What a blessing to have Thanksgiving Day – one day set aside each year to be thankful!  While I am thankful to all my family and friends for their love and the blessing they are to me, there is one above all others who deserves my thanks. I believe that this verse in Psalms shows us who else is to be the recipient of our thanks.

“It is good to say thank you to the Lord, to sing praises to the God who is above all gods” (Psalm 92:1 TLB).  

Verse 2 expands this thought even more.

“At each and every sunrise we will be thanking you for your kindness and your love. As the sun sets and all through the night, we will keep proclaiming, ‘You are so faithful!’” (TPT)

 My takeaway from these verses -  every day is a day of giving thanks! Though there may be difficulties that arise in a day,  there are still many reasons to give thanks.  

 May the following words bless you and Happy Thanksgiving!

Psalm 68:19 is like a sandwich.  In most translations there are three distinct phrases. The outer two (the bread) are telling who God is; the filling tells what God does for us.  I like how various versions are worded to reveal different aspects of the same truth.

   Blessed be the Lord (KJV) / Praise be to the Lord (NIV)

 Who daily loads us with benefits (NKJV)/ day after day He bears our burdens  (CSB) / every day He helps us with our troubles (EASY) / who daily carries us (ISV) / Who daily bears us up (RSV) / who helps us every day (NCV)

  The God who is our salvation (AMP)/ He is the God who keeps us safe (EASY)  / the God of our saving health  (JUB)/ God is our deliverer (ISV)

Daily God bears my burdens and daily He loads me with benefits. This God who is my salvation, healer, deliverer is to be praised! Such a great exchange – my burdens for his benefits – daily. My mind renewed to focus on His timeless promises not the daily problems of life. Every day He will and does help.

  God spoke this following word to me 30 years ago, but it is still one of my favorite passages that He has given to me. The great exchange of my earthly cares for His heavenly blessings is a daily, at times hourly,  need and lifeline for me. May you be enriched today.

It’s summer! The two places my family enjoys each summer is, of course the beach, but also the mountains. There is nothing quite like the ocean on a sunny day – jumping in the waves, building sand castles, walking along the beach, all with the backdrop sounds of surf and seagulls. However, the White Mountains with its rivers and waterfalls are equally captivating for me. While the ruggedness and beauty of the mountains stirs my soul, the climb to the top of even the smaller ones usually tests my endurance. Knowing it is worth the climb to enjoy the beauty I will see from the summit, the sense of accomplishment I feel upon getting there is an added bonus. Peanut (or almond) butter and strawberry jam sandwiches taste the best after the climb to the top of the mountain!

I am always amazed and delighted that the God who created the oceans and mountains knows me and desires to communicate with me. I know He desires to spend time with each person on earth, but I am always so blessed when He speaks to me. Several times during the year 2020 I would wake up with a song playing in my mind that I had never heard before. I would quickly write down the words along with the tune (to the best of my ability). As this was happening during the height of the Covid pandemic, with all of its mandates, masks and unknowns, these songs became a source of strength and comfort for me.

So many times in life, our pathway becomes difficult, perhaps even obscure. During these times, we must keep in mind the summit; don’t give up. Perhaps look back at how far we have climbed, rest a bit to renew our strength, but stick to the pathway up. May we all be encouraged to not give up during seasons of difficulty, but to journey onward to the top of the mountains(s) we may be facing. God and His grace are with us to the very end.

These next two words, from 1994 and 1996, both speak of the pathway that may be steep and rocky, but God’s grace is with us. Following the words is one of the 2020 songs from God of His abundant and amazing grace. Be blessed!

Twenty years ago or today – God’s words are timeless, true, and can be trusted. He has never failed me. I thank God for parents who introduced me to Jesus, and for being blessed to have my own copies of His Word, the Bible. The verses with this blog are like old faithful friends – they have been with me since childhood. Be blessed!

This word from 1994, when I first began to hear God speaking, is a call to focus my attention on the most important part of life – pursuing God and His kingdom. As the Lord’s prayer states in Matthew 6:10, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. Jesus came to demonstrate to humanity what God’s kingdom is like, to bring heaven to earth. The call is for each of us to follow in Jesus’ footsteps and bring heaven to earth.

While many who live in New England might complain about the January’s winter weather, one thing most are thankful for is that the days are becoming longer. Light comes earlier and stays longer. Even with snow covering the ground, more light each day hints of spring’s arrival. I truly delight in sunshine and clear blue skies, especially on winter days.

In John 8:12, Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world. So if you follow me, you won’t be stumbling through the darkness, for living light will flood your path.” (TLB)

Jesus’ light is a constant. Unlike dark stormy weather clouds that block the sun from shining upon me some days, Jesus’ light is always present. His light, life, love cannot be blocked by any of life’s cloudy circumstances. His love and light will help to lead us through any darkened days, offering us hope to once again expect the good.

Early to bed and early to rise – I am a lark not an owl. Refreshed by a good night’s sleep, I like to tackle projects and the routines of life in the morning. Not needing any coffee to get me started in the morning, the first thing in my day is my quiet time with Father God. It truly is my “hour of power” that grounds and guides and gathers my thoughts and focus for the day ahead. If I should miss that hour, it is very difficult for me to find it later in the day.

John 10:10 says the thief comes to steal and destroy but Jesus came to give life and life abundant. That first hour of the day fellowshipping with Jesus and the Father is life. The battle for me is to guard it from the little foxes – those interruptions that come even early in the morning to steal that precious time. But I have found, especially the older and busier my life gets, that quiet morning time is like a foundation for my day to be built upon. It’s a time to lay down my worries and cares and focus on the promises in God’s Word; a time to redirect my thoughts from my small kingdom to the eternal and vast kingdom of God.

The following “word from God” from 2004 is an encouragement to take that time each day to spend with the Lord – no matter what time of day is your “hour (or minutes) of power”.

Be blessed!

What a privilege to celebrate birthdays! This week my husband and I celebrated a couple of milestone birthdays with close friends, one who turned 85 and one 70. The older I become, the more I appreciate family and long time friends. How I value our times spent together.

May is my birthday month also. One of my favorite gifts is a conversation from my Creator on my birthday. Who else knows me so well and knows what is best for me!

The following is one of my first birthday words. Be Blessed.

God’s instructions and promises are timeless. His truths are a firm foundation that we can safely build our lives upon. Jesus said to hunger and thirst for what is right and we shall be satisfied. That is what the following post is about - a desire to know God better and how that changes our lives! Be blessed.

In the following post, God reveals some of His attributes, who He is. There are many, many more attributes of God, but these are some He pointed out to me one morning. He truly is the good Shepherd who loves us and will never leave us, who is always with us to provide for us, protect us and even comfort us. I’m not sure what directions in life I might have taken had I not known Jesus as my Shepherd most all of my life. Though I haven’t always walked in God’s full wisdom and will for my life, I am so thankful every day that He has never left my side, always remaining true to who He is – the Good Shepherd.

The New Year is often a time when we resolve to start something new - a diet or an exercise program come to mind. Some commit to read through the Bible in a year, start a new devotional or get their finances in order. Following the busy holiday season, I find it refreshing to reflect on the old year – remembering God’s faithfulness through the difficulties and thanking Him for the many blessings- while looking forward to the upcoming year. Even better is when God speaks a word that brings a focus for the coming year, as in the following “words from God”. Though these “words” are from 2004 and 2013, I believe they are still very relevant as we enter 2023. May 2023 be a year of growth and blessing for you.

Happy New Year!

The following paragraphs are an end of the year message from 2013. Nearly ten years later they still. contain wisdom for pursuing life going forward. This past year, 2022, has been another blessed year, filled with changes, challenges and chores, but I believe the best is yet to come! Be blessed.

The following paragraphs speak of the moments of our lives. I am so grateful for the moments alone with my Lord most mornings that help shape how I will respond in the remaining moments of my day. My desire is that I will be a distributor of all that is good to those around me.

Recently one morning, I awoke feeling very tired and not quite ready to face the day. Realizing if I didn’t get up on time, I would miss out on any quiet time and the dog, chickens and lamb would not understand why their breakfast was late. Discipline helped me out of bed to the den, my early morning space. As I just sat, praying and thinking about Jesus, I heard three words,

My journal entry for January 5, 2020

Reading 2 Peter chapter 1 this morning. I always love the first 8 verses about adding to our faith, but verse 19 brought me to tears this morning. The passage starts in verse 16 talking about Jesus’s transfiguration with Peter, James, and John (found in Matthew 17:5, Mark 9:7, and Luke 9:25).

2 Peter 1:16-19 (Phillips)

16-17 We were not following a cleverly written-up story when we told you about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ—we actually saw his majesty with our own eyes. He received honor and glory from God the Father himself when that voice said to him, out of the sublime glory of Heaven, ‘This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’.

18-19 We actually heard that voice speaking from Heaven while we were with him on the sacred mountain. The word of prophecy was fulfilled in our hearing! You should give that word your closest attention, for it shines like a lamp amidst all the dirt and darkness of the world, until the day dawns, and the morning star rises in your hearts.

A few days before Christmas 2021, God instructed me to look up verses on “joy”. As I read through “joy” verses from the Old Testament, many times joy was related to a feast or special day the Israelites were celebrating. Joy, it seemed, was not just a feeling but a noisy celebration. Joy-filled celebrations, for me, have been a rare treat during these past two years of the Covid pandemic with its social distancing and restrictions.

I believe God is saying to reawaken joy, that joy He has given to me (and you). God’s nature, His joy, lives within those who love and believe in Jesus as Savior. Going forward, I desire to focus more on joy-filled praise and thanksgiving to God than on circumstances. God’s Word and its every promise remains true in every season of life. May His Word be the stability of our souls.

I love to hear God speak. He speaks reality with clarity, correction with grace, and direction with hope. Whether in the Bible or His words directly to me, I long for words that inspire life, bring light to my soul, and inspire hope, peace, and love in my heart. This post is short but packed with insight. Be blessed.

As a child I viewed God differently than I do now. I believed He was real, but I hadn’t experienced His love in my heart. I wanted to please Him and serve Him, but I didn’t understand He already loved me and nothing I did, either good or bad, could ever change His love for me. He drew me over the years from a distant acquaintance into a close, loving relationship with Him. His heart for each of us is friendship. This next word, from 1996, was a part of that journey towards friendship with God.

At times during these turbulent times the last few months, I found myself experiencing mild anxiety over nothing in particular but life in general. As I was bringing this to Jesus recently, I heard “words from God 2009”. The following post is from January 2009. It includes a prayer that I have been reading aloud since rediscovering it. The result? A greater sense of peace and joy, as well as opportunities to share Jesus with others.