Singin' on Sunday v. 2

Thank You, Lord, For Homes
Huey P. Hartsell (Arr. Craig Roberts)

Thank You, Lord, for in creation man was lonely, incomplete;
From his rib You made a helper suited for him kind and sweet.
"Leave your father and your mother, go and cleave unto your wife."
What a beautiful relation; two becoming one for life.

Thank You, Lord, for faithful fathers, loving, giving, strong and brave;
Leading happy households onward, praying for their homes to save,
For their daily needs providing, willing to correct and stand.
Oh how precious are our fathers! How we need them in the land!

Thank You, Lord, for loving mothers, godly hearts and hands to serve,
Priced above the precious rubies, having virtues all observe.
Children rise and call them blessed; husbands give them praises due.
Who can tell of their adornment, inward beauty, pure and true?

Thank You, Lord, for little children, how they fill our hearts with love!
Humble, innocent, and trusting, like Your children up above.
In our hands, as clay they're molded, ever learning morn and eve.
What a heritage we're leaving; precious children who believe!




Ephesians 5:19 "Speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, making melody in your heart to the Lord."

Singin' on Sunday v.1

I wanted to share some of my favorite songs with you, those that comfort, inspire, and uplift me, so I decided to make it a weekly feature. I hope you enjoy!




Sing Me A Song About Jesus
G.T. Speer

Sing me a song about Jesus,
Sing me a song about His love,
Sing with all your might, Ev'ry day and night,
Make the hallelujahs roll;
Sing out the blessed old story,
Tell how he gave the victory,
Dying on a tree, All for you and me,
How He came and made me whole.

Sing me a song about Jesus,
Sing me a song about His love,
Sing with all your might, Ev'ry day and night,
If the way is bright or dim;
Sing me a song about Jesus,
Sing me a song about His love,
Sing about His grace, Till you see His face,
Sing me a song about Him.

Jesus the wonderful Savior,
Guides me along the rugged way,
Never lets me fall, Hears my feeble call,
Makes the way so bright for me;
I will forever adore Him,
I will forever sing His praise,
He will take me home, Never more to roam,
Then His loving face I'll see.

Sing me a song about Jesus,
Sing me a song about His love,
Sing with all your might, Ev'ry day and night,
If the way is bright or dim;
Sing me a song about Jesus,
Sing me a song about His love,
Sing about His grace, Till you see His face,
Sing me a song about Him.





Ephesians 5:19 "Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord."

Just A Mom

I don't know how many of you are stay at home moms, like me, but do you ever feel like people look down on you because you are "just a mom" and haven't really "done anything with your life?" I do. I "threw away" a full paid scholarship to college to get married and start a family. I had heard my whole life, "You can do anything you want to do, be anything you want to be, if you just set your mind to it." I went through stages just like any kid, wanting to be a doctor, a teacher, a famous singer...but in the back of my mind, I knew I always wanted to be a wife and mother. And here I am however many years later. Wife and mother of 3. And you know what?

I'm happy.

I'm not going to sit here and lie to you. I'm not the perfect, model Proverbs 31 woman. There are things that I wish were different sometimes. I wish I had more support and more courage to act even without the support.

But I love being Jeremy's wife, his help meet, which entails so many different things. That and being a good mother to our children is a full time job. I love doing it. I love knowing that God gave me the direction and the desire to want to serve Him in doing my best to make our home a happy, loving, safe place for us and those we love. That He gave me the direction and desire to be hospitable and kind-hearted. That He gave me the avenue and ability to use this blog to reach out to others and try to be an encouragement even to those who I may never have met.

Am I "just a mom?"

No.

I am a mom. But I am also a wife. A friend. A Christian. A child of the King. A servant of my Lord.




Lord, help me always to remember that everything I do is for Your glory, whether it is blessing my home with cleanliness, instructing my children in righteousness, supporting my husband in his place of leadership, or encouraging others with Your love. Let me always strive to continue do to so. In the name of sweet Jesus, Amen.

True to Myself

You ever have someone tell you the "right"way to do something? Then when you try things their way, it's like wearing a shoe that is too tight (which is even more uncomfortable for someone who wears shoes as seldom as I do!) Now, you realize I'm not talking about commands from God, or doing those things that are required in our walk to live the Christian life. I'm talking about personality differences, "marketing yourself" if you will.

When I decided to start a devotional blog, the first thing I did was do a little research on what makes a "good" devo. I found I was "supposed to" start with a Bible passage, say my bit, then end with a prayer. So this is how I started. And I will admit, it is a good format. But it just hasn't been flowing well for me. At least not to use the same format for every post. So I have decided to loosen up a bit. Be more...well, me. Not try to be so philosophical or whatever it is I have tried. Be myself, and not try to do like someone else because it's "right." Just be open, using my own life and my own words to minister. Share my own shortcomings and how I am trying to overcome them. I don't mean be negative, but constructive. Weaving Scripture and prayer throughout. We will see how this goes. ;)

A Prayer

Dearest Father in Heaven,

Please be with me in all that I do. Let Your part in my life increase, and my my fleshly desires to decrease. Help me to be a better servant in Your eyes. Be with me as I raise my children, make a home, and do my part to spread your word. Guide my actions and my words so that others may see You in me. Please take away my insecurities and give me peace and strength, for Your glory, not mine. Lord, You are mighty and I am weak, and I know that while I can accomplish nothing alone, there is nothing I can't do with Your help. Please bless me with those spiritual blessings which will let Your light shine through me and guide me, so I can guide others in the journey to heaven. In Christ's most precious and holy name,

Amen.

Grieving God

Ephesians 4:30 "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God..."


Really think about the word "grieve." My dictionary defines it as to "cause to suffer sorrow." When Jeremy and I were talking about it, that came to my mind was "make you so sad it physically hurts."

Did you know there are things we can do to make God grieve?

Verse 31 says "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor [or loud quarreling], and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice." You think it grieves God to hear us act in such ways toward each other?

If you keep reading in chapter 5, we are told, "But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for the saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting..." (v. 3, 4) How many of us are guilty of at least one of these? If we haven't participated in it ourselves, we have at the least not rebuked others who were. I am just as guilty on this as anyone. How many times have we heard or told nasty "jokes," or flippantly discussed adultery, or watched a television show that endorsed homosexuality? These are subject matters that are grievous to God's Holy Spirit. Should we be taking them so lightly? Verse 12 says, "it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done my them [ungodly people] in secret."

Instead, we are to "be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another," "walk in love," and "do not be partakers with" those who act in such ways, but "find out what is acceptable to the Lord. (4:32, 5:2, 7, 10) Maybe we need to start redirecting our thoughts and our tongues. When something like this comes up, ask yourself "Is this pleasing to God? Does He want me to have a part in this? Is this something that He will accept as 'an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma' or does it just plain stink?"

Let us always remember to "imitate God as dear children." Act as He would have us, just as we expect our own children to act in an appropriate manner. Think about how a child wants to do everything exactly like mommy or daddy does it. God is telling us to follow Him in the same way. While we know we are not perfect and will inevitably make mistakes, we are to do our very best to imitate the Spirit of God.

Whose Way?

Proverbs 14:12 "There is a way that seems right to a man, But its end is the way of death."


So many times we forget who we are supposed to be listening to.

It's not any man. (Acts 17:11)
It's not any tradition. (Colossians 2:8)
It's not even our own heart. (Proverbs 28:26)

Of course, there are times when man, traditions, and our heart are on the right track. But we should never trust them blindly. We should constantly search the Scriptures to make sure that we are following God's path, not our own. Sometimes, man tells us to make things easier for ourselves. Traditions may be held for the wrong reasons - simply because "that's the way we've always done it," not because we have clear instruction to do so (or not do so. It goes both ways.) Our heart can deceive us, trying to better our earthly life instead of looking toward our eternal goal and how we can achieve it.

God's way won't always be easy. It may not always be clear. We may not always understand why we are headed in the direction He sends us. But His way will always be right.

He Gives Songs In The Night

"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." ~Matthew 11:28-30

"...[He] gives songs in the night" ~Job 34:10



In our Monday night ladies' Bible class, we have been looking at Lea Fowler's book Strength in Times of Trouble. Last night's lesson was titled "He Gives Songs in the Night." In one paragraph she says, "That scripture has always bothered me. I had many times deliberately tried to think of songs in the night. I hadn't understood that first part - He gives you songs - He, God, gives you songs. It is not-'I strive to sing songs in the night.' " In another part, she says, "I had tried to sing for joy when I was joyful - but we sing for joy when we are scared, or hurting, or weak and have found relief."

I completely understood the concept of this. I knew that when I was feeling down or discouraged, a song of praise would come to my lips, and it would inevitably make me feel better. But I had never put the scripture with the concept. (Makes you look again at 2 Peter 1:3, doesn't it?) Then, last night, I had the opportunity to experience it once again.

It was "one of those nights." I had to get up 4 times in as many hours with one or another of the kiddos. I was tired. The baby had been whiny and clingy all day. When I got up with her to feed her, I just felt so overwhelmed. I just wanted to sleep. Then the song came to me "Ye that labor and are heavy laden lean upon your dear Lord's breast, Ye that labor and are heavy laden come and I will give you rest." And I started to feel better. I wasn't really less tired, but I knew that I could handle it. That my Heavenly Father would take care of me just as surely as I was taking care of my own child right that very minute. How sweet to know that He is always there. And how sweet to know He gives us songs in the night.



Loving Father, who watches over me with Your mighty Hand, thank you so much for the blessing of being able to call you Father. I know that You are always with me, and that You will comfort and uplift me just as I would my own child. Thank you for the songs of praise and encouragement you inspired others to compose so that when I am down, You can bring them to my rememberance and give me songs in the night. In my dear Saviour's name, Amen.

Maturity Is An Option

Psalm 119:9-10 "How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You; Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments!"

Think about how many choices we have to make. Who to be friends with. Who to date. Who to marry. Where to go to college. Whether or not to go to college. What kind of career to pursue. Whether to become a Christian. Whether to act like a child or a mature adult.......yes, that is an option, too.

We all start out as babes, literally and spiritually. We grow and learn. As we learn, we have to make the decision whether we want to apply what we learn, or continue to walk around acting childish. Looking at it from a spiritual standpoint, we should want to seek out God and His commandments and "take heed." Some choose not to do this. They would rather blame circumstances, or a negative view of humanity, or something that they think justifies that God doesn't exist and that gives them the right to act however they want. They use obscene language, cut others down, make crude jokes, anything to try to make themselves feel better.

They are really trying to fill a void.

That void is the place where God is supposed to be in our lives. He created us to need Him, to want to rely on Him. When Satan gets a hold of us, God in a sense steps to the side, waiting until we are ready to put Him back where He belongs. He never leaves, He just waits in the background, waiting on us to realize He isn't in His place of honor in our lives anymore. When we make this realization, we will, hopefully, turn back to Him and restore Him to that place of honor and strive to mature in Him.

So, yes, being mature is an option, as is being righteous, ignorant, wise, faithful, or anything else we can choose to be or not be. There will be times in our lives when we may consciously or unconsciously choose to "backslide," losing our maturity, righteousness, wisdom, etc. But we can always gain it back and improve it if we choose to.

Loving Father, I know that I am not perfect. But I choose to strive to grow and mature in You every day. Please help me in this endeavor to better serve you and to use my maturity to show others the way to You and Heaven. In Christ's name, Amen.

Praise Him! Praise Him!

Psalm 113:3 "From the rising of the sun to its going down The Lord's name is to be praised."


Since my baby is sick and I didn't get to attend worship services this morning, I wanted to spend some time today thinking about and praising God. What hasn't He done for us? Even in less than ideal circumstances, His children are always cared and provided for. He uses every situation that we go through to bring us closer to Him, if we will let Him. So, today, maybe you will join me and the Psalmist in just giving some praise to God.

Psalm 8:1 "O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth, Who have set Your glory above the heavens."

Psalm 9:1-2 "I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart; I will tell of all your marvelous works. I will be glad and rejoice in You; I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High."

Psalm 66:1-4 "Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth! Sing out the honor of His name; Make His praise glorious. Say to God, 'How awesome are Your works!Through the greatness of Your power Your enemies shall submit themselves to You. All the earth shall worship You And sing praises to You; They shall sing praises to Your name.' "

Psalm 92:1-2 "It is good to give thanks to the Lord, And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High; To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning, And Your faithfulness every night."

Psalm 100: "Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands! Serve the Lord with gladness; Come before His presence with singing. Know that the Lord, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are his people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into his courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name., For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations."

Psalm 102:12 "You, O Lord, shall endure forever, And the remembrance of Your name to all generations."

Psalm 104:24-25 "O Lord, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all, The earth is full of Your possessions---This great and wide sea, In which are innumerable teeming things, Living things both small and great."

Psalm 111:7-9 "The works of His hands are verity and justice; All His precepts are sure. They stand fast forever and ever, And are done in truth and uprightness. He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name."

There are, of course, many more times in the Scripture that the authors gave praise to God. They understood, as should we, how exalted and excellent our loving Father's name is. Let us always remember to praise Him here on earth, so that one day we can praise Him face to face!



O Lord, how glorious and excellent is Your name in all the earth! Let us always remember what a loving, powerful, and righteous God You are, and to show that we remember. In Christ's most precious and holy name, Amen.

Priorities and Needs

Matthew 6:33 "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness..."

Okay. I realize here Christ was talking about not worrying about material things. Which is completely true. But it should also be a "whole life" application.

God and my desire to serve Him should always be first in my mind. If I follow His word in all things, everything else will fall into place. Not saying that everything will be exactly the way I think it should be, but things will happen that will help me stay on the right track in serving God. There are things that happen in my life all the time that I can't help but wonder, "What reason does God have for this happening to me right now?" I have come to the conclusion that on the other side of my troubles, not only will I be wiser, but I will be better equipped to help someone else who may be in a similar situation. That old saying, "What doesn't kill us makes us stronger" has truth to it. We will have troubles. We are promised that as followers of Christ there will be hard times, though everyone's hard times will not be the same. But in our times of trial, we should continue to seek God and righteous living, even if it seems the world is against us. There may be some changes you have to make. But it will all be worth it in the end. And truly, if we honestly do our best to imitate Christ and follow in His paths in life, our life here on earth will end up being richer, too.

Which brings us back to material things, and I may get a little off subject here. God promised to feed and clothe us; He never promised a mansion, or 2 extra cars, or money in savings. He promised to meet our NEEDS. I think sometimes we get our needs and wants confused. I heard someone talking about priorities not long ago, and, although he was making a point, the 3 things he mentioned were the car payment, the light bill, and the cable bill. I certainly would not put those three as my top three priorities. The cable bill is obviously way down on my list, since at our house we don't even have the local channels. But my point is, what are your priorities? What do you "know [I] can't live without"? Cable? 2 cars? Electricity and running water? A house with enough bedrooms that no one has to share? What are definite needs, and what are "it is so nice to have"s? There again, if we are seeking after God, the material will become less important to us, and we can be like Paul and learn to be content no matter what state we are in.


Loving Father, Thank you for knowing my needs, both material and spiritual, and for providing for those needs. Please continue to bless me in such a manner that those things that I receive and the things that happen to me in life will always help me on my path to serve and please You, and to be able to help others along the way as well. In Christ's Holy name, Amen.

The Privilege of Prayer

James 5:13-16 "Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing psalms. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven, Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayers of a righteous man avails much."

How often do you hear, "Please pray for me/my family," or, "The X family has requested prayers"? Now, how often do you mention those people by name in your prayers? As Christians, prayer is not only a privilege, but a responsibility. We have the ability to communicate directly with our Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, with the help of the Spirit. We should count it as an honor and a blessing when someone requests prayers from us. This means they know we have a close relationship with God. We should want to, and in a sense, feel obligated to honor their request. Not obligated in a grudging manner, thinking "Ok, God. Here I am doing my duty and sending up this prayer," but humbly and lovingly.

We should also remember that while it is okay to ask for things to turn out like we want them to, we should always let God know that we are confident in Him; we know that He will always do what is best for us, even if it isn't to our liking at the time. Jesus gave us the example to pray "Your will be done." (Matthew 6:10, Matthew 26:39, 42) He also told us to be persistent in our petitions (Luke 18:1-8), and that we should ask in His name (John 14:13, 14).

Prayer is our direct line to God, and should be taken seriously. This isn't to say that it always has to be formal. We should be able to talk to Him like we would our earthly fathers, or a friend. How wonderful it is to know that He is always there, ready to listen.


Dear Lord, help me to remember You are always available, and I can come to You for anything. I know You will always answer my prayers as You see fit, and as You know will best benefit me adn those I pray for. In Christ's name, Amen.

Our Comforter

2 Corinthians 1:3 & 4 "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God."

**This one may be a little short and out of the norm for me...***

Saturday, we were supposed to drive up to my aunt and uncle's for a fellowship/singing. My aunt called me that morning and told me they were having to cancel because one of her dear friends' son had been found dead that morning. I haven't been able to put this out of my mind. I can't imagine the pain of losing a child, especially so unexpectedly and unexplained. All I could do, and can still do, is pray for that mother, and her other son, and the rest of that young man's family and friends. My prayers were for comfort for them, because that is what we want when something bad happens, right? How blessed we are to have such a loving Father who will comfort us. Who has sent His Spirit to comfort us, and who has given us friends and family to give us physical comfort. (2 Corinthians 7:6 & 7; 1 Thessalonians 5:11) We can know that no matter what happens, no matter how terrible it is - and sometimes it may be almost unbearable - He will be there. We can pray (James 5:13) and cast our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7), and He will deliver us (Psalm 34:19).

I wrote a poem for a friend back when we were in high school and she lost her father. The circumstances today are a little different, but the sentiment is the same as it was from my 17-year-old heart then.

***
I know right now you're hurting,
But tomorrow will be brighter.
I know it feels as though the pain
Will never go away,
But it will eventually start
To ease.
I know the sadness with always be
Underlying there,
But you must go on with your life.
And always remember
You've got your friends -
We'll always be here for you.
To help you through the tough times,
To share with you the good.
We'll always be true.
Lean on us and we'll lean on you
And we'll all survive.
***

Like I said, from a 17-year-old's heart.

And remember, God can make a rainbow out of any storm.


Dear God, I praise You for being such a loving Father, and for always being there for us. Help us to always turn to You when we need comforting, and to remember You can help us through any situation that arises in our lives. I pray especially at this time for those who have lost a loved one. Please comfort them as only You can, and help us to be there for them and to bring them Your loving-kindness. In Christ's precious name, Amen.

Take a Deep Breath...

2 Peter 1:5-7 "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge self-control; and to self-control perseverance; and to perseverance godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness love."

Who has never lost your temper or become impatient? I am guessing there is no one out there with your hand raised. For those of us who are parents, it probably happens more often than we would care to admit. I know it does for me. You're already having a bad day/week, or running on too little sleep, and your fuse gets shorter and shorter until you snap. It has happened to all of us. The question is, what can we do to make those times fewer and less often? (I would say vanish, but let's face it - we are human and we are going to slip up.)

According to Peter, there are a few other things that you are required to have before you can master self control and patience, and a few things that will come easier after you have mastered them. The first quality he lists is faith. That one is pretty easy, right? We have our faith in God, and without that, nothing else matters. Virtue should come right on the heels of faith. Webster's defines virtue as "conformity to moral law; uprightness." So if we have faith in God, and most assuredly love Him (for how could we have faith in something we don't love?), we will want to follow His law. This part is a little harder, but we are generally pretty sure we can handle it. The only snag is, how do we know what His law is? Humans in general have an internal moral code, pretty much knowing what is right and what is not acceptable. But how do we know for sure what God wants us to do, and how He wants us to behave? This is where the knowledge comes in. The only way we can have this knowledge is to study what He has given us - the Bible - and apply it to our lives. Just a couple of verses before he gives us this list of qualities we need, Peter tells us that God has "given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness." (2 Peter 1:3) God has told us everything we need to know. All we have to do is study (2 Timothy 2:15) to gain the knowledge that we need.

Next comes the part we are looking for. Self control and patience. If we have faith in God, and want to conform to His law, and study to learn what His law is, we will draw nearer to Him, and His Spirit will help us with our control and patience. With our knowledge we will learn to control our actions. It is okay to be upset or angry, for we have examples of times that both God and Jesus were angry, but we are still to behave in a manner pleasing to God. We are to be slow to anger, not quick-tempered (Proverbs 14:17). And according to Ephesians 4:26, we can be angry without sinning. In John 2:13-16, Jesus was very obviously angry, and took action because of His anger, but there was no sin in it. We must not let ourselves become so angry that we lose our self-control and take actions we would not normally take, that is unacceptable behavior for us as Christians. As we learn to keep control of ourselves, keeping our patience will become easier, too. We can learn to pray, breathe, or whatever it takes to keep us calm, to endure and persevere, which is what patience really is. We will always have situations that try our patience, whether a screaming child, a lazy employee, a long wait, an uncooperative tool, or whatever it may be at any given moment. But each time we overcome, it will get a little easier. James tells us that the testing of our faith produces patience, and that through patience we will mature (James 1:3 & 4).

So, we get to self-control and patience through faith, virtue, and knowledge; but where do self-control and patience take us? Straight to godliness (or holy living), brotherly kindness, and love. If we learn to have self control and persevere, we will be kinder and more loving. That makes sense, right? It all becomes a circle - because of our patience and control, we will act in a kinder and more loving way, and as we become kinder and more loving, we will have an easier time with patience and self-control.

The most important thing to remember is that we can't do it alone. We are human and weak. But, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" and "the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses" (Philippians 4:13 and Romans 8:26). All we have to do is pray for strength, help, and guidance, and we can accomplish anything....even holding on to our patience and not letting our temper get the best of us.

Dearest Father in Heaven, I know that sometimes I am weak and have trouble controlling my temper and staying patient. But You in Your infinite wisdom have given me Your Word and Your Spirit to guide me and help me in my efforts to please You. Please help me to persevere through my trials, whether they are great or insignificant, and to control my tongue and my actions on those occasions when I may become angry or upset. In Christ's name, Amen.

Who Is My Strength?

Ephesians 3:16 & 17 - "That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith..."

Not too long ago, I noticed something...

I have been looking at the people around me and saying, "Why can't they see how I am struggling? Why don't they want to help me? Why do they think I can always help them, but think I never need anything?" Then I realized, I should have been saying, "Instead of worrying about why others won't help me in my struggles, what am I doing to bring myself closer to the One who is always there to strengthen me?"

There are times we all struggle, and times we all feel weak. Some of those times will be easier to overcome; some will be harder. The key to whether or not we over come them at all is asking ourselves, "Where do I look for my strength?" How many times have we tried to rely on ourselves or only on our weak human friends for strength? Not that our friends can't help us and be there for us, but where should our absolute trust be? Paul prayed that the Ephesians would be strengthened by God's Spirit. Who is stronger than God? My boys have been learning the first part of Psalm 27:1 in their Sunday school class: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear?..." Now look at the second part: "The Lord is the strength of my life; Of whom shall I be afraid?" God is our strength. If we trust in Him and His might, we have nothing to be afraid of, and nothing to worry about. Trials will still come our way, but we have the knowledge that we can overcome them, for He will always bring us through.

Remember the Footprints poem? "It was then that I carried you." How blessed we are to know that when we have hard times in our lives, we have Someone who was described in Psalm 89:13 as having a mighty arm and a strong hand. Someone who can carry us no matter how long it takes, or how hard the way is. Someone who will never give up on us, no matter how hard-headed we are or how slowly we are traveling.

Lately, I have realized I have been trying to rely on myself for strength. I have been looking at others and saying, "Why are you so weak? Why do I always have to try to be the strong one?" Now, I want to start saying, "Lord, you are mighty. I need you to strengthen me to get through my day-to-day life, so I can, in turn, serve others in Your name."

"The Lord is the strength of my life..."

I am starting this blog to record my journey in coming closer to the Lord; in working in relying on His Spirit to guide, strengthen, and comfort me; and in using my life to reach out to others who are in need of help, whether their need is great or small. Thank you for sharing it with me.

Dear God Almighty, Thank You for being so strong and loving. I know that there is nothing You can't do. Please strengthen me with Your Spirit, and allow me to use that strength to make it through my trials, so I can help others through theirs, and in doing so, serve You better. In Christ's precious and holy name, Amen.