For what I am about to receive, may I be truly thankful.

How often do I pray this prayer having already set up the beautiful ending?

The meal is prepared.

The table is set.

I can see the beginning and the end.

All is well.

It’s not really a prayer of thanks to God as much as it is a pat on my back for getting things done right.

What if I woke up each morning and prayed this?

Lord, for what I am about to receive, may I be truly thankful. Knowing that You ordain my steps. Knowing that You have approved every event with this in mind: You are with me and I need to live reflecting that in my life.

May I value the difficulties as well as the ease.

May I recall Your hand of blessing in the midst of trial.

May I remember to praise your name for it is the only name that gives me strength, and purpose, and peace.

May I be truly thankful.

Each day.

For the life I can live for Your glory, Lord.

​Psalm 86:12 “I will give thanks to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And will glorify Your name forever.” (NASB)

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This post was written in response to the word prompt, Value, given by Kate Motaung from Five Minute Friday. Set the timer for five minutes and share your creation with the rest of the lovely writer's community at Five Minute Friday. Check out more posts here.

Remember all that math you never thought you’d EVER use in your adult life? Well, I think there’s one geometrical truth that needs to be considered. When connecting two dots to form a straight line take care that you don’t stray off the trajectory by even one degree. Precision, exactness, carefulness are necessary for the two points to be perfectly joined. Veer to the left or right just a smidge and you will eventually find yourself in another place entirely. The same holds true for our spiritual life.

Here are at least three things to consider in your line-up with God:

1. Of the two points that make up this faithful line, God’s point never moves. James 1:17 says, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”(NASB) If you find that your walk with God isn’t as close as it used to be check to make sure you are still walking close to Him. The only thing that creates separation between us and the Lord is sin. If/when you discover what it is that is keeping you from walking close to the Lord confess it and ask for forgiveness. God is quick to re-align us in His ways.

2. Our connection with the Lord is only through Jesus Christ. The believers in Colossae were encouraged by the Apostle Paul to keep the main thing the main thing – that being Christ. Colossians 1:22-21 “Yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach-- 23 if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.”(NASB)
There will always be people who offer up a “new and improved” Christianity. Be wary of them. God’s ancient words hold true every time. He is perfect. We are not. We need help to Him. He has given us one way, through Christ alone.

3. Every hope we have in living a victorious life now and in the life to come is derived from our unbroken connection in Christ. We are bolstered by these truths found in 2 Peter 1:2-4 “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord; 3 seeing that His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of {the} divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”(NASB) Christ has given us EVERYTHING we need for life and godliness!

We live out this fine line of faith day by day, moment by moment. Some days are good, some we’d rather forget. God knows our failings and our victories. At every point remember His great love for you and don’t hesitate to get back on the right track if need be.
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Our encouragement is to fix our eyes one the One who draws us to Himself and leads us to our final destination, one step at a time. 

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This post was brought to you by the musings prompted by the word of the week from Five Minute Friday. Set the timer for five minutes, free write on the word prompt and let the the whole world see what happens! For more great posts on the word, "One," go to Five Minute Friday.

Psalm 68:19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, The God who is our salvation. Selah.
Galatians 6:2 Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.

You can’t get through a day without being touched by a weighty topic. Life seems to have gotten more serious, more intense. We load up with troubles as easily as we collect burrs from a walk in the woods. Cares and worrries cling to the inside of our sleeping eyelids denying us of true rest.

How will these problems be solved?

Who is able to help?

When will relief come?

Jesus promised us many wonderful things, but there is one promise that bolsters our faith in the midst of fallen reality. In this world we will have troubles, but take heart, Jesus has overcome the world. And like His true counter-intuitive way, Jesus does this for us as He undergirds us with His strength, wisdom, and love.

He carries us through this world, not away from it.

Why? Because this world, or rather the people in it, need to see and understand that the hope we have in Jesus is also available to them through Christ.

The two verses above remind me of when my children were young and their desire to help with big things. We’d be unloading the car after a major shopping trip and one of our kiddos would pick a bag too heavy for their small frame, but they were determined to help. My husband and I would watch and cheer them on as long as we could, waiting for the moment when reality prompted one of our sons or daughter to admit their need for help.

My hubby would pick up both child and grocery bag and carry them into the house. Somehow the child still felt important because they were holding on to the load even as they were being upheld by their dad.

The Body of Christ is to represent the “hands and feet of Jesus” in this world as we minister His Grace to those in need.

We can bear one another’s burdens.
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Why? Because we are being held in the everlasting arms of our Heavenly Father. 

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This post is brought to you by the voices in my head and a prompt from Five Minute Friday, a writer's community who are spurred on in their gift for words by setting a timer for 5 minutes and madly attacking the keyboard in response to a one word prompt. Check it out!

My 31 Free Writes for October play out like a serial love story in an old time magazine. It’s the saga of a young woman and how God leads her to the love of her life. Each day offers new developments in a romance only the Lord could write.

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How could I have known 36 years ago that by enrolling in a secular psychology course I would find the love of my life? But that was only the beginning of what God desired to show me about His grand love for me and His constant call for me to draw closer to Him.

David and I formed a close bond in a short amount of time mainly because we were both ready to invest in mining the treasure in each other, as long as it would take. Conversation flowed freely from the very first. Honest approaches to ideas and questions built our relationship that had its foundation on Jesus Christ. Common interests and goals drew us together in spite of any differences we may have had. 

But there was always a nagging thought in the back of my mind. I felt like I wasn’t being honest with him. I had a secret that if he knew what I was really like, he’d dump me in a heartbeat.

It happened in the summer of my sixth grade when I participated in a summer school symposium for a youth orchestra. One year of violin lessons gave me a seat in this opportunity to experience what the Junior High orchestra would be like. Anxiously I entered the unfamiliar building, lost as to my next turn.

I met a helpful woman near the school offices who gave me directions to the meeting hall and then saw that the conductor had just walked in. She asked him if he could help me find the correct room. His response seared into my soul. “Sure, I can help this young man to get where he needs to go.” I stood still, not believing that he was referring to me.

The secretary quickly interjected, “Yes, Mr. Young. This young lady would appreciate any help you can give. Thank you.”

The old gentleman absently responded, ”Yes, I’ll be glad to help him get to the right place.” Mortified, I silently followed him to the room where I would spend my last days playing violin.

I had been a tomboy through elementary school, though I still liked to dress up for church and special occasions. Puberty disrupted my sense of "normal" with all its awkwardness and angst.

I had strawberry blonde hair in a pixie cut with blonde eyebrows and eyelashes which made my natural appearance non-specific. I sort of understood the old guy’s confusion, but his twice-made mistake reinforced in me the necessity to start dabbling in the cosmetic arts so this wouldn’t happen again. I was a girl and I liked it that way.

Once I used mascara, I never went back. The simple application of it dramatically changed my appearance, and I would not be without it again. I was more confident. I felt happier about how I looked. Going from nondescript to noticed was nice.

As I grew closer to David I wondered what he would think of me, sans the mascara. I could do without the other stuff, but my secret power was in that little tube of black goo.

What would David think of me?

Would he see me as a liar for hiding behind this cosmetic mask?

Could he say he loved me if I wasn’t attractive?

Of all the questions and requirements I had on my “Potential Hubby Must-haves List,” these shadowed my hopes. True to form, David answered my fear with love unconditional. Sure, mascara brought out my eyes, but he thought I was beautiful regardless. Thankfully, he has never changed his answer over the years.

In our couple’s retreats we have tried to help husbands and wives understand that God’s design for marriage from the beginning was to “share a love in the manner that God designed, and the resulting oneness from that love, is to experience an openness and unity that equals none other. Genesis 2:25 “And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.”  In that first moment, and the days to follow, there is no shame (or should be none) for all has been left open and bear before the one you love. No fears, no secrets, no apprehensions.” [Allowing God to Write Your Love Story couple’s retreat, Pastor David and Vicki Johnson]

My prayer for you, dear reader, is that you would know this unashamed, totally devoted love from our Creator God, first and foremost. If you are married, may you allow the Lord to lead you both to a place of trust with each other. If you are single, I pray that you would set your heart on the immeasurable love God has for you and find your delight in Him.
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Zephaniah 3:17 "The LORD your God is in your midst, A victorious warrior. He will exult over you with joy, He will be quiet in His love, He will rejoice over you with shouts of joy.

My 31 Free Writes for October play out like a serial love story in an old time magazine. It’s the saga of a young woman and how God leads her to the love of her life. Each day offers new developments in a romance only the Lord could write.

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As a girl growing up I had dreamed of creating unforgettable characters like the ones I’d watched on the Carol Burnett Show. I tried out for every school play that came along. The love for acting shadowed me all my life.

I met and married my husband and we talked about the call to ministry, raising children, and the possibility of incorporating my love of acting into the mix. 

Twelve years and five kids later, my desire for acting was upstaged as my role as wife and mother assumed the lead.  Discontentment eased into my heart as I watched my husband thrive in his call as Pastor. All the while I withered inside as I tried to fulfill my call as helpmeet and chief nose-wiper. I hated the resentment that was growing in me.  I hated the constraints I felt were holding me back from realizing my “full potential.” Passion seeks its own satisfaction, whatever the cost.

God and I had some intense conversations, aka monologues, where I demanded that my voice be heard. I also begged Him to take away my desire to act but secretly prayed that He wouldn’t. The struggle within me got pretty ugly.

I believe the Lord showed me in a dream what I really was asking for. In it I saw my husband with our children walking the streets of our town, trying to track me down. I had left them to pursue my “dream.” David got a lead as to where he would find me and it brought him to a grungy sweat shop where I slavishly labored at a sewing machine.  I glanced up and saw the desperate love on his face as he waited for me to come to him.  Then I awoke. The meaning of that dream hit me like a ton of bricks. Was I willing to forfeit my godly calling as wife and mother for bondage to a passion?

Surrender to the Lord often comes in bits and pieces. Over a number of years the conflict in me slowly died, along with the hunger to act. My desire to be faithful to David and the kids strengthened, outweighing my need to be in the limelight. My passion now was to be content in God, seeking His will, whatever the circumstances may bring.

Whew! Lesson learned.

Then one autumn day, my pastor hubby handed me a script with five character monologues, 8-10 minutes each, for the five weeks of  Advent. “I’d like to preach sermons based on these characters,” he said. “Would you be willing to help me out? I know you’d do a great job.”

Wha-a-t?! Is this a test, God? I thought we closed this chapter in my life. How do I answer him? The blessed contentment I had been enjoying until that point began to fade. To be honest, I sort of resented having this carrot dangling in front of me.

An intense evaluation began in my mind. Do I:

A.Smile sweetly and respond with a quick, but decisive, “No, thanks. Not interested.”?

B.Sit down with my hubby and give a lengthy explanation why this would be going against God’s will?

C.Thoughtfully take the script in hand and say, “I’ll pray about it,” with no intent of doing any such thing?

D.Say “Give me a minute,” run into my prayer closet and have a heart to heart with God?

As I sought the Lord for clarity in this unexpected scenario the verse from 1 Timothy 6:6 came to mind - “But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.” God’s primary concern for me is not my happiness. Granting me my deepest desire would not have been for my good. I had to come to the point of finding satisfaction in pursuing Him rather than my own pursuits.

True contentment is in knowing that God’s greatest delight is making me godly, conforming me to the image of His beloved Son, Jesus.

I gladly accepted my husband’s offer with an open heart of gratitude.

And then I realized that God delights in giving good gifts, in His time.

In due season.
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As we have been prepared to receive them.

My 31 Free Writes for October play out like a serial love story in an old time magazine. It’s the saga of a young woman and how God leads her to the love of her life. Each day offers new developments in a romance only the Lord could write.

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Come around our home in August and you may hear the strains of Christmas music playing in our home. We love Christmas and all that goes with it. Many wonderful family memories weave through this festive time of year. Our first Christmas together was filled with numerous celebrations with my family and several church families. Shortly after that we moved to St. Louis, MO.

The New Year presented us with many challenges financially. We lived with another couple for a time until we purchased a 14 x 50 mobile home with the help of a down payment from my parents. I found a full time job while David began seminary training. Looking back I can confidently say we were poor. But when you’re in it, it doesn’t seem so bad. We simply had a tight budget. I made approximately $650.00 a month. We learned to live with it and to be content with the limits. Limited money makes life simple.

Routine created a sense of comfort and home. Thank goodness for youthful idealism. Mid-summer I found that I was expecting our first child. We shifted our focus and made plans for me to quit my job so I could be a stay at home mom. There was a steady rhythm to life. Until…..

I wasn’t sure what I was looking at when I checked our mail one late autumn day. A friendly letter from the bank? No. Wait…. IMPOSSIBLE! How could we be overdrawn?! And the kicker was that it was our tithe check that bounced. ARGH! I frantically pulled out our checkbook, slowly going over our recent payments and checking them with a calculator. My stomach lurched when I found the $100.00 mistake. This was HUGE. It was my fault. There was nothing to be done about it but to contact our church and explain the mistake and make arrangements to make it up. In the meantime, we had to be creative with our money. Looking for loose change was serious work now.

I berated myself every time I had to change my usual course of action as a result of my stupidity. David was much more gracious and kept reminding me that he had forgiven me and wasn’t angry with me. I needed to let it go. We would recover from this. I was so grateful for his attitude, but with Christmas coming soon, I knew that my mistake had cost us our usual celebration. Another reason to beat myself up.

We played Christmas music with the cassette tapes and albums we already had. One string of lights was hung up on the wall because we had no money for a Christmas tree. The five “Our First Christmas” ornaments we got as wedding gifts dangled from the curtain rod in the living room. My beloved was satisfied with the results, but I sulked even more.

A few days before Christmas we were grocery shopping and saw a sign at a tree lot for $5.00 Christmas Trees. We counted up our change and decided to check out the possibility. Yep. They looked like $5.00 Charlie Brown Christmas trees, alright. Pathetic. But it was a tree that would fill an empty spot in our trailer.

When we got it set up it looked even more pathetic because you could see right through the branches to the end of the house. Our one string of lights and five ornaments with a topper of Garfield the cat on skies didn’t quite do it for me. Poor David, my eternal optimist did his best to brighten my somber mood. I hated the fact that I was so bothered by the situation. That’s not what Christmas is about and I knew it.

After the Christmas Eve service we came home and sat in front of the tree, its lights the only illumination in the room. We cuddled on the sofa and talked about the changes of the past year and the changes to come. We apologized to each other for not being able to exchange gifts this year. We read the Christmas story from Luke 2 and went to bed.

Morning came and I, as usual, was second to get out of bed. I’d like to think it was because I was pregnant, but that wouldn’t be the truth. David had been stirring around, making coffee and getting stuff for breakfast ready when I came out to greet him with a hug and a “Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas!” he said. Why don’t you go and sit on the sofa while I get breakfast ready. Music is playing and you can enjoy the tree.”

“Thanks, sweetheart. I’ll do that.” Enjoy the tree….ha! I sat down with my coffee and looked at everything BUT the tree this Christmas morning. No gifts to give. Dumb ole’ tree sporting Garfield on top. Brother!

David sat down next to me, grinning that infernal grin. “Well? What do you think?"

“What do I think about what?”

“The tree? Didn’t you look at it?” He got up and pointed to something dangling on a fragile branch. I got up to get a closer look and realized that it was a picture of us sitting in a restaurant holding hands. And there were more. David had decorated our tree with our favorite photos of the two of us.

Sidling up behind me David whispered in my ear, “This is my gift. I am so grateful for you and I don’t want you keep coming down on yourself. You are my gift and I just wanted you to know how much I love you.”

“I love you, too!”

What do you do when Grace walks through the door and gives you a hug? If you’re smart, you hold tight and don’t let go.
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Eccl 4:9-10 Two are better than one because they have a good return for their labor. 10 For if either of them falls, the one will lift up his companion. But woe to the one who falls when there is not another to lift him up.

My 31 Free Writes for October play out like a serial love story in an old time magazine. It’s the saga of a young woman and how God leads her to the love of her life. Each day offers new developments in a romance only the Lord could write.

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Ah, the things you do for love.

People have climbed mountains for love.

Some have built magnificent palaces for their beloved.

Others have traveled for thousands of miles on their honeymoon so they can sing a song in a Bible School chapel service.

Starry eyed and enraptured by my beloved’s companionship, I agreed to a honeymoon road trip that would take us from suburban Chicago to Seattle and back in two weeks. That over 4,000 miles of uninterrupted company. We had lots of time to talk and see a vast portion of the northwestern states. And practice our song. The one we were scheduled to sing at his former Bible School in Seattle.

David came up with this idea of visiting some of his favorite places on the West Coast, maybe even singing at his alma mater’s chapel service. I was game for it. Anything to be close to my love. (I know, mushy-gushy….)

One of our common interests is music and singing. I’ve kidded with David that he can sing any other part but he has to leave the melody for me. He’d bounce between bass and baritone with a visit to the alto part just for fun. Mr. Trombone was used to harmony. I was trained as a soprano – strictly melody. This worked out perfectly for us.

We sang about God’s cattle on a thousand hills as we drove through South Dakota’s plains. Willie Nelson’s tune, On the Road Again, was the theme after each rest stop. Home on the Range and a ditty about tumbling tumbleweeds were crooned while crossing Wyoming and Montana. But we always would fit in a practice of the beautiful and relatively new song, There is a Redeemer, by one of our favorite Christian artists, Keith Green. Keith had passed away, along with two of his children and 9 other people in a terrible small plane crash that summer. I still miss him.

It’s true that a song can be enjoyed simply using the melody line, but it will get boring after a while. Why would the whole music department pump out just the melody and not use the entire gamut of harmonious variations possible with all instruments participating?

One vow we made to each other was to work together for unity in our marriage.  I’ll honestly say that it took a few years for me to understand that unity didn’t mean unison where both people sang the same note.

The beauty of a godly marriage is that God allows for a duet of differing parts to be rendered for the same song. We began to see how harmony augments melody.
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Our Johnson Opus #1 is still being written and refined. Swelling with dramatic overtones. Shushing to tender pianissimo undertones. Two parts agreeing in harmony with the Grand Designer of love and marriage to bring out the best in each other to the glory of God.
 
Ephesians 4:3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.