Brown bears at Brooks Falls Katmai National Park. Photograped by Brocken Inaglory in July of 1998

Good morning, beloved,

Sunday, the Lord”s day, a day of rest, a day of peace, or supposedly such, we forget what God‘s original design. We forget He designed us to work for six days and on the seventh, we rest. I am grateful, grateful for God’s design. It is flawless, it is beautiful and to this daughter, necessary.

However, can I just get some agreement here? Even if I cut out everything outside of our home on Sunday afternoons, things still creep in. Even if our goal is rest, the house still needs to be picked up. Dishes still need to be done. We have to start packing, as our floors will be torn up soon. We are painting a bathroom. Time to spend with the family that can be fun. So my quiet is now, before I open my email, read my messages on Facebook, and today, remember, Your will be done, Lord, on earth as it is in heaven.

Your will- from Blue Letter Bible’s Lexicon:

1) what one wishes or has determined shall be done

a) of the purpose of God to bless mankind through Christ

b) of what God wishes to be done by us

1) commands, precepts

2) will, choice, inclination, desire, pleasure

Oh, we must see this word, thelēma, in action in other parts of the Word. Come with me, and let’s dive in.

Matthew 7: ²¹ “Not all those who say [^Lto me] ·‘You are our Lord’ [^L‘Lord! Lord!’] will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do ·what my Father in heaven wants [the will of my Father in heaven].

So, the first thing to remember about God’s will, those who do what the Father wants will enter the kingdom. That word only interests me but as my family likes to call it..this becomes a rabbit trail.

Matthew 12: ⁵⁰ My true brother and sister and mother are those who do ·what my Father in heaven wants [the will of my Father in heaven].”

Jesus calls His family those who do the will of His Father in heaven. We are His family! What a blessed thought.

Matthew 26:4² Then Jesus went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for ·this painful thing [^Lthis thing; ^Cthe cup of suffering; v. 39] to be taken from me, and if I must ·do [drink] it, ·I pray that what you want [^Lmay your] will be done.”

Jesus, twice asked the Father, to be taken from the cup of suffering, and yet, Jesus, of course, did take the cup, asking the Father for His will be done. Whatever we face today, we face it with the knowledge, that  the One who drank from this horrible cup, can give us the strength to cope with it .

Psalm 40:⁸ My God, I ·want [delight; take pleasure] to do ·what you want [your pleasure].

    Your ·teachings [instructions; laws] are in my heart.”

⁹ I will tell ·about your goodness [the good news] in the great ·meeting of your people[assembly].
Lord, you know ·my lips are not silent [^LI have not restrained my lips].

May this be our prayer today. Our desire to take delight in doing His pleasure. To hold to His teachings in our hearts and proclaim the good news.

Romans 12:² Do not be ·shaped by [conformed to; pressed into a mold by] this ·world [age]; instead be ·changed within [transformed] by ·a new way of thinking [orchanging the way you think; ^Lthe renewing of your mind]. Then you will be able to ·decide [discern; test and approve] what ·God wants for you [is God’s will]; you will know what is good and pleasing to him and what is perfect.

This culture, this world we live in has a powerful hold and strength. As Paul says, this mold of this age kills. The world holds nothing but death. Instead, let us be changed, transformed into a new way to think. Asking the Lord, with Your teachings, instructions in my heart; with the example of Christ; with knowing we are family then please, change us. Transform us. We want to know Your will. We want transformation. Lord, we seek You to know what is good, what is pleasing and what is perfect.

Oh, I could go on with this one. Join me again tomorrow, when I work through more of the Word of God with this one phrase: Will of God.

My thankfuls today:

257. Laughter, what a precious gift, to laugh.

258. A new day, provisions, hope.

259. Watching our son play basketball with a smile on his face.

Pray on. Pray on.

Related articles

• Teach me to Pray (jdumois01.wordpress.com)
• Pray Like This…. [7] (matreames.wordpress.com)

 

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

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

 

Time

Bronte Sunrise Photo by popejon2 from Paddington, Australia

And everything You hold in Your hand
Still You make time for me
I can’t understand
Praise You God of Earth and sky
How beautiful is Your unfailing love
Unfailing love (Chris Tomlin, Unfailing Love)

Higher than the mountains that I face
Stronger than the power of the grave
Constant through the trial and the change
One thing remains
One thing remains

Your love never fails it never gives up it never runs out on me (Passion, One Thing Remains)

Love brought Jesus here. Love brought Jesus to this week, intensity unmeasured. These two songs have played on my Pandora. Sometimes I just need to remember, my love isn’t like the Lord’s. I love with issues. Right?! We put our designs, our thoughts, our past on God’s love for us and for others. These songs remind me, I don’t understand how deep His love is for us. What does Paul say in Ephesians 3?

I ·bow in prayer [kneel] before the Father¹⁵ from whom ·every [or the whole] ·family [^Ca play on words, since the words “father” and “family” are related] in heaven and on earth gets its true name. ¹⁶ I ask the Father ·in his great glory [or from the treasures of his glory; or out of his glorious riches] to give you the power to be strong ·inwardly[^Lin the inner person] through his Spirit. ¹⁷ I pray that Christ will ·live [make his home] in your hearts by faith and that your life will be ·strong in love and be built on love [^Lrooted and grounded in love].¹⁸ And I pray that you and all ·God’s holy people [^Tthe saints] will have the power to ·understand[comprehend; grasp] the greatness of Christ’s love—how wide and how long and how high and how deep that love is. ¹⁹ Christ’s love is ·greater than anyone can ever know [beyond comprehension/knowledge], but I pray that you will be able to know that love. ·Then [^L…so that] you can be filled with the fullness of God.

Be filled! I stare at the list of what happened on each day in the Passion week on the Blue Letter Bible. They’ve made a concise list of the events, teachings that occurred. I count 17 different things. 17! Seventeen. Ten and seven. (Here’s a link) If you knew you only had a amount of days left, what would you want whom you love to know and remember? Jesus passionately gives and teaches in His last week. On the other hand,  I wonder He  must have treated every day as a gift .  John 21: ²⁵ There are many other things Jesus did. If every one of them were written down, I suppose the whole world would not be big enough for all the books that would be written. I sit in wonder at that statement. I love books. I fill my house with them. We spend much time at the library. I love, love, love the treasure of books and John is telling us, yes, we couldn’t write it all down.

Keyingham Cemetery Photo by Paul Glazzard

It seems though, the gospel writers sure tried to give their readers a very clear picture of Jesus’ last words! I think of the disciples walking with Jesus, I think it was a blessing they didn’t understand the events as they unfolded this week. They followed. They listened. They nodded. Then like dawn falling on a new morning, after He died, all of the pieces fit together beautifully. Matthew 27:⁵⁴ When the ·army officer [centurion] and ·the soldiers [^Lthose with him] guarding Jesus saw this earthquake and everything else that happened, they were ·very frightened [filled with awe] and said, “He really was the Son of God!”

Today, I want to work on time wasters in my life. Things that detract from God’s mission for my life. This has weighed heavily on my mind. Treating my life more as a precious gift, and not being assured of my tomorrow. Teaching my kids to value quiet, to value time spent away from all things plugged in, to enjoy rest, to enjoy the beauty of a book. This number seventeen that burns in my head. Jesus treated His life, His time on this earth as precious time to communicate all things of God. I have a choice to bring this day under the glory of God.

Sitting on my computer, researching all things, pinning on my boards of Pinterest, checking a friend’s status on Facebook about her child learning to use the toilet aptly…really? Are these the fillers I need in my life? I think it’s time to get out my 25 Point Manifesto. You see, part of my problem is our schedule has had to change. So now I need to review without losing all the ground I fought so hard for with my children and me for the routines. I flop, I flip, I flop when I am outside of my routines. My work. My calling.

Spring break when there is no spring in sight does not bring the rest. Knowing, however, that I accomplished my routines and lived with the glory of God in my sight. Yes, that is a good day.

So my thankfuls :

3 gifts almost gone (Ann Voskamp):

240. My children…how fast time flies

241. Ruby and Arlene

242. Chocolate (why is it when I eat a piece it’s gone before I know it??)

Pray on. Pray on.

Related articles

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• Palm Sunday Homily: We Must Live the Faith With a Young Heart (visnews-en.blogspot.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.

 

How great a debtor!

In Nockamixon State Park, which is five miles east of Quakertown and nine miles west of Doylestown in PA. Photo by gailf548

Good morning, beloved,

Ever notice how when life is quiet, peaceful, everyone is healthy, money in the bank, how easy it is to come to rely on this? Slowly but surely we can remove our trust in God and put our trust in these very temporal circumstances. The picture of this tree is such good reminder to me. This tree is quite alive, healthy, roots firmly established by the water.  Can you imagine this tree picking up it’s roots and saying, “I don’t like the water. I’m good on my own.” ? Of course not.  This tree relies heavily on the water in good times. And in bad.  However, when the waters stir, when the downpours come, when health issues arrive that are not solved, when  money is NOT in the bank, we look up to heaven and begin to panic.

Or not. When downpour after downpour come on the Bruinius family, I have to be honest I get overwhelmed. I can type it all out, make a good story for our family but yet I am finding as I type it out, I begin to find reason to be upset with God.  Yet, within the span of a day, such good, such stress poured down on our family. As I watched the emails come, as I listened on the phone to another issue, I had to just keep saying…

My friends, you have so many choices in your day, choices for life, for joy.   I know I can resonate with Robert Robinson’s hymn..

O to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to Thee.
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here’s my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it for Thy courts above.  Robert Robinson

So, join me this day.

Make known your declarations to God.  Lift up your debtor’s heart. Don’t forget to keep worship. Refuse the whispers of Satan.

⁷ “But the person who ·trusts [has confidence] in the Lord will be blessed.
·The Lord will show him that he can be trusted [^L…whose trust/confidence is in him].
⁸ He will be like a tree planted near water [^Cvital and strong]
that sends its roots by a stream [Ps. 1:3].
It is not afraid when the ·days are hot [^Lheat comes];
its leaves are always green.
It ·does not worry [is not anxious] in a year ·when no rain comes [of drought];
it always produces fruit. Jeremiah 17 EXB

Trust. The Lord HAS shown Himself so faithful. I want to be that tree at the top of my post.  Vibrant, strong, trusting in my God to provide for each and every need we have. He is so faithful.

Three gifts, salty, sweet and just right

(Ann Voskamp)

227. Tears of my children that with comfort and reminders of  joy a smile can be found..

228. My Ella girl finishing her AWANA book..so proud.

229. Chocolate pudding that was all mine from start to finish.

Please continue to pray for Micah Ahern. His parents are sitting in a hospital holding their breath, wondering if the cancer truly has returned.

Prayers for our Pastors and their wives:

Day 21 Pray that your pastor and his wife will not give in to discouragement, but will deal with inevitable criticism and conflict by committing themselves  into the hands of God, who judges righteously. (1Pet. 2:23) (ROH)

Pray on. Pray on.

 

Enough

A Panoramic View of Florence from Bellosguardo Painting by Thomas Patch (1725 – 1782)

Good morning, beloved!

¹³ I pray that the God who gives hope will fill you with ·much [^Lall] joy and peace ·while you trust[because you trust; through your faith] in him. Then your hope will overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15 EXB

I’m going to admit to you, dear reader, that today I need these verses. I need to cling to the God of hope today. I cannot make myself hope and have joy and peace. These promises are found in faith in Him and Him alone. So let’s look at some cross references for these verses from the Blue Letter Bible.

I pray that the God who gives hope…

⁵ May ·the patience and encouragement that come from God [^Lthe God of patience and encouragement] ·allow you to live in harmony with each other the way Christ Jesus wants [or grant you the same attitude with each other that Christ Jesus had]. Romans 15 EXB

¹⁶ The Lord ·will roar like a lion from Jerusalem [^Lroars from Zion];
his loud voice will thunder from ·that city [^LJerusalem],
and the ·sky [heavens] and the earth will shake.
But the Lord will be a ·safe place [refuge] for his people,
a ·strong place of safety [stronghold] for the ·people [^Lsons; ^Tchildren] of Israel. Joel 3 EXB

1 From Paul, an ·apostle [messenger] of Christ Jesus, by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope. 1 Timothy 1 EXB

will fill you with ·much [^Lall] joy and peace ·while you trust[because you trust; through your faith] in him.

 Jesus said, “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. ·Trust [Believe] in God, and ·trust [believe] in me[or You trust/believe in God, trust/believe also in me]. John 14:1 EXB

²⁷ “I leave you peace [^Cthe Greek word for “peace” reflects the Hebrew shalom, a typical Hebrew farewell; but Jesus’ peace, in the sense of wholeness, is also a characteristic of the messianic kingdom]; my peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world does. So don’t let your hearts be troubled or afraid. John 14 EXB

¹⁶ May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and through his grace gave us eternal ·comfort [encouragement] and a good hope, ¹⁷ ·encourage [comfort] you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say. 2 Thessalonians 2 EXB

Then your hope will overflow by the power of the Holy Spirit.

⁴ And ·patience [endurance] produces[tested and proven] character, and [tested and proven] character produces hope. ⁵ And this hope will never ·disappoint us [let us down; or put us to shame; dishonor us; ^Chonor and shame were among the most important values in first century culture], because God has ·poured out his love to fill our hearts [or flooded our hearts with his love]. He gave us his love through the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to us. Romans 5 EXB

⁸ And God can ·give you more blessings than you need [^Loverflow/abound all grace to you]. Then ·you will always have plenty of everything [^Lin all things at all times you will have all you need]— ·enough to give to [abounding/overflowing in] every good work. 2 Corinthians 9 EXB

He is sufficient. He is more than enough.

So today, friends, as you face your day, remember, He is enough. He is worth living for, He is still more awesome than we can even imagine.  As trials come today, as encouragement comes..whatever you face today, face it knowing that He is more than enough.

My thankfuls:

220. My church family checking up on me, praying for me and loving me and my family.

221. For children who want to spend time with one another and with us.

222. Thankful for my Dad willing to do whatever he can to help.

Prayers for your Pastor and his wife:

Day 18 Pray that your pastor and his wife will be people of prayer and worship, and that they will lead by example—teaching the congregation how to walk in a close relationship with the Father. (1 Thess. 5:17; Acts 1:14a; Matt. 4:10; Mark 1:35; Luke 22:46) Revive Our Hearts

Pray on. Pray on.

 

Everything

Panoramic image looking south from the upper deck of the ‘Top of the Rock’ observation deck on Rockefeller Center. Lower deck is visible on the right edge of the frame. Photo by Daniel Schwen

Good morning beloved,

A friend opened her house to anyone in our co-op to come over yesterday and view History Channel‘s The Bible. I sat and watched scenes that until this moment have just been pictured in my imagination. It would be easy for me to criticize or wish for pieces to be shown differently. However, I cannot. Why? Abraham.

The impact of watching the scene play out from Genesis 22 hit me hard as I drove home. You see, you know what is unfolding, but to watch Abraham pick up his beloved son, lay him on the altar they both designed and pick up his knife. We wait for God‘s messenger to deliver. As Abraham begins to drive the knife into his son, he covers Isaac‘s eyes and the angel cries out. Abraham’s hand plunges into the wood rather than his beloved. They turn and they see a beautiful, spotless, white lamb.

It hurts my heart. I see that lamb as Jesus. A foreshadowing of what is to come. God will not hold His own hand.

Does it ever just hurt your heart to think of God’s Son was not held back? Do you ever ponder the wonder of a love so great?

¹³ Then Abraham ·looked up [^Llifted his eyes] and saw ·a [or another] ·male sheep [ram] caught in a ·bush [thicket] by its horns. So Abraham went and took the sheep offering it as a whole burnt offering to God, ·and his son was saved [^L … in the place of his son]. ¹⁴ So Abraham named that place The Lord ·Provides [or Sees; ^CHebrew: Yahweh Yireh]. Even today people say, “On the mountain of the Lord it will be ·provided [or seen].”

¹⁵ The ·angel [messenger] of the Lord [16:7] called to Abraham from heaven a second time ¹⁶ and said, “The Lord says, ‘Because you did not ·keep back [withhold] your son, your ·only [precious] son, from me, I ·make you this promise by my own name [^Lswear by myself]: ¹⁷ I will surely bless you and ·give you many descendants [^Lmultiply your seed]. They will be as many as the stars in the ·sky[heavens] and the sand on the seashore, and they will ·capture [^Lpossess] the ·cities [^Lgates] of their enemies. ¹⁸ Through your ·descendants [^Lseed] all the nations on the earth will be blessed, because you ·obeyed [listened to] me [12:1–3].’ ” Genesis 22

Hard video, friends, I have trouble even watching, but the song, the lyrics speak exactly to what I am trying to write.

Just to be with you, I (God) would give anything. He gave everything.

Here I am. Thankful.

My thankfuls:

214. For Precepts Bible studies where I truly understood the word covenant.

215. Your hand, Lord, Your hand not holding Your Son back.

216. I am thankful that this series is being shown on the History Channel.

Praying for your pastor and his wife today:

Pray that God will build a hedge of protection around your pastor’s marriage, and that he and his wife will be aware of the potential for any improper relationships. Pray that their family time will be protected. (Ezek. 22:30a; 2 Cor. 10:4-5; Matt. 19:6)  (Revive Our Hearts)

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

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• 7 Hebrew Words For Praise: “Zamar” (christlikeministriesnwa.wordpress.com)
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• 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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Panorama of Cape Cove, just south of Heceta Head; north of Florence, Oregon. Photo by Gabor Eszes

Good morning, beloved,

I can be a loud Mama. Can be. Ahem. Last night, I began to lose my voice and we all were laughing at how crazy my voice sounded. I could only squeak and whisper. My poor husband was across the room reading to us all and thought I was upset. The kids reassured Joshua and watched me. What next would I do?

I never realize how much I need and use my voice until when I lose it, when it is gone. This morning, my voice is gravelly but I am fine. I am beginning to get my routine back and with it comes what am I going to do with the voice, the day God has given me? What are you going to do with your day?

Even if you are home, alone, what could your day become? Remember the people who have asked for prayer? I don’t need to tell you that you are never alone. Never. Use your voice to worship, to lift up others. For you and I both realize, in this moment, how praising and praying can take the focus off our on worries and fears.

Psalm 150:⁶ Let everything that breathes praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!

Paul constantly prayed for his beloved.

2 Thessalonians 1¹¹ ·That is why [To that end; In this regard] we always pray for you, asking our God to ·help you live the kind of life he called you to live [make/consider you worthy of his calling]. We pray that with his power God will ·help you do the good things you want [^Lfulfill every desire for goodness] and ·perform the works that come from your [^Levery work of] faith. ¹² We pray all this so that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ will ·have glory [be glorified] in you, and you ·will have glory in him [^Lin him]. That glory comes from the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

May we, as God places beloved on our minds, be praying for His beloved. May we be instruments for His church wherever we may be today.

Psalm 100:⁴ Come into his ·city [^Lgates] with songs of thanksgiving

    and into his courtyards with songs of praise.
·Thank [Praise] him and ·praise [bless] his name.

My thankfuls :

202. So grateful for laughter in our day.

203. Grateful for health as it returns to our family.

204. Grateful for our co-op today.

Prayer for your Pastor today:

Pray that your pastor will counsel and teach with discernment through the wise use of Scripture and faith in God’s power to work. Pray that he will be protected from the effects of sinful or negative attitudes that he encounters as he counsels. (Mal. 2:7; James 1:5-6; John 17:15)

Prayer for your Pastor’s wife:

Pray that your pastor’s wife will counsel and teach with discernment through the wise use of Scripture and faith in God’s power. (Ps. 119:99; James 1:5-6) Revive Our Hearts

A new week. A new start. I begin my 25 point manifesto again!!

Pray on. Pray on.

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