Take a good look at God’s wonders—
    they’ll take your breath away.
He converted sea to dry land;
    travelers crossed the river on foot.
    Now isn’t that cause for a song?Psalm 66: 5-6 (The Message)Lord, my heart does sing this week.My music speaks of thankfulness for a wonderful vacation.My memory overflows with pictures of the beauty of Your creative artistry found in our national parks.The words of this week’s psalm roll from my spirit upward in wonder and gratitude.Southern Utah is dry land, Lord, once covered by deep seas and creatures that no longer roam.We could see each era in the colorful strata of rocky layers.You must love rocks, Lord. You seemed to play with them, juggled them with glee as You stacked them on top of each other in patterns that defy any human reasoning.My mind visualized You bowling the boulders into deep canyons filled with divinely made bowling pins.I can see You sculpting clay into innovative shapes that humans will later think they see shapes of … [Read more...]

When one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table.A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears.Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.Luke 7: 36-38 NIVShe came there with an alabaster jar of perfume.She came as she was - sinful, broken, and weeping.She fell at your feet.She brought you her most precious possession.All that she had - an alabaster jar, filled with perfume.Broken from past sin, spilling all her future before you - she gave her all. Everything.The air brimmed with the fragrance of forgiveness.The spirit embraced her as a child of God, loved and accepted.Healed, restored, she found the light of hope in you. She found new transformed life. Lord, I come to you on bended knee.I sit … [Read more...]

Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand.You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you. But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.Psalm 73:23-28 (New Living Translation)I still belong to you –Though I neglect youI still belong to you –Though I forget youI still belong to you –Though I try to fill my life with worldly thingsI still belong to youThough my heart wandersI still belong to youThank you for being the God who clings to me no matter how I behaveLoves me no matter how I actForgives me no matter how I strayThank you Lord for never giving up on me and help me always remember thatI still belong to … [Read more...]

Jesus shared all these sayings with the crowd that day on the plain. When He was finished, He went into the town of Capernaum.There, a Centurion had a slave he loved dearly. The slave was sick—about to die— so when the Centurion heard about Jesus, he contacted some Jewish elders. He sent them to ask Jesus to come and heal his dear slave. With great emotion and respect, the elders presented their request to Jesus.Jewish Elders: This man is worthy of Your help. It’s true that he’s a Centurion, but he loves our nation. In fact, he paid for our synagogue to be built.So Jesus accompanied them. When they approached the Centurion’s home, the Centurion sent out some friends to bring a message to Jesus.Message of the Centurion: Lord, don’t go to the trouble of coming inside. I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. That’s why I sent others with my request.Just say the word, and that will be enough to heal my servant.I understand how authority works, being under authority myself and … [Read more...]

 I have so much more to say, but you cannot absorb it right now.  The Spirit of truth will come and guide you in all truth. He will not speak His own words to you; He will speak what He hears, revealing to you the things to come and bringing glory to Me. The Spirit has unlimited access to Me, to all that I possess and know, just as everything the Father has is Mine. That is the reason I am confident He will care for My own and reveal the path to you.John 16:12-15The Voice (VOICE)My head knows you love me, Lord. I struggle fully believing that in my heart.My mind barely grasps what all you have given me and how you cherish me as your child.But these verses also tell me the Spirit will care for me.Care for me?The Spirit loves me too?I never thought of that before, Lord.I study the idea of the Trinity - you being three in One.Love knows no boundaries within you, yet the idea of the Spirit expressing compassion for me lingers with me today.Your love is amazing.Add to that Jesus’ sacrifice … [Read more...]

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, "Abba! Father!"it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God,and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ--if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.Romans 8:14-17Just when I doubt,At the time I feel abandoned, unloved,Whenever I wonder if anyone really cares,My Abba, my Papa, wraps His arms around me and cradles my heart.Lord, I am not my job.I am not defined by my roles.Where I live, what I look like and how much I make, means little.My Abba, my Papa created me as His child.Lord, Your fingerprints are all over my soul.Your mighty spirit ignites with my minuscule core, lighting the fire of life.My breath, in slowly, out gradually, mirrors the steady rhythm of the beating of Your heart.You are the One; we are … [Read more...]

 Jesus prayed:  “I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.Father, I desire that those also, whom you have given me, may be with me where I am, to see my glory, which you have given me because you loved me before the foundation of the world.“Righteous Father, the world does not know you, but I know you; and these know that you have sent me. I made your name known to them, and I will make it known, so that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”John 17: 20-26Jesus PrayedLord I didn’t make it much past … [Read more...]

I have spoken these words while I am here with you. The Father is sending a great Helper, the Holy Spirit, in My name to teach you everything and to remind you of all I have said to you. My peace is the legacy I leave to you. I don’t give gifts like those of this world. Do not let your heart be troubled or fearful. You were listening when I said, “I will go away, but I will also return to be with you.” If you love Me, celebrate the fact that I am going to be with the Father because He is far greater than I am. I have told you all these things in advance so that your faith will grow as these things come to pass.John 14: 25-29 (The Voice)I have told you all these things in advance so that your faith will growI thought I would dutifully pray about Your great Helper, the Holy Spirit.I should write inspirational words of You always being with us.My ego properly makes notes of Your love and legacy of peace.But other words leap into my heart today, Lord.Jesus said, “Your faith will … [Read more...]