Image by Todd Haven

Psalm 8:3-9
When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit him?
For You have made him a little lower than the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
All sheep and oxen—
Even the beasts of the field,
The birds of the air,
And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.

O LORD, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!

Ever have one of those nights? You know the kind, tossing and turning, riddled with worry. All your problems seem magnified and beyond solving, it seems hope is snatched away with the light of day. You feel almost like you are going insane. I have them every now and then…..my Dad had one the other night. He told my Mom he almost woke her up to sit with him awhile. He started praying and meditating and God gave him a picture in his mind of the earth and how it looks from space. Part of us seeming to go about our business on the top of the ball, some on the bottom, yet we are all walking around on flat ground. He thought of this strange dance of the planets, and how if the sun was a fraction closer to earth we would be vaporized in flame, or too far and we would be frozen faster than we could blink.

But it all keeps going; perfectly set in motion by God. Soon he found himself enveloped in a peaceful sleep, sleep that had so eluded him before.

Contrary to popular thought, we will not destroy the planet. God will not let us. He put everything in motion and He will be the one who decides when to stop it.

So next time you are having one of those nights, go outside. Gaze up at the moon, focus on the depth of space, the infinity of the stars, the deep silence that speaks of God. He is there, He is in control, and He is actively seeking you.

“I like you just the way you are.” Mr Rogers

We all remember him saying that from his long running, much lampooned children’s program. Those of us with kids in the house for any length of time, that is. We saw a saccarin sweet, soft spoken guy, easy to poke fun at with his sweater and sneakers and wierd characters. But kids loved him. When he said that he loved them just the way they were, they believed him. Kids have a sixth sense about knowing who is genuine and who is not.

We all want someone to love us just as we are, but so much of our lives is spent trying to prove our worth to get that love.

“If I were a better wife, he wouldn’t have left”

“If I were a better daughter, I wouldn’t feel so guilty”

“If I were a better employee, they would keep me”

But God loves us exactly as we are. There is nothing we can do to make Him love us more or less. What a radical idea! Not only do I not have to clean myself up for Him to love me, there is nothing I can do to make myself presentable enough anyway. But there is One who makes intercession for us even now. I pray that you rest in His love today and His provision for your salvation! There is a little song that my niece Lauryn sings along with my Mom and it says, “God loves me, God loves me, in my Bible book it says that God loves me! Put your name in place of “me” and believe it!

We miss you Fred Rogers!

In the desert we dream of this kind of rain. Last evening on the drive home from work I saw raindrops on my windshield and said a prayer of thankfulness and hoped for more. When I looked through my moonroof I saw blue sky! Where is it coming from?? This is not the first time I had experienced this, so I was not surprized. I went home with great expectation of a rainstorm to go along with the dust that had just pummled my car down the freeway.

Home….Lightening all around, it is black toward the east, it’s coming! We turned out all the lights, the cats were happy in the dark, but wandered from room to room wondering what was going on. We waited, and waited. I threatened to go out and do a raindance. Lightening all around, and the storm seems to have stalled. Exhausted I fall asleep on my bedroom floor watching lightening.

I give up and go to bed. Not long after I hear it! Falling, hitting the roof, the windows, the street. THANK YOU GOD. Rain in the desert is like rain no where else, it is so desperately needed, longed for. I drifted off to sleep thanking God for the miracle.

Isaiah 44:2-4

2 This is what the LORD says—
he who made you, who formed you in the womb,
and who will help you:
Do not be afraid, O Jacob, my servant,
Jeshurun, whom I have chosen.
3 For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.
4 They will spring up like grass in a meadow,
like poplar trees by flowing streams.

Happy Birthday Dad! I am so glad you were born, Love Me

This morning I awakened at 4 since it was a work day. I awoke with the usual disgruntled feeling of being robbed; robbed of the sweet peaceful blackness of sleep which at that particular hour always seems to be in its deepest and purest form. I was not excited to get up. At that split second I heard the theme music from the Dr. Phil show, then the voiceover exclaiming,“I want you to be excited about your life!” Must be the last thing I remember hearing on TV last night. The truth is, sometimes life is not that exciting, it just “is.” And despite what movies and advertising would have us believe, that is okay! We learn great lessons in the “okay” parts of life. In fact, I tend to learn much more in monotony and adversity than I ever do when things are going well. But here is the great secret of the Christian life…..No matter what the circumstance, there is always a reason to go on.

Nothing in this life or the next can destroy us when we belong to Him. He colors everything with the richness of His glory. He makes the joys more joyous and provides a backdrop of hope in every sorrow because He sorrows with us!
He is behind every ordinary moment, every sigh, breath, and belly laugh. He is behind, the hope of dawn’s restoration after a dark night. That is why we can have hope in every circumstance! How else could David say, “Be merciful to me, O LORD, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and my body with grief,” then in the very same Psalm a few lines down,“How great is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear you, which you bestow in the sight of men on those who take refuge in you.”

It’s not wishful thinking, it’s not blind faith, it’s not positive thinking…it is faith based on knowledge. It is why we can still have absurd peace in the midst of sadness.

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.” 2 Corinthians 4:7,8

I still wanted to be sleeping, but God gave me this sunrise on the way to work and I had to smile.

Here is a partial list of the names of God. Printing out a hard copy of these and just meditating on the powerful attributes of our God seems to help make our circumstances seem not quite so overwhelming….That is my prayer for you today.

ELOHIM: God “Creator, Mighty and Strong” (Genesis 17:7; Jeremiah 31:33) – The plural form of Eloah, which is accommodating of the doctrine of the Trinity. From the Bible’s first sentence, the superlative nature of God’s power is evident as God (Elohim) speaks the world into existence (Genesis 1:1).

EL SHADDAI: “God Almighty,” “The Mighty One of Jacob” (Genesis 49:24; Psalm 132:2,5) – Speaks to God’s ultimate power over all.

ADONAI: “Lord” (Genesis 15:2; Judges 6:15) – Used in place of YHWH, which was thought by the Jews to be too sacred to be uttered by sinful men. In the Old Testament, YHWH is more often used in God’s dealings with His people, while Adonai is used more when He deals with the Gentiles.

YHWH / YAHWEH / JEHOVAH: “LORD” (Deuteronomy 6:4; Daniel 9:14) – Strictly speaking, the only proper name for God. Translated in English Bibles “LORD” (all capitals) to distinguish it from Adonai “Lord.” The revelation of the name is first given to Moses “I Am who I Am” (Exodus 3:14). This name specifies an immediacy, a presence. Yahweh is present, accessible, near to those who call on Him for deliverance (Psalm 107:13), forgiveness (Psalm 25:11) and guidance (Psalm 31:3).

YAHWEH-JIREH: “The Lord will Provide” (Genesis 22:14) – The name memorialized by Abraham when God provided the ram to be sacrificed in place of Isaac.

YAHWEH-RAPHA: “The Lord Who Heals” (Exodus 15:26) – “I am Jehovah who heals you” both in body and soul. In body, by preserving from diseases, and by curing them when afflicted with them and in soul, by pardoning their iniquities.

YAHWEH-NISSI: “The Lord Our Banner” (Exodus 17:15), where banner is understood to be a rallying place. This name commemorates the desert victory over the Amalekites in Exodus 17.

YAHWEH-SHALOM: “The Lord Our Peace” (Judges 6:24) – The name given by Gideon to the altar he built after the Angel of the Lord assured him he would not die as he thought he would after seeing Him.

YAHWEH-TSIDKENU: “The Lord Our Righteousness” (Jeremiah 33:16) – As with YHWH-M’Kaddesh, it is God alone who provides righteousness to man, ultimately in the person of His Son, Jesus Christ, who became sin for us “that we might become the Righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).

YAHWEH-ROHI: “The Lord Our Shepherd” (Psalm 23:1) – After David pondered his relationship as a shepherd to his sheep, he realized that was exactly the relationship God had with him, and so he declares “Yahweh-Rohi is my Shepherd. I shall not want” (Psalm 23:1).

YAHWEH-SABAOTH: “The Lord of Hosts” (Isaiah 1:24; Psalm 46:7) – “Hosts” means hordes, both of angels and of men. He is Lord of the host of heaven, and of the inhabitants of the earth, of Jews and Gentiles, of rich and poor, master and slave. The name is expressive of the majesty, power, and authority of God and shows that he is able to accomplish what he determines to do.

EL ELYON: “Most High” (Deuteronomy 26:19) – Derived from the Hebrew root for “go up” or “ascend,” so the implication is of that which is the very highest. El Elyon denotes exaltation and speaks of absolute right to lordship.

EL ROI: “God of Seeing” (Genesis 16:13) – The name ascribed to God by Hagar, alone and desperate in the wilderness after being driven out by Sarah (Genesis 16:1-14), when she met the Angel of the Lord and realized she had seen God Himself in a theophany. She realized that El Roi saw her in her distress and testified that He is a God who lives and sees all.

EL-OLAM: “Everlasting God” (Psalm 90:1-3) – God’s nature is without beginning or end, free from all constraints of time and contains within Himself the very cause of time itself. “From everlasting to everlasting, You are God.”

EL-GIBHOR: “Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6) – The name describing the Messiah, Christ Jesus, in this prophetic portion of Isaiah. As a powerful and mighty warrior, the Messiah, the Mighty God, will accomplish the destruction of God’s enemies and rule with a rod of iron (Revelation 19:15).

Psalm 121

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.
My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
Behold, he that keepeth Israel(OR ME) shall neither slumber nor sleep.
The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand.
The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.
The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.
The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

What a message of hope for us today!

I can never gaze at the mountains without thinking of this verse, for some reason I would have put the word “mountain” in place of hills, but God knew best. Maybe in the Hebrew or Aramaic language it meant something more like mountain. This particular mountain is in my favorite place, Yosemite National Park. I climbed to the top many years ago with my Dad, cousins, and some family friends. I will never forget it. At a particular point you have to grab steel cables pounded into the granite. My cousin tied herself with rope onto her crazy husband, which we thought was a huge risk! She made it to the top in red slickery keds! I will never forget that day…

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.
I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.” Lamentations 3:22-24

Ongoing prayer for Kate……(see info under right side bar, under “Websites” Kate’s Story….

“Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I’d even lived one day.” Psalm 139:16 The Message

I was talking to my best friend, Elaine the other night, one of our many discussions, about how we were raised. She commented, “I don’t remember being taught anything about right or wrong except that it was wrong to kill, other than that, everything was pretty much subjective.” She laughingly added, “and even that might have been okay depending on the circumstance.” She remembers one time her Dad switched the tags on a Christmas tree that he thought was too expensive and she remembers thinking as a child it was not right; the next day she secretly rejoiced when all the needles fell off.

But there were other things….her Uncle’s little church where she would flounce down the aisle in Sunday ruffles and sit in the front pew where her Aunt played “I’ll Fly Away” every time she asked. And another praying Aunt and Uncle who showed her the love she was missing at home. A praying Grandmother. All God’s grace.

Her home life and mine were as different as night and day. Hers, a desperate “flight or fight” situation at all times. Most days she rounded a corner to meet the fist of her mean brother, so she learned to run very fast. Thankfully there was also a “good” brother who came to her aid. Allys in a family war together, they remain close today.

Growing up her home was a loud, angry place. Mine was a haven of safety and rest; a white picket fence upbringing, we went to church and Mom stayed home to raise us. We came home from school to cookies baking and Mom asking how our day was. In her home no parent asked what happened at school; and God seemed very far away. In mine, He always seemed very near. And yet…..God’s mercy reached her where she was and kept me from wandering too far.

Two lives in very different places, but God’s sunset grace finding both.

Many years ago I stood on the banks of the river the day my best friend was baptized, and so did her folks; no doubt they were mystified by the whole thing, but happy about it just the same. God saw a little girl heart of gold, with a conscience like a sunbeam and never let go.