Year 8-Day 85:Today, I am grateful for the the one who calms me down.
My friend, Whitney, posted this scripture this morning. It was my "Verse of the Day" in my email inbox, too. Apparently, we both use the same daily verse service.
I smiled because it was 100% the verse I needed to today... since, I received it twice. (Thanks, Whitney, for your post)
Whenever my busy thoughts were out of control, the soothing comfort of your presence calmed me down and overwhelmed me with delight. -Psalm 94:19 (TPT)
The television offers little, if any good news, these days. All of us are trying to live in response to something different than we have ever experienced in our lifetime. We have not have a plague like this one in modern times.
The Love-of-my-Life and I are opposite in ways that usually make us compliment each other. He likes to go... I love a "stay-at-home" day. When I get overwhelmed by a task, he is gifted at getting a job organized and done fast. If I can come up with a vision, he can make it happen. We are both very calm and stoic in a crisis. Our feathers are not that easily ruffled... but when we reach our limit... we are done. We are gentle at heart... but he has a practical, realistic side that balances my art and whimsy. I always tell him, "You're my favorite." Being with him, still soothes my soul... even after 35 years.
The scripture reminds me of how marriage was designed to be an mirror of what our relationship with Christ should resemble. He is the anchor for our souls and the calm in the eye of the storm.
...my busy thoughts were out of control, the soothing comfort of your presence calmed me down...
Daily, in this season, we can remember to pause in His presence. In Him, there is stillness, peace and hope.
Today, I am grateful for the one who calms me down.
Year 8-Day 84:Today, I am grateful someone said it better than me.
Anne Frank is read in Junior High in some classrooms. I loved reading it as a child. Anne's thoughts were so normal and ordinary in extraordinary circumstances. She was just a girl, trying to do what she had to do to survive.
"To put things in perspective for those feeling a bit stir crazy already--- Anne Frank and 7 other people hid in a 450 sq. ft. attic for 761 days, quietly trying to remain undiscovered to stay alive. We can all do our part to keep everyone safe and spend a few weeks at home." -Travel Tales and Tips
Imagine 450 Sq feet for eight people! Imagine limited rations stretching enough to feed eight people. Hunger pangs were real. Imagine, knowing that failure to do as instructed could mean death.
Perhaps, we are seeing small glimpses into Anne's experiences. Still, we can get food and medicine. We have internet which gives us a window to the world, even when we need to stay close to home. We can go outside and breathe fresh air. We can laugh without fear of being overheard. We can share what we have with those in need. We can cheer on those who are on the front lines of healthcare and first responders.
The media can create a circus. It is difficult at times to sift through to the truth. Today, we have to error on the side of caution. I am reminded that God designed us with two eyes, two ears, two hand and two feet... but only one mouth and tongue. His wisdom is timeless:
"Spouting off before listening to the facts is both shameful and foolish. The human spirit can endure a sick body, but who can bear a crushed spirit? Intelligent people are always ready to learn. Their ears are open for knowledge." -Proverbs 18:13-15
Yes... both Travel Tales and the Proverbs passage are perfect for today's circumstance.
Today, I am grateful someone said it better than me.
Year 8-Day 83:Today, I am grateful for the power of love.
"Love has the power criticism only wishes it had." - Bob Goff
Love is the most powerful of forces. It can save a life. It can change a life. It can grant new life.
I love the story of the woman who was nearly stoned until Jesus intervened. It is a powerful snapshot of Christ's power, wisdom, justice and mercy. The passage is always worth re-reading.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
“No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” -John 8:7-11
When we feel we are a lost cause or beyond redemption, it is good to remember that our Lord specializes in lost causes and big messes. The scholars never got he best of Him, he won every time. He was not taken by the soldiers the night in Gethsemane... He surrendered to the will of the Father.
His love for us is fierce.
Today, I am grateful for the power of love.
Year 8-Day 82: Today, I am grateful we can embrace uncertainty.
Not rose colored glasses...but simple truth.
"Embrace uncertainty. Some of the most beautiful chapters in our lives won't have a title until much later." - Bob Goff
The path may look misty or unclear. It does not mean that we are lost. It means that we have to trust, obey and let Him lead the way.
The days we are living in are different than any we have been through before. Wide spread illness and suffering right here at home in our own neighborhoods. This kind of trial is new to most of us, but it is not new to God or the people who have sought His heart from generation to generation.
These days can feel frightening and difficult to frame. He still holds our tomorrows.We can put our trust in the one who will not leave us. His presence is certain, even when he is silent.
He gave us minds to think and make good choices. He assured us that we need not fear; he is near. We can face uncertainty with courage and knowledge that the Solid Rock will not fail. Our anchor holds.
"This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God’s inner sanctuary." Hebrews 6:19
We can enter into His presence, where there is safety and peace. There, we can "Be still." in mind and spirit.
Today, I am grateful we can embrace uncertainty.
Year 8-Day 81: Today, I am grateful we can love without agenda.
Do you every feel like everything and everyone has an agenda? The media is a lesson book in the art of persuasion. It can be exhausting.
"Loving people means caring without an agenda. As soon as we have an agenda, it's not love anymore." -Bob Goff
The great commission was all about "going" and "making disciples". The instructions were clear. How too fulfill those instructions is where the waters seem to grow more muddy.
I love Bob's reminder to simply love people like Jesus loved them. Unconditionally and for the sake of recognizing that in God's eyes, they have value. In fact, each one of us would have been reason enough for Jesus to come.
God withheld his wrath on multiple occasions in history because one person pleaded for their loved ones lost. One person would stand in the gap between life and destruction.
As God works out His holy balance between right and wrong... just and unjust... we are reminded to love big, unconditionally and without reservation.
"Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance." -1 Corinthians 13:4-7
Love is our calling. Truth is our responsibility... truth presented in love. Love big. Love bold. Our world needs it... desperately. Small acts of love can have a ripple effect. We can be the change we want to see.
Today, I am grateful we can love without agenda.
Year 8-Day 80: Today, I am grateful the sun will rise tomorrow.
"Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise." - Victor Hugo, Les Miserables
This quote is from the book by Victor Hugo, written in 1862. It has about 365 chapters. My friend, Jim (J.B.), spent a year reading and reflecting on the book. It was powerful to hear his reflections.
The story is full of love, war, heartbreak, cruelty, kindness and redemption stories. Life can be hard. Still, the sun will wise in the morning, even after the darkest of nights.
10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) is one of my favorite songs. When I first heard it, it had the familiar feeling of an old song. My Dad thought of it as a farmer's song. I hear hope in the lyrics. It calms my inner storms when I sing it.
This was my verse today"
“But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit." -Jeremiah 17:7-8
The Lord provided the perfect verse. I didn't even have to look for it. It was there when I opened my online Bible as my verse for the day. He wins again.
“But for you who fear my name, the Sun of Righteousness will rise with healing in his wings. And you will go free, leaping with joy like calves let out to pasture." -Malachi 4:2
We can trust in the Lord with all of our hearts, knowing His ways are bigger than our plans. We can rest knowing He's got this.
Today, I am grateful the sun will rise tomorrow.
Year 8-Day 79: Today, I am grateful we can choose what we see and hear.
Some days we need to turn off the noise. The media is constantly sending out messages. Negativity reigns. Most of time the media is hyping something for dramatic impact. It causes anxiety for many. I love a little good news on a daily basis.
For every tragic story reported, there are stories of goodness and kindness never told. I remember the Sunday School song for wee ones from my childhood, "Be careful little eyes what you see... and be careful little ears what you hear... For the Father up above is looking down in love... so be careful little..." Oh, that was sound advice in a preschool song.
We tend to find what we are looking for in most places. Harper Lee said it well:
"People, generally, see what they look for, and hear what they listen for." -To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
What we get out of most interactions is based on what we put into them. Breathe deep. Choose patience, kindness and grace. Be forgiving. Be wise.
"Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love." - Ephesians 4:2
Humbly seek to help the hurting with gentleness. Hold back the sharp and cutting tongue. Slow down. Love bears all things. Love tenaciously. Look for tender moments that make your heart sing...even in trials.
Today, I am grateful we can choose what we see and hear.
Year 8-Day 85:Today, I am grateful for the the one who calms me down. 
