Fire

I opened my journal this morning to find this Scripture printed at the top of the blank page—inviting me to listen,

“In the morning, OLord, You hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before You and wait in expectation.” Psalm 5:3

Crises are not my best prayer times; my do-er nature kicks in instead. Through this verse God led me to list the things I want to be praying for today; prayer became easier:

* Protection of lives.

* For all our friends who have been evacuated and have no idea of the status of their home – God would you give them the peace that passes understanding; and would you protect their stuff.

* Please protect Glen Eyrie and Eagle Lake Camp from further incidences.

* Containment of the fire.

* Rain.

* Personally give us wisdom if we need to evacuate.

* What can I share that will lead others over the bridge of truth.

* The Lord’s name will be upheld and His purposes fulfilled.

As I perused Facebook later in the morning, I found the post and prayer of my good friend John Lynch.

“I can't describe how these last few days of watching these fires in Colorado have broken my heart. These are some of the most beautiful areas in the world. And in those areas are some of the most wonderful people I have ever known. And I am here and can do nothing. "Father, do that beautiful thing you do where you take the broken and the terrifying and nearly hopeless...and bring life and restore beauty and eventually reveal something even more incredible in the lives of those going through this. I know that is what you do. Bring sacredly good from these ashes my precious God. Glory to you, who loves these ones more than our collective care."

Thank you, John.

"... and wait in expectation." 

Psalm 5:3

Technology and Me ~ Not always on Friendly Terms

It was a little thing, really. A few of my emails came through on my computer but not to my iPhone—or did I just miss them?  Because I trusted my iPhone, I hadn’t fired up my computer for five days; and for five days the questions lingered—un-necessary questions if I had just checked my computer.

·        Should I remind her?

·        Should I trust her?

·        Should I even be thinking about this?

·        Is this a lesson on trusting God?

As I lived with my questions, I prayed and didn’t remind. When, finally I turned on my computer, I humbly realized my questions were un-necessary—the missing email was there. This little thing morphed into a big lesson on trusting God.

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances,

for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”

I Thessalonians 5:16,17,18, NLT

Hurtful, Awful, Unbelievable, Disappointing

All the above words in my title could be adjectives used to describe situations my friends are currently enduring. I wish they weren’t. Their stories mark my life too; they are my friends.

My first response, when I become aware is I can’t believe it! Why?

I have strong friends. I am learning from them how to live in the hard stuff of life. Some of my invaluable lessons:

• Their lives are not a constant monologue of their hurts. They still know how to smile—sometimes they cry too.
• They know the blessing—the need—for community. They are vulnerable; they invite others into their hurts to pray with and for them.
• The hard stuff is not the only definition of their lives. They don’t let it sidetrack them from reaching out to others in their needs.
• They are learning to live in the midst of their current reality knowing that it might not get better.
• They are listening to God’s truth. It is a louder voice than their circumstances.

I am so thankful for the friends God gives me.

“It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart;

For you are all partakers with me of grace,”

Philippians 1:7

My Personal Cathedral

My Personal Cathedral

            The gift of time and space;

            The beauty of creation,

            An awe-inspiring place.

My Personal Cathedral

            Beckons come away;

            To be and soak in quiet,

            To wonder, to ponder, to pray.

My Personal Cathedral

            Where I desire to be;

            To sit at the feet of Jesus,

            And hear His love for me.

In My Personal Cathedral

            I hear the whispers of my God;

            The wisdom of the ages,

            Knowing where my feet will

                                                trod.

In My Personal Cathedral

            I love to start my day;

            To sit, to read, to journal,

            To listen, and to pray.

From My Personal Cathedral

            I slowly turn away;

            With renewed peace and comfort,

            To greet the duties of the day,

           

My Personal Cathedral

            The place from whence my duties start;

            I leave refreshed, encouraged, broken,

            I move from heart to heart.

           

The pictures are some of my personal cathedrals: Top ~ our summertime deck; Middle ~ a pond I can walk to from our home in just a few minutes; Bottom ~ Greenhorn Peak in the Wet Mountains. This picture off the internet is close to the view I enjoy from our property in the mountains.

"I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD!""

Psalm 122:1