december

Thank You God for memories
and thank You for hopeful plans.

Thank You for this present moment at hand;
in front of me is my family, gathered in the kitchen.
Behind me is my dog, laying down for a nap.
To my right and left are neighbors, snug in their homes
And all around the world people breathe in and out,
First breaths, last breaths, and one breath of many more to come.

Dear self:  let's you and me not waste the present,
But let's me and you rejoice in action.
I can rejoice by caring for my dog,
Appreciating the uniqueness of my family in dialogue
And visiting with a neighbor.
Celebration opens the gift, does it not?
I sense in me this lean of passivity,
And though pondering and waiting has its place
Let me not waste a life
By wasting too many days.

I can move while I ponder, can't I?

Thankful for faith predecessors

I'm thankful for George Matheson's hymns.  There are many!  One that stood out: 

Make Me a Captive, LORD:

Make me a captive, Lord, and then I shall be free.
Force me to render up my sword, and I shall conqueror be.
I sink in life’s alarms when by myself I stand;
Imprison me within Thine arms, and strong shall be my hand.

My heart is weak and poor until it master find;
It has no spring of action sure, it varies with the wind.
It cannot freely move till Thou has wrought its chain;
Enslave it with Thy matchless love, and deathless it shall reign.

My power is faint and low till I have learned to serve;
It lacks the needed fire to glow, it lacks the breeze to nerve.
It cannot drive the world until itself be driven;
Its flag can only be unfurled when Thou shalt breathe from heaven.

My will is not my own till Thou hast made it Thine;
If it would reach a monarch’s throne, it must its crown resign.
It only stands unbent amid the clashing strife,
When on Thy bosom it has leant, and found in Thee its life.

Kingdom come today

Holy God,

I long for Your presence
I long for Your face
I long to run in step with You

My Father, My God, My Holy Lord
My heart pants after thee

In so many ways I've settled for what's cheap
In so many instances I've ran from what's good
My Lord, My Savior, the Mighty One
Sometimes I reject Thee

Lord so Holy
Lord so Lovely

I choose Thee today and
every day.  Thy Grace sustaining,
Thy Love everlasting,
I believe in life with You

David sleighed a giant
Ruth had a child
Mary spoke with an angel
Daniel listened to Your voice
Isaiah spoke Thine word
Deborah led an army

I believe that a life of consecration to Thee is "for the taking"
For any who should just choose and follow, faithfully, diligently,
Holding onto God's promises and redemption

Being made new every day

Washed clean

Life in the River of Life

to Thine praise and by Your grace alone

You are more than Amazing, God!
Amen!

a prayer for grace

Hey God-

It is evening.  Morning really, but everyone is asleep... so it would seem it fits in the evening category better.  In just a couple hours, Bobby, Mat and I will be on our way to the airport.

a prayer
---

"God, open my heart to You please.  Close my heart to selfishness and evil.  Conform my heart to Yours, Lord.

"God, open my mind to You please.  Close my mind to control and trying to prove myself enough.  Please give me a hunger for Your truth.

"God, open my way to Your way please-- help me to walk on Your path everywhere I am and to walk in the Godly confidence of humility You call Your children to.  We are Your representatives and even Your friends!

"God, fill my mouth with Your words of life please-- help me speak to honor You.  Please fill my mouth with praise, trust, love, truth and gratitude that just has to come out.  Please help people hear You, and know it is You, not Ginny's words.  Please keep pride far from me.  Please give me teaching words according to Your will.  God, please put pressure on me when You want me to say something- I want to obey, sometimes I need a push!

"God, help me listen to honor You please.  Help me listen to others- what they really are saying-- and to Your voice, o God.

 "God, please give me fear of God and respect for Your Word.  You are the Great I AM.  Help me know which way is the way of obedience when I have choices.  God, PLEASE convict me of sin when I sin and grant me the courage and grace if You will to lovingly correct others when they sin.

"God, open my eyes to You please-- help me  to see You, Your beauty, Your character, Your majesty, Your faithfulness, Your direction, where You are moving and where You want to move.

"God, I long to be like Mary, mother of Jesus, who humbly accepted the task of raising the Son of God; and like Mary, the servant who sat at Your feet.  I long to be like Deborah who lead with wisdom, and like Abigail, who courageously took action to save lives and who loved her God.  I long to be like Ruth, who loved so much.  I long to be like You.  Lord, please take me as Yours this coming week and for all my days.  You reign."

Praise You.  In Jesus' name. Love You.  Thank You for so much

Amen

Ridiculous

Wanna know something ridiculous?

It feels like I'm pulling teeth when I call to meet or talk to someone! I look forward to seeing them or chatting, but something about making a phone call just makes me want to avoid the potential awkwardness at all costs.  I often find other things to do to keep pushing the task down the list.

Well, we are bigger than our feelings, right? 

Live how ya aim to, even if feelings aren't being agreeable. Carpe diem! I made my phone call and the conversation was super great. Scheduled to meet with old friends tomorrow afternoon!

That isn't a fear necessarily, but don't let fear or uneasiness keep you from living how you want. If you don't know me well, I'm chalk-full of anxiety... but it won't keep me from living how I am called to. 

Lecturing myself.  Joshua 1:9

Have a great day

Whispers

Today I want to run away.

I long to pave a way

To prosperity and peace

Joy and laughter

I'm uncomfortable right now with life's demands and troubles.

-----

Daughter, I have a good plan for you.

This time is uncomfortable; in it, I am building you, refining you.

I'm also showing you your real character; your strengths; and need to surrender.

I love you so much, and want you to be well;

I help you be the daughter I made you to be when you let me.

This time is a blessed time, though it hurts.

Daughter, trust me and follow me.

Watch and see My faithfulness unfold in the lives of your dear ones,

And in your life.

Daughter, I'll help you see.


I AM Who I AM

one source

I feel in me the 'need' to run
To crush daily tasks til the day is done
To stand over every checked-off goal
And then lay down peacefully.  What a goal--

It doesn't happen that way, to tell you the truth
It is great to get things done, quite important to!
But my source of peace won't come from my control,
A life lived in satisfaction doesn't come from strength of my own.

It comes from my God and running to HIM.
Sitting at His feet, and...WAITING on Him.
Time with my Savior gives me fuel
To handle anything the day should bring,
And even help me know which thing I ought to do
Or not do.

So I acknowledge to God I need to bow
And ask for grace to humble myself.
I pick up my Bible and step outside
To sit by the river and read of the Giver of life.