As we close the Book of Psalms, what did our Beautiful God stir in you that comes to mind? What is stronger in you? What are you afraid of? What is God stirring up? What lingers?
Psa 146:3 - Don't put your life in the hands of experts who know nothing of salvation life...get help from the God of Jacob, put your hope in God and know real blessing...He defends the wronged, He feeds the hungry. God frees prisoners, He gives sight to the blind. He lifts up the fallen. At this juncture of my life, I feel like I have fallen short in ways. How arrogant to think if I had to do it all over again, I could do better---no, I'd just make different mistakes. No perfect people. Why am I so hard on myself? 66 LL says: No guarantees in life. Only one: God will lead me through even this to know Him better. Thank you, Lord.
Psalm 147:2 God is the One who rebuilds our lives, Who regathers us when we distance ourselves. He heals the heartbroken and bandages our wounds. I need a Savior this night to heal my broken heart as I deal with some hard realities about my life. Our Lord is great with limitless Strength; we'll never comprehend what He knows and does. God puts the fallen on their feet again. I'm standing up.
Psalm 147:11 God's not impressed with horsepower; the size of our muscles mean little to him. We live in such a celebrity society that so grabs the attention of people from storied athletes to cute speakers with energy. God's not impressed by it all.
What lingers with me is that our desires to live are good but the road to get there can be a bad one. "You assume I relieve struggle and replace it with rest. But I use struggle to uncover a rest beneath the struggle that no anguish can destroy. The struggle with fear and pain will continue. Only in the storm will you know there is an anchor." Do I feel that Anchor this night?
;
Once again, I had to choose to let go of my son and his poor choices and the consequences that have resulted from them,I did that last night. My heart was heavy in church this morning, I had to sit down during the singing, then we started singing I am only sastified in You....and the tears started to flow and the healing started to happen. THEN the special music was He's the only answer....and my heart shouted..YES, that is The truth...just as I had told my son and I had to rise to my feet, whether in anyone else stood or not...soon others were standing and over and over in my heart the truth shouted...HE is THE ONLY ANSWER to every problem we have and HE is THE WAY, THE TRUTH, THE LIFE....and how my heart was full of Him. My son and his oldest came by for a few minutes this afternoon and he had gone to church for the first time in a long time and he told me that the Lord had used me and his mother in law to prompt him to go to church and the sermon was on David and how he was the only one in the Bible who had a heart after God...and he had a smile in his eye. Now, I know what way to pray for my son...God is so good to reveal Himself to us, when we turn away from everything BUT Him and look only to Him and let go of the things of this earth...even those whom we gave birth to. Blessings on each one of you this week and as you seek Him and reach out to know more of Him..
ReplyDeleteOh, Mary Lou! This gave me the chills. It's so hard to let go of our kids. God has EVERYTHING under control and as you know it's in HIS timing! This is so special.
ReplyDeleteI think I'll join you in prayer for my children, my husband and actually myself. I SO want to feel on fire like the rest of you here. I just haven't been right with God for awhile. I have had too many excuses. I'm praying against unbelief and for Him to reveal Himself to me and my family (and of course my sisters-in-Christ)! He hasn't changed at all, it's me. He is such a gentleman and for that I am grateful.
Thank you for sharing this, Mary Lou!
Bev, enjoy your trip!
Love you guys,
Angie xoxo
"God's in charge—always.
ReplyDeleteZion's God is God for good!
Hallelujah!"
xoxo
This is a poem that I read meditated on thru the years regarding my children:(hope it ministers to u all)
ReplyDeleteLETTING GO TAKES LOVE
To let go does not mean to stop caring,
it means I can't do it for someone else.
To let go is not to cut myself off,
it's the realization I can't control another.
To let go is not to enable,
but allow learning from natural consequences.
To let go is to admit powerlessness, which means
the outcome is not in my hands.
To let go is not to try to change or blame another,
it's to make the most of myself.
To let go is not to care for,
but to care about.
To let go is not to fix,
but to be supportive.
To let go is not to judge,
but to allow another to be a human being.
To let go is not to be in the middle arranging all the outcomes,
but to allow others to affect their destinies.
To let go is not to be protective,
it's to permit another to face reality.
To let go is not to deny,
but to accept.
To let go is not to nag, scold or argue,
but instead to search out my own shortcomings and correct them.
To let go is not to adjust everything to my desires,
but to take each day as it comes and cherish myself in it.
To let go is not to criticize or regulate anybody,
but to try to become what I dream I can be.
To let go is not to regret the past,
but to grow and live for the future.
To let go is to fear less and love more
and
To let go and to let God, is to find peace !
Remember: The time to love is short
------ author unknown
coram deo,
Donna
Mary Lou, I feel your broken heart through your words. You are so dear to me--never having heard your voice or shared a cup of coffee, your heart is what I love. I'm praying this morning for your son and grandson to return to the God of the Angel Armies, for God to carry you through this time and to know that He hears your cries, and, in His time, is working this out, too. "Even this" as the Message says.
ReplyDeleteWe can get so tired of the same prayers and wonder as the psalmists did, why God doesn't answer, why He doesn't come quickly. We weary. Probably the thing I love most about the Psalms is that they remind us who the God is we serve, of His great works, and of His unfathomable love for us--often right when we need it the most. The storms reveal how strong the Anchor is.
Donna, thank you for the beautiful poem on love.
Bev, have a wonderful week with your old roommate!
Start the week on the right foot, everyone, turning to Him.
I am so grateful for each of you and your willingness to open your hearts to this group. I can relate to something each of you has said. Like Annette said, I don't know your voices or many of your faces, but I feel like you give me a glimpse into your hearts through your posts.
ReplyDeleteI haven't been posting much lately because I haven't known how to articulate my struggles. I've been battling anger, resentment, and disappointment. I feel like I've been trying to reconcile what I SAY I believe with the emotions that have been swamping my heart and head. I am weary, and I can tell that I've been losing the battle. The enemy has had his way with my attitude and desire for God. I've had a harder time connecting with the Psalms in this version. This is the first book out of all we've read so far that I prefer the more traditional translations.
I ramble, but I just wanted to let you guys know that I'm still plugging along and hope to re-engage more going forward. You guys have been a lifeline for me the past month.
P.S. LOVED the poem, Donna! Thanks for posted it.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, Cici! Plugging along after being out of town so much and not knowing how to articulate what I'm trying to say. That's why I love books and music. They so often say what's on my heart. All of you have the gift of writing and also give voice to my thoughts.
ReplyDeleteHe is "An Anchor in My Storm" and the Anchor always holds, whether I sense it or not.
Mary Lou, I bought the book on prayer you suggested and it looks good. I did her book, He Restores My Soul, several years ago and I think you'd like it, too.
Donna, that is a beautiful poem. My sister is hurting so much right now over a daughter that won't let go of the past. She is missing out on a family that has bent over backwards to reach out to her. I wish she understood that "the time to love is short"...wish she'd receive our love! Thank you for posting it.
FG
Mary Lou, your words touch my soul tonight.
ReplyDeleteI am sitting here KNOWING a great victory was won in your life. Abraham had to be willing to let go of Isaac. It is so very hard! How Abraham must have hurt to walk up that mountain, knowing God was telling him to sacrifice precious Isaac. I send you a big hug tonight to let you know I feel your submission to God in your actions. God is safe. If there is anyone we can trust our children with, it is God.
I suffer with my own battle for a place in my adult children's lives. I loved them and taught them about God, but influences out of my control have caused them to break relationship with me.
Prodigals. My arms ache for the day I will hold them once again. But right now, I have to give them to the One who counts the stars and names every one of them. They have turned their back on Him, too. So, I am waiting on the porch until they find their way back. It hurts, but it's a safe hurt.
Donna, the poem was beautiful. Thank you. When you've known the pain of children turning their back on you...you kind of get an idea of how God feels about His children when we turn away from Him.
"God made sky and soil, sea and all the fish in it."...I stopped by W*lmart this evening to get a prescription filled. So, I had some time to wander through the biggest store in my town. Where did I go? The fish tanks. As I read this verse I am just amazed at my God! The goldfish were so gorgeous. A parrot fish was very eye-catching. A tiny black-finned shark was patroling his tank. And Glo-fish! Flourescent yellow was amazing!
Yes, our God made the fish in the sea and I praise Him for His creative hand in my life.
"He heals the heartbroken and bandages their wounds."...and I am so thankful. Tonight God gave me one of those Godstops He's given me in the past when I've had a broken heart. Little babies smiling at me. I was looking at the DVDs in W*lmart, and a buggy went by behind me. I turned and the sweetest little girl was sitting in the buggy...barely 9 months old. She looked at me. I looked at her. I smiled and she gave me the most beautiful shy smile that warmed me inside out. She couldn't keep her eyes off of me, as she kept smiling. I knew that minute was a Godstop. He was smiling at me through her. I'm thankful that He heals the brokenhearted.
"He keeps the peace at your borders, he puts the best bread on your tables."...I'm sitting here right now, thunder booming outside with rain coming down. I have a toasted Thomas Whole-Wheat Bagel topped with Honey Nut spreadable cream cheese. And a warm cup of International Coffees French Vanilla Cafe coffee.
So simple...but so very delicious.
My God is good to bless me with these delights. Sometimes you just have to be thankful for the simple ways He blesses you.
"Praise God in his holy house of worship, praise him under the open skies;"
I am just so very thankful tonight for this community. And for time I spent alone with God today by a lake praying and praising Him in song. One white crane flew from across the lake straight towards me. About half-way to me, it turned and flew to the bank across from me. It's beauty was glorious! I could just feel God's Spirit with me as I took time to pray and spend time with Him.
I am so sorry this is so long. I hate to leave the psalms. I love the intimacy of begging, pleading, whining, singing, soaring, tattling, worshiping, resting, suffering, celebrating and seeking as I've read through these intimate songs of praise, worship and crying out. David was on the right path. He suffered well. He praised well. He gave God all He had. Not one ounce was held back. He loved God with abandon.
I want that.
Cici, you are in my thoughts and prayers. You are ALL on my mind right now! I love the NIV Psalms too!
ReplyDeleteLove,
Angie xoxo
"Twinkle" just read your comment...I will remember to pray for you when I pray for my son and his family. He is a prodigal too, has fire insurance and that is about it, breaks my heart. My heart breaks for you having the conmplete break with your children. Adult children just have no idea how much they are loved and needed, do they? This one has kept me on my knees and I have learned more about God from him than I have from anything or anyone in this life, so I praise God for that fact. You will be in my prayers for your children.
ReplyDeleteA Prayer I pray VERY often when feeling like my children are NOT coming through meeting my needs(duh...God never intended for them to)
ReplyDeletePRAYER OF FORGIVENESS FOR THE FAMILY by Sylvia Gunter
Thank You, my forgiving heavenly Father, for the mind of Christ who enables me to forgive _____as You in Your mercy have forgiven me. I place all my expectations on the altar to You. My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from You(Psa.62:1). I forgive all offenses of sin, weakness, and failure of _____against me. You created us in Your image, and I choose to forgive______for not yet becoming all You created him/her to be. I accept______with needs, wounds, and hurts that need the healing that only You can give.
Forgive me for looking to a person to give me the love and affirmation that only Jesus can give. You are my Healer, my Satisfaction, and my Joy and I will look to You for freedom. As Jesus enables us to forgive and accept one another, perfect in us His holy character of unconditional love and servanthood. Forgive me for my own selfishness and performance-based acceptance of______. Love_______through me.
Enable us to extend grace to each other with unconditional acceptance. Let us choose no longer to strive with one another, demanding change, love, unselfishness, or understanding. Let us truly and freely choose to forgive. A family that is living in freedom consists of good forgivers. Free us from judgment, butterness, resentment,anger, retaliation, and wall-building. Let us be free to release each other to Your love, power, and purposes.
With God enabling me, I choose to live at peace with______. His/her wrong actions no longer have permission to wound me. I do not have to react to them, because I choose to take them to the cross of Jesus Christ. I choose to live above anger, unforgiveness, bitterness, and hurt. Jesus is my Life, and by God's grace in me, I am an overcomer in His Spirit. I will honor _____as someone Jesus died for. I will bless______,giving love that never fails. Love through me without reservation with the heart of the Father, the grace of the Son, and the power of the Spirit.
Thank You that as I release______, I am free from the torment of unforgiveness. Thank You that I am totally free in Jesus. I am released to be a channel of Your freedom, forgiveness, and healing love to our family.
In Jesus name, Amen.
Hope this prayer ministers to some of you.
Blessings today,
Donna Hazelwood