Everything

Father God, we  owe all to you. You are strong, we are weak. You are perfect, we are not. You are omniscient, we are of small mind. Lord, we seek you, and we find you. We call on you….you are near. Your love for us is wide and deep.Your world is in magnificent order. Ours is one of ordinary days.
We are grateful to be your people. Teach us to set our minds on you. Lord, give us a thirst for your Word. Call us into knowing you. It is in knowing YOU, that we begin to see who we are. You are our Father, and we, the inheritors of your Godly plan.  Lord, you are everything to us. You are our rock in times of trouble, our strength in times of sorrow, and our song In times of joy. I thank you, Father, that you have chosen us, and called us to be your people. You are everything to us, and we love you.

Giver of Life

"My World is filled with beautiful things that point to Me, reminders of my abiding Presence.  The earth still declares My Glory to those who have eyes that see and ears that hear."  Sara Young, Jesus Calling.
Psalm 105.4 "Oh give thanks to the Lord; call upon his Name; make known his deeds among the peoples." Lord, Thank you for this scripture and this reading, right on the heels of my seeing "The Tree of Life.." Your beauty is unfathomable, and the details of our life are so small, yet still under your Grace.  You treasure us as a parent adores a growing child.  I praise you for this life giving movie, which is a clear reflection of your abundance and benevolence.  We wrestle with you....our will against yours, our control against your grace, our anguish questioning  your sovereignty. Your love and grace cover all.  We stand amazed and humbled.  You have the saving plan. Thank you Father.

Fire

Words from Isaiah 43 "I have summoned you by name; you are mine. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.....do not be afraid, for I am with you." Lord, your Word clarifies and comforts, and how I praise you for your promises! I am yours! Thank you, God, that you speak to us through scripture. Lord, today these verses just jumped out at me! I have been praying for so many friends who are walking through "fires" right now. Prayers are poured out, but answers are long in coming. It is so difficult to see them there. But, ah! You did not promise to keep fires away from us! You promised that we will not burn and that you are with us. You keep your eye on us. I can affirm that as I pray, and I am calmed. You will manage it. You will answer. We are to wait upon you. How precious is your presence, Lord. Help us to seek it. Put a thirst for your Word in our hears, and beckon us to come sit down with you. These things I pray, in your Son's precious name.

Variety

Lord, I thank you for the variety of your creation......different lands, different people, different cultures,and.....different weather! There is always something to keep our interest, cause us change, and look to you. It is the same in our individual lives. We go through seasons, Lord, and during some of them we feel so close to you. During other seasons, we feel further from you. Lord, I praise you for the variety. I am grateful that YOU are always available to us, providing for us and using us for your purposes. Even when we are in our busiest of seasons, your direct our days. You cause us to open our eyes to you. We feel you calling. We come to you, and we are renewed by your love, refreshed by your living waters. Ilong for you. Thank you, Father.
Ecclesiastes 3:1
"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven>"

New

In Christ, we are new every day! The newness of each day, and each season, is so refreshing. A new chance. A new start! A blank slate. In the same way, a baby refreshes our lives! A new life. The innocence. The sweet breath. The enthusiasm for the smallest accomplishment, and the trust in being comforted. Lord, I am so thankful for the "newness" this summer has brought. I am thankful for the gift of time to be with you. I am thankful for the time with my husband and family. And, Lord, I am so thankful for the new baby, and the joy she brings to everyone, and for her capable and loving parents. What a joy to see! Hope is new, and life is fresh. Thank you Father!
2 Corinthians 3:6 "He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant—not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life."

Thank You Father!

Lord, I praise you and thank you for the positive results of my sweet friend's surgery! The surgery was successful, with nodes and margins taken .... all clear!! I am so thankful for this wonderful news and for all that you are doing in her life right now! Thank you, Father!

Blessings

Psalm 118:24 "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."
Lord, as we wake up each day, help us to remember to praise you for our many blessings! We drink in the breath of life as we rise, and witness the beauty of your creation. We are rich with the blessings of your provision. Each morning is fresh with opportunities to glorify you and bless others. A new chance to listen for your call on our day. I praise you that you lead us, and call us into your will! Lord, fill my heart with thoughts of your glory, and let me be full of praises for you this day!

Beauty out of the Pain

Steven Curtis Chapman, upon the death of his youngest daughter, suffered deep pain and grief. Out of the ashes of his loss, he wrote a new song.... "Beauty Will Rise." Deep faith is etched into these lyrics: "Out of these ashes, beauty will rise. We will dance among the ruins ~ we know the joy is coming in the morning....This is our hope. This is a promise. It will take our breath away to see the beauty he has made, out of these ashes." A stadium full of worshippers, watching him sing this tribute to "a day gone badly wrong", received his offering of faith. It was moving. More than that, it was undoubtedly healing for many. It helps to know that joy is possible, and that good will come. It doesn't diminish the pain, but it provides hope. We need hope. Lord, I thank you wholeheartedly for the hope provided last night at the Harvest Crusade. Steven and Greg Laurie are your servents, Lord, and they serve out of their deep love for you. I thank you that I was there....that I can draw from this evening to offer hope to my burdened friends. I pray for opportunities to help lighten their load.

Sisters in Christ

It is interesting that many of the followers of Jesus were women, who came to have deep, reverent relationships with Him. I can barely imagine their joy when they walked by his side, listened to him teach, knelt at his feet, and even touched him with annointing oil. These women were the first examples of sisterhood in Christ. Sisterhood remains today, in many forms. Women who love Christ, and have that treasured relationship with Him, share a bond that ties them together in the same way. And if we are fortunate enough to have a precious sister in Christ, then we are blessed! Lord, I thank you for sisters of the heart. They are in my family and from childhood, adult sisters of covenant through the years, and newly connected sisters at church and at work. These are treasured ones to me! We can pray together, worship together, and support and encourage one another...all through the power of the magnificent Holy Spirit. Thank you, Father!

This Is My Father's World!

"This is my Father's world, and to my listening ear, all nature sings and 'round me rings the beauty of the spere!" When I was a little girl, this was my favorite hymn. My dad must have been the one to make me so aware of the beauty and wonder of nature, and this hymn catches my praise! The hymn comes to mind as I sit in the window seat of a room overlooking the grasses of the meadow and the cypress trees stretching out to the ocean. The sky is grey, but the splendor and majesty of God' creation shine. The refreshment that nature provides is luxurious. It is quiet. People are few. Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to hear and smell and see all that you have created. Thank you for a time to focus on your creation and worship in quiet. My heart is full of praises for you, Lord. Thank you!

Praises for baby Addison

Lord my heart is so full of praise for the precious baby Addison you sent into our family. I praise you for her health and for her precious little spirit. I thank you for the wisdom and love you have given Leah and Michael as they so naturally take on their parenting roles. I pray for blessings on this sweet child as she learns to be part of our world. I pray for protection, and continued health, and for your presence to be full in her life. I thank you for the family weekend that surrounded her birth on Father's Day. Thank you, Father!