Frosty

It has been a long several days, Lord.  DHE is definitely not the answer to pain relief for me and my headache.  More pain with severe and still lingering side effects.  What an experience, Lord!  Thank You for answering my prayer to show me “in neon” if DHE gave me relief.  Not.even.remotely.  Thank You for holding me close and taking such loving care of me in the midst of the storm named DHE.  I’m thankful that is over, despite the fact that it is not Your pain relief for my headache.  

You show Your love for Your children in so many varied ways, Abba Father.  Your way to show Your love and mercy to me today after the chaos of DHE this week was a Wendy’s Frosty.... a CHOCOLATE Frosty, at that!  Although I cannot eat chocolate anymore, I still love it.  Carob is okay, but it is not chocolate.  Today You let me take a rescue dose of antacid so that my bladder could tolerate the chocolate in the Frosty.  It was delicious!  Such a great kindness to me, such a loving kindness and mercy.  I was greatly humbled by Your gracious gift to me.  I am amazed at how You show me that You love me through buying me a chocolate Frosty.  Every good and perfect gift comes from You.  Such was my chocolate Frosty today.  A humble thank You from Your daughter to You, gentle Abba Father, the One Who created me and set me on the path of pilgrimage with You.  There is more of You and less of me after today.  Praise to You and You alone...  

“the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.”  Genesis 2:7

“for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.”  Psalm 103:14

“Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.”  Lamentations 3:22-23

Love, 

Your piece of dust

You Amaze Me

“For nothing is impossible with God.”  Luke 1:37

“ ‘I am the Lord, the God of all mankind.  Is anything too hard for Me?’ “  Jeremiah 32:27

Just when I thought it would be an even longer wait, You made it happen, Lord.  Yes, I knew that You would make it happen some time, but today was the day, when I least expected it!  When You deliver a situation, Lord, it is delivered and things happen very quickly and very smoothly.  You opened the door and no one could shut it.  I am amazed at You all over again.  All praise, honor and glory be unto You.  

Steps were taken today to move forward to eventually finding Your answers to my headache and other health problems.  First to try the DHE injections, then, hopefully, next month the Botox shots.  Thank You for showing us if there is any relief for me in these things.  I am eager to find out what You will show us.  

Thank You, Abba Father, for this step forward.  You are so merciful to me.    Our walk together continues.  Thank You for never leaving me nor forsaking me.  You are faithful.  

Always Has Been, Always Will Be

Lord, for several weeks now I’ve been pondering the Truth that You have always existed and will always exist.  For my finite, human mind grasping this is overwhelming.  It is simply beyond my comprehension but I know it is true.  Please show me this Truth in Your Word.  I don’t need proof that it is true.  I just want to see it written in Your Word so that I may marvel at Your magnificence and be able to share his Truth with others who need a glimpse of Your glory.  Thank You for Your mercy in showing me this Truth in Your Word.  Use it all for Your greatest glory.  

“God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.  This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ “  Exodus 3:14

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, the Almighty.”  Revelation 1:8

“In the beginning GOD created the heavens and the earth.”  Genesis 1:1

“Listen to Me, O Jacob, Israel, whom I have called: I am He; I am the First and I am the Last.  My own hand laid the foundations of the earth, and My right hand spread out the heavens...”  Isaiah 48:12-13a

“I tell you the Truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”  John 8:58

“Your throne was established long ago; You are from all eternity.”  Psalm 93:2

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”  Revelation 22:13

You absolutely blow me away, Lord, and humble me beyond words.  Praise You Who has always been and always will be.  Wow.....

Hard

It has been another hard week, Lord.  Struggles to keep persevering in the storm.  Struggles to continue to wait upon You, Your perfect ways and Your perfect timing.  And yet.....

“Cast your cares on the Lord and HE will sustain you; He will NEVER let the righteous fall.”  Psalm 55:22

“Thought I walk in the midst of trouble, YOU preserve my life; YOU stretch out Your hand against the anger of my foes, with YOUR right hand YOU save me.”  Psalm 138:7

“even the darkness will not be dark to You; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to You.”  Psalm 139:12

“I was young and now I am old, yet I have NEVER seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.”  Psalm 37:25

“As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered.  You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.  The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.”  James 5:11

“ We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but NOT ABANDONED; struck down, but not destroyed.”  2 Corinthians 4:8

So, as I press on, Lord, following You on this journey, I remember again...

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven”  Ecclesiastes 3:1

“... God has said, NEVER will I leave you; NEVER will I forsake you.  So we can say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my Helper; I will not be afraid.  What can man do to me?’”  Hebrews 13:5b-6

“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness....’”  2 Corinthians 12:9a

“Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired or weary, and His understanding no one can fathom.  He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.  Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.  They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”  Isaiah 40:31

“I can everything through HIM Who gives me strength.”  Philippians 4:13

You always make a way, Lord.  You always make a way to go through the storm.  How humbled I am every time You do.  Praise You from Whom all blessings flow.  

His Strength

“It is God Who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect.”  Psalm 18:32

“I can do everything through Him Who gives me strength.”  Philippians 4:13

You know, Lord, sometimes You do things “in neon” in my life in such ways that I know that I know that I know that it is YOU.  These days You shower me with Your strength, thus receiving all the praise, honor and glory for all that I do.  As I have ramped up the efforts to update and more deeply clean our home so that it will be more appealing to potential buyers, it is far beyond evident to me that YOU and You alone Who are giving me all the strength that I need to do these things.  Re-decorating a bedroom, doing touch-up painting throughout the house, painting the posts on our front porch and various other things inside the house are simply things that I cannot do in my own strength.  My health is far too fragile.  I stand in awe of Who You are and what You are doing in the midst of this storm.  You truly amaze me.  More and more I discover how BIG You are, even bigger than I knew before.  Thank You for Your strength, this revelation and Your everlasting love and care.  

“... Amen!  Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever.  Amen!”  Revelation 7:12

Renewed.... Again

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”  Psalm 23:4

“He restores my soul...”  Psalm 23:3a

This is what Your comfort, renewal, restoration and encouragement has looked like lately, Lord......

Spending time with my Daddy and my family celebrating Daddy’s 98th birthday 

Daddy’s 98th birthday party with family and friends 

Spending precious time listening to my Daddy reminiscing about his adventures in life and soaking it all in

My sweetheart and I recovering from a nasty stomach/intestinal “bug” just in time to travel home from seeing my Daddy

Visiting with a couple who are also struggling with the husband’s neurological issues; so wonderful to talk with someone who understands 

The showing of our house while we were gone

Safety in our travels

Taking communion this morning 

And above all, Lord, hearing from You in Your Word this morning as You lifted my soul above my circumstances to remember that You are leading and guiding this walk with You moment by moment.  Just the encouragement that I needed to get out of the pit where I seemed to be languishing.  Now... on to the next step of our journey together, Lord.  Where do we go from here?  With You as my Leader and my Rear Guard I will be more than a conqueror.  

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.”  James 1:12

Restored

“Do not lay a hand on the boy,” He said.  “Do not do anything to him.  Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son.”  Genesis 22:12

“Yes, Father, for this was Your good pleasure.”  Matthew 11:26

Over a year ago, Lord, it was clear to me in Your Word that I was to lay aside all of my sewing and machine embroidery.  Obediently I placed it all on your altar of sacrifice, knowing that You had perfect and sovereign reasons for taking it from me.  While I could not understand what would happen in my life/health that would make it impossible for me to do these things, I truly realized that You indeed would remove it all from my life and that I needed to be prepared to lose it all.  Thus it was a year ago.  

About a month ago You allowed me to do some regular sewing and today some machine embroidery.  I wondered if You were indeed restoring these things to me, hoping that You had.  As I sat at Your feet and heard from Your Word today, the great joy of Your restoration of these things to my life emerged.  What a beautiful mercy from Your heart of love for me.  

Yes, Lord, I know that it will only be by Your great grace that I will be enabled to do all these kinds of sewing, because my health issues still limit this human body and mind.  I have sought Your leadership and guidance in how and when I will sew, asking that it all be for Your greatest glory.  Thank You for whatever You allow me to do.  Praise You from Whom all blessings flow....