Thoughts...

A True Purpose--to love God with all my heart

A True Passion--to love others as Christ loves me.

A True Peace--Allowing the Prince of Peace to rule in my heart!

A True Power--God's grace to teach and train me

A True Place--Under the shelter of God's Redeeming love

A True Pleasure--Offering the sacrifice of praise to the Way, the Life,

                  The Truth
                     Jesus

Praising God!

Yesterday
Psalm 148

An ocean of blue
Warming waves of sun
All creation laughing
I sang Your praise


Today
I Peter 1:3-9

A curtain of gray
Shivering solitude of  night
Thunderclouds weeping
I am singing Your praise


Tomorrow
I Thes. 4:16-17

The trumpet of God
Announcing the Faith's Sight
The saints rejoicing
 I will forever sing Your praise!

The Invitation

It came in leather binding...
   With golden letters...
      And a red ribbon...

To Whosoever Will,

I have prepared a table for you
 A quiet place for just us two

 A time to cast on me your burden
 Finding that my love is certain

 I want to take sin's brokenness
 And give to you my perfect rest

 Share with Me and all My goals
Helping others and loving souls

 Your daily needs I will supply
 I lean in to listen to every cry

 Please come--
Praying in humility
 Seeking with sincerity
 Confessing your iniquity

 With Everlasting Love,
 Your Heavenly Father,
 The King of Kings

I read the request...
 Closed the binding...
   And walked away...

How I wish I had taken time to pray!

FAITH

"Jump," He said, "I will catch you."

My Daddy was so very strong,
But what if something should go wrong?
What if this time He should miss?
Could I take a chance like this?

"Jump," He said again, "Trust me."

I chose to take Him at His Word
Finding all my doubts absurd
So much better than I'd dreamed of
Caught in His strong arms...
                                                  With love.

His Amazing Grace!

The Package invited me to peek
But would it hold what I really seek
I shook the box and listened close
I hoped for what I wanted most

Other boxes had frilly bows
And shiny paper that seemed to glow
Each new gift I'd gladly try
Each disappointment made me cry

Finally deciding to take a look
I found inside God's Holy Book
Reading there the Gospel story
How Jesus came to earth from Glory

A gentle Shepherd seeking the sheep
Binding the broken, healing the weak
Always calling the names of the lost
Shedding His blood to pay sin's cost

I found this box was very deep
The Truth within it made me weep
Loving me at my very worst
Bearing, Himself, life's cruel hurts

No disappointments found inside
Only His grace and mercy wide
Calling on His Holy Name
My life will never be the same!

Living Water!

Tumbling downward

 Deeper yet Deeper

Washing and Refreshing

 Cooling and Satisfying

 Seeking the Lowest Point

Totally filling the Empty Places

 Given freely

 Accepted gratefully

 Poured into the Parched Ground

Swelling the seed

Growing the plant

Producing the fruit in season

 Sometimes a peaceful calm

Singing sweet Music

Sometimes a life-changing storm

Uncovering Hidden Treasure

 Always my soul's deepest need.

Holding me up

Dear Heavenly Father,

Immerse me in this Water.

May I become invisible

 In the bright reflection

 Of Your Son's Light.

Amen

John 4:14

Knowledge

     The very first temptation was to eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of good and evil. It wasn't that Adam and Eve didn't have knowledge--God was their teacher. The temptation was to be independent of God's teaching and be in control of their own education. How very sadly mistaken they were! Instead of following a trustworthy guide, they had no trust left. This caused fear because, on their own, it was impossible to discern truth from lies.

     But God came calling after them,

     And they answered.

     Once again their Teacher patiently taught them truth.

     Today God is still teaching truth. Jesus  is  truth. Through the King James Bible, His ways are known. May His grace help me to answer His calling and follow His ways.