The gentle rocking of our porch swing took me back to my childhood as I closed my eyes and reminisced. I was a little girl, held in granddaddy’s arms, swaying back and forth on his porch glider. I felt loved. Secure. Taken care of.
Life was simple then — not a care in the world. Do you remember, too? Like a soft quilt, I snuggled in my precious memories and rested. A stiff breeze escorted voluminous clouds over the mountain ridge.
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I love You, Lord, because You heard my cry. You bent low to listen to my heart and quickly worked to comfort and reassure me. You always hear me because You love me — this I know, and this I cherish.
Life is hard at times, but in the difficult places is where I find You. You become my exceedingly great reward. You replace my despair with hope and my sorrow with joy … Your watchcare amazes me and fills me with gratitude.
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The early morning sunlight felt gentle and warm against my troubled spirit. I sat on the porch sipping my coffee, Bible in my lap; the silence offered a wonderful reprieve from worry. I had become a weary traveler on this walk of faith. Where was God? He promised to carry me when I had no strength.
But here in the blush of a new day, I sensed God’s presence drawing near.
Lord, You are my strength and my shield. My heart trusts in You. My soul finds rest in You, even when silence is Your response to me.
I still trust You.
But it’s hard.
I know I can trust Your heart that is for me and not against me. I know I can trust You to work everything together for my good. This I know, but Your voice is a calm reassurance to me.
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Bless her heart. She was a haggard little thing. Tan and crimson feathers were askew, falling out, barely hanging on. Molting? Maybe. I’m not sure. What I am sure of is how she spoke to me this morning.
A birdfeeder sits right by my window beside the couch where I enjoy my quiet time in the mornings. From this vantage point, I can watch the world awaken with its dawning light, its mist lifting over the creek, its air filled with birdsong.
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Lord, in the stillness, in the quiet, I hear Your delicate whispers. I sense Your presence as deep calls to deep — the depth of my pain calls out to the depth of Your love, and I am helped.
Often, I don’t need words because I don’t have words. Tears become my prayer. You search my heart and know my anxious thoughts. You wrap me in Your grace and quiet me with Your love.
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Curled up on the couch, I watched the sun rise over the ridge. Fresh, cool air streamed in through the open window, awakening my senses, drawing my attention to the One who loves me. I cradled my coffee cup and sipped from its warm goodness. I craved peace, a soft quiet of spirit. Stirring deep in my heart came a song, “Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, help me stand. I am tired, I am weak, I am worn … “
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Lord, You are El Shaddai, the All-Sufficient God. In You, there is no lack. Your sufficiency meets my insufficiency, and I am complete — lacking nothing. But on the hard days, I tend to forget this. Teach me to walk in the sufficiency of Your grace at all times. Please restore my weary soul.
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The day began with a dismal gray shroud of fog, not only in the morning sky, but in my heart. I had grown weary, heavy-laden, with tears poised to escape my tired eyes at any moment.
Sitting in my quiet place beside the window, I sipped my coffee. I found myself speaking the Name of Jesus over and over again in a soft whisper — not from a place of agony, but from a place of longing.
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Lord, You shine forth Your light, and the darkness cannot overcome it. Your mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Your righteousness is like the majestic mountains and Your judgments are a great deep — my soul finds shelter in You.
How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God! Therefore I place my trust under the shadow of Your wings. Your steadfast, covenant love sustains me. You preserve me, Lord … You are the Keeper of my soul.
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Shadows laced together like interlocking fingers, carpeting the trail beneath my feet. Blue chicory mingled with fuchsia-painted sweet pea among the boulders, heralding my hike. A cool breeze rubbed against my neck stiff with tension, while God whispered for me to look up to the sky wrought with glory.
But I didn’t want to.
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Lord, You are able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that I ask or think, according to the power of Your Spirit within me. Over and over again, I have experienced Your faithfulness and Your goodness to me. When I let go and choose to trust You, You always lead me through.
Especially when I’m overwhelmed or can’t see a way out … especially when I die to self-reliance and trust You alone, when I step out of the way, fully let go of control, and put my trust in You, You make a way. You make the crooked places straight.
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