It breaks my heart that the song below was created ā¦ and the divisiveness that prompted the song. I pray for our return to camaraderie and mutual support. Meantime, maybe you will find some humor in the lyrics… a friend of mine did. What do you think?
God is in charge. I have to believe that. God is in control. I have to believe some good will come of this. God is in control. But He does give humans free will. Lord, help us!
Pray with me. “Lord, please give our world leaders wisdom and diplomacy and intelligence.” Amen
“We cannot escape the frustrations of this life. It is wise to lean on the Lord for help and guidance…”
Message from When God Thinks of You, He Smiles, a book of 365 devotions from Broadstreet Publishing. I received this as a gift last week from my “dear bonus daughter,” Elaina. Each page has a scripture, a commentary, and ends with a prayer. Boy Howdy, I needed this one today!
“Don’t worry, because I am with you. Don’t be afraid, because I am your God. I will make you strong and will help you. I will support you with my right hand that saves you.”
Isaiah 41:10 (NCV)
Ah yes, reach your hand out. Touch me. Assure me. Encourage me! I am frustrated and need to remember no one is promised a seamless life. But the strange thing is: I invited this frustration into my life!!
What was I thinking? The dead of a Montana winter is not the time… not the time to get a new puppy who has not been crate-trained, let alone house-trained!
Oh, I can be all smiles when he’s in my lap and feeling lovable and wanting to be cuddled! But, believe me, Kenny is a 6 1/2 month old 12 pound ball of energy who has decided his crate is his bathroom and our floor is his toilet – – Help!
My devotional today said, “Prayer gives us strength when trials… come our way.” Believe me, I have prayed at length about this pup! The devotional said, “When you struggle, it doesn’t mean your faith is lacking. Even when you faithfully follow God… life can still be rocky.”
I need to put this pup struggle in perspective! It’s not life or death. We will survive. Count your blessings, Jan, because he is smart and will learn… and you are smarter and can teach! Be patient!
I may have told you earlier that my friend, Terry, sent me this book: “How Dogs Think.” The cover photo looks just like Kenny must have looked at 2 or 3 months… and the subtitle of the book is: “Inside the Canine Mind.” It’s a TIME special edition. Surely this will have some good advice to add to all the things my friends are saying… and Isaiah said it, too: “I will make you strong and help you…”
The prayer at the bottom of the devotional today was: “Gracious One, thank you for the faithfulness of your love… I don’t want to spend my life worrying or full of fear. Empower me and encourage me when I struggle.” Amen!
The words to the hymn below hit me square between the eyes last Sunday as we sang this in our church… and thought about how desperately I want God to “hear our cry and heal our nation.” I hope you find these words meaningful, too. Churches were singing it a decade ago… It was true then. It’s true now. We, as a nation, have lost the truth we need… I do believe that. Lord God, help us!
In an age of twisted values
In an age of twisted values we have lost the truth we need; in sophisticated language we have justified our greed; by our struggle for possessions we have robbed the poor and weak ā hear our cry and heal our nation: your forgiveness, Lord, we seek.
2. We have built discrimination on our prejudice and fear; hatred swiftly turns to cruelty if we hold resentments dear. For communities divided by the walls of class and race hear our cry and heal our nation: show us, Lord, your love and grace.
3. When our families are broken; when our homes are full of strife; when our children are bewildered, when they lose their way in life; when we fail to give the aged all the care we know we should ā hear our cry and heal our nation with your tender fatherhood.
4. We who hear your word so often choose so rarely to obey; turn us from our wilful blindness, give us truth to light our way. In the power of your Spirit come to cleanse us, make us new: hear our cry and heal our nation till our nation honours you.
Let us pray this song as a prayer… pray for God’s forgiveness, love and grace. God, please hear our cry and heal our nation. Heal our world!
God bless our nation, our world, and God Bless YOU!
I am sooooo saddened by the news of the helicopter/jet collision and the enormous loss of precious lives!
Yes, you might expect something like that in war zones, but right here in our USA… near Washington DC? As everyone is saying, “It should never have happened!”
One of the victims was a mother of a one and a three year old. Imagine those children and their dad :o( Two of the victims were champion ice skaters (one from USA and one from Russia) traveling back home from a training session… their moms were with them. Their trainers/coaches were with them. Imagine our grieving Ice Skaters’ World-wide! So sad!
President Trump (in a news interview this morning) said the names of the 64 victims will be released shortly. I want to pray specifically for each soul… and for their families and loved ones. So tragic!
These āthings with feathersā frequent our yard, hoping for food and safety.
This āthing with feathersā lives in the heart of love and faith
In the midst of raging fires, devastating wars, and rampant illnesses, falls and broken bones, may we too fly with hope perched in our souls and a wordless song of love ringing in our hearts!
May Godās angels guard you and may you be safe and healthy. May all your wounds heal and your body be renewed.
May all your prayers be answered.
The Lord Bless You and Keep You and give you Peace and Hope for a brighter tomorrow!
Yesterday we had “Christmas in January” for our nursing home residents because they were in “lock down” in December due to an outbreak of COVID among the residents. It was a glorious party. I am so grateful for their recovery, and the fun we had gifting them each with a pillow handmade and personalized by my friend, Linda Maydak. What a wonderful treat! Thank you, Linda!!
I had a wonderful time playing Santa and distributing the lovely gifts and the tasty treats w provided. It’s never to late to celebrate Christ’s birth and gift our friends with something to celebrate the wonders of Christmas! I hope you are remembering His gift of salvation and thanking Him every day, too. He gives us reasons to HOPE every day. Praise God!!
Oh, and before I close, please pray for my Writers’ Group friend, Janet Hill, who fell and broke her hip today. Join me in prayer for all those affected by the CA wildfires… and pray for peace in the middle east… and in the world. Amen!
Gone from home for three weeks Wonderful holidays and birthdays Shared with family and friends Missed my daily sanctuary quiet time
Back home and falling into routine Up around 8: and make coffee Climb the stairs to my “sanctuairee” Spend time with Jesus and His Word
Spend time with David Jeremiah Spend time with Guideposts devotionals Spend quiet time with God in prayer Ask God to be with each of you
Meditate with “All God’s Creatures” Contemplate love and life with Bob Goff Compare scriptures with Eugene Peterson “The Message” paraphrasing inspires me
What’s your favorite way to spend Quiet time? Do you carve out space for it everyday?
Where?
When?
With whom?
Regardless of when, where, and with whom, May your day always include space for Quiet Time
Pray with me, will you? For all those who are in distress: the homeless, the sick, the frightened, the lonely, those who feel helpless or hopeless. “Bee” the Light. Shine His Light wherever you go in this world. Lord, help us to reach out and to love as You love! Amen
My soul magnifies the Lord, too. He is so faithful to hear us and to answer our prayers! I was so concerned yesterday because we are traveling today to spend the next three weeks in California with our son and extended family… and Bob was short on a medication that he NEEDS. I prayed fervently to God for the medication to arrive before we had to leave this morning. And yes, you guessed it… At 5:00 PM last night, it arrived at our door. My soul magnifies the Lord. He is My Savior.
I hope He is yours, too. Magnify the Lord… and praise His name. In His hands I place my trust.
What image comes to your mind with the word MAGNIFY?
See ya tomorrow for the next Word of the Day. Meantime, please pray for our safe travel. We are flying from Montana to California today.
All the AI images depicted a man’s hands with tools.
Is that what image comes to mind when you think of the word REPAIR?
Since I am in a healing mode after my nasty fall when we were in Italy, and my leg is healing from an ugly cut earlier this month, my image for repair comes from a different place. I am looking for God to repair my body! Here is scripture assuring me, He will do that!!
“For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares theĀ Lord…”
God uses the healing hands of His servants to help repair our bodies when they need it. I am so grateful for the physical therapist, the nurses, and the doctors who help to repair our wounds, our breaks, our cuts, our boo-boos!!
What comes to mind for you when you think of the word REPAIR?
Maybe it is the repair of a broken relationship. If so, I willl pray that this Christmas season with God’s help, you can do that! God bless you with whatever repair you need. I pray it will come to pass!
