Wednesday Treasures: How I Spent My Day

I'm not really doing a "Wednesday Treasures" today, but then again, these blessings are my "treasures".

So, I'm wondering how most of you spent the past 24 hours? Without going into the grueling details of the roller coaster ride we've been on for the past 24 hours, I thought I would show you what I've been doing instead.  I've pretty much stayed away from social media today and have limited TV watching to hitting the highlights early this morning, noon, and this evening. Rather than stressing over what is or is not happening quickly enough, here is how I spent my day.  What a joy to finally be able to capture a picture of this Belted Kingfisher, who often loudly sings his rattling song as he flies over Still Waters Pond, but he is always too quick for me to get a picture...until now!  I consider this one of God's little blessings to help me focus on the beauty around us rather than the other things that aren't so pretty.

I love how the early morning sunshine illuminates the back porch and reflects off the pond, and an extra bonus was the vision of our American flag, blowing in the breeze...reflected in the glass doors as we had our front door open, looking out through the storm door to the front porch. Just a little reminder of how thankful we are to still have the freedom to enjoy such wonders...

Actually, this was my lunch yesterday, and it looked so pretty I just had to take a picture:

If you remember me sharing with you about our refrigerator HERE a couple of weeks ago, you may recall that I mentioned that we needed to replace our refrigerator because of temperature control issues that we couldn't resolve.  However, the replacement refrigerator that we wanted was not in stock and not even available anywhere at that time.  I kept watching for it to come available online, and about a week later it said it would be available in a few weeks. So we decided to take the plunge and order it, praying that our current refrigerator would continue to run well enough to at least keep our basic food cold enough. We just didn't buy anymore ice cream and I constantly monitored the condition of the lettuce and other produce to make sure they weren't freezing.  Well, today was the day! The new refrigerator  was to be delivered this morning.  So I had a task before me to clean out the old, put everything in coolers until the appliance delivery truck arrived, and they could remove the old fridge and set up the new.

Here's the very nice delivery guys taking out the old:

(Yes, I know it looks perfectly fine from the outside, but remember, you can't judge a book by its cover, nor can you judge an older refrigerator by its looks...)

And here is the NEW, all set up and ready to go:

Yes we decided to get a side by side refrigerator for several reasons.  #1, this one actually fit into the limited space that was available without us having to take down a wall.

However, we did have to move the shelf above the refrigerator up several inches because this fridge is taller than our old one.  Thankfully, our carpenter son was able to do that for us ahead of time, and it was quite a job...but he did it perfectly, because below you can see that there is room to spare:

The other reason was that now I can actually open the doors and not bump into the island across from it. The other refrigerator door was much wider, and we couldn't open it the whole way without bumping the island.  I couldn't even pull out the vegetable drawer the whole way to get out my vegetables or to clean it. It was a constant frustration not being able to open that door the whole way.

Now, as you can see below, we have plenty of room and can even get around the door when it is open!

So that was a wonderful blessing to arrive today and keep us occupied and away from TV and Social Media.  Plus, after lunch we needed a nap after staying up so late last night watching you know what.

After supper we took our usual walk. We are having to remember to go a little earlier these days since the time change, as it is getting dark earlier and if we wait until after supper and after washing dishes, etc., as we normally did, it is almost too dark to go. So we try to eat a little earlier and get out the door as soon as possible.

These were the skies this evening as we walked:

Then we hurried back home so we could see the sunset on Still Waters Pond before it was too late:

What a beautiful way to end the day!

And then to come and share it with you.

I do hope to get around to read your posts for today as I can.  I am getting behind in my reading, but now you know why.

Here are some excerpts from the scriptures we read this morning in our devotions:

Philippians 2:14-16

14.  "Do all things without complaining and disputing.

15.  that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, 

among whom you shines as lights in the world,

16.  holding fast the word of life, 

so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain."

Psalm 27: 1-3, 5-6, 13-14

1.  "The Lord is my light and my salvation;

Whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the strength of my life;

Of whom shall I be afraid?

2.  When the wicked came against me to eat up my flesh,

My enemies and foes, they stumbled and fell.

3.  Though an army may encamp against me,

My heart shall not fear;

Though war may rise against me,

In this I will be confident."

5.  "For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion'

In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me;

He shall set me high upon a rock.

6.  And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;

Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;

I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord."

13.  "I would have lost heart, 

unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord 

in the land of the living.

14.  Wait on the Lord,

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the Lord!"

I'd call that some good advice and encouragement during these days of "waiting on the Lord."  May we continue to put our trust in the Lord, no matter what the outcome of these current "events" in our land. Always remember that God is in control, and He will strengthen our hearts and take care of us no matter what.

Be blessed my friends. 

 

Beside Still Waters

A couple of months ago I wrote about "A Dream Come True" (found HERE), which tells you about how our moving to this new home on "the pond" is a fulfillment of a longtime dream for us. It was a big step for us to sell our previous home in the forest, where the deer and bears roamed about, and to trade that life for this different kind of home...definitely not in the woods anymore, but the wonderful trade-off is that is sits beside this little pond. I know you've seen it already...and I guess what we should all get used to is that from now on I will probably be writing about our "Life on the Pond" quite often. I'll try not to bore you with too many sunsets or pictures of birds on the pond, or lily pads bobbing on the surface...but, well...it is what it is...this is our new "normal", so apparently this is what I will be seeing and sharing most often.


This week we've been watching the daily routine of our resident Great Blue Heron, who seems to "own the pond".

Here he is, early in the morning, watching for that special fish to start his day off "a little bit better".

We've been studying about "waiting on the Lord" in our Sunday School class lately.  Perhaps this Heron is a good example of what it means to "wait on the Lord".

Psalm 40:1-3

1.  "I waited patiently for the Lord,

and He inclined to me,

and heard my cry.

2. He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,

Out of the miry clay,

and set my feet upon a rock,

and established my steps.

 3.  He has put a new song in my mouth..

Praise to our God;

Many will see it and fear,

and will  trust in the Lord."

 He stretches his very long neck so he can see a bit beyond his immediate location...or perhaps he sensed that he was being watched and became a bit wary...

 After a little while he spread his massive wings and flew to a tree on the other side of the pond...

Zooming in we can see him perched there above the water, where he actually sat for a very long time...

 Psalm 27:5-6

"For in the time of trouble 

He shall hide me in His pavilion;

In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me;

He shall set me  high upon a rock.

6.  And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me;

Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;

I will sing, yes, I will sing

praises to the Lord."

The next morning I discovered him down at another side of the pond, again patiently waiting for his breakfast...

Psalm 27:13-14

"I would have lost heart, 

unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living.

Wait on the Lord;

Be of good courage,

and He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the Lord!"

 Looks like he might be seeing something worth going for...

The pond is getting very shallow these days. We've not had much rain for a while, and as this is a rather shallow pond to begin with, it depends on rain to keep it full.

 Already we can see signs of old dead trees and other debris surfacing in the shallow areas as the water recedes.

So we pray for rain for the sake of the birds and fish...and well, to be honest for our own selfish reasons. We love looking at the pond...

And watching the different activities of the Great Blue Heron throughout the day...

In the evening he sat in a different tree, again watching and waiting...

 Something must look pretty interesting down there below, but still he sat and waited...

Psalm 145:14-16

14.  "The Lord upholds all who fall,

and raises up all who are bowed down.

15.  The eyes of all look expectantly to You,

and You give them their food in due season.

16.  You open Your hand

and satisfy the desire of every living thing."

James 1:2-4

"My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials,

knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.

But let patience have its perfect work, 

that you may be perfect and complete, 

lacking nothing."

 And as the sun went down beyond the pond he was still there waiting...

Our final verses give us the promise of great hope fulfilled:

Isaiah 40:31

"But those who wait on the Lord

Shall renew their strength;

They shall mount up with wings like eagles,

They shall run and not be weary,

They shall walk and not faint."

Some of you have asked if our pond has a name. To our knowledge, it does not have any particular name. It is just one of many little ponds and lakes in this area,  and some have said it may be more of a kind of "retention pond" than a real  pond. Well, they can call it what they want, but to us it is a real pond, and even though there is a highway on the other side of those trees and we can hear the traffic noise throughout the day, it is still a place of peace and comfort to us...and an answer to prayer, and a dream come true.  

In the earlier post that I wrote (mentioned above)(click here again), I told you about a little book that I have that is entitled "Beside Still Waters".

Well, earlier this week, while reading our morning devotions, we were referred to the 23rd Psalm. And as I read the beloved familiar words of this Psalm, I was struck anew by the first three verses:

1.  "The Lord is my shepherd;

I shall not want.

2.  He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

3.  He restores my soul."

Well, here we are, sitting "BESIDE THE STILL WATERS", and I have this little book sitting on my coffee table, entitled "Beside Still Waters",  that I have read over and over again as I dreamed about having a place overlooking the water someday...and well...I think I know what we are supposed to name this pond:

"Still Waters Pond".

To me it is a place where the Lord has brought us, and I believe He has already been in the process of restoring our souls, ever since we were led to come to this little community and church.   You see, even strong Christians go through periods of time of needing to be restored, comforted, and finding a sense of peace and purpose again.  None of us has "arrived" at that place of perfection yet as long as we are in this body of flesh. And so God, in His love and mercy, knows our needs, and He gives us the desires of our hearts when our hearts desire to draw closer to Him. That is my hope and prayer. As we live in this place, "beside still waters", that we will be drawn all the closer to Him each and every day.

Psalm 23:6

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the Lord

Forever."

Amen.

The Secret Garden Chronicles-Day 11-Seeking God's Face

When I sat down in the Secret Garden today,  my first thought was to look at the "Be Still and Know that I Am God" sign that my son posted in the garden for me..and as I gazed upon it, I prayed:

"Lord, help me to do just that--to be still--to focus 

my thoughts totally on You,

and not on anything else."

And then this little bird flew up into the treetop above me, and he caught my attention because I didn't recognize what kind of bird he was.  All I could see was that he was tiny and had a brown head and light underbelly.  I tried to focus my camera on him, but it wouldn't come in clearly...possibly because of the leaves moving in the breeze all around it, or also because the bird kept moving from one tiny branch to another...

So in my frustration I said something out loud, like, "Why can't you be still so I can see you?  Okay, I guess you don't want me to take your picture today!" and with that, I turned off my camera and tried to re-focus my thoughts on the Lord, and what He would say to me today.

I opened my Bible, and it fell open to Psalm 27, probably because that is where my marker was from this morning's devotions.

And my eyes went directly to verses 7-10.  

7.  "Hear, O Lord, when I cry with my voice!

Have mercy also upon me, and answer me.

8.  When You said, "Seek My face," 

my heart said to You,

"Your face, Lord, I will seek."

9.  Do not hide Your face from me;

Do not turn Your servant away in anger;

You have been my help;

Do not leave me nor forsake me,

O God of my salvation.

10.  When my father and my mother forsake me,

then the Lord will take care of me."

And I thought to myself, "That sounds like me trying to see the face of that little bird a few minutes ago!"  How often do we cry out to the Lord, and even beg Him, "Listen to me!  Hear my voice when I cry out to You!"

It also reminded me that apparently I was having a bad dream last night, and my husband had to wake me up because I was crying out in my sleep.  I'm not sure what that was all about...I vaguely remember that something or someone was making me upset and afraid, and I started to cry out...one of those anxiety dreams that happen when we aren't even consciously aware that we are anxious about anything, but our subconscious knows and we cry out-- to GOD for help!!

Anyway, the Lord responds to our cries...even those that come from somewhere deep within us that we dare not express outwardly...and He says, lovingly and tenderly, "Seek My face."  

And we look up again with our whole heart and mind and say, sometimes with tears streaming down our face, 

"Your face, Lord, I will seek."

About this time, as I was reading this passage, I looked up, and that little bird had flown up to the tip-top of a dead tree, 

and perched there for all the world to see.  It was as if he was saying,

"Here I am! 

You said you wanted to see me more clearly?

Here I am...

focus in on me now!

Take a good look!"

And I thought about the Lord, and how often we get frustrated because we can't quite see Him or hear His voice, and it is because there is so much of the world in the way...the noise of the crowds, and the debris of too many conflicts, anxieties and just junk, causing our view of Him to become out of focus.  But when we seek His face alone...we find that He is right there in plain view, waiting for us to zoom our lens of faith and trust onto His glorious face.

"I would have lost heart, 

unless I had believed that I would see 

the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  

Wait on the Lord;

Be of good courage,

and He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the Lord!"

Psalm 27:13-14

Sometimes we just need to learn to WAIT on the Lord,

and stay tuned in to His Voice and His Face, 

because He has promised to never leave us or forsake us. 

"Search me, O God, and know my heart;

Try me, and know my anxieties;

And see if there is any wicked way in me,

And lead me in the way everlasting."

Psalm 139:23-24

Amen.

2016 Advent Day #9: Joy Comes in the Morning

(This is a reprint of an Advent post from 2015, but the message still rings clear....)

Here we are again...and I can still say, "Yes, Joy DOES come in the morning!" We just need to learn to trust in and wait on the Lord to hear our prayer and attend to our needs. He always comes through, just in the nick of time...His perfect timing!

This particular story was written back in the 1970's...at a time when my husband and I and our two very young sons (before son #3 made his entrance) had left our loved ones behind and moved to another state so that my husband could attend graduate school and prepare for the ministry.  We soon found out that this would be a time of great testing...perhaps a way to determine whether or not we were really serious about this "calling" or not.  The narrative below is a portion of a larger book that I hope to complete someday, telling the tale of our journey into the ministry.  

Just prior to this excerpt, difficult circumstances made it necessary for us to leave the position we had as "house-parents" at a home for boys and move to an apartment closer to the school my husband was attending.  We did not have any "visible means of support"...and our faith was being tested severely.  Read on:

Ephesians 3:20-21  “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

We knew that we could not continue to expect our friends and relatives to come to our rescue each month to pay our rent and bring us food.  God had used them this time because our need was urgent.  We just didn't know what to do next.  John still had about six months of school left for the year.  Our experiences with finding employment hadn't worked out very well.  We needed money for groceries, gas, and utilities.  And Christmas was just around the corner! It was already December, and I hadn't even thought about Christmas for the children! Before we had left our home to come to school we had paid off what few credit cards we had and had let our accounts lapse with the local department stores.  I thought, “Well surely since we had good credit with those stores, there would be no problem in getting our credit cards reinstated in time for Christmas shopping.” 

 So I went to the local department store and filled out an application for credit. I handed it to the credit manager and she looked it over and then called me back up to the counter.  She asked me to please complete the section regarding place of employment and salary.  I explained to her that we had just moved into the area and at the present time we did not have a place of employment.  She looked over her glasses at me and responded rather disgustedly that they could not give us any credit if we did not have any visible means of support. 

I asked her to please check our credit history and she would see that we had excellent credit and all of our bills were paid off. She said it really didn't matter how good our credit had been before. She could not at present extend to us any further credit since we had no source of income!  By this time I was near tears, and yet was also fighting mad…not a good combination in a redhead! I blurted out that I hoped that SHE would have a very Merry Christmas! And with shame stealing up on my cheeks, I turned and fled out of the store.  I cried all the way back home.  John tried to console me, but all I could think about was that we wouldn't be able to buy any gifts for our children for Christmas, and that it was all that lady’s fault!!  I blubbered out that I was certain that SHE would have a good Christmas for HER kids, so why should SHE care about us? 

  Joy in the Morning Psalm 30:5  “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning!”

My faith in humanity and God were at an all time low!  Why was God allowing us to go through so many trials anyway?  Didn't He know that we were only trying to do His will?  It was because of our faith in Him that we had gotten into this mess in the first place, and then our baby had been almost killed. (For more about THIS story click HERE) Now our children were going to have to miss out on Christmas!  It just wasn't fair!  I carried on like this for some time even while I tried to fix some lunch for the family. 

One of our neighbors happened to stop by, and before I knew it we were telling him our sad tale of woe.  He was very sympathetic and understanding.  But inside I was feeling some resentment toward him too! After all, he was attending school on the G.I. Bill, and had quite a nice savings account in the bank as well!  His family wasn't going to have to suffer on Christmas!  Oh, how the bitter feelings were rising to the surface and depriving me of any joy or peace!  Perhaps it was just all the weeks and months of struggle, disappointments, and stress that were beginning to take a toll on me.  Whatever my excuse, the Lord understood my heart.  Even though I was acting like a spoiled child crying because I was being deprived of some treat, God looked down and had compassion on me.  In a few moments after our friend had left our apartment, he returned with an envelope.  Inside was $60.00 in cash.  He said very lovingly, “Here, please take this as a Christmas gift from us.”   I was so ashamed for the way I had felt inside, and for the way I had acted outwardly.  I really couldn't receive his gift.  But he insisted, and we very humbly accepted.  God had provided again, and I knew in my heart that I didn't deserve such a gift.  But isn't that just like God?  Doesn't He always give us what we don’t deserve?  Hallelujah! What a Savior!"

Now, I suppose some of you are wondering how $60.00 could make much of a difference on Christmas when you have two young children, along with other financial responsibilities looming.
Here are some pictures from that Christmas morning so long ago:

Christmas Eve...

As you can see...the $60.00 went pretty far.  The tree looks a little lopsided, but it was a happy little tree.  "Happy Hobo" was smiling and ready to play...

Christmas Morning:  First Look at what "Santa Claus" brought....

Oh wow! Is all that for me????

Can't believe how small our sweet little boy was...but he sure gave the "Happy Hobo" a real workout!!

Look what we found! A NEW CAR! Only problem...there was only one...and there were TWO boys...

But when all was said and done they both had a wonderful Christmas, and never knew how close they came to not having such a wonderful day....God knew exactly how to take care of us...in more ways than toys for the kids...

Precious children our son Matthew on left, and Benton on right.

 And our Advent message for today?  Listen to these verses that God directed me to this morning in our devotions:

"I would have lost heart, unless I had believed

that I would see the goodness of the LORD

In the land of the living.

Wait on the Lord;

Be of good courage,

And He shall strengthen your heart;

Wait, I say, on the Lord!"

Psalm 27:13-14

Don't lose heart dear friend!  The Messiah IS COMING!  The Babe in the Manger came to bring us hope...to strengthen our hearts...and to answer our prayers.  He is still living and working on our behalf today! And He IS coming again to take us home to be with Him forever in heaven. So carry on...have faith..."BE OF GOOD COURAGE!  WAIT, I SAY, ON THE LORD!"

A "Jesus Calling" Experience...

Today started out with an unusual experience.  My usual routine when I first get to work in the morning after my forty five minute ride through the forest and the city is to head straight to the ladies' room before I do anything else. (enough said!)  To reach the restroom in the church office where I work I must walk through the very well equipped library. This often leads to detours either going or coming, as I peruse whatever new or different books are facing me on the shelves, vying for my attention. Lately I've noticed a little book tucked neatly on the shelf just beside the restroom door and each time I pass it I think to myself, "I need to check out that little book...it seems to be calling me..."   The name of the book is, you guessed it, Jesus Calling,  by Sarah Young.
 I've heard a lot about this little devotional book, and have noticed that several of my Facebook friends often quote it in their posts for the day.  So I've been meaning to check it out for some time now, and always on my way in to the restroom I think of it as I see it there...but on the way out from the restroom I have always forgotten about it by the time I walk back through the library to my office to start my day.  Chalk it up to short term memory...or perhaps overloaded mind getting ready to face the work on my desk.

Today started out just that way. Except this time I made a point of telling myself (on the way into the restroom) to be sure and pick it up on the way out...and guess what I did?  I walked right past is again! I really did! I know, I can't believe that I did that myself!  Well, Jesus apparently wasn't going to take my ignoring Him that easily today.  As I started up my computer and opened up my work emails the very first email I looked at was from a dear lady who has recently been diagnosed with breast cancer and has just had surgery and is getting ready to undergo radiation treatments.  She is having to give up teaching her line dance classes that she holds at our church each week, and has been in a lot of personal turmoil throughout this whole process.  I have been communicating back and forth with her and assuring her of my thoughts and prayers as she endures this ordeal and basically trying to encourage her as best I can.  In her response to me this morning she asked me if I had a copy of the devotional book...you guessed it again...Jesus Calling by Sarah Young?  I was flabberghasted at her question and suddenly remembered that I had forgotten again to pick up that little book this morning as it "called out to me" from the bookshelf in the library!  I told her that I was just this morning planning to check that out from our church library and I thanked her for reminding me!  I said that I was going to march right back in there immediately and check it out before something else came along to distract me!  And so I did.

When I came back to my desk and looked at her next email response, she said, "You really need to have your own copy, and I am going to bring you one the next time I come back to the church."  I thanked her and was so blessed by her thoughtfulness for me when she is the one going through the trial right now...it truly amazed me.

Well, I had to wait until I came home tonight to start reading this little book that I checked out...and as I started to look it over more closely, I noticed the subtitle on the front cover under the title of "Jesus Calling"..."Enjoying Peace in His Presence."  Remember I was just talking about my  One Word for 2013: Presence (click on title for post)...and  again here: "Fill My Cup Lord", plus several in other places throughout the past year as I practiced “presence”

Seeking god’s

Presence

In the ordinary

And

Extraordinary

Places of my life

In 2013

As I started reading the introduction I further discovered that Sarah Young's "life changing verse has been "Be still, and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10).  (see page XIII, Introduction Jesus Calling).  Wasn't I just telling you all about that verse last week? (Click Here for THAT Post) .  The more I read into this little book, the more I knew that Jesus truly was calling me to come and seek His Presence within these pages.

And so here I am...sitting in my recliner, reading several different pages throughout the year, particularly some special dates, not wanting to read the whole book since I will soon have my own personal copy to treasure...and yet, I find that Jesus is calling to me from within these pages...I believe He is summoning me into His Presence yet again...and I am in awe.

Is Jesus calling YOU into His Presence today?  You don't have to read a special devotional book to enter into His Presence, but it helps.  I find that I am in His Presence in so many places every day...I only have to be aware of His calling me...and listening for His voice. Today was a pretty clear indication that He wanted my attention...what do YOU think?

The reading for today says:

"Leave outcomes up to Me. Follow Me wherever I lead, without worrying about how it will all turn out. Think of your life as an adventure, with Me (God) as your Guide and Companion. Live in the now, concentrating on staying in step with Me. When our path leads to a cliff, be willing to climb it with My help. When we come to a resting place, take time to be refreshed in My Presence. Enjoy the rhythm of life lived close to Me. You already know the ultimate destination of your journey: your entrance into heaven. So keep your focus on the path just before you, leaving outcomes up to Me." 

 Scripture readings: Psalm 27:13-14; Exodus 15:13 ~  Sarah Young, Jesus Calling, page 338

Pretty good stuff, huh?  Yeah...I'm glad I finally listened to "Jesus Calling"...

UPDATE: For the sequel to this little story, go to : "Opening Another Advent Window".  Be blessed, my friends!

"Wait, I say, on the Lord!"

Psalm 27:13-14 "I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.  Wait on the Lord; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!"


Have you ever felt like your prayers were never being heard, let alone answered?  Have you wondered if God was even listening...or if He actually cared about the things that concerned you? I am certain we have all felt that way more often than we'd like to admit.  I've noticed that I most often feel this way during the night, when I lie awake struggling to get back to sleep. That is when I find myself laboring over the long lists of things that are troubling me, whether they be viable concerns or subconscious fears that boil up to the surface when I am least able to control them. 

Like the Psalmist in Psalm 119:145-148,

"I cry out with my whole heart; Hear me, O Lord! I will keep Your statutes. I cry out to You; Save me, and I will keep Your testimonies.  I rise before the dawning of the morning, and cry for help; I hope in Your word.  My eyes are awake through the night watches, that I may meditate on Your word."

Actually, I would be much better off if I would take advantage of that wakeful time to meditate on God's Word.  I find that I am usually so frustrated at being unable to get back to sleep that I forget to do the very thing that would bring the desired result the quickest way...pray, claim God's promises, and trust in His Word.

Psalm 28:7 says, "The Lord is my strength and my shield; My heart trusted in Him, and I am helped; Therefore my heart greatly rejoices, and with my song I will praise Him."

So tonight when those voices of fear, doubt and anxiety start whispering in my ear, arousing me from my much needed rest, I will remember these promises of God...I will "be of good courage", I will let my heart "trust in Him", so that I will be helped and strengthened by His love and power.  I pray that I will awaken in the morning with a song of praise on my lips and a heart full of courage.  I also pray that I will remember to "wait on the Lord." Then I will definitely see "the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living."

How about you?  Did you need this reminder today?  If so, it is my hope that God will meet you in your time of need and help your heart to greatly rejoice...and with your song to give praise to Him.  When we deliberately determine in our hearts to praise Him, there is no room for fear and doubt to remain. It has to flee.

Me and My Daddy

Good Night, Sleep Tight! ("don't let the bed-bugs bite")...Sweet Dreams...and May the Lord bless you with His peace.  Amen.