the prayer of my heart

O, Lord, my King, my Savior, my Creator, my Love

in the same way you provided and blessed in abundance...
to the point that the blessings were too many for the people to keep,
so they piled the overflow in HEAPS,

please send heaps
PLEASE SEND HEAPS
please provide in abundance
multiply
bulge the storehouses
overflow the barrels
make our sacs heavy with blessing
our nets breaking with fish
let us see in faith
move in faith
press on in faith
let us see you move, Lord.
show us Who You are.
let us make no mistake that it is by Your hand we are satisfied, fed, clothed, filled, loved, saved, and given heaps.  

God, I love You.  I love and I love and I love You.

simple gifts

...I had just started making coffee this morning and was opening the kitchen shade when I looked up to our cherry tree and saw a little downy woodpecker, hopping around and pecking away.  Then his wife (or brother or whoever) flew in.  I never get to see those little guys in our yard, so I was thinking how much of a treat that was.  Then I was thinking how if I hadn't been looking for anything in the cherry tree, I wouldn't have even seen them.  I would have missed that little gift this morning.  And so I was encouraged to continue to seek the Lord's face and then to look for His blessings and gifts and answers.

I love Him today...

God, I'm thankful for You, for your faithfulness, for your mercies that are brand new every morning.  Thank you for meeting my biggest and main need in giving Jesus to save me, to offer forgiveness, to make me friends with you once again.  Thank you for your love that envelops me and sweeps over me like a sweet fragrant meadow wind.  Please fill me with your essence, so whatever I do today, wherever I go, whoever I see, I am spreading your essence, that sweet fragrance of Christ.  Please overwhelm me with yourself that I might lovingly and persistently share you with others.  Keep me near Jesus today...amen.

the message of the Gospel

the world was good, all that God created
all taking shape and form just as He had stated...

then came the serpent, crafty and lying
deceiving, distorting, degrading, denying

a taste was taken, then passed to the man
who tasted too, motion now given to the Master plan

sin entered, clouded minds, bringing curse, veiling the divine

sacrifices now required, atonement demanded
blood brought forth, not enough, final life from heaven handed

Jesus sent, as infant enters
fallen world around His life now centers

charges brought, cross erected
Jesus hung, no sin detected

blood streams down
cleansing, saving, unveiling, redeeming

hope restored, life is given
forgiveness won, promise of heaven

death for life
souls now secured
love is seen
eternal life assured

-nettie hogan

He Leadeth Me...

He leadeth me, O blessèd thought!
O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.

Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters still, over troubled sea,
Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me.

Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.

And when my task on earth is done,
When by Thy grace the vict’ry’s won,
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me.

-words, Joseph H. Gilmore
-music, William B. Bradbury

creation groans

...and my heart groans with it
aches for heaven
yearns for audience with the King
cries out for His presence
longs to kneel before Him...

so, until heaven...
my heart will bow here
love here
worship here
rest here
find peace here
be anchored here...

...to Christ.

He keeps, sustains, leads, nourishes, provides, loves.  And, He's showing me that's enough.  He's enough.

hidden in Christ

park walk
evening sun
setting in the west

shadows cast
thrown east
tall in the grass

sun on my left
sweet daughter on my right
keeping stride on the trail

two of us
one shadow
hers hidden in mine

remembering Colossians 3
died with Christ
now hidden in Him

my shadow melds with His
hidden in Him
united with Him

let it be

For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Colossians 3:3-4

the gospel in Revelation 1:17-18

with passion in her eyes and conviction in her voice, my friend proclaimed her love for Jesus, His life, death, resurrection, Word, and His revelation to John... 

¹⁷ When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades. Revelation 1:17-18 

She said, "I see the gospel here.  I get that Jesus loves me; I do, I get that.  But, my mom loves me, too.  Why should it matter that Jesus loves me?  Because He died for me, He rose, and He holds the keys of death and Hades; He is alive forever."

I love my friend, but I know You love her more.  Please keep her near You; remain in her...

her heart is pounding with love for You...

my heart is refreshed by her...

keep her...