Mud pits

Passion week has kinda crept up on me. If I still my soul, if I stay calm, I know that there is so much more to this life than I am allowing. This idea that I love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength leaves little room for fear, doubt and worry in me. I sit here wondering what if, what if it is that simple and I have made it so much more. I cling to worry about my husband’s job, our car falling apart, our children, how people view me and all of a sudden I’ve crowded out every image of the Lord in my life. I am just rolling through each emotion.

James 1 puts it in a new light for me:

¹² ·When people are tempted and still continue strong, they should be happy [^LBlessed is the one who perseveres endures trials/temptations]. After they have ·proved their faith[stood/endured/passed the test], ·God will reward them with life forever [^Lthey will receive the crown of life; ^Calludes to the laurel crown given for a victory]. ·God [^LHe] promised this to all those who love him. ¹³ When people are ·tempted [undergoing a trial], they should not say, “God is tempting me.”[^LFor] God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself does not tempt anyone. ¹⁴ But ·people are[^Leach person is] tempted when their own evil desire ·leads [lures; drags] them away and ·traps[entices; lures] them. ¹⁵ ·This desire leads to sin [^LThen, after desire is conceived, it gives birth to sin], and then the sin ·grows [or becomes full-grown] and ·brings [gives birth to] death.

Today is an open slate, my friends. Today is the day He has made and He asks us to come and rejoice in it. Be glad. I can be paralyzed or I can extend my hand to joy. We are promised nothing about material success, however if we remain strong during the storms and trials, we can be happy, be blessed. Am I reading that right?

I get so focused on now. Or the future. Ugh! One day I’m going to stand before my Savior and see how all the pieces of my life fit together. Do we understand that these emotions of fear, worry and doubt are sin? I keep getting this image in my mind of me playing in a pit of mud (my worries, my fears and my doubts) and the Lord is extending His clean, beautiful hand to me saying, “Come out, come here, come clean” and I keep splashing in the mud because I can’t let go of fear. And I can’t, you can’t. We cannot do this on our own.

I waited patiently for the Lord.
He ·turned [bent down; inclined; stooped] to me and heard my cry.
² He ·lifted [drew] me out of the pit of ·destruction [or desolation],
out of the ·sticky mud [miry/muddy pit/bog/swamp].
He ·stood me [^Lplaced my feet] on a rock
and made my ·feet [^Lstep] steady.
³ He put a new song [^Ccelebrating victory; 33:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Is. 42:10; Rev. 5:9;14:3] in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God. Psalm 40 EXB

Get out of that pit, Cara! Allow Him to lift us out of the pit. Allow Him to put our feet on a rock. Give Him a chance to make our feet steady. (Not in our circumstances, or status, or anything else but Him) I’ve heard it said that God is a gentleman. He will not push Himself in. I like that. God wants to put new songs in my mouth, your mouth. Sing for joy. He puts new songs in my mouth. Your mouth. Celebrate the victories! Ever notice how this Psalm has the writer waiting patiently? Friends, He is here now. He is just waiting to be asked in. He hears our cries. He responds and now we respond back. Do we just cycle through the worries in our prayers or have our prayers become an opportunity to praise Him?

³ Sing a new song [^Ccelebrating victory; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Is. 42:10; Rev. 5:9;14:3] to him;
play well ·and joyfully [with a loud/a victory shout].
⁴ God’s word is ·true [upright; virtuous],
and everything he does is ·right [faithful].
⁵ He loves what is right and ·fair [just];
the Lord’s ·love [loyalty; covenant love] fills the earth. Psalm 33 EXB

Friends, in the midst of our trials, songs of truth and praise can fill our mouths. Rather than sadness and worry lines filling our faces, allow His truths to smooth the lines. So as I begin my day, I ask the Holy Spirit to fill me. I ask that His word come alive in me, my words to my children, to my husband. Jesus has the victory! He has won over sin and death and here we are wringing our hands with our circumstances. Mercy, I have a chance to bring Him glory today! I have a chance to stand on the rock and invite those around me to be lifted up. Join in singing the anthem of the Lord’s renown!

The earth is filled with His glory. Filled. Seriously!

So, as it is Holy Week starting tomorrow, I want to focus my blog on Him. Not my circumstances, but His glory, His revelation in the power of Jesus Christ. So, want to join me? Pray 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.

Thy precious time misspent, redeem,
Each present day thy last esteem,
Improve thy talent with due care;
For the great day thyself prepare.

By influence of the Light divine
Let thy own light to others shine.
Reflect all Heaven’s propitious ways
In ardent love, and cheerful praise.

In conversation be sincere;
Keep conscience as the noontide clear;
Think how all seeing God thy ways
And all thy secret thoughts surveys.

Wake, and lift up thyself, my heart,
And with the angels bear thy part,
Who all night long unwearied sing
High praise to the eternal King.

All praise to Thee, who safe has kept
And hast refreshed me while I slept
Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake
I may of endless light partake.

Heav’n is, dear Lord, where’er Thou art,
O never then from me depart;
For to my soul ’tis hell to be
But for one moment void of Thee.

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.

I would not wake nor rise again
And Heaven itself I would disdain,
Wert Thou not there to be enjoyed,
And I in hymns to be employed.

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.

Let’s do this day, friends, in the power of the Holy Spirit.

Pray on.  Oh wait! My thankfuls!

233. God’s wisdom revealed in the Scriptures speaking life this morning.

234. Thankful for a day with my kids, as I pray for these precious kids with cancer that kills the body, I pray for these families. Moms and Dads who cling to the now with their precious babes.

235. Thankful for a dog who just makes me smile.

Pray on! Pray on!

Related articles

• Bonhoeffer’s Confirmation Sermon (tbolto.wordpress.com)
• Psalm 91- The Lord protects me (prepareforthelamb.wordpress.com)
• Through the Psalm / CH1:1-3 (cfcspn.com)
• All Your Needs Are Met!, Pastor Boaz Olang (magnifyhisword.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.

 

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.

 

Make ‘em laugh

Panoramic View of the Palace and Gardens of Versailles Painting by John Vanderlyn (1775–1852)

Good morning, beloved,

¹⁴ I have given them your ·teaching [word]. And the world has hated them, because they don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. ¹⁵ I am not asking you to take them out of the world but to ·keep them safe [protect them] from the ·Evil One [or evil; ^Cthe Evil One is the Devil]. ¹⁶ They don’t belong to the world, just as I don’t belong to the world. ¹⁷ ·Make them ready for your service[Sanctify them; Consecrate them; ^Csetting them apart for service] through your truth; your ·teaching[word] is truth. ¹⁸ I have sent them into the world, just as you sent me into the world. John 17 EXB

Each day we, as partakers of the word, have a beautiful opportunity to remember He is making us ready for His service. We are being set apart for service to the King. How do we keep in the sanctification process? Oh friends, to me this is where it gets tricky, as I have written before, my brain is much like a train wreck and I’m already piling up, off the track. Then my brain remembers! His Word! His Word sets us apart, for His Word is always the truth.

We have been sent into this world, so when we walk around mopey, depressed, weak, that sent process is, um, a little rocky.  I was given these words today. I know them backwards and forwards:

⁵ Trust the Lord with all your heart,
and don’t ·depend [rely] on your own understanding.
⁶ ·Remember the Lord [^LKnow him] ·in all you do [^Lon all your paths],

and he will ·give you success [^Lkeep your roads straight]. Proverbs 3 EXB

And a quote from Pastor Chuck Smith:

“If through faith you have placed your eternal destiny in the loving hands of Jesus Christ, you can be sure that God is at work, shaping the events and circumstances of your life into a beautiful mosaic that will reveal His Son to the men and women around you. His hand is on you, as it has been since before you were born.” Chuck Smith fr Okie Preacher blog 

So I remember my blessings, my thankfuls today:

223. Playing Wii last night, Luke advised Ella she was getting the stuffing knocked out of her. Ella’s response, I am getting the stuffing knocked out of me!

224. While getting my injections, the man who usually does my I.V. came in and told me he saved me. ?? They have a new person starting that wanted to try an I.V.  I blessed him, his children and his children’s children. Is it good they remember me?

225. While in the waiting room, a husband was told to meet his wife on the first floor with the car. He jumped up and ran out the door. There was a feminine coat sitting by where he WAS sitting. An older lady and I looked at each other,  smiled and went back to our reading. 5 minutes later he dashed back into the room and grabbed the coat. We had to laugh.

226. Star left me a gift by the T.V. A dead mouse, she was so proud. We had to laugh after the gag reflex and grocery bag with said mouse were disposed. She looked so proud of her gift.

So when YOU give thanks, what are some thankfuls that have made you laugh lately? (Ann Voskamp)

Will you join me in praying for Micah Ahern and Richard? Both children have cancer. Pray for their Mommies and Daddies today.

Pray for your Pastor and his wife:

Pray for a fresh divine anointing on your pastor and his wife’s ministry. Pray that God’s working will be powerfully evident both in their personal life and the spiritual life of the congregation. (1 Cor. 9:27; 2 Tim. 1:7; Rom. 15:18-19a)

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.

 

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

Good morning!

I have decided these are my new favorite birds. They eat bees! How fabulous is that! I think we should, as Americans, raise a petition. Bring these birds here! Especially to Illinois. We, okay, I, need these birds, instead of these woodpeckers that keep trying to build there homes in our siding of our house. They are so cute. They bang the stinger out of the bees and then eat them. Maybe we could train them to eat mosquitoes too. I’d be willing to pay them. Seriously.

Yesterday, we spent the afternoon watching the second round of the Bible brought to you by Wal-Mart, and the History Channel, and Mark Burnett. I can’t say I was as thrilled with the second portion as I was the first. No spoilers, I promise, but I found myself wishing I had my Bible with me. I kept thinking and saying out loud, really, was it like that? Did it happen that way? Yet, friends, what I was left with, what I needed to remind myself of, the Bible is coming alive, especially the Old Testament.  How many of us as children (if we went to church) were taught the events of the Old Testament outside of the regular Sunday School stories? It’s amazing to see His Word outside of my imagination or flannel graphs!

As David walked among the Israelites, he was speaking the Word to himself, as he faced off with Goliath, he was fearless.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…

I will fear no evil…

For You are with me…

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me…

Of course, this is Psalm 23. All of the my kids memorized this Psalm, so I had plenty of practice but even if I didn’t, this is an incredibly popular Psalm.  It was powerful watching David chose to walk towards this man/beast.  As Goliath disparaged the one true God, on David walked. The entire army parted ways to bring David to this man. He saw David and threw aside his helmet. Powerful. He was not afraid of a little kid. And that proved to be his demise.

I am told, time and time again. Do not be afraid. Cease striving. Cease the constant conversation of fear.  Yet to watch the men of the Old Testament face their demons, sometimes they failed, which to me, is a good reminder. They were men. Men whom God used. (Women too..)  Pictures in my mind are helpful. Remembering this scene in my mind, I know, I know my God, our God, our faithful, true God will never, ever forsake His children. We can walk through the valleys. We can be without fear.

This is not the story of men. This is the love story of our God dwelling among us.

He fights for us.

Pray on. Pray on.

 

 

 

 

Worship

Šmarjetna gora, view towards Škofja Loka, Slovenia. Photo by Mihael Grmek

Good morning, beloved,

I took a walk the other day, alone. Nothing too spectacular about this, other than as I was praying out loud, I was led to sing. So I began to sing, at first, self consciously. Then I began to sing from my soul, instead of my brain. As we (Starburst and I) turned the corner, I heard some birds singing along with me. I stopped to listen to them. And they stopped. So I began and so did these little treasures. I stopped. They stopped. And I was reminded, all the earth will sing Your praises. Some of the earth decided to join my worship.

I need to keep singing. I desire my mind to settle on Him, to bring my harried soul to rest upon Him. Can we do it? Rather than allow my prayers to be about me, worshiping first. Worshiping last.

So I begin today with thanks and praise. I have to, I have to put my mind on Him.

³ He put a new song [^Ccelebrating victory; 33:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Is. 42:10; Rev. 5:9;14:3] in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many people will see this and ·worship [fear] him.
Then they will ·trust [find refuge in] the Lord.

⁴ ·Happy [Blessed] is the person
who ·trusts [finds refuge in] the Lord,
who doesn’t turn to those who are proud
or to those who ·worship [go astray to] ·false gods [^La lie].
⁵ Lord my God, you have done many ·miracles [wonders; great acts].
Your plans for us are many.
If I tried to tell them all,
there would be too many to count [104:24; 139:17–18; John 21:25]. Psalm 40 EXB

Trust. Refuge. Worship.

Full rainbow taken in Clacton-On-Sea in Essex UK Photo by Danesman1

I see this rainbow and see God’s grace over our land. Undeserved, yet given.

My thankfuls today:

217. Thankful for God’s grace as my symptoms are returning.

218. Thankful for beautiful sunrises.

219. Thankful for groceries being delivered.

Pray for your Pastor and his wife…today I”m praying for strength in the day today, for His Spirit to fill these two precious people, for God’s blessing upon this family.

Pray on. Pray on. And worship. Worship Him!

 

 

 

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

• 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.