Tracing His Hand

 "Let us then view God's providences towards us more religiously than we have hitherto done...Let us humbly and reverently attempt to trace His guiding hand in the years we have hitherto lived. Let us thankfully commemorate the many mercies He has vouchsafed to us in time past, 

the many sins He has not remembered,

the many dangers He has averted,

the many prayers He has answered,

the many mistakes He has corrected,

the many warnings,

the many lessons, 

the much light,

the abounding comfort which He has from time to time given.

Let us dwell upon times and seasons, times of trouble, times of joy, times of trial, times of refreshment. How did He cherish us as children! How did He guide us in that dangerous time when the mind began to think for itself, and the heart open to the world! How did He with His sweet discipline 

restrain our passions, 

mortify our hopes,

calm our fears,

enliven our heavinesses,

sweeten our desolateness,

and strengthen our infirmities.

How did He gently guide us towards the strait gate! How did He allure us along His everlasting way, in spite of its strictness, in spite of its loneliness, in spite of the dim twilight in which it lay! He has been all things to us, He has been, as He was to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, our God, our shield, and great reward, promising and performing, day by day. 'Hitherto hath He helped us'. He hath been mindful of us, and He will bless us. He has not made us for naught; He has brought us thus far, in order to bring us further, in order to bring us to the end."    ~John Henry Newman

ruts and cozy nests

Dave Wilson Photography

Father, 

Once, it seems long ago now, I had such big dreams, so much anticipation of the future. Now no shimmering horizon beckons me; my days are lackluster. I see so little of lasting value in the daily round. Where is Your plan for my life, Father? 

You have told us that without vision, we perish. So Father in heaven, knowing that I can ask in confidence for what is Your expressed will, give to me, I ask You to deposit in my mind and heart the particular dream, the special vision You have for my life. 

And along with the dream, will You give me whatever graces, patience and stamina it takes to see the dream through to fruition? I see that this may involve adventures I have not bargained for. But I want to trust You enough to follow even if You lead along new paths. I admit to liking some of my ruts. But I know that habit patterns that seem like cozy nests from the inside, from Your vantage point may be prison cells. Lord, if You have to break down any prisons of mine before I can see the starts and catch the vision, then Lord, begin the process now. 

In joyous expectation, Amen.    ~Catherine Marshall

Page 147

 "Sometimes it's hard to pay attention to our own desires isn't it? We start believing that God only wants us to do the things we don't want to do. But God also speaks through the deep desires and longings of our hearts. God invites us to pay attention to the things that bring us life and joy."  ~Sensible Shoes

"The whole outlook of mankind might be changed if we could all believe that we dwell under a friendly sky and that the God of heaven, thought exalted in power and majesty, is eager to be friends with us." ~AW Tozer

Lead me by the right road

All things new

“God's grace is not defined as God being forgiving to us even though we sin. Grace is when God is a source of wholeness, which makes up for my failings. My failings hurt me and others and even the planet, and God's grace to me is that my brokenness is not the final word ... it's that God makes beautiful things out of even my own shit. Grace isn't about God creating humans and flawed beings and then acting all hurt when we inevitably fail and then stepping in like the hero to grant us grace - like saying, "Oh, it's OK, I'll be the good guy and forgive you." It's God saying, "I love the world too much to let your sin define you and be the final word. I am a God who makes all things new.” 

~Nadia Bolz-Weber, Pastrix: The Cranky, Beautiful Faith of a Sinner & Saint

heaven is where Jesus is

"It is the place-

where everything lasts forever, 

where everything that is best remains,

where everything good is celebrated,

where light fills every space,

where love fills every heart,

where worship fills every breath,

where praise never stops,

where pain never enters,
where joys never cease."

~by Roy Lessin

soul

"The LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." ~Genesis 2:7

"You're a soul made by God, made for God, and made to need God, which means you were not made to be self-sufficient...

What is running your life at any given moment is your soul. Not external circumstances, not  your thoughts, not your intentions, not even your feelings, but your soul. The soul is that aspect of your whole being that correlates, integrates, and enlivens everything going on in the various dimensions of the self. The soul is the life center of human beings." ~Dallas Willard