Through the eyes of a one year old

Our female rabbit, Velvet, had babies.

We brought one inside for the grandbabies to see and gently touch.

Joy was full of excitement as she kept trying to reach out and grab hand-fulls of fur

When we tried to help her to gently pet it, she responded with trying to hold it.

We thwarted every attempt until she grew frustrated and I took the bunny back to it’s home outside.

Joy couldn’t understand why we didn’t let her hold the rabbit, why we wouldn’t allow her to squeeze it with her hands.

She was so excited to experience this new, but her pleasure was quickly overtaken by her desires which were restricted, unmet, and denied.

She wasn’t mature enough to understand how her desires would lead to harm for both herself and the bunny.

All she could see was the denial of her wishes.

As I was heading outside, she was still voicing her displeasure in anything, but a gentle manner.

How easy it is to look at her and shake one’s head at her self will and unreasonable attitude which robbed both her siblings and herself of a longer visit with the bunny.

Although we caused her to be upset, we refused to allow her to harm herself or the rabbit, because that’s the loving thing to do.

Yet, pausing for a moment to look through her eyes, I can suddenly see myself.

How often has the Lord restricted me, left my desires unmet, and denied my requests?

Often.

Because, I wasn’t mature enough to understand the harm for myself or my loved ones granting these things would have brought.

Sometimes, I can look backwards through these moments and realize the blessings of the restrictions, denials, and disappointments.

Other times, I am left wondering what else was part of these circumstances which I couldn’t understand in the midst of it all.

But either way, I’m learning to check my attitudes and words when experiencing these things, for I don’t want to be robbed of the gifts God is giving me even while He is removing something.

I never want to be counted among those who scorn the blessings of the Lord as common or cheap, but rather to praise Him continually even if I’m feeling disappointed.

My Heavenly Father is good and His ways are trustworthy.

When I am voicing my concerns, emotions, or needs I want to be sure they are flavored by faith, mixed with praise, and spoken in humility.

Psalm 145:3 KJV — Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You so much for Your blessings and encouragement. Thank You for this moment with our granddaughter which has been a wonderful reminder for me not to waste my time on what I can’t do or don’t have, but instead rejoice in all You have blessed me in and be grateful for those You have placed around me. I am truly amazed by how patient You are. Your grace and mercy are incredible and Your truth is life. Lord, please continue to hone my heart into Your image that I might bring glory to Your name. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

Shattered

That’s what I would have been if it were not for the Lord.

For this month has been filled with grief and some uncertainty, for our family.

It began with a family very dear to our hearts, they tragically lost their unborn baby and we were praying it wouldn’t take the life of the mother as well.

My heart felt sick for their loss, but as the mother recovered I was very thankful.

Our hearts were still raw from this when our oldest daughter let us know she was pregnant.

Sadly, our response wasn’t what she expected, not because we don’t want more grandchildren, but because our hearts were still healing.

This news came on the heals of an ER visit by a different family member who was released but with questions as to what was going on.

Thus, we didn’t respond with excited enthusiasm, more like careful praise.

We prayed daily for our daughter and her unborn baby.

My heart dropped when I received a call from her communicating something was terribly wrong and they were headed to the ER.

God’s plans are perfect.

My husband had taken the day off to go hunting with a friend and at the last minute neither of us has peace about him going so he called his friend and cancelled.

It was that same day our daughter was taken to the hospital.

We drove there and swapped vehicles, taking joy in the ability to watch our grandchildren, while praying for our daughter, son-in-law, and baby.

At one point, the news was not good and we prayed, telling the Lord we trusted Him with our daughter and her baby.

I texted prayer requests and loved on our grandchildren like crazy.

In the end, God restored our daughter, but the baby is at home in Heaven.

A few days later, I got a message from our daughter who lives in Chicago.

She was heading to the Urgent Care.

My husband was able to chat with her over the phone and we prayed.

The next day I received a call from her husband’s Grandmother who was taking her to the hospital.

I cried.

I texted prayer requests.

Thankfully, the hospital put her on medication which worked quickly and we were rejoicing at her quick recovery.

Throughout these days of grief and uncertainty, God carried us.

He was in the middle of the entire thing, helping us have joy even with the grief.

Although our hearts were filled with sorrow we had the security of God’s Word and the comfort of a future when we will all be together in Heaven.

At one point I was sharing with our daughter one thought which brought me so much comfort.

“You know your baby and our friends’ baby are both with Jesus.”

Her voice suddenly had a note of hope in it, “Yes! I bet they are having a wonderful time together.”

“I’m sure they are.”

As I look backwards at these days I’m astonished by the faithfulness of God.

He orchestrated such incredible details throughout the whole thing.

Things like my husband being off work.

Our daughter being with her husband’s Grandmother.

Our Ladies’ Bible Study being so supportive.

So many people taking meals to our daughter and husband.

The huge number of people praying…

If someone had told me what I was going to walk through, I’d have told them it would shatter my heart into a million pieces.

But I’d have been wrong.

Instead of shattering my heart, it has strengthen my faith and renewed my joy.

It has brought me to a place where I can let go of our children and grandchildren into God’s hands, for He is far more capable than I.

Lastly, it has reminded me to love more deeply, cherish the day I’m in, and rest in the Sovereignty of God.

He alone can see tomorrow.

It is He, which knows the number of my days as well as the number of each of my loved ones.

His ways are perfect and I can rest in that.

I have comfort in His Word and hope in His future.

Psalm 27:1 NKJV — A Psalm of David. 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?

Psalm 37:39 NKJV — But the salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; He is their strength in the time of trouble.

Psalm 56:11 KJV — In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.

Isaiah 61:10 NKJV — I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, My soul shall be joyful in my God; For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, As a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, And as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your help in times of trouble. Thank You for Your salvation which brings us security for our future. Lord, thank You for Your wisdom, which brings us guidance and direction. Lord, thank You for Your truth, Your Word is our comfort and encouragement. Lord, thank You for Your Holy Spirit which gives us peace no matter the circumstances and joy even in the midst of grief. Lord, thank You for Your faithfulness, for we knew You were with us throughout these circumstances. Please continue to heal the hearts of those who mourn. Please help each one to walk through the grief while clinging to Your precepts and focusing upon Your will for their lives. Lord, for those who are watching their loved ones pass away, I humbly request You meet them where they are. Bring them assurance in their time of sorrow. Bring them wisdom and direction, that they might honor You in all things. Lord, please continue to draw Your people close, that we might be more like You. You are well aquatinted with both grief and suffering. May we, each one, find shelter in You. May Your name be glorified through our lives and may we honor You in all we say or do. Thank You, Jesus. I humbly request these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.

An example of love from a child

Our grandchildren were over last weekend.

They have been a wonderful example of how to love.

Both our granddaughter and grandson love their baby sister.

Now that she is sitting up and crawling they are rejoicing in the opportunities to spend time with her.

They give her toys.

They talk to her.

They hug her and kiss her often.

(Which is what Faye is doing in the photo above.)

While we were watching the children, Joy took a nap.

I was blessed by each of her siblings reactions to her waking up.

I was holding her, when her sweet eyes opened, she blinked, smiled, and sat up.

Faye noticed first.

“She’s awake!” She squealed, dropped her toy, jumped up and ran over to grab Joy’s hand and plant a kiss on her head.

“Awake! Awake!” Little brother sang as he too jumped to his feet to come smiling over and at look baby sister like she was a brand new gift he couldn’t get enough of.

The exuberance quickly abated, as littles don’t have a long attention span, but their celebration over their sister brought me nearly to tears.

Our children are wonderful examples of how a family should love each other.

They dropped what they were doing to welcome their sister, although she’d only been “gone” sleeping for a couple hours.

They were nearly excessive in their showering of affection, but Joy loved it.

Their joy and excitement over this beautiful new life is inspiring.

And their priority of making a point of welcoming and loving their sister is a reminder to me to be mindful of my own behavior.

Do I welcome my family to our home as warmly as I do visitors?

Am I putting my children, my husband, and others before my own tasks?

Have I been thoughtful about expressing my joy and love to those precious to me?

Has my appreciation for the gift of each life become dulled by my familiarity and self centered perspective?

Do I look on people and really appreciate how precious God views each?

I’m so thankful for our grandchildren and the inspiration God has brought through their example.

Matthew 18:4 KJV — Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 18:5 KJV — And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for children! What an incredible blessing they are. Please continue to hone my heart and help me to apply these lessons You are teaching me. Lord, I want to come to You as a child, with trust and humility. Lord, please restore my child-like love, while retaining the wisdom of adulthood. Lord, I know You have an incredible love for children and I want to love as You do. You loved mankind to such an incredible point that You sacrificed Yourself for us! Wow. I want to love like that. Please help me to understand Your Word, and obey the direction of Your Holy Spirit. Please continue to protect the innocent and supply the helpless. Thank You, Jesus. Amen.

It brought a smile to my face

The mist over the water and floating between the hills before the Sun crept high enough to dispel it to a memory.

The crisp morning air, the deer hesitantly cross the driveway as our passing disturbed their breakfast.

The noises of the animals awaiting their turn to be fed, each calling in their own voice blending with the birds whose morning songs filled the air.

The calf, finished with her bottle, but reaching towards me in search of more.

I scratched her head and thanked God.

The Sun’s rays bursting over the mountains, warming with every touch, a reminder to check all the water troughs as the day promises to be hot.

Noticing the blessings bestowed by our friends who allowed us this morning on their farm as they are away.

And just before I climb back in to head to our own home and animals, who were awaiting their breakfast, God gives me one more reason to smile.

Our son looked at me and said, “That goat should be named Elvis Presley!”

Okay, so I didn’t just smile, I laughed!

Proverbs 17:22 KJV — A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

God was definitely gifting me with a merry heart this morning.

He’s been teaching me the blessing of gratitude, and the gift of perspective.

And the beautiful thing about it all is the joy my heart is finding in the simple yet incredible gift of life.

I pray you are finding that as well, dear Reader.

May God bless you.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your gift of life. Thank You for this beautiful day and how each day is new, an opportunity to praise You. Lord, You know our struggles, our needs, our failings, and I trust You through it all. Lord Jesus, I humble myself before You and I thank You for Your Word and Your Holy Spirit which is teaching me so much. Lord, You know I often forget You truth, get tied up by the cares of this world, or fall prey to the enemy’s lies. Lord, I don’t want to sin against You in anyway. Please continue to hone my heart. Thank You for Your blessings. I praise Your holy name, Jesus. I love You! Amen.

A Palm Sunday miracle

Our church has adult Sunday school the hour before service.

We’ve enjoyed attending since we learned about it not long after we moved here.

The usual way to begin is to open the floor for anyone to testify to the goodness of God that week.

It was a bit quiet at first, but a few people had spoken, then one gentleman told us of his gratitude for the Lord’s protection.

His arm was in a sling and he explained that he’d hurt his shoulder trying to start the pressure washer to use at the church the next day.

His words were all encouraging, speaking about how thankful he was that he wasn’t hurt worse and asking for prayer as he’d torn his rotator cuff before.

A couple others spoke and then one man stood and said,

“We haven’t done this in a long time, but I just really feel God would have us pray for our brother’s shoulder right now, that he would come to the front and all the men would pray for him.”

He’d already spoken to our pastor about this and Pastor agreed, so within a short period of time, the man whose shoulder was hurt by the pressure washer was seated and the men surrounded him so much he disappeared from sight.

We all prayed and it was lovely.

When they were finished, I heard my name being called.

The ladies were going to pray over me!

I felt surprise and blessed, but I was totally unprepared for what took place.

One person after another prayed thanking God for my joy, the way I shined Jesus’s love to everyone, and thanking God for my ministry with signing.

Tears ran down my face as my heart was so full of gratitude.

God knows one of the things which had been difficult for me about being unable to speak was feeling hindered in my ability to share Jesus and His love to others.

I had no idea God was shining through me, but it was an answer to prayer and a testament to God, for He is not limited to work no matter what we think might be hindering us.

After they finished praying for me, we all agreed another lady who recently suffered a stroke be seated.

Then we prayed for another lady whose so crippled with age and pain she’s always doubled over unable to lift her head.

Lastly, we prayed for another gentleman whose recently heard something is wrong with his kidneys.

When we finished praying we realized that it was just a few minutes before church.

Sunday school had been all prayer this morning and we all felt it was time well used.

The faces of others reflected my own emotions of gratitude and surprise at the unexpected morning with God.

The service continued and God was so present.

I actually had to work at focusing on the words of the music, because my heart was so full.

The sermon was wonderful and our time ended with communion, which was the perfect finish to our time together.

My heart continued to swell with joy, for this Sunday was a miracle for me.

I’ve not been able to speak at our church since we moved here.

In fact, my trouble with losing my voice has been getting worse, places I used to be able to speak in have been lost.

The Lord spoke very clearly to my heart during my week about totally surrendering my voice to the Lord.

I thought I had, but the truth was revealed when the Lord asked me if I was willing to lose my ability to speak completely.

“No, Lord, I’m not, but I will. My voice belongs to You.”

To bring myself accountability, I told my husband about it all.

I’ve been working at giving the Lord my voice whenever it’s troublesome, to just be thankful when I can speak and thankful when I cannot.

The surprise wasn’t small when God gave me my voice yesterday.

I was so blessed to be able to pray aloud for the other women during Sunday school, when we closed in song, I was able to join in the singing with my voice.

Surprise and wonder were expressions common while I spoke.

Several people commented on “never hearing my voice before”.

Including our WWII veteran who sits in front of us.

He’s quite elderly and wears double hearing aids.

He smiled at me and said,

“You sure do have a beautiful voice. I love hearing it. I hope you get to keep it.”

I smiled back and replied, “Whatever the Lord wills.”

He nodded and smiled, “That’s right, whatever He wills.”

And God’s will was to let me speak all day long.

We were blessed to have friends and family over and I didn’t struggling at all.

I don’t know how long the Lord is going to grant me a voice, but I’m so thankful for His miracle this Palm Sunday.

The Lord had shown me an area I wasn’t completely surrendered in.

He revealed to me His answer to my prayers to be a light of His love even without being able to speak.

God added just an extra blessing and reminded us all that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Hebrews 13:8 NKJV — Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your incredible love. Thank You for answering my prayers, that I have been reflecting You even though I’ve been unable to communicate well. Lord, thank You for each of those we prayed for. Please touch them and give them exactly what is needed. Lord, let our lives be a continued testament to Your glory, Your goodness, Your ways. Lord, please help us to remember that when You walked this Earth there were those who rejected You, hated You, and even wanted to harm You, yet Your Word was truth, Your ways honorable, even Pilot couldn’t find any reason to

A birthday surprise

My husband’s mother is a sweet lady.

Our children call her Nana.

I call her Mom.

She’s not only a treasure to our family, her most endearing trait is her joy.

When our third daughter was three months old, Mom had a major stroke.

It robbed her of her speech, her ability to read and write, and her use of her right arm and right leg.

Therapy returned her ability to walk and a good deal of her speech returned, although her voice has never been the same.

She worked diligently to relearn to read and how to write left handed.

The doctor’s told us there were no guarantees as to how long she would live, due to the extreme damage the stroke inflicted, and that was 19 years ago.

Mom has endured many more health issues since that stroke and yet her smile is as bright, her laugh is as frequent.

She loves Jesus and others, and it’s beautiful.

God had a special birthday gift for Mom this New Year’s Day.

(Besides turning 70!)

Our granddaughter was born!

All our hearts were touched by this special surprise, because our daughter and husband had already made it known before she arrived that her middle name would be after her great grandmother’s.

Only God could have orchestrated something so special.

We are praising Him for His blessing to our family.

And as I prayed about what nickname to give our newest little beauty, Mom came to mind: joy.

Nothing could be more fitting.

Welcome, Joy!

We are so glad you are part of our family!

Psalm 35:27 NKJV — Let them shout for joy and be glad, Who favor my righteous cause; And let them say continually, “Let the LORD be magnified, Who has pleasure in the prosperity of His servant.”

Psalm 126:3 KJV — The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your blessings. Lord, thank You for our family. We are far from perfect and we have many areas of need, but we look to You for all things. We thank You for the ways You have been with us and Your incredible mercy and kindness. Lord Jesus, please continue to teach us how to walk with You and how to encourage others. Lord, please shine Your truth into our hearts and minds that we might not sin against You or others. Lord, please help us to be diligent in seeing to the cares of others, not just focused upon ourselves. Lord, please guide Baby Joy’s parents as they raise her and her siblings. Thank You for the miracle of life and the great joy of children. I love You, Jesus. Amen.

The gift of patience

1 Thessalonians 1:3 KJV — Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father;

Paul’s letter to the Thessalonians holds these beautiful words:

“…and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ…”

For the follower of Christ, their reason to be patient is their hope of eternity, bought by the precious blood of our Lord Jesus.

Patience is a consequence of a soul secure in Him.

It is an understanding of who God is and what He has done.

It’s also an opportunity.

Patient obedience to pickup our cross daily and follow Christ is a privilege.

It draws our hearts closer to our LORD and it helps us to be a testimony to others.

And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Hebrews 6:11‭-‬12 NKJV

Our diligence in following Christ is a testimony to those around us.

Thus our patient attitude of hope is a witness to the world.

This Christmas let us give the gift of patience.

James 5:11 NKJV — Indeed we count them blessed who endure. You have heard of the perseverance of Job and seen the end intended by the Lord—that the Lord is very compassionate and merciful.

May we be patient and steadfast in shining the truth of Jesus Christ in mercy, gentleness, kindness, compassion, and grace with those God has placed in our lives, loving as He does.

For all times and seasons are in His hands, and:

“The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works.” Psalm 145:17 KJV

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your gift of patience. Thank You that it is through Your salvation we can rest in hope of eternal life. Lord Jesus, only in and through You do we find the ability to be patient, gentle, kind, merciful, compassionate, and loving. Lord, on our own we are simply unable to wait patiently, because it is through Your hope we have peace. Thank You for that. Thank You for Your birth, Your death, and Your Resurrection! Thank You for Your Holy Spirit which teaches and admonishes our hearts. Lord, please help us to be people of patience, peace, and joy. Thank You. Amen.

Out of the mouths of babes…

When our oldest was an only child we got a video camera.

I wanted to make home movies to help us catalog her growing up.

As her siblings were born, they too were caught on video.

But the recorder broke when they were still small.

I didn’t throw it away, I packed it for a future day when we’d get it fixed.

To be honest, I’d forgotten about the thing, until last night.

Handsome found it in the back of our closet.

I was uninterested, as I knew we’d drug the thing, still broken from one place to another, but I’d never gotten it fixed.

When our son came back out of the bedroom to tell me Daddy had it working I was sincerely shocked.

“But it’s been broken for over 10 years!”

“Dad has it playing. Come and see.”

All packing stopped and we spent the evening watching home movies on our recorder.

We laughed.

We cried.

It was really special.

It’s strange how the memory can forget things.

I remembered music was a big part of our everyday, but I was surprised at how many videos included music.

Of course there were the normal Christmas programs and a school program, but when we were just at home there was so many of our daughters singing and dancing to music.

My heart was so blessed by the joy on their faces and the sound of their voices.

This morning the Lord took me to:

Psalm 8:2 NKJV — Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

And my heart is full of gratitude.

What an incredible privilege it is to praise the Lord!

What a joy it was to hear our children sing songs of praise.

How grateful I am for the opportunity we still have to praise God daily.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You so much for the ability to praise and worship You. Lord, thank You for Your blessings which are more numerous than the stars. Thank You for the way Your Word brings us life, truth, and love. Lord, I worship Your holy name and I thank You for the breath to be able to speak Your praises. Psalm 8:9 NKJV — O LORD, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth! Amen.

A Father’s love

Isaiah 12:1 NKJV — And in that day you will say: “O LORD, I will praise You; Though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.

Isaiah 12:2 NKJV — Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.’ ”

Isaiah 12:3 NKJV — Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation.

Isaiah 12:4 NKJV — And in that day you will say: “Praise the LORD, call upon His name; Declare His deeds among the peoples, Make mention that His name is exalted.

Isaiah 12:5 NKJV — Sing to the LORD, For He has done excellent things; This is known in all the earth.

Isaiah 12:6 NKJV — Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, For great is the Holy One of Israel in your midst!”

God is our perfect heavenly father and his love for us is incredible.

The person speaking to the LORD begins with the acknowledgement that God was angry with them.

For what parent wants to see their child harm each other or themselves?

When we sin, we are choosing to harm both, and it doesn’t please the Lord.

But the words don’t end there:

…”Though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away, and You comfort me.”

Through Jesus’s gift, we can have salvation:

“‘Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; ‘For YAH, the LORD, is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation.'”

And it’s this understanding which ignites praise, worship, and sharing:

“Sing to the LORD, For He has done excellent things; This is known in all the earth.”

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You so much for Your love. Thank You that You are a good father and You didn’t leave us when we chose to sin, but instead You made a way for us to be saved. Lord, I don’t want to sin against You, nor do I want to fall into sin by ignorance or carelessness. Please help me to “draw water From the wells of salvation” with joy daily. Truly understanding Your will for each day and walking humbly in Your Word. Thank You so much for Your gift of salvation! I praise Your holy name, Jesus! Amen.

Odds and ends

I’ve been trying to get some things finished up and make time for stuff I’ve put off.

With all the changes of late, I’m needing to get some projects either done or gone.

Throughout my life, I’ve had “projects”.

Normally, some form of craft.

As a child my mother taught me to embroider, just simple stitches, but I would gladly run for my work to show grownups.

I also remember decorating all kinds of things with buttons.

Our elderly lady neighbor taught me to crochet.

Mom is left-handed so she couldn’t teach me as I’m right-handed.

I had mounds of paper crafts, everything from drawings to construction paper cut-outs.

As a teen I branched out into painting.

Watercolor was my favorite, but I did acrylic and oil.

I also dried flowers.

After I got married I started scrapbooking and did a little rubber stamping.

I also sewed.

My favorite craft is crocheting.

Anyone might guess this if they saw what I get for Christmas!

As of right now I have three sewing projects which have gotten pushed aside.

However, I have been able to finish up most of my crocheting.

The final project is making a replacement table runner for my dining room.

It’s nearly finished and I’m excited to see it in use.

As I prayerfully work through my projects, I’m so thankful for the opportunity.

Part of the reason I make things is my desire to “work with my hands”, but the main reason is the joy of doing something useful, to glorify God.

For life has taught me that things are always changing, but the possibility of using what I have for Him is constant.

Whether I’m piecing scraps of old jeans for a blanket or cooking a meal for our family, I’m blessed to be able to give my time to God.

I want all that I do to bring honor and glory to God.

Proverbs 31:30 NKJV — Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, But a woman who fears the LORD, she shall be praised.

Dear Lord Jesus,

Thank You for Your Word. Thank You for the different gifts and abilities which You bless each of us with. Thank You that these things can be used for Your glory. Lord Jesus, unto You do I want all my efforts to be focused on. Lord, I don’t want to do anything from my own desires or my own ideas, but instead I want to be centered upon You in all things. Lord, it is easy to get caught up with the busy of life and to forget to check my heart and my schedule with You. Please do not allow me to stray into my own ways, but instead call me, that I might return quickly to You. Thank You, Jesus for Your patience. Thank You for Your faithfulness. Thank You for teaching me so much each and every day. May my life bring glory to Your name. Amen.