You Know

It is an insult to life, to your inherent power, to the blessings that God has given you to act like you don't know, when you know that you do know. (Iyanla Vanzant, Until Today! 8 April) 30 April 2012

Consider

When times are good, be happy, but when times are bad, consider: God has made the one as well as the other ... (Ecclesiastes 7:14 (NIV) (Daily Guideposts - 2010, 7 April) 29 April 2012

Action

Prayer feeds faith and focuses action. 

(The Upper Room Disciplines - 2008, 7 August)

Action is the single most effective antidote to depression, anxiety, stress, fear, worry, guilt, and, of course, immobility. (Dr. Wayne W. Dyer, Pulling Your Own Strings, p. 222) 28 April 2012

Progress

I pray for the progress that is possible when I am completely honest with myself. (One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 21 April) 27 April 2012

God Knows

God knows.

(The Upper Room Disciplines - 2008, 16 July)

26 April 2012

Bless The Lord

Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits. 

(Psalm 103:2 (NAS)) 

25 April 2012

Friends

Lord, encourage me to keep making new friends and to find joy and warmth in the companionship they provide. (Patricia Lorenz in Daily Guideposts - 2011, 11 April) 24 April 2012

I Exhort

" I exhort, therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men." (1 Timothy 2:1, A Gentle Spirit, 21 March) 23 April 2012

Hasten To Help Me.

O Lord, my God, do not be far from me; O my God, hasten to help me... (Thomas 'A Kempis, The Imitation Of Christ, Book 3, Chapter 23, p. 113) 21 April 2012

God's Purpose

Evil people oppose God's purposes.  Even well-meaning human beings are often inept.  Still God's work goes forward. (The Upper Room Disciplines - 2008, 4 August) 21 April 2012

My Heart Is Distraught

Lord, I am in great distress even as we speak, and my heart is distraught. (Thomas 'A Kempis, The Imitation Of Christ, Book 3, Chapter 29, p. 119) 20 April 2012

The Journey's End

Spend your brief moment according to nature's law, and serenely greet the journey's end as an olive falls when it is ripe, blessing the branch that bore it, and giving thanks to the tree that gave it life. (Marcus Aurelius, quoted in A Little Book of Life and Death) 19 April 2012

Forgive My Faults

Forgive me for all my faults, Lord. You more than anyone knows what they are. (Rick Hamlin, Daily Guideposts - 2011, 23 March) 18 April 2012

Stumbling Feet

(Stumbling Man by David P. Rubins)

I pray that I may advance each day in spite of my stumbling feet. (Twenty-Four Hours A Day, 31 March) 17 April 2012

A Terrible Mistake

Often we respond without praying about the issues, only later realizing that we have made a terrible mistake. (The Upper Room Disciplines - 2003, 18 July) 16 April 2012

Griefs And Regrets

May I acknowledge and let go of my griefs and regrets so I can attend to life, here and now. (Touchstones, 18 March) 15 April 2012

Adversity

I pray for the courage to face ... adversity when I must and the ability to learn from it. (Touchstones, 7 April) 14 April 2012

Nonverbal Prayer

Introduce into your prayers today a nonverbal prayer form such as one of the following:

• Gesture (movement, dance, exercise, kneeling, lifted palms)
• Silence (meditation, deep contemplation)
• Vocalization (chants, humming, deep breathing, praying in tongues)

(after The Upper Room Disciplines - 2008, 24 July) 13 April 2012

Promises

Promises are easy to make but often difficult to keep.  Be careful when making a promise - can you keep your word and honor the commitment of your words? (after The Upper Room Disciplines - 2003, 12 July) 12 April 2012

Promises

[Lord, help me to] ... refrain from making unwise promises. (after The Upper Room Disciplines - 2003, 12 July) 11 April 2012

I Am He That Liveth

I am he that liveth, and was dead; 

and, behold, 

I am alive for evermore.  

(Revelation 1:18)

10 April 2012

O Lord, Come Quickly

O Lord, come quickly to help me.

You are my help and my deliverer.

O Lord, do not delay.

(A Gentle Spirit, 20 March)

9 April 2012

Christ Jesus Lay In Death's Strong Bands

(Photo: Mr. Dickie - Emmitsburg, MD)

Christ Jesus Lay in Death's Strong Bands

Words by Martin Luther

Christ Jesus lay in death’s strong bands,

For our offenses given;

But now at God’s right hand He stands,

And brings us life from Heaven.

Wherefore let us joyful be,

And sing to God right thankfully

Loud songs of Alleluia! Alleluia!

No son of man could conquer Death,

Such mischief sin had wrought us,

For innocence dwelt not on earth,

And therefore Death had brought us

Into thralldom from of old

And ever grew more strong and bold

And kept us in his bondage. Alleluia!

But Jesus Christ, God’s only Son,

To our low state descended,

The cause of Death He has undone,

His power forever ended,

Ruined all his right and claim

And left him nothing but the name,

His sting is lost forever. Alleluia!

It was a strange and dreadful strife

When life and death contended;

The victory remained with life;

The reign of death was ended.

Stripped of power, no more it reigns,

An empty form alone remains

Death’s sting is lost forever! Alleluia!

Here the true Paschal Lamb we see,

Whom God so freely gave us;

He died on the accursed tree—

So strong His love!—to save us.

See, His blood doth mark our door;

Faith points to it, Death passes over,

And Satan cannot harm us. Alleluia!

So let us keep the festival

Where to the Lord invites us;

Christ is Himself the joy of all,

The Sun that warms and lights us.

By His grace He doth impart

Eternal sunshine to the heart;

The night of sin is ended! Alleluia!

Then let us feast this Easter day

On the true Bread of Heaven;

The Word of grace hath purged away

The old and wicked leaven.

Christ alone our souls will feed;

He is our Meat and Drink indeed;

Faith lives upon no other! Alleluia!

8 April 2012 - Easter Sunday

Do Not Seek

And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. (Luke 12:29 (NKJV), Daily Guideposts - 2012, 12 March)
7 April 2012

Leadership

Leadership positions entail responsibility for others, not abuse of them.  Perhaps it is time to revisit the power of prayer for God's guidance as we elect those who will serve as leaders ... (The Upper Room Disciplines - 2003, 19 July) 6 April 2012

Easter

(Melva's orchid and African Violets)

Tomb, thou shalt not hold Him longer;

Death is strong, but life is stronger;

Stronger than the dark, the light;

Stronger than the wrong, the right;

Faith and Hope triumphant say

Christ will rise on Easter Day.

(Phillips Brooks - "A Easter Carol")

5 April 2012

My Nature

(Melva's Orchid - photo by Mr. Dickie)

Lord, may grace make possible what my nature seems to make impossible. (Thomas 'A Kempis, The Imitation Of Christ, Book 3, Chapter 19, p. 107)

Spiritual Life

By temptations and troubles a person proves how much progress he has made in the spiritual life ... (Thomas 'A Kempis, The Imitation Of Christ, Book 1, Chapter 13, p. 42) 3 April 2012

Election 2012

God, direct us and intervene in the election of our leaders, Amen

(The Upper Room Disciplines - 2003, 19 July)

2 April 2012

A Better Way

God help me to accept the responsibility for finding a better way of life through surrendering to You and Your guidance. (One Day At A Time In Al-Anon, 16 March) 1 April 2012