Psalm 139: Dee Dee's Adaptation

Jehovah, Sovereign God, always existing, one true God.

You have searched me - when I rise up in the morning, where I sit during the day, wherever I am, always.

You perceive, understand and know my thoughts. You recognize my ways and are familiar with them - my daily paths of life, my manners, my habits, my moral character.

You know what I will say, before I do. This is way too much for me to understand, to comprehend. Yet, this is from your word, so I believe it's true.

How do you hem me in? How is your hand upon me? Please let me recognize this today.

Your presence is everywhere, in the heavens, in the depths of the valleys and oceans. At the dawn of each new day, you are there. You are here, and if I travel to the farthest sea, you're there. You're light is in darkness; you illuminate even darkness.

You made me, created and formed me, reverently, honorably, respectfully, wonderfully. I was not hidden from you. You saw my unformed body. All my days were written in the past, before I was born.

Oh Sovereign Creator, thoughts of you are precious, yet I can't comprehend all of you.

You knew me before I was, you know me today, tomorrow.

Search me. My mind. My heart. Examine, scrutinize, test and prove me.

In all of my anxieties and thoughts that disquiet me, show me where I think wrong.

Look, consider, distinguish my ways and show me my wickedness, unrighteousness, my sorrow and my idols.

Lead me in the way everlasting for I am confident that you, Father, who began the good work of your salvation in me and sealed me with your Holy Spirit will complete what you started.

Lead me in your way everlasting. Amen.

Bottled Up

"You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book." Psalm 56:8

I don't post this verse because I'm feeling down or upset. I post it because in the joy of Christmas and the excitement that surrounds us at this time of year, I think it's important that we remember God's amazing love and care for each and every tear we've cried. For every worry we've ever had. God remembers and more importantly he cares.

I found myself anxious last night. I was laying in bed thinking of the million things I wanted to do this morning before working at 11. And I realized I hadn't picked up my bible or devotional or written in my prayer journal since the day of the LSAT. I was so worried, and in that worry I drew very near to God. Then forgot about him. So this morning I asked God to bring me back on the knees of my heart to him and to not let the flurry of this time of year distract me from my growing relationship with Him.

The verse above was a gentle reminder that God never forgets my worries, but he also tracks all of the good things that happen too. I was considering purchasing or making a bottle to fill with colorful and not so colorful items to remind me of God's continuous, perfect love and care over the events of my life. Perhaps a New Year's project.

Happy Wednesday :)

Inspiring Poems & Such from Tessa

When I Say I Am A Christian

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not shouting "I'm clean livin'."

I'm whispering "I was lost,

Now I'm found and forgiven."

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I don't speak of this with pride.

I'm confessing that I stumble

and need Christ to be my guide.

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not trying to be strong.

I'm professing that I'm weak

And need His strength to carry on.

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not bragging of success.

I'm admitting I have failed

And need God to clean my mess.

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not claiming to be perfect,

My flaws are far too visible

But, God believes I am worth it.

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I still feel the sting of pain.

I have my share of heartaches

So I call upon His name.

When I say... "I am a Christian"

I'm not holier than thou,

I'm just a simple sinner

Who received God's good grace, somehow!

-Maya Angelou

"A woman's heart should be so hidden in God that a man has to seek Him just to find her."
— Max Lucado

God's Accuracy

God's accuracy may be observed in the hatching of eggs. For example;

-the eggs of the potato bug hatch in 7 days;
-those of the canary in 14 days;
-those of the barnyard hen in 21 days.
-The eggs of ducks and geese hatch in 28 days;
-those of the mallard in 35 days.
-The eggs of the parrot and the ostrich hatch in 42 days.
(Notice, they are all divisible by seven).

God's wisdom is seen in the making of an elephant. The four legs of this great beast all bend forward in the same direction. No other quadruped is so made. God planned that this animal would have a huge body, too large to live on two legs. For this reason He gave it four fulcrums so that it can rise from the ground easily.

The horse rises from the ground on its two front legs first. A cow rises from the ground with its two hind legs first. How wise the Lord is in all His works of creation!

God's wisdom is revealed in His arrangement of sections and segments, as well as in the number of grains.

-Each watermelon has an even number of strips on the rind.
-Each orange has an even number of segments.
-Each ear of corn has an even number of rows.
-Each stalk of wheat has an even number of grains.
-Every bunch of bananas has on its lowest row an even number of bananas, and each row decreases by one, so that one row has an even numbe r and the next row an odd number.

-The waves of the sea roll in on shore twenty-six to the minute in all kinds of weather.

All grains are found in even numbers on the stalks, and the Lord specified thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold - all even numbers.

God has caused the flowers to blossom at certain specified times during the day, so that Linneus, the great botanist, once said that if he had a conservatory containing the right kind of soil, moisture and temperature, he could tell the time of day or night by the flowers that were open and those that were closed!

Dear God

The lady reading this is beautiful, classy and strong and I love her.
Help her live her life to the fullest. Please promote her and cause her to excel above her expectations. Help her shine in the darkest places where it is impossible to love. Protect her at all times, lift her up when she needs you the most and let her know when she walks with you she will always be safe.

Amen.

Care Package

Got home to a care package from the youth group at my church back home today. Just wanted to share the letter from my pastor, who never fails to put things perfectly.

"With the semester winding down, you're probably under a little bit of stress. You lack sleep. When you wake up in the morning, the first thing you think about is when in the day you'll be able to crawl back into bed. You're anxiety level is high. It's that tight feeling in your gut. And your mind is racing, trying to cram tons of (sometimes useless) information. Added to that are your complex relationships - people at college, friends back home, family, etc. - and you don't know how you can manage it all.

And in the middle of all this noise, busyness and stress, you begin to forget who you really are. You end up being "the student," "the boyfriend/girlfriend," "the student worker," "the test taker," "the frat guy," "the people pleaser." When Satan tempted Jesus, three times he questioned his identity with the word "if." "If you are the Son of God." Or for you, maybe it's "if you are a good student..." "if you get through this semester." "If you ever have any real friends." "If people really like you." "If you're really worthy of being here." "If anyone really cares about you."

"If" is an uncertain word. It casts doubt on who you are. But notice Jesus' response each time. Every time he counters Satan, he uses the Word of God, and he clings to his identity in God. You might be entirely stressed and ready to quit. But this is precisely the place where all the scaffolding gets torn down and you've got no crutch to lean on. You realize it's just you - weak, broken, vulnerable. And this is exactly where God wants you. You are forced to surrender totally and unconditionally to Jesus Christ. And then you realize what your true identity is. It is not based on what you can do, or the reputation you can create, or the party animal you are, or the student you aspire to be. At the heart of it, your identity is simply as a child of God.

Stop. Pause. Look away from the computer or TV screen. Stop texting for a minute. Be quit, and hear this: You have been died for, and you are loved by God. This is your first identity. One who is incorporated into Jesus (Rom. 6:3,4). You have been won back by God. This is who you are. Only from this identity can you really begin to take tests, hang with friends, and deal with family. When you're grounded in your first identity, everything else falls into place.

So my prayer for you today is relief from anxiety if it is God's will. But even more- that the struggle, the anxiety, and the trial would remind you of your true identity. And in this, Jesus transforms you."

Moving Prayer

Dear Lord, I thank You for this day,

I thank You for my being able to see and to hear this morning.

I'm blessed because You are a forgiving God and an understanding God.

You have done so much for me and You keep on blessing me.

Forgive me this day for everything I have done, said or thought that was not pleasing to you.

I ask now for Your forgiveness.

Please keep me safe from all danger and harm.

Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty of gratitude.

Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind so that I can hear from You.

Please broaden my mind that I can accept all things.

Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over.

And give me the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits.

I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart.

Continue to use me to do Your will.

Continue to bless me that I may be a blessing to others.

Keep me strong that I may help the weak...

Keep me uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others.

I pray for those that are lost and can't find their way.

I pray for those that are misjudged and misunderstood.

I pray for those who don't know You intimately.

I pray for those that don't believe.

But I thank You that I believe that God changes people and God changes things.

I pray for all my sisters and brothers.

For each and every family member in their households.

I pray for peace, love and joy in their homes; that they are out of debt and all their needs are met.

I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem, circumstance,

or situation greater than God.

Every battle is in Your hands for You to fight.

I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye that sees it in Jesus' name. Amen!