to be. One who is loving. Kind. 

A Serenity Prayer devotional in The Life Recovery Bible reminds me that “One important step in the recovery process is to allow God to remove our self-hatred, helping us to value ourself for who we are.” This seems so much easier read than done!

Thank You Lord for taking charge of the battle that rages in my mind. Thank You for teaching me to ask, “What’s the lie?” And to “Be careful - watch out for attacks from satan, your great enemy. He prowls around like a hungry, roaring lion, looking for some victim to tear apart” (1 Peter 5:8).

Thank You that because of Your love for each and every single one of us we get to counter these attacks with Your Truth. “I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well” (Psalm 139:14 English Standard Version).

Even when I have the nerve to whine about the weather Your love for me never wavers.  Thank You Father. Praise You God.

Keep working in me as only You can. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. Point out anything that offends You, and lead me along the path of everlasting life” (vs. 23-24).

“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10). You alone are great. Glorious. Good. And gracious.

I want to live this day rejoicing and being glad for who and all You are, regardless of the weather! Thank You. Praise You. I love You. Use me exactly as You know is best. Amen.

(510 words ~ 9:11 a.m.)

supremely blessed

Thursday, June 10, 2021 (7:20 a.m.)

Tahoe Vista, CA

Holy God,

I love You. I thank You. And I think myself a brat.

You have blessed us supremely. With safe travels. Wellness. Yet I complain about the weather. And spotty internet connectivity. Am I kidding me? How dare I!

Father, thank You that I can come to You even when my thoughts are so incredibly self serving.

(8:44 a.m.)

Searching Your Word to reverse my mindset I land at Romans 12:12. Reading it in so many different versions, I’m asking You to enable me in applying it to my day and attitude.

Worldwide English (New Testament) “Be very happy because you have a hope. Be strong when you have trouble. Keep on talking with God.”

I struggle within myself by having the nerve of comparing disappointment to trouble. Inconvenience is not turmoil. But if I am not careful, even vigilant, satan could easily take over my thinking.

Thank You Lord, that I get to bring ALL my thoughts, hopes, dreams to You. I confess to having wanted warmer weather, ideal location, perfect communication conditions. Thank You for providing what YOU want us to have!

The Voice. Verses 11-13. “Do not slack in your faithfulness and hard work. Let your spirit be on fire, bubbling up and boiling over, as you serve the Lord. Do not forget to rejoice, for hope is always just around the corner. Hold up through the hard times that are coming, and devote yourself to prayer. Share what you have with the saints, so they lack nothing; take every opportunity to open your life and home to others.”

Lord God, You have a LOT of work to do in me to this end. Do all You must in making me into the woman You would have me be. Grateful. Loving. Kind,

The Passion Translation. “Be enthusiastic to serve the Lord, keeping your passion toward Him boiling hot! Radiate with the glow of the Holy Spirit and let Him fill you with excitement as you serve Him. Let this hope burst forth within you, releasing a continual joy. Don’t give up in a time of trouble, but commune with God at all times. Take a constant interest in the needs of God’s beloved people and respond by helping them. And eagerly welcome people as guests into your home.”

Do in, with, by, through and for me all that You know is necessary that I will readily and willingly share the supreme blessings You have provided us. ♪Great Is Thy Faithfulness, O God my Father. There is no shadow of turning with Thee… All I have needed Thy hand hath provided. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!♪

Thank You. Praise You. Use me. Amen.

(466 words ~ 9:14 a.m.)

confessing disappointment

Wednesday, June 9, 2021 (7:58 a.m.)

Tahoe Vista, CA

Great, Glorious, Good, Gracious God,

Sometimes I forget to acknowledge You. Forgive me Lord. Negativity comes so readily. Easily. Thank You that turning our thoughts to You offers Truth.

(8:52 a.m.)

Blessed, Holy Father God, I’m confessing embarrassment to You right now. I am feeling quite self-critical and judgmental at the moment. 

Boo-hoo, our trip has not gone as planned. Weather and other circumstances completely beyond our control have me wanting other than I’ve been given. And my overwhelming self-critique is, “How dare you complain!”

While I am aware of the blessings You provide us Lord, I feel guilty and ashamed for wanting different than You’ve given us. I look to You, humbly asking You to remove my shortcomings (Step 7 of 12).

Thank You Father for allowing me to be this honest with You. I get to choose to counter every “you’ve got your nerve” self-criticism with further confession of my own character flaws. Praise You God.

I don’t have to hide my deepest self from You. I couldn’t even if I wanted to. Which I don’t. You know my deepest desire. Thank You that I get to bring them all to You.

Choosing to read about how to deal with disappointment I find two helpful phrases:

“courageously navigate disappointment by being desperately honest with the Lord” 

“Misplaced hope ultimately leads to disappointment. Assessing that disappointment can be a starting point in readjusting our expectations about the things we want in life.”

While I don’t see myself being the least bit courageous here, I am being desperately honest with You. I want forgiveness for seeing myself as a self-absorbed, spoiled brat.

I’m not the only one being impacted by change in weather. Some are severely so. Lord God, there truly is a battle going on in my mind. Knowing, trusting, believing and wanting Your Truth versus negatively comparing myself with how I reluctantly accept disappointment.

Again I say, thank and praise You Lord! I get to come to You with the worst of myself and Your Truth still sings within. ♪Great Is Thy Faithfulness♪ (Lamentations 3:23). And ♪My Life [strength, hope] Is In You♪

And just like that! ♪This IS The Day That The Lord Has Made♪ (Psalm 118:24) starts in. I WILL rejoice and be glad in it! Yes Lord.

Before that thought even finishes ♪You delight in showing mercy Mercy triumphs over judgment♪ begins. Lord God, how I thank You for the privilege of being desperately honest with You.

I confessed disappointment and You countered with Truth. Mercy. Well placed hope. Use us this day Lord. Exactly as You know is best. Hoping in You! Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(458 words ~ 10:10 a.m.)

kind forgiveness

 Tuesday, June 8, 2021 (6:57 a.m.)

Tahoe Vista, CA

Holy God,

Thank You for smiles. And sleep. Forgiveness. And kindness. Mm, yes. Lord, talk with me this morning about the freedom that comes with Your forgiving kindnesses.

Psalm 25:6-7. “Overlook my youthful sins, O Lord! Look at me instead through eyes of mercy and forgiveness, through eyes of everlasting love and kindness.” Do this in me that I will come to do the same to others.

I confess to You Dearest God how easily resentment and bitterness overtake my heart. It is only You, Your Truth, Your promises that point me to the Cross. And all It represents.

In turning to You (Revelation 3:19) I get to experience peace that I truly do not understand (Philippians 4:7). Thank and praise You Lord.

(7:59 a.m.)

Searching Your Word. Seeking Your promises for this day, I find my thoughts are far deeper than usual. ♪Lead Me To The Cross♪

Oh yes Dearest Lord, this is no simple thank and praise You time together this morning. Each thought takes me further into Your Word. Luke 23:41. The believing criminal hanging next to Jesus, “We deserve to die for our evil deeds, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.”

I can think of no greater example of kind forgiveness than Jesus’ response to this man’s confession of faith. “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise” (v. 43).

Here I ask You to steep me in Your Word. Grow me into the woman You would have me be. One who is truly kind. Quick to forgive.

Yes Father. Do all You must in, with, by, through and for me that I will come to represent You well. As You alone so rightfully deserve.

I love You. I need You. I want You. And I ask You to enable and empower me to truly live Your Word this day. Thank You. Praise You. Amen.

(335 words ~ 8:51 a.m.)

greedy for God

 Monday, June 7, 2021 (7:05 a.m.)

Shoreline Park @ Donner Lake

Holy God,

I’m confessing greed to You right now.

(7:21 a.m.)

No sooner was the confession made and Your Truth was speaking. Again, the apostle Paul to the Philippian (2:5-9) believers.

Reading his words Lord, I realize I am greedy for You! 

lazy approach

 Sunday, June 6, 2021 (8:33 a.m.)

Tahoe Vista, CA

Blessed, Holy God,

What a lazy approach to a brand new day. Thank You. Yes.

Thank You for the opportunities and blessings You provide us. Travel. Change. Unexpectedness. Adjustments. Yes Father. This trip is different than we imagined. 

Reservations made more than a year ago could not be honored. Reevaluating our priorities was necessary to open ourselves to whatever joy we might find. And here we are with an absolutely lazy approach to the day.

I wonder how many ways there are to say, “Thank You God!”

(9:50 a.m.)

Truly! Thank You, God!

Thank You for taking me straight to Paul’s Prayer for Spiritual Empowering (Ephesians 3:14-21). I read. And think. Feel. And thank. 

“When I think of the wisdom and scope of God’s plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will give [us] mighty strength through His Holy Spirit. And I pray that Christ will be at home in [y]our hearts as [I] trust in Him. May [my] roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love. And may [I/we] have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how deep His love really is.”

Father, I read these words written so very long ago and truly ask that they apply to me.

“May [I] experience the love of Christ, though it is so great [I] will never fully understand it. Then [I] will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.” You are so incredibly good to us. And I long to fully live this day glorifying and enjoying You!

“Now glory be to God! By His mighty power at work within us, He is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to hope or ask. May He be given glory in the church and in Christ Jesus forever and ever through endless ages. Amen.”

Yes. Amen! I love You. I need You. I thank You. I ask You to use me as You know is best. Amen!

(375 ~ 11:29 a.m.)

YOUR best!

Saturday, June 5, 2021 (9:40 a.m.)

Big Pine, CA

Holy God,

Thank You! Praise You. Bless You. Keep You.

We’re goin’ on a trip. And we invite You to go with us. In us. By, through and for us Lord. Blessing and keeping us as only You know is YOUR best. Yes Lord.

All the things You would have us learn. See. Attend to. 

We love You. We need You.