I’m baaaack..:)

Sunset at Honeymoon Bay, Freycinet Peninsula, Tasmania, Australia Photo by JJ Harrision

Good morning, beloved,

The sun is rising this morning as it has done every morning of my life. It shines bright this morning as I begin. I may not see the sun every morning, as I rise, but I know, I know it is there.

Sun behind Clouds PHOTO by Quant

Psalm 113:

Praise the Lord!

Praise him, you servants of the Lord;
praise the name of the Lord.
² The Lord’s name ·should [is to] be ·praised[blessed]
now and forever.
³ The Lord’s name ·should [is to] be praised
from where the sun rises to where it sets.
⁴ The Lord is ·supreme [exalted] over all the nations [99:2];
his glory [^CGod’s manifest presence] ·reaches to the skies [is over the heavens].

Praise Him! Praise YHWH! I was talking about this idea of YHWH’s being like breath. To breath is to praise His name, which is very convicting to me that when I am in the midst of giving into temptation, I am breathing. My breath, my voice was meant to praise the One who gave it all. I am tempted to write with permanent marker on my hand:

Picture by http://www.jcpm.com/appliedchristianity/yahweh.html

Maybe a tattoo. The clouds would be challenging but to keep the truth of His name ever before me, I need it.

When am I to praise Him? Let’s look at this Psalm.  

The Lord’s name should [is to] be ·praised[blessed] now and forever.

Praise Him now and forever. Check out the Hebrew here. The word is `owlam. 

I. long duration, antiquity, futurity, for ever, ever, everlasting, evermore, perpetual, old, ancient, world

1. ancient time, long time (of past)

2. (of future)

   1. for ever, always

   2. continuous existence, perpetual

   3. everlasting, indefinite or unending future, eternity

You, me, all of us are meant to praise Him all. the. time. Doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of gray here. Oh, Lord, how little of my day is spent worshipping You. I confess. You know we think of confessing sin as big things: anger, lies, lust, you name it. Yet, if the Bible states unequivocally to praise Him always…

We were meant to NEVER get over Him. YHWH. Our LORD. We were never meant to leave Him in a box. Or at church. Or in our morning devotions. He is with us always. We were meant to praise Him all day.

Next question. Where is He to be praised?

³ The Lord’s name ·should [is to] be praised from where the sun rises to where it sets.

Is there anywhere on this planet that the sun is not? So it seems to me that all the world is meant to praise Him.  His.. his glory [^CGod’s manifest presence] ·reaches to the skies [is over the heavens].

Join me today. Join me in the song. Our God sings over us. Let us join Him and the angels in worship.

Reflect on His glory. His manifest presence.

My thankfuls today…

266. God’s mercy

267. Hymns and spiritual songs that keep me in worship

268. Help

Pray on. Pray ON! Worship on.

 

Fill

Liverpool Waterfront at Sunrise – Dave Wood, Liverpool Pictorial

God, my heart is ·steady [steadfast; ready].
I will sing and ·praise [play a psalm for] you ·with all my being [^Las will my soul/or glory].
² Wake up, harp and lyre!
I will wake up the dawn.
³ Lord, I will ·praise [thank] you among the ·nations [peoples];
I will sing ·songs of praise [psalms] about you to all the nations.
⁴ Your great ·love [loyalty] ·reaches to [is greater than] the ·skies [heavens],
your ·truth [faithfulness] to the heavens.
⁵ God, you are ·supreme [exalted] above the ·skies [heavens].
Let your glory [^Cmanifest presence] be over all the earth [57:5–11]. Psalm 108 EXB

Awake ! One of the stanzas of A Morning Prayer by Thomas Ken stands out to me today.

Lord, I my vows to thee renew; disperse my sins as morning dew; guard my first springs of thought and will, and with thyself my spirit fill.

Fill.

⁷ [^LBut] We have this treasure ·from God, but we are like clay jars that hold the treasure [^Lin clay jars]. This shows that the ·great [extraordinary; transcendent] power is from God, not from us. ⁸ We have ·troubles all around us [or all kinds of troubles/trials], but we are not ·defeated [crushed]. We ·do not know what to do [are perplexed/bewildered], but we do not ·give up the hope of living[despair]. 2 Corinthians 4 EXB

We cry out to be filled. And so much can fill us, but today? Today, let us choose to be filled with His Spirit.

Let us give thanks.

I will praise (thank) You!

Hang on to your hearts. I realized that my last two blog posts didn’t have my thankfuls..

249. A son captured by a book

250. A son worshipping upstairs

251. A daughter and son sleeping peacefully

252. My mom finishing my laundry

253. My dad being here, listening

254. Community in the church

255. Solutions

256. Good talks with family

257. Playing games last night

Fill, Lord, Fill us with You.

Pray on. Pray on.

 

Related articles

• Sing! Psalm 100 (klandryblog.wordpress.com)
• Psalm 8 (oh-mag.com)
• Worship Practice Starts Now: Psalms 150 (psalmslife.com)
• Back to the Heart of Worship (jsubers.wordpress.com)

 

Worship. Worship. Worship!

NGC 2467 and Surroundings by ESO

Good morning, beloved!

How’s that for a statement? Exclamation point! Ha! Take that stress! I wake up in the knowledge that I am loved by Creator God who makes such stunning displays of beauty. He reigns.

I remember when this song came out, my kids would belt this song out and one day I asked them what it meant that He reigns. O, Mom, you know, it means we are so thankful that it “rains”.  The song  takes on some interesting new connotations…

My kids all have certain ways that they like to go to bed. We have routines. They don’t like falling asleep without them. As they get older, the need for a certain routine seems to fade but the younger ones need the stability. Love you, see you in the morning, have a good night, it’s going to be a good night…repeated by each of them (well, except for my eldest). Each need, I believe, the assurance that they are loved.

When my world is caving in, I need reassurances that no matter how much rain falls, my God reigns. He makes it rain. He made this world.

The Lord ·is king [reigns; 47:2; 96:10; 97:1; 98:6; 99:1; Rev. 19:6]. He is ·clothed [robed] in majesty.
The Lord is ·clothed [robed] in majesty
and ·armed [girded] with strength.
The world is ·set [established],
and it ·cannot be moved [will not totter].
² Lord, your ·kingdom [^Lthrone] was ·set up [established] long ago;
you are everlasting. Psalm 93 EXB

Tears may flow from my eyes from life’s messes but I know, I know, I declare that my God is faithful! He is Lord Almighty!

My Pandora mix today are all these songs. I think maybe my Lord wants to me remember this all. SO I’m sharing these songs because they are such good reminders. Remember, beloved. Nothing compares to His embrace. Light of the World He forever rains. (Just kidding..)

⁹ ·Worship [Bow down to] the Lord ·because he is holy [^Lin the splendor of his holiness].
Tremble before him, everyone on earth.
¹⁰ Tell the nations, “The Lord ·is king [reigns; 47:2; 93:1; 97:1; 98:6; 99:1; Rev. 19:6].”
The earth is ·set [established], and it cannot be moved. Psalm 96 EXB

Worship Him. Tell the world that our Lord is King.

There was a whole lotta hoopla about History Channel’s The Bible debut of Satan this week. That the man’s makeup is designed to make him look like Obama. Whatever. For my brain, remembering that our God’s power is triumphant. Are Satan’s tactics hard to cope with? Yes. God lifts us higher. Lifts you higher than your circumstances.

So my thankfuls today:

230. A beautiful bathroom painted by my lovely Mother..

231. A neighbor who brought me yummy slippers and workout pants.

232. What’s In the Bible with Buck Denver..what a gift.

Praying for our Pastors and their wives:

Pray that your pastor and his wife will practice servant leadership, edifying the congregation with wisdom and serving with God’s “agape” love. (Gal. 5:13b; Eph. 6:7; Mark 10:43b-45, 9:23-24; John 13:5-9; Phil. 2:3-4) (ROH)

God bless you today..pray on. Pray on.

 

Awake

Dawn at Swifts Creek. Photo by Fir0002/Flagstaffotos

Good morning, beloved,

How do you understand a peaceful, quiet, restful day when the day earlier was the antithesis? Grateful. I begin thinking what did I do differently? Questioning. Not sure, wondering. So I begin with…

Awake, my soul, and with the sun
thy daily stage of duty run;
shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise
to pay thy morning sacrifice.

Lord, I my vows to thee renew;
disperse my sins as morning dew;
guard my first springs of thought and will,
and with thyself my spirit fill.

Five Vows for Spiritual Power by A.W. Tozer ( Powerful..please take some time)

Direct, control, suggest, this day,
all I design or do or say;
that all my powers, with all their might,
in thy sole glory may unite.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host:
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

To praise: 2 express one’s respect and gratitude towards (a deity), especially in song:we praise God for past blessings (Oxford Dictionary)

My thankfuls today (what are yours?)

211. For my parents coming and helping us.

212. For dear friends’ blessings.

213. For loaves (notice plural) of bread in the freezer.

For our Pastors and their wives:

Ask God to protect your pastor from the evil plots of Satan. Pray that he will not be corrupted as he rubs shoulders with the world in the course of ministry. (John 17:15; Is. 54:17; 2 Cor. 2:11; 1 Pet. 3:12; Ps. 9:9-10, 91:9-11) (Revive Our Hearts)

Pray on. Pray on.

Related articles

• Praise God From Whom All Blessings Flow (conmakhalira.wordpress.com)
• 7 Hebrew Words For Praise: “Zamar” (christlikeministriesnwa.wordpress.com)
• Now is the moment for worship (truthorshame.com)
• Prayer Points from the 2013 March Special RCCG Holy Ghost Service: “Accelerated Promotion By Pastor E. A. Adeboye. (bummyla.wordpress.com)

 

A lighthouse on the islet of Keri, Estonia. Photo by Andrus Uuetalu

Good morning, beloved,

I was reminded of two prayers yesterday. After a day of much frustration and weeping with my children, grinding through a day that did not reflect all that He had shown me that morning. I sat numb after the kids went to AWANA. My children depend on routine and that was a fail yesterday. After shoveling, I thought it would be fun to make scones and try something new for breakfast. Fail.  It was not the routine. And we began a day of fighting and walls. Friends, it just was a pit day. I know you know what I mean.

I waited patiently for the Lord;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
² He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock,
And established my steps. Psalm 40 NKJV

Last night I was reminded. Do you remember me telling about Mike and Wendy Lambert? Well, they have been working hard to find people to support them so they can head to the mission field. They have been praying, hoping for God to open doors. And yesterday, God opened a door. Chris Fabry will be hosting them on his program today at 2pm CST! They will be given a chance to share their story. Will you join me in praying for them today? And the link on Chris Fabry will take you to his program today so you can listen either live or a recording. Join me won’t you?

God is always working. God is always fresh and moving and holy. Look at this first prayer with me.

Awake, my soul, and with the sun
thy daily stage of duty run;
shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise
to pay thy morning sacrifice.

Lord, I my vows to thee renew;
disperse my sins as morning dew;
guard my first springs of thought and will,
and with thyself my spirit fill.

Direct, control, suggest, this day,
all I design or do or say;
that all my powers, with all their might,
in thy sole glory may unite.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow;
praise him, all creatures here below;
praise him above, ye heavenly host:
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Thomas Ken

Declaring over this day.  Awake my soul! I my vows to thee renew. Guard my first springs of though and will. Praise God from whom all blessings flow! You are the one to be glorified with this day. As I get into the nitty gritty of this day, I remember You are directing this day. I do not begin this day in my own strength.

I heard Chris Fabry’s conversation with John Eldridge last night. He said he has been praying a simple prayer as he walks into a conversation, or phone call, or work. Jesus in me, Jesus, help me with this _____.

Jesus is with us. Jesus is in us. Here is the other prayer:

Ransomed Heart

 

Christ with me, Christ before me,Christ behind me,Christ in me, Christ beneath me,Christ above me,Christ on my right, Christ on my left,Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit,Christ when I stand,Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,Christ in every eye that sees me,Christ in every ear that hears me.

 

It is a good morning.

 

 

My thankfuls:

 

208. New mornings

 

209. Danny finishing his memorizing of the 10 commandments

 

210. For wide open doors

 

Prayers for your pastor and his wife:

 

Friends I am going to be praying that part of the Breastplate prayer! Christ with me, Christ before me,Christ behind me,Christ in me, Christ beneath me,Christ above me,Christ on my right, Christ on my left,Christ when I lie down, Christ when I sit,Christ when I stand,Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of me,Christ in every eye that sees me,Christ in every ear that hears me.

 

Thank You, Lord, for a new day! Pray on. Pray on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enter in…

European Bee-eater, Ariège, France. The female (in front) awaits the offering which the male will make. Photo by Pierre Dalous

Good morning, beloved,

I am not an organized person. At all. I admit this. I admit that I try to be organized. Try to keep things in one place with labels, label-makers…and yet, if there is a space cleared, somehow stuff gets on it. I have books everywhere. I have laundry. I have a dog who steals whatever she can, whatever she can get away with…ergo, I have dog toys, bones. As you know, I also have a husband and kids..so Legos invade my every crevice, doll shoes end up caught in my vacuum. I find gloves (I’ve begun to notice we always have the right handed…) I find socks (don’t even get me started…).

So life is messy around here. We live here. You can tell. However, my desire, my prayer is that our house would be a house that welcomes God. Welcomes His Spirit. We have, as I’ve mentioned before, a whole lot of sinners around here. The Psalm that I found this morning speaks of opening the temple gates to welcome the King of Glory in.

Remembering first that…

The earth belongs to the Lord, and ·everything in it [^Lits fullness]—
the world and all its ·people [inhabitants].
² He ·built [founded] it on the waters
and ·set [established] it on the rivers [Gen. 1:9–10; Is. 45:18]. Psalm 24 EXB

Beginning with the truth that this world is truly the Lord’s. As I walk, I want to remember, He called His creation good.

⁹ Then God said, “Let the water under the ·sky [heavens] be gathered together so the dry land will appear.” And it happened. ¹⁰ God ·named [called] the dry land “earth” and [^Lhe called] the water that was gathered together “seas.” God saw that this was good. Genesis 1:9-10

¹⁸ The Lord created the heavens.
He is the God who formed the earth and made it.
He did not ·want [create] it to be ·empty [or formless; chaotic; Gen. 1:2],
but he ·wanted life on the earth [^Lformed it to be inhabited].
This is what the Lord says:
“I am the Lord. There is no other God. Isaiah 45:18

He wanted life. The Lord did not want empty, He wanted life. As I invite the Lord into my day, as we invite Him into our home today…

³ Who may go up on the mountain of the Lord [^CZion, the location of the Temple]?

From Ness Harim, looking towards Jerusalem in the winter. Photo by Hanan Cohen

Who may stand in his holy ·Temple [^Lplace]?
⁴ Only those with clean hands and pure hearts [^Cinnocent in actions and thoughts],
who have not ·worshiped idols [^Llifted their souls to false things],
who have not made promises ·in the name of a false god [or deceitfully].
⁵ They will receive a blessing from the Lord;
the God who ·saves [rescues; ^Tdelivers] them will ·declare them right [vindicate them].
⁶ ·They try to follow God [^LThis is the generation/people of those who seek him];
they ·look to the God of Jacob for help [^Lsearch for your face, O God of Jacob]. ·Selah[Interlude]

I cleanse my hands. I cleanse my heart. I know that Jesus’ blood is what saves me. God’s plan to rescue, deliver and vindicate us was a plan that included His Son paying the price for sin. Lord, I seek Your face this morning. Snow covers the trees, the ground, even the fences…

we have a lot of snow!

The Lord says,
“Come, let us ·talk about these things [reason together; or settle this matter; or consider your options].
Though your sins are like scarlet [^Cstained with blood; vv. 15, 21],
they can be as white as snow.
Though your sins are ·deep red [^Lred as crimson/purple],
they can be white like wool. Isaiah 1 EXB

I remember. I remember His grace. I love this picture of reasoning together, settling, considering with the Lord. This is a relationship. The Lord is waiting.

⁷ ·Open up [^LLift up your heads], you gates.
·Open wide [^LBe lifted up], you ·aged [ancient] doors
and the ·glorious King [King of glory] will come in.
⁸ Who is this ·glorious King [King of glory]?
The Lord, strong and mighty.
The Lord, ·the powerful warrior [mighty in battle].
⁹ ·Open up [^LLift up your heads], you gates.
·Open wide [^LBe lifted up], you ·aged [ancient] doors
and the ·glorious King [King of glory] will come in.
¹⁰ Who is this ·glorious King [King of glory]?
The Lord ·All-Powerful [of Heaven’s Armies/^THosts]—
he is the ·glorious King [King of glory]. ·Selah [Interlude] Psalm 24 EXB

We lift up our heads. We open our doors. We ask You, King of glory, Lord of the Angel armies, please come in. Make our hearts your home.

My thankfuls today:

Three ugly/beautiful gifts (Ann Voskamp, Joy Dare):

196. Our yard went from muddy and soggy to light and beautiful with the snow!

197. Deep cleaned our laundry room..thankful for working machines.

198. Having the carpets cleaned last week…ahhh…

Prayers for Pastor:

Pray that he will earnestly seek God’s will and be committed to instant and complete obedience—ready for God to work powerfully in and through his ministry. (2 Cor. 10:3-5; Luke 9:23-24)

Prayers for Pastor’s wife:

Pray that she will earnestly seek God’s will and be committed to instant and complete obedience—ready for God to work powerfully in and through her life and ministry.  (1 Sam. 15:22; 2 Cor. 10:3-5; Luke 9:23-24) Revive our Hearts

Pray on. Pray on.

 

 

Related articles

• A Psalm of Praise! (psalmsofpraisewomensministries.wordpress.com)
• The Lord Is My Shepherd – The King of Glory! (graceofourlord.com)

 

Placing the day…

Winter Sunset in Pennsylvania Photo by SloMo2639

Good morning, beloved,

This morning found me awake earlier than usual. With coffee in hand, I begin my day with the Lord. I place my day in His hands.

²² The stone that the builders rejected
became the chief cornerstone [Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:7].
²³ ·The Lord did this [^LThis is from the Lord],
and it is wonderful ·to us [^Lin our eyes; Matt. 21:42; Mark 12:10–11].
²⁴ This is the day that the Lord has made.
Let us rejoice and be glad ·today [^Lin it]! Psalm 118 EXB

I look over my yesterday and ask Him to teach me. I look to my tomorrow and remember, grace. Grace for yesterday, grace for today, grace for tomorrow, so thankful for His grace. Why is life so calm in the garden?  Walking with Him, talking with Him, it’s so peaceful. and then I have to jump into my life. My life feels a little like a snowball at the top of the mountain and by the end of the day, a huge ball. I’ve said things, done things, I regret.

So I truly believe that His Spirit resides in me. So why is it so hard to live out that in front of my family?

I hear myself. I hear the fear. Do you hear it? Do you ever approach a day wondering if, in your time of prayer, what you prayed will bear fruit?

I ·look up [^Lraise my eyes] to the hills [^Cthe hills surrounding Zion, the location of the Temple],

Sunrise over the Jerusalem hills. Photo by Super Jew

 but where does my help come from?
² My help comes from the Lord,
    who made heaven and earth [Gen. 1].Psalm 121  EXB

He is the One who helps. He is the One who made it all. So as I begin the day, I lift my eyes. I bring my day before my God, my Helper. I am not ever going to attain perfection this side of heaven, but God promises He will help. He will come.

³ He will not let ·you be defeated [^Lyour feet be moved/slip].
    He who ·guards [watches] you never sleeps.
⁴ He who ·guards [watches] Israel
    never ·rests [sleeps] or ·sleeps [slumbers].

We will not be defeated by the enemy. Our feet will not move or slip. We have the Divine Guardian. He never dozes. He never takes a nap with His favorite afghan. He guards us, He guards Israel always. Promises that we can stand upon.

Western Moon setting over Mountains, High Desert, California by Jessie Eastland aka Robert DeMeo

⁵ The Lord ·guards [watches] you.
    The Lord is the shade ·that protects you from the sun [^Lat your hand, your right hand; 91:1].
⁶ The sun cannot ·hurt [^Lstrike] you during the day,
    and the moon cannot ·hurt [^Lstrike] you at night.

So friends, we live with the promise. The Lord is watching, He is the shade. I’m so thankful that God gives us pictures in His word. He is our shade. He is covering us from the sun. He is at our hand. So, as I begin my day, breathing in, breathing out. I am realizing I think tooooooo much. It is so good to remember. SO good to ponder. And duh, where are my note cards during the day with His Word scribbled? Yes, I stopped doing that, and I am going to work on that as soon as I finish.

What disciplines do you have in place that help YOU to remember? A lit candle? Music in the background? We battle. I battle. When I have these different “triggers”, I can look all over and recall.

 

⁷ The Lord will ·protect [guard; watch] you from all ·dangers [trouble; evil];
    he will ·guard [watch] your life.
⁸ The Lord will ·guard [watch] you as you come and go,
    both now and forever.

We are in His sweet care. We are protected. Five times, in this Psalm, we find the Hebrew word, shamar, to guard, to protect. We know. We can trust. Faith. Faith that He will be there always.

Ann Voskamp, Joy Dare:

A gift on a paper, in a person, in a picture:

154. My kids’ pictures, writings, drawings…priceless.

155. Staying in touch with friends, near and far.

156. Seeing pictures of family vacations, delight and relaxation. Remembering…

So, friends, we have a choice. We can grab hold of what we know to be true. Place different triggers around the house, verses, candles, songs. As our world gets more complicated as the day goes by, we can stop, take a breath and remember. I’m game, how about you?

Pray on. Pray on.

Related articles

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Sunrise, Norton Sound, Alaska by ra64

Good morning, beloved,

Parts of our house are not heated now. Now the nice here is we rent our house, so when a problem occurs, such as this one with incredible money needing to be poured out, ahem, it is not our bread. Bad here is when the company we use is so busy, they can’t come until Tuesday. I got to thinking about this, um, issue that has arisen in our house. Curiously, the kitchen remains warm, the laundry room remains warm and the upstairs bedrooms are comfortable.  (Guess where we stay?)

I don’t mind the cold except in my hands and my feet.  I cannot sleep unless my hands and feet warm. I wear socks to bed. I’m thinking of wearing mittens. My husband, my kids do not seem to have such a deal with cold.  In fact, my daughter loves to sleep with her feet exposed. We call that her temperature feet.

We went to the funeral of a dear, sweet friend of our whole family. As we walked in RIGHT on time, ahem, the church was pretty near packed. As we walked to join my parents, I prepared my heart for the next hour. Or tried. Then I began to watch the slide show of this rock star’s life. (Ok, she wasn’t a rock star to the masses, she was a rock star to me.)  Friends, children, grandchildren came to share the story of their own life intersecting with Jo.

However, as I shared with my family on the drive home, the blessing of this hour came in my Dad. Jo loved my Mom and Dad and was a friend to them. She loved them, accepted them and cared for them. I cannot list here all the ways her life filled my parents’ with joy.

Dad made a comment about Jo’s singing voice. He said his daughter’s voice was nearly as beautiful. It was a comment that could have been missed, but it was a complement that blessed me. I reflected with my family how in my life as I reflect, I can remember many of the blessings my Dad has given me. I cherish each one.

There is great power in our words. Words that pour out of our mouths without thought. Speaking God‘s word over a dear one. Encouraging, complementing, or hurting, yucky…we have a choice.

We can either warm our family and friends with our presence or we can be an icy room that people can’t wait to hustle out and shut the door.

Not only that, our thought life, how we see ourselves, how we talk to ourselves can be equally damaging. You see, my singing, I critique and criticize my voice as I sing on Sunday in front. I easily can forget the blessing of just plain worshiping our God. I think God knew I needed to hear my Dad’s blessing. I needed to remember why I sing. I sing not for the applause of the church. I sing for the applause of my Jesus.

Church today. Are you going? Are ya getting ready to worship?

Psalm 104:

³¹ May the glory of the Lord [^Chis manifest presence] be forever.
May the Lord ·enjoy [rejoice in] what he has made.
³² He just looks at the earth, and it ·shakes [trembles].
He touches the mountains, and they smoke.

³³ I will sing to the Lord all my life;
I will ·sing praises [make a psalm] to my God as long as I live.
³⁴ May my ·thoughts [meditations] please him;
I ·am happy [will rejoice] in the Lord.
³⁵ Let sinners be ·destroyed [obliterated] from the earth,
and let the wicked live no longer.

·My whole being [^TO my soul], ·praise [bless] the Lord.
Praise the Lord.

My thankfuls today (well, first yesterday’s):

3 gifts that might never have been (Ann Voskamp, Joy Dare):

121. When Luke was born, the doctor discovered a knot in the umbilical cord. He looked at us and said, this must be very recent. You are very blessed. Yes, yes we are.

122. During the first weeks of Ella in the womb, I began to experience horrible pains. They thought I was miscarrying, nope, appendicitis. The surgery could have snuffed out her precious life. Many ultrasounds later, and months later, we met our sweet girl. Precious.

123. If we had never read a certain book, Almost Amish, and had a weekend to pray and discuss, I’m not sure we would be at our church today. We had a chance to pause and listen. God’s grace. God’s blessing.

Today’s thankfuls:

Three gifts seen only up close (Ann Voskamp, Joy Dare):

124. I’m really thankful for the snowflake. The individual, beautiful snowflake reminds me of the beauty that we are..God sees us as the individual. He made us beautiful…

Snow flakes by Wilson Bentley. Bentley was a bachelor farmer whose hobby was photographing snow flakes. ; Image ID: wea02087, Historic NWS Collection ; Location: Jericho, Vermont ; Photo Date: 1902 Winter

125. Friendships…sounds like a great idea but you have to get up close and share deeply for friends to become sisters. It can be messy. Imperfect.

126. Suffering…sounds like a horrible idea but I’m never closer to Jesus than when I carry His cross and it leaves scars. From afar, we would never wish for pain and suffering, up close, I understand He carries me.

Pray on. Pray on.

 

sculpture by Barbara Hepworth in Cambridge/U.K. (King’s Fellows Garden) Attila Malarik from Cambridge, United Kingdom

Good morning, beloved,

This morning, I have been quiet before the Lord, listening to music proclaiming His light, His love, His majesty, His mercy. I had a boy snuggling with me this morning and I prayed over him that we could just do a more loving job of loving one another as He has called us. Our communication, this week has been rocky and disjointed. So, we sit together, knowing this is a language we both understand. Under it all, we love each other very much. Combined with not feeling my best, allowing quiet to speak ministering more to him than any words. I think that is a good picture for His love for me this morning. Laying my head on His breast, just allowing Him to sing over me, He quiets me with His love. Today I ask you to listen to the songs. Allow yourself a time of worship.

Quiet…remember. He’s got the whole world in His hands…do you need to remember? You know the song. So do I, but this morning, I am very weepy. Come to the place where you see your need for God. Your need for His touch. Listen. He’s here. He’s so close. You are loved.

I had another round of injections yesterday. I brought my kindle with me this time. I have found with my kindle it has a “text to speech“. As I struggled with a migraine before the procedure, as I lay there, I listened to a book full of wonderful advice. It was good as I lay in the darkness to hear how I can tangibly bless my family financially with the grocery budget, also amazing to keep me calm as I waited with an IV in my arm…

After the injections were done, I was very weepy. I was still in much pain and the injections themselves are painful. Right away, I asked for my kindle and turned on Psalm 103. I calmed. I listened. As it is one of my favorites, I can recite with certain versions. I had somehow chosen a version not familiar. So I listened with new ears, I did not turn it off while the doctors and nurses whisked in and out. I was so much calmer.

Psalm 103: 1·All that I am [^TO my soul], ·praise [bless] the Lord;
·everything in me [^Lall my inward parts], ·praise [bless] his holy name.
² ·My whole being [^TO my soul], ·praise [bless] the Lord
and do not forget all his ·kindnesses [gifts; benefits].
³ He forgives all ·my [or your] ·sins [iniquity]
and heals all ·my [or your] ·diseases [ills].
⁴ He ·saves [redeems] ·my [or your] life from the ·grave [^Lpit]
and ·loads [or crowns] ·me [or you] with ·love [loyalty] and ·mercy [compassion].
⁵ He satisfies ·me [or you] with good things [^Las long as you live; or according to your desires]
and ·makes me young again [^Lrenews your youth], like the eagle [Is. 40:31].

⁶ The Lord does what is ·right [righteous] and ·fair [just]
for all who are ·wronged by others [oppressed; exploited].
⁷ He ·showed [revealed] his ways to Moses [Ex. 34:5–7]
and his deeds to the ·people [sons] of Israel.
⁸ The Lord shows ·mercy [compassion] and ·is kind [grace].
He ·does not become angry quickly [is slow to anger], and he has great ·love [loyalty; 86:15;145:8–9; Ex. 34:6–7; Neh. 9:17. 31; Joel 2:13; Jon. 4:2].
⁹ He will not always ·accuse [charge; contend with] us,
and he will not ·be angry forever [^Lkeep watch forever].
¹⁰ He ·has not punished us as our sins should be punished [^Ldoes not act toward us according to our sins];
he has not repaid us ·for the evil we have done [^Laccording to our iniquity].
¹¹ As high as the ·sky [heaven] is above the earth,
so great is his ·love [loyalty] for those who ·respect [fear] him [Prov. 1:7].
¹² He has taken our ·sins [transgressions] away from us
as far as the east is from west.
¹³ The Lord has ·mercy [compassion] on those who ·respect [fear] him [Prov. 1:7],
as a father has ·mercy [compassion] on his children.
¹⁴ He knows how we were ·made [formed];
he remembers that we are dust [Gen. 2:7; 3:19; Job 4:19; 10:9; 34:15; Eccl. 3:20; 12:7].

Dust sunbeams through tree by Fir0002/Flagstaffotos

Take the Joy Dare (Ann Voskamp)(free on Ann Voskamp’s website!):

Today: Something Above, Below, Beside

My thankfuls:

103. I’m so thankful for rain drenching the ground, our family is praying our lake is full by spring time.

104. I’m thankful for mud tracking in on our white floors. Hold on…it’s a metaphor for me. One, a quick swipe with a hot soapy mop…gone. Reminder, God’s the hot soapy mop in my life. Two…is my next thankful.

105. I’m thankful for all the footprints for they represent. We are breath.

I’ve now heard this song twice this morning.

Pray on. Pray on.

 

 

Museum day

Olympiapark, Munich, Germany. by Diego Delso

Good morning, beloved,

Yesterday was a museum day. Two of my children were given a blessing and taken to the Field Museum of Chicago. After weighing my options, as much as I would have LOVED to go to the Field, I  chose a different adventure for my other sweets: Kenosha Museums. I must tell you, I grew up going to the Science and Industry Museum, the Aquarium, the Field Museum, huge museums that could not, on my best day, be covered in one day. Chicago knows how to do museums. However, when I was growing up the museums were free. They are, now, most certainly not. Yes, they have free days. My kids have grown up similarly.

So when, I realized the first museum was not going to take us the day. I began scrambling. In fact, as we strolled through the first museum, discussing and admiring, I tried to slow them down. A LOT. Oh, let’s look here. I began reading all of the wall posts. Asking pertinent questions. Luke, however, was not having it. L: Can we see more, Mom? Me: How about you open that little door and see what is in there? (opens door, nods, closes door..) L: Nice. Can we move on? Me: Sigh.

As we finished at the first museum, I told them as such. They stared back, confused. We are done? What we had expected in the museum, based on previous experiences, did not match what was before us. Were they sad or crying? Mercy, no. In fact, the museum was well done. They enjoyed, they just thought there must be more. We all knew it was a gift to be here. One month ago, I could never, ever have coped with this outing. My head and ear issues would have not allowed such an event. I did this day so much differently then I would have at the beginning of the school year. We sat and admired the view of Lake Michigan.

We stopped and discussed the written bits all over the museum about how old the earth is, how evolution brought us to where we are today, etc. I stopped my boys and talked about the Lord and His handprint on creation. Did God‘s word say it differently? Creator God, author…

We sat and watched the little movies and discussed our worldview as compared to the movie. It was exciting to hear them discuss and remember the truths of His word. I stopped, I listened, I watched. I didn’t rush. A small museum helped me be able to do this. I held their hands. I touched their faces. I enjoyed just being with them. They didn’t have to worry about me. Well, I take that back, Mom, we are going to sit?? We never do that at museums. LOL. We do now!

I could not walk through that museum without making sure to bring authorship of each animal, bone, plant, person to the correct source. The King of Kings.

How often do you stop, press the pause button on the craziness of life, and breath in? Breath out.

Sunday’s sermon is still ringing in my ears, Psalm 73, please take some time and listen here. These verses hold me up. He loves me and holds tight to our hand. Me! No matter, He loves us passionately.

Psalm 73: ²³ But I am always with you [^Cin covenant relationship];
you have held my ·hand [^Lright hand; ^Cguiding him].
²⁴ You guide me with your advice,
and later you will receive me in ·honor [glory; ^Cperhaps in the afterlife].
²⁵ ·I have no one [^LWhom do I have…?] in heaven but you;
I ·want [desire] nothing on earth besides you.
²⁶ My body and my ·mind [heart] may become weak,
but God is ·my strength [^Lthe rock of my heart].
He is ·mine [^Lmy portion] forever.

My thankfuls:

100. I am thankful to God for the gift of thanksgiving. It is changing me.

101. I am thankful for my pause yesterday.

102. I am thankful for small museums that help me remember to pause.

Pray on. Pray on.