Month: February 2019

Psalm 120:1 I call on the LORD in my distress, and He answers me.
God loves us deeply, fiercely, unconditionally. He invites us into friendship with Him, into a family bond, not because of anything we can offer Him, but simply because we are His deeply loved children. I am working valiantly to develop a closer relationship with Him, one where I go to Him daily with all of life—big and small, happy and sad, uplifting and unsettling. He is my rock and my refuge. Thank You, Jesus.
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
God promises to never leave us nor forsake us. For me this means taking 1 Cor 1:9 (God faithfully keeps His promises) to heart. Always. When life is beautiful and all is well, God is in the middle of it with me. When life is overwhelmingly frightening and makes utterly no sense, God is in the middle of it with me. I can trust Him because He promised never to leave me nor forsake me (Heb 13:5), and He always keeps His promises (1 Cor 1:19).
Psalm 46:2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea….
Lord, Thank You for this day and the reminder that You are with me always, and I can come to You with anything and everything. Thank You for celebrating with me when times are good and for holding me together when everything feels like it’s falling apart. Thank You for working all things to my good and Your glory. Help me to trust You and lean into You always. Amen.
Psalm 93:4 Above the roar of many waters—the mighty breakers of the sea—the LORD on high is majestic.
Have a blessed day.

Matt 16:24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “Whoever wants to be My disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow Me.”
I’ve mentioned many times that I’m a planner. I like to be sure I’m prepared for any eventuality so that I am not taken by surprised or inconvenienced. The truth is, I have no idea when the planner in me became so dominant, nor did I realize until recently how incredibly entrenched I have become in a completely prepared life, a life with no surprises. One of my devos this morning was frighteningly accurate when it said, “Lord, I want to be pleasing to You, but I want to stay where I am”— comfortable, secure, not inconvenienced. Jesus, Help me.
1 Cor 15:19 And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world.
I realized several weeks ago that the reality of this side of my personality is that I have become reliant on myself, not on my Savior, for my day-to-day needs. I have structured my days so I know I am prepared, which inadvertently means I don’t need to trust that my Savior will provide because I’ve got it handled. I realized that this incredible journey that my hubs and my oldest embark on one week from today will be an adventure for ALL of us, moving us out of our comfort zones and closer to Him. This journey is not something I can plan or prepare for. The LORD will provide for us all.
Col 3:2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Lord, Thank You for this day and the truths that You are placing on my heart. Thank You for the realization that my self-reliance is a massive stumbling block to my relationship with You. Help me to say YES to the opportunities You place in my path and to trust Your provision, even when I can’t plan for it. Draw us all closer to You during this incredible journey. Help us to honor You with our lives, our actions, our choices. Help us to trust and obey. Amen.
Phil 4:13 I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.
Have a blessed day.

John 14:16-17a And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—the Spirit of truth.
My guys have a scout function today that caused them to have to be up and out incredibly early this morning. Attitudes were not at their best, which sent me searching for scripture about attitude. It’s something I struggle with as well, though I hate to admit it. One article I came across contained this gem: “…a positive attitude is not something that goes on around you, but rather, it resides within you.”
John 14:17b The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you.
I read that gem on the heels of reading John 14:17, which talks about the Holy Spirit, who lives with me and IN me. The parallel between the two really struck me. It took me back several summers when I made the startling discovery that God is outside of my feelings. He is not bound by my earthly emotions. And while my emotions are what they are, I am not a slave to them. I get to choose my attitude, regardless of my circumstances or my emotions. Jesus, Help me!
John 14:20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in Me, and I am in you.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder that I am in control of my attitude and that You sent me a Helper, the Holy Spirit, to live in me and to help me. Forgive me for the times when I have not remained in control of my attitude, when I have let my emotions or circumstances dictate my reactions. Help me, always, to choose a positive attitude, Lord. Draw me closer and help me to shine Your light. Amen.
Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Have a blessed day.

Jer 17:8a “They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream….”
Anyone who comes into my classroom probably thinks I am incredibly skilled with plants. After all, I have 19 mostly-thriving plants by my window. But the truth is, I do not consider myself skilled with plants at all. Honestly, the fact that they are indeed still alive is a testament to the hardy plants I have. I’m always slightly afraid I’ll kill them with my non-gardening abilities.
Jer 17:8b …”It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”
Today’s verses put me in mind of my plants. Totally dependent on me, those poor things are always at risk of death. But when we sink our roots into our Savior, when we nourish our souls from the inside with His word, then we don’t have to fear external forces—heat, drought, poor gardening skills—because we know where our strength and our life-source originates. We know God’s got us.
John 1:4 In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
Lord, Thank You for this day and the reminder that when we root ourselves in You, we don’t have to worry about whether the world will provide because we know You hold us securely in the palm of Your hand. Help us to ground ourselves daily in Your word, Your love, and Your grace. Draw us closer. Amen.
John 7:38 “Anyone who believes in Me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’”
Have a blessed day.

Matthew 25:23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant!…’”
As I type this, the lyrics to The Afters song “Well Done” are running through my mind. Isn’t it what we all hope to hear some day? That what we did, despite the screw-ups and missteps and mistakes, was a job well done? I know I hope to hear it, but the cynical, earthly side of me, the side that so quickly and readily recites my list of mistakes, tries to convince me that I’m too much of a screw-up, too much of a fraud, to ever hear those words. Can you relate?
1 Cor 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.
But God is love, and He sees through the eyes of our loving Father. He knows my heart and my intentions, even when they don’t play out as I had planned. And isn’t it the ultimate act of love, when you could lambast someone for all their many, many, many mistakes, to praise them instead for the things they have done well? “Well done, good and faithful one.” 
John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your Spirit of love. Thank You for seeing us through the loving eyes of the Father, for pursuing us past the edge of reason, for accepting us openly when we realized how deeply we need You. Thank You, at the end of a life lived deeply, humanly, brokenly, for seeing our hearts, our intentions, our desire to honor You, and for welcoming us Home with open arms. Help us to love each other as well as You love us, concentrating on and praising the good. Draw us closer to You. Amen.
1 John 4:8 Anyone who does not love does not know God because God is love.
Have a blessed day.

Psalm 115:1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory, for the sake of Your steadfast love and Your faithfulness!
As I was driving home from work yesterday, the Plumb song “Exhale” was on the radio. I’ve heard the song many times, but for some reason, yesterday, the lyrics “Oh God, we do not exist for us but to share Your grace and love” really struck me. And then this morning, my sweet Savior sent me to Psalm 115:1, which echoes the same sentiments as the song. I don’t think that was coincidence.
Psalm 86:12 I give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify Your name forever.
Have you ever wondered why you are here on this earth? Ever struggled with your existence? This world will tell you that you are here to prove yourself, to amass possessions, to gain promotions, to be better than others. Just typing the words makes me anxious. But God says, “I created You for more than the trappings of this world. Don’t get caught up in what the world says is important.” To quote the Plumb song again, “Oh God, we breathe in Your grace….and exhale.”
Matt 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the reminder that You created us for more than the anxious, materialistic, rat race of this world. You created us to love and be loved by You, to share Your grace and love with others, to shine Your light for all to see. Help us not to get distracted by the things of this world. Draw us closer to You daily. Amen.
1 Cor 10:31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.
Have a blessed day.

Matt 6:16 “When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others the are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.”
I’m not very good at fasting. I have a really hard time with that kind of self-deprivation. I’m afraid that when it comes to that, I am rather like the hypocrite spoken of in Matthew, loudly disclaiming my hunger, not able to move past the immediate discomfort, receiving no other reward.
Isaiah 58:6 “Is not this the fast I choose: to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the straps of the yoke, to let the oppressed free, and to break every yoke?
But I suspect the purpose of fasting is to draw a person deeper into the Savior. Much like the last mile of a half marathon for me, when I have to give it all to God and get out of His way to finish in His strength because mine is gone, I suspect fasting is one more way to push aside all of the things of this world and instead draw solely and completely from God’s store of strength and grace instead of our own pitiful reserves.
Daniel 9:3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with Him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for ways to draw closer to You, to depend more fully on You. Thank You for the understanding that self-deprivation is about getting ourselves out of the way so that we can cling more closely to You, depend more fully on You. Help all of us find ways to draw closer and to depend more completely on You than on ourselves. Reshape our hearts to be more like Yours. Amen.
Matt 4:4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Have a blessed day.

1 Cor 13:12a Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. 
I first learned I needed glasses when I was in 10th grade. There was a vision screening during PE class, and the lady asked me if I had left my glasses at home. Only I didn’t wear glasses. She was shocked, but I didn’t know any difference. I saw the way I’d always seen. While I don’t remember a vivid difference in vision back then, now is a different story. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that without my glasses, there’s much that I miss.
1 Cor 13:12b All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
I think life, death, heaven, God and Jesus, faith—all of them must work similarly. We think we know. We think we see. We think we understand. We don’t realize how blind we really are, how poor our eyesight. We don’t realize the pieces we are missing. We will one day, but right now, we are just incapable of seeing the total picture, so we have to trust the One who does.
Isaiah 55:8 “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways,” declares the LORD.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for this knowledge that now we understand partially—there are things that we can’t yet know—but one day we will understand fully. Thank You that we know and can trust the One who does understand all. Help us to cling to You and trust You always. Draw us closer. Amen.
Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding….
Have a blessed day.

2 Cor 12:9a But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” 
At present, there are several situations in my life that I am not handling with grace. Jesus promised that His grace is sufficient for me. Always. In every circumstances. So when I find that I don’t have enough grace to handle a situation, I think it’s a pretty clear sign that I’m trying to do it within my grace, which will absolutely never be enough. Jesus, help me.
2 Cor 12:9b Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
I wonder if the process of letting go of myself and surrendering to His grace is like that of floating. As I think of the analogy, I am instantly transported to a summer pool, trying to float, reminding myself to breathe, to relax, to trust that the water will hold me. And it will, but I have to quit fighting, quit trying, and just let go before I can float. I think it’s similar with grace. I have to stop trying, stop fighting, stop whining and grouching. I have to surrender, breathe, relax, and trust that Christ’s grace will hold me because it absolutely will.
1 Cor 15:10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace to me was not without effect….
Lord, Thank You for this day and for the analogy of surrendering to Your grace being similar to floating. I want Your grace, Lord. I NEED Your grace to do this life. I cannot do it on my own. Help me to stop fighting, stop trying to do it without You. Help me to relax, breathe, and trust. I know Your grace is enough, Lord. Help me to live that trust. Draw me closer. Amen.
Phil 4:13 I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Have a blessed day.

Isaiah 42:16a I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them….
Yesterday, as I was gathering my belongings to leave my classroom for the day, I saw a magnet on my filling cabinet: Good friends are like stars. You don’t always see them but you know they are there. And last night as I was scrolling through Facebook, I saw a picture of the New Zealand night sky, which had to be far away from light pollution because the number of stars and their utter gorgeousness was unreal. And it reminded me that just like the stars, God is always with us, but it isn’t until we find ourselves in utter darkness that we can clearly see His light, His presence, His magnificence.
Isaiah 42:16b …I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth….
It is frightening, at least for me, to go into a situation blind, to not know what to expect, to not be able to think through how I might handle it. I have always been a planner and a worrier, but my current aversion to the new and unknown is at a startling level. I don’t know how I ended up mired here, and I praise God for making me aware and providing me a way to put my focus and trust back on Him when I face the unknown.
Isaiah 42:16c …These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.
Lord, Thank You for this day and for Your steadfast love and trust. Thank You for making me aware of the fact that my love of comfort and routine is affecting my complete trust in and reliance on You. I can’t say I’m excited to have my comfortable routine ripped away, but I know it is for my good and Your glory, and I trust You fully. Guard and guide me on this journey. Draw me closer to You. Amen.
John 12:46 I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the dark.
Have a blessed day.