260

: 360° panorama from the summit of Mount St. Helens as seen on an early-October afternoon. In the foreground is the ice-covered crater rim. Visible in the lower center is the lava dome. Steam rises from several dome vents. Above the dome, in the upper center, lies Mount Rainier and Spirit Lake. Mount Adams appears to the right of Rainier on the horizon as well as Mount Hood and Mount Jefferson on the far right. Also on the far right are glimpses of the Swift Reservoir, Yale Lake, Lake Merwin and the Lewis River. Climbers stand on the crater rim and are visible along the Monitor Ridge climbing route. Photo by Gregg M. Erickson

Good morning, beloved,

The Son ·reflects [or radiates; shines forth] the glory of God [John 1:14] and ·shows exactly what God is like [^Lis the exact representation/imprint/stamp of his being/essence/nature]. He ·holds everything together[sustains/upholds all things] with his powerful word. When the Son ·made people clean from their [^Lprovided purification/cleansing for] sins [9:14], he sat down at the right ·side [^Lhand; ^Cthe most honored position beside a king; Ps. 110:1] of ·God, the Great One in heaven [^Lthe Majesty/Preeminence in the highest places; ^Ca Jewish way to avoid saying the divine name of God]. Hebrews 1:3EX

These last few days have found me staring at my computer to start a new addition to my blog. I will be honest, I have struggled to find words. To bring a voice to my heart’s cry, I have found that writing brings me to cope and understand. My brain has not seemed to be able to connect. Yet, here I am, trying. I need to try.

What do you do when you feel like your world is crumbling? Where do you go when frustration mounts? When do you call in for help?

Can I be honest? I have found such hope in talking through the Word with my kids. We start our morning with our declarations. So far we have memorized 1 Corinthians 13, the Apostles Creed, Psalm 15, and Exodus 20:1-17. All done with Sing the Word, I will say we can’t do it as well without the music but hey, it’s not bad for the group. I am quite proud of us! So now we begin John 1 and everyone, for AWANA, has already memorized the first couple of verses and so, now to understand.

Here’s the deal. It’s been great for them to memorize this many verses. It’s not what makes them Christians and it most certainly needs work to translate into their/my actions. It starts with me. If you read this and compare then I’ve lost my point. My point is, and it is so very hard for me to keep my eyes here, we cannot spend our time comparing each other’s lives. That leads to desperation and hopelessness. My family can attest that this has been a hard victory.  I am desperately clinging to routine and schedule and I know that for me to begin my day well, it begins with the Word. And if we stop reviewing what we’ve memorizing, it will fall away.

So, when my world is crumbling, frustration is mounting, it is so good for me to teach my kids, it starts with the Word of God. We begin each day, no matter what we’ve faced, with what we believe.  Blessing to remember what we believe. Blessing to keep His Word close to our hearts and minds. Blessing!

We have to! We have to start with Him. He is the one who,  ”·holds everything together[sustains/upholds all things] with his powerful word.” It is His word that began this day. It is His word that keeps me breathing.

His Word. His life.

My thankfuls:

260. When His Word is repeated during my day and it mixes beautifully in with what we studied earlier.

261. For the beloved who say, I was just thinking about you…

262. For advice and the grace to listen and put it into action into my own life.

John 4:³¹ Meanwhile the disciples were urging him, saying, “Rabbi, eat.” ³² But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you do not know about.” ³³ So the disciples said to one another, “Has anyone brought him something to eat?” ³⁴ Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.

John 6: ³⁵ Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. ³⁶ But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe.³⁷ All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. ³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. ⁴⁰ For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

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.

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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.

 

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• Psalm 8 (oh-mag.com)
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Pause

Psalm 103: 103 ·All that I am [^TO my soul], ·praise [bless] the Lord;

Vasco da Gama Bridge, Lisbon, Portugal Photo by F Mira

·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].

Praise. Bless. (3x repeat in 2 verses) What part of me is involved in worship?

All that I am. My soul.

Everything in me.

All my inward parts.

My whole being.

I wonder what that looks like. Hmmm….

2 Samuel 6: ¹⁴ Then David danced with all his might before the Lord. He had on a holy linen ·vest [ephod; Ex. 28:6–14]. ¹⁵ David and all the Israelite shouted with joy and blew the ·trumpets [ram’s horns] as they brought the Ark of the Lord to the city.

I wonder how often we worry more about what other people think about our worship than what our God thinks of our hearts in worship. If we were to worship God with everything in us, what would that look like?

Colours of Happiness Photo by Camdiluv

Forget NOT His benefits…

His kindness.

His gifts.

Verbs found in these five verses:

Forgives- The primary idea here is a lightness, a lifting up. To be merciful, to pardon, to shew oneself to be gentle.  And how much does He forgive? all. Isn’t that a lovely word? All. Not some. Not a little. Not most. ALL.

Heals- All. Totality. Encompassing every disease.

Saves

Redeems- On this weekend, especially, these two words are everything to me. Jesus paid the price to cover my sin. Your sin. Forever. It is a debt we could never cover. It is freedom. It is our deliverance.

Loads

Crowns- Surrounds for protection

Satisfies

Makes

These are all gifts from our God. Ponder that. Hold on to this in the dark moments. When it seems there are no answers. Our Answer crowns! He will satisfy.  So that? Our youth is renewed like the eagle’s. We are made young again.

I watch my children ride their bikes. All day. Seriously. I cannot imagine riding my bike all day. Running all day. They constantly are in motion.

There is a lightness to their childhood. Their worries are small. Their joys are HUGE. Their cares are light.

They run with energy for they have a child’s load of woes. They are not weighed down by financial concerns. They do not ache with the worries and concerns that adulthood brings. Do you ever notice when a person is depressed their entire countenance droops? They appear to be laden with packages and bags.

However, if we allow the Lord to crown us, satisfy us and make us, could we begin to run like youths? Dance like David?

As I sat in this waiting room yesterday, the entire room was filled with people drooped by cares. I can’t say I was much different. A couple sat with a chair between them waiting for their son. A woman played games on her phone, her face creased with concern. A blind man came in with his daughter carrying all sorts of papers stuck in different directions. The receptionists were downtrodden. They answered the phones with a near disdain. Yet a couple came in, the news, I could tell, was not fantastic. However, they smiled. They had joy.

Now that gave me pause. How do I react as the cares of the world threaten to overwhelm? Oh, I cannot say that yesterday there was much joy. I forget.

I forget that our blessings far outweigh the cares in our life.

They always do.

So I begin my day. I begin with…

246. Thankful for friends who sit and carry.

247. Thankful for phone calls at just the right time.

248. Thankful for a new day.

Pray on. Pray on.

 

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.

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• Palm Sunday-tears of Sovereign Mercy (ioan17.wordpress.com)
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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!

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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.