With and Within You

Matthew 28:16-20 - Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Sn and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age."

John 20:19 - On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you."

Colossians 1:27 - To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Colossians 1:27 (NLT) - For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

Dear God, wash over me inside and out with Your peace. There are a lot of things that pull at me which make me restless and not at peace. But flood me with Your peace and help me to remember that You ARE with me and within me. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

The Beauty of Creation

Psalm 29:2 - Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of his holiness.

Isaiah 6:3 - And one called to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!"

Dear God, every time I see a new rose or a new flower that will become a vegetable or a baby animal or the beautiful blue sky with the one fluffy white cloud, I am reminded of how wonderful and glorious You are. You are the master artist. Help me to always reflect upon You when I see those reminders in Your creation. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Wandering Thoughts

Matthew 22:34-40 - But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?" And he said to him, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

Hebrews 6:19-20 - We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

I John 2:28 - And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming. 

I John 2:28 (NLT) - And now, dear children, remain in fellowship with Christ so that whine he returns, you will be full of courage and not shrink back from him in shame.

Dear God, help me to always keep my thoughts centered on You first and foremost before and through any other thought that crosses my mind. Thank You. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Soak in My Love

Psalm 139:1-4, 23-24 - O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether. Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

I John 4:18 - There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 

Dear God, thank You God for Your perfect love. It really does drive out fear. Thank You God for giving me the words I need for my letter. Now give me the opportunity to write it and the courage to send it. And prepare him to respond in kind. Prepare his heart for the truth that he will need to learn in the next few weeks. And may we both learn how to forgive even in what seems to be the most difficult of cases. Thank You God for perfect love. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

The Hope of Heaven

Romans 12:12 - Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

I Thessalonians 5:8 - But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

Hebrews 6:17-20- So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Dear God, Thank You for giving me the hope to carry on. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Hope to Carry On by and Rich Mullins Caedmon's Call (YouTube)

I can see Jesus hanging on the cross

I can see Jesus hanging on the cross

I can see Jesus hanging on the cross

He came looking for the lost

And love has come

Love has come

Love has come

And it's giving me hope to carry on

I can hear Jesus saying, "Father forgive"

I can hear Jesus saying, "Father forgive"

I can hear Jesus saying, "Father forgive"

What a thing He did

Love has come

Love has come

Love has come

And it's giving me hope to carry on

I can see love, love is all I want to see

Love can make a beggar rich, it can set a prisoner free

I know He can do it for you

And God knows He did it for me

I can see love, love is all I want to show you love

Love's the only way to go, it's love

And love is all a man might need to know

Yes, I know

You know Peter put away his sword

I can see Peter puttin' away his sword

I can see Peter, he put away his sword

He won't fight no more

Love has come

Love has come

Love has come

And it's giving me hope to carry on

I got to carry on

Tune in to Me

Psalm 32:8 - I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you wih my eye upon you.

Psalm 119:35 - Lead me in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it.

Psalm 119:35 (ICB) - Help me obey your commands because that makes me happy.

Psalm 143:8 - Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.

Dear God, I want to better enjoy what You have in store for me each day. Oh how right You are about the things that come up to "mess up" our scheduled days. Just like the day I was attacked by the wasp. It was supposed to be go to the doctor, go to the network leader conference at Ross Bridge. Go to lunch for cow appreciation day at Chick-fil-A between the two. Go drop things off at the libraries before the appointment. On the way out the door, BAM! The wasp was not supposed to be there. He was not supposed to be between me and the storm door. But he was and he struck out at me. It was only once, but it was enough. Now I feel like they are conspiring against me. We have plans to paint the overhangs sky blue to see if that works. We read that they do that in places like south Florida. But that wasp sure did try to mess things up. It was not supposed to happen. But it did. I can see where we might lose sight of You when the unexpected happens. And where we need to trust You more when it does. Otherwise, we would really be hurting and suffering and not enjoying life as we should. It is okay to have schedules and plans, but we should be willing to embrace changes more often knowing that You are still in control of things. Thank You for this valuable lesson. In Jesus' Name, Amen!

Search for Me

Jeremiah 29:13-14 - You will seek me and find me. When you seek me with all your heart, I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Jeremiah 29:13 (ICB) - You will search for men and when you search for me with all your heart, you will find me!

John 10:27 - My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.

Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.

Dear God, I am looking forward to finding You today. Whether in the laughter or the crying, the birds singing or the crickets chirping, the peace and the calm of the day or the storm of the night, I look forward to You. Thank You. In Jesus's Name, Amen!

Your Love Never Fails by Newsboys (YouTube) 

Nothing can separate 

Even if I run away

Your love never fails

I know I still make mistakes

You have new mercy for me everyday

Cause Your love never fails

You stay the same through the ages

Your love never changes

There may be pain in the night

But joy comes in the morning

And when the oceans rage

I don't have to be afraid

Because I know that You love me

Your love never fails

The wind is strong and the water's deep

But I'm not alone here in these open seas

Cause Your love never fails

The chasm is far too wide

I never thought I'd reach the other side

But Your love never fails 

You make all things work together for my good

You make all things work together for my good