I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11

I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

During these times, I sometimes struggle to remember God’s promise to me and you.  And yet that is exactly what faith calls for and requires  It is easy to hold on and celebrate God’s plans when the picture to the natural man looks rosy and wonderful.  It is faith to look for the light in the midst of darkness and pain.  It is faith to say and hold to saying and choosing to the Father when he says to me and to: “

I know the plans I have for you,

declares the Lord,

plans to prosper you and not to harm you,

plans to give you hope and a future.

Lord, I believe – Help my unbelief

Thank you Lord for

• Loving me no matter what – Loving me enough not to leave me where I am
• His provision
• People who, even though in the moment I find difficult, also challenge me to be a true follower of Jesus and forgive them
• Spring wildflowers
• That I am now and will one day be healed.

Technorati Tags:
Jer 29 11, I know the plans I have for you,
Add to: | Technorati | Digg | del.icio.us | Yahoo | BlinkList | Spurl | reddit | Furl |

All things work together for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

All things work together for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

This is a verse that I held on for as long as I remember.

During those times when it seemed like the world was falling down around me.  “All things work together…”

When I was hurting (either physically or emotionally) so bad, that it seemed like a victory just to put one foot in front of the other.  “All things work together…”

When the month lasted longer than the money  “All things work together…”

In the moments of my life when things were the darkest, my emotions were swirling and my head was spinning, it was and is only by faith that I could say through my tears

All things work together for the good of those that love the Lord and are called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

And as time passed, I can look back at those same experiences and see the hand of God protecting, guiding and turning that which Satan meant for evil for His glory and my good.

Today I thankful for:

• The transforming power of His Love
• That one day all pain and suffering will be no more
• That my puppy is slowly but surely healing
• family
• Fiber One Chewy Bars (they making dieting easier)  =)

_____________________________________________________________________________

Technorati Tags:
Bible Verse, Romans 8:28, All things work together, bible
Add to: | Technorati | Digg | del.icio.us | Yahoo | BlinkList | Spurl | reddit | Furl |

He will not let your foot slip – he who watches over you will not slumber. Psalm 121:3

Thank you. Lord, that you do not slumber.  I sometimes feel that we are slumbering our way through this thing we call life.  It is assuring and comforting that you are always there – always watching over us.

I thank you, Lord, that even those things in life that Satan has meant for evil in my life – that you have been there to “keep my foot from slipping.”  You have kept my feet on solid when all about it feels like shifting sands.  I know that I trust you to keep me safe.  I have faith that you will keep me safe.  And more than safe, I choose  to follow you into life abundant – a life where you and I can find love, joy, and peace.

What are you thankful for today?

Technorati Tags:
Psalm 121:3, bible verse, bible, thankfulness, gratefulness, thankful, grateful
Add to: | Technorati | Digg | del.icio.us | Yahoo | BlinkList | Spurl | reddit | Furl |

Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. Psalm 119:35

Oh, how hard is it is for me not to want to argue with this verse.  My journey (which includes a great deal of abuse of power and authority) and my western culture leaves me wanting to rebel against words like commands.  By faith and the power of the spirit, I pray “Direct me in the path of your commands”

And I know that as I live  in the …

commands
precepts,
directions,
paths,
fields of Love with white picket fence, a well of everlasting water with a resting place nearby

of Abba Father I where I will find delight, joy and peace.

Today I am thankful

• that the Father meets where exactly where I am
• that He does not leave me there
• that I can trust, believe and have faith in His Love
• the glorious gift of God’s creation of the Tennessee hills especially the one I live on
• seeing a a glorious blue sky on a very cold winter day while hearing the birds sing and feeling the peace of the Lord.

What are you thankful for?

Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight. Psalm 119:35

Is this one of your favorite verses, here is a place to find items with this verse on it.

Look at the birds of the air; They do not sow or reap or store way in barns; And yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:26

This last spring we had a bird’s nest in the tree next to our house and right outside my home office window.  It was pure joy to watch the mama and daddy cardinal sitting on the eggs, watching over the nest and then feeding the little baby birds.  And now we have four sets of cardinal pairs instead of two.

One of the joys of my life these days is seeing all the birds around the house.  They serve as a constant reminder of the Father’s love for me.  I am stand (well, usually sit – these days) at the glory of the Father’s creativity.  On any one day, we see at least 10-15 different varieties of birds.

On those days, when I am not feeling particularly valuable.  The Father speaks in soft and loving tone “You are valuable to me” through those birds.

Today I am grateful for:

Reconnecting with old friends

Bright sunshine on a crisp cold day

Small successes

Wood burning stoves that  not only heat the house but great to watch and listen to the wood crackle and pop

My body even when it feels like it is betraying me

The Provision of Abba Father

What are you grateful for?

This is the day that the Lord has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm

Today I am thankful for:

• puppies who snuggle in my lap on cold days
• a supportive husband
• peach yogurt
• my continuing weight loss
• Jesus who chose me to die for, who continues to choose me to love no matter what (Jesus who choses you to die for, who continues to choose you to love no matter what)

What are you glad about today?

But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength;they shall mount up with the wings as eagles; and they shall run and not be weary; and they shall walk and not faint Isaiah 40:31

But they that wait……

Waiting can be a very hard thing to do.  Especially in our Western be independent, doing, busy society.

And yet the promise say if we wait upon the Lord shall…

…………. renew their strength

…………….. mount up with the wings as eagles;

………………….. run and not be weary

…………………………..walk and not faint

The thing that strikes me today about this verse:

I have alway heard the focus on this verse as on the mount up with wings as eagles.  I wait on the Lord, my strength will be renewed and I will be able to fly above my problems.

And that is not entire verse – I see today it is more like:

I wait on the Lord, my strength will be renewed

And Lord may hold my hand and then where  I will be able to fly above my problems.

OR

And Lord may hold my hand where I run through the problem and not get tired (not want to just give up or quit)

OR

And Lord may hold my hand while I walk through the problem and with his strength I can keep on keeping on.

And maybe  the important  thing to Abba Father is that you and I are learning as we wait and hold His hand, He will get us through.

Today I am grateful for: small successes, the beautiful day on a Tennessee hillside, seeing my two while puppies run up and down the hill, seeing a chickadee feeding in the birdhouse this morning, my daughter’s  hearty laughter.

What are you grateful for today?

Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me. Psalm 42: 7

Since a child, I have loved and been fascinated by waterfalls – Big ones, small one, even frozen ones.    I love to listen to them or just sit and watch. They are at the same time both beautiful and powerful – must like my Abba Father.

So what is the deep that calls to deep in the roar of my Father’s waterfall? The whole verse is: Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your waves and breakers have swept over me.

There are times in life when we feel the wave and breakers are breaking over us nonstop.  We feel like we might not make – like we might drown.

In that time, the deepest part of my soul calls out

But more importantly, my Abba Father calls out to me and speaks to the deepest part of my soul of His love and care for me.  He will never leave me or forsake.

Burst onto song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees Isaiah 44:23

Once I heard a pastor one time ask a group of children “How does a tree give glory to God?  How does an elephant give glory?” His answer has had a profound effect on my outlook especially on days like today when I am physically feeling really awful. His answer was “Just by being a tree.  Just by being an elephant.” Gloriously colored trees in the fall of year always remind me of this.  A hillside filled with trees giving glory to God just by being.   Just by being what we are created to be, we give glory to the One who created us.  Now on some days that makes for a busy day and on other days,  like today, I can rest in knowing I give glory to God by being what He created me to be.   The beauty of a foggy mist among the trees on the hill this morning

Today even though I feel awful and I choose to be thankful for:

• Abba Father who watches over me, forgives me and loves me right where I am
• His provision and healing touch
• Puppies who sleep in my lap and beg for my chicken
• Old movies that I can enjoy with my daughter

For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land – a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills. Deuteronomy 8:7

Our paster, Brian Wade, from Belmont Church in Nashville, TN has discussed over the recent weeks about knowing that God is there for us on mountain tops and in the valleys of life. It is easy to know the God is there on the mountain tops

• when our relationships are in order,
• when our jobs and finances are going well,
• when we feel His presence,
• in short, when everything feels good.

When the opposite things are true:

• when relationships are in disarray,
• We have lost of job or are worried about our jobs, finances or the economy,
• when nothing seems to be going the way we expected or to be honest, just plain want,
• and we may not feel his presence.

Today, I read this verse something jumped out at me. Abba Father is bringing me and you into a good land. That is the promise. This has streams, springs and pools of water. But what else does that “good land” also have. This land has mountain and valley. Both the mountain tops experiences and the valley where we have Jesus – our Living Water – make up the “good land“

Abba Father, today I give thanks for:

• The Living Word in my life as I live in the good land that you have provided and are bringing me into
• Laughter
• Christmas songs
• Honest relationship
• Progress even in the small steps