Regrets

The two sides of regret - the doing and the not doing.

1)Not doing: that sickening feeling that a person feels when they realize that they missed an opportunity to do something and didn't take it

2)Doing: that sickening feeling a person feels when they realize they said or did something they shouldn't have said or done.

No matter which side of regret I fall on, that feeling can be like a wave crashing over me. Can you relate? Unfortunately I have felt both sides and with the same results... miserable feelings of regret. It is so easy to get stuck in that place, living in the past and reliving our sense of failure (whether perceived or real). May I encourage you today to look at these experiences through the lens of scripture?

Romans 3:23 tells us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." But praise be to God that "if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:9

One of the redeeming qualities of life is that we don't have to live in the past, we can make amends and move forward to make different, better decisions. God knows our frame, that we are weak and sinful yet He has provided a way for us to be reconciled to Himself: through Jesus Christ, His death and resurrection.

So next time you begin to get swallowed up by feelings of regret, remember that God has already made a way for you to be restored and get on the right path again.

Of Wildflowers and Gratefulness

Taking a thoughtful walk through a broad meadow, a young girl pauses to take in the world around her. As she drinks deeply of it all, a lone wildflower left over from the great burst of spring catches her eye. She wonders at its beauty, its tenacity. Approaching it, she stoops lower to marvel at the wildflower blushing purple. Its lovely face upturned toward heaven, expectant to receive the good gifts it receives every day... the dew, the sun, the breeze, the busy bees. Her thoughts turn to her own life, comparing herself to that one flower.

"God takes care of this flower, will He not much more care for me?"

"Interesting," she thinks, "how this little flower reflects faith and hope. How it has endured to the end of spring, stands alone and still has an upturned face. How beautiful it is, it seems almost grateful. Had I not taken the time to stop and look around me, I might have missed this precious gift. Funny, I had to stoop lower to really see all of this. I wonder if this is the way it works, if stooping lower is the path to gratefulness. Is stooping lower the only way to really see the good gifts? Surely there are gifts I receive everyday just like this flower. Even the gifts this flower receives are gifts that I receive I suppose."

"What is it that scripture says?" She pulls a small bible from her skirt pocket. Turning the pages to Matthew 6 she reads softly to herself, "Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith!" (v. 28-30)

Humbled by the thought, she sits next to the flower to turn her own face heavenward and bows her heart in grateful praise.

A Great Exercise in Praise

When I lay down to sleep and the thoughts in my mind are tumbling around like old shoes in a dryer I need something to bring my mind to rest. Here's one of my favorite things to do:

Think on the attributes and names of God and Christ in alphabetical order! (You know, I don't usually get past M before I fall asleep.) Here are just a few ideas that come to mind.... hopefully I won't fall asleep!
I'd love to hear other attributes that you come up or even other "slow your mind" exercises :)

A- awesome, Alpha, Adonai, Abba, author (of our salvation)
B - beautiful, benevolent, blessed
C- Creator, counselor, cornerstone
D - deliverer
E - everlasting, eternal, Elohim, El Elyon
F - Father, faithful, fortress, forgiving, friend
G - gracious, good, God
H- holy,
I - indescribable, infinite, invisible, immutable
J - just, justifier, judge, jealous, Jehovah
K - King of Kings
L- Lord of Lords, loving, living, longsuffering, Lamb of God, lovely
M - Master, majestic, magnificent, merciful, Messiah
N - near (to those who are His)
O - Omega, omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent
P - perfect, patient, powerful, Prince of Peace, protector
Q - Qedosh Yisrael (had to look this one up)
R - (El) Roi, Rock of Ages, restorer, righteous
S - Savior, sovereign, self-existent, Shepherd
T - trustworthy
U - undeniable, unchanging
V - victorious
W - wonderful, wise
X - Xcellent ;)
Y - Yahweh
Z - zzzzz zzzzz.......

Yahweh Tsuri ~ The Lord My Rock

When the storms of life are raging or the troubles of life are overwhelming, remember that God is our Rock. He is steadfast, immovable, reliable, unshakeable. Meditate on these truths from the Word of God, make them your prayer and praise today.


"There is no rock like our God."
I Samuel 2:2

"The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold."
Psalm 18:2

"For who is God, but the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God,
The God who girds me with strength
And makes my way blameless?"
Psalm 18:31-32

"Let the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
Be acceptable in Your sight,
O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer."
Psalm 19:14

"Incline Your ear to me, rescue me quickly;
Be to me a rock of strength, A stronghold to save me.
For You are my rock and my fortress;
For Your name's sake You will lead me and guide me."
Psalm 31:2-3

"From the end of the earth
I call to You when my heart is faint;
Lead me to the rock that is higher than I."
Psalm 61:2

"He only is my rock and my salvation,My stronghold;
I shall not be greatly shaken...
He only is my rock and my salvation,My stronghold;
I shall not be shaken.
On God my salvation and my glory rest;
The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God."
Psalm 62:2,6-7

"And they remembered that God was their rock,
And the Most High God their Redeemer."
Psalm 78:35

Pilgrim's Progression

This world is not my home, I am a pilgrim on a journey to a heavenly city. As I travel this earth I find myself getting too comfortable, too complacent, too willing to delay the purposes of my journey here. At times I even get caught up in serving to the point that I lose my perspective. There are moments when I get a glimpse of my future home and it's splendor and at those moments my vision is renewed to live as a pilgrim.

Too often I lay my armor down and drop my guard only to come under attack from the enemy in a myriad of ways. Those attacks can be subtle or they can be sudden and violent. Either way the attack comes and my lack of care and continual preparation for the battle causes me injury- sometimes it can cause others injury. As for my Lord, I cause Him grief. Oh the remorse that follows, the realization of my own fault and foolishness. And oh the precious comfort my gracious Lord pours out on on me through His Holy Spirit as I repent of my sins.

Praise be to God that:
~Christ is my righteousness (I Corinthians 1:30).
~He understands that I am a sinner, weak and defiled, prone to wander (Romans 3:10-12, 23).
~He is my refuge in times of trouble (Psalm 18:2).
~He never leaves me nor forsakes me (Hebrews 13:5b) even when I fail.
~His forgiveness is full and complete as I come to Him in repentance (Psalm 103:12).

"Lord I am in awe of Your mercy and grace toward me a sinner. I praise You because You are worthy of my praise, my life, my all. Enable me to live a life that is a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to You. Tranform me by the renewing of my mind that I may prove what Your will is, that which is good, acceptable, and perfect (Romans 12:1-2). Amen."

The heavens declare the glory of the Lord

"Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and marked off the heavens by the span, and calculated the dust of the earth by the measure, and weighed the mountains in a balance and the hills in a pair of scales?...

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth?

"It is He who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in....

"Lift up your eyes on high and see who has created these stars, the One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name; Because of the greatness of His might and the strength of His power, not one of them is missing." Isaiah 40:12,21-22,26

God spoke the heavens into place, calls all of the stars by name, and measures the universe with the span of His hand. As you gaze into the night sky, give praise and glory to the One Who is the Author of it all. He is worthy!