Take hope in the knowledge that you are cherished by the One who made you—you are sheltered in the shadow of His wing, close to His heart. It is my prayer that as we get to know one another you, too, will see beyond the veil and will learn to say, “Even so, I walk in the Presence of the Lord”
With joy,
Nan
A Prayer When You Need to Be Revived From the Desert Place
Lord, when I am weary, You are my strength. When I am overwhelmed and anxious, You are my peace. You are mighty,
Lord!
You are compassionate and kind, faithful and true. You are my Beloved, and in that I find my heart’s desire.
Sometimes the busyness, the responsibilities, the struggles, and the broken places of life wear us down. We become parched — weary and disillusioned.
When We Run Out, the Miracle Begins
When we run out, the miracle begins …
I heard that phrase in a sermon Sunday morning as I attended church in my pajamas and sipped on some hot coffee.
It was spoken in reference to John 2, the story of the wedding in Cana where Jesus turned water into wine … because the wine had run out.
Jesus was not taken by surprise. This need — this miracle — was meant to reveal the power and glory of Jesus.
A Prayer When You Know He is Lord, But Obedience is Hard
What a mighty God You are! Full of glory, majestic beyond comprehension, tender in Your love. You are awesome, Lord.
Thank You for making a way for us to know You. It still blows my mind that You know my name, You know all that concerns me, and You want to spend time with me.
That’s where the shift occurs, isn’t it?
A Longing to Know Him … Just Because
The longer I walk with the Lord, the more I gain an understanding of Who He is and who I am not. I’m very thankful for this insight –- I see it as a gift from the One I seek.
The Lord exhorts us in Jeremiah 29:13, “You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart.”
Seeking Him with a deep longing of the heart …
A longing to know Him …
A Prayer When Life’s Path Gets Muddy
Lord, great is Your faithfulness! You are high and lifted up, exalted above the earth. You alone are worthy of praise.
May I never praise You only for the good things, but may I always praise You for who You are and because You deserve all praise. May I always have a thankful heart that is not contingent on circumstances, but is always grateful for Your love and abiding presence.
You’re stretching me, growing me and I know many who feel the same. You have created us for such a time as this and it is our desire to serve You well.
But it’s hard.
Quietly Following the Shepherd, One Step At a Time
Blue is getting older. He’s not quite as rambunctious or hard-headed, and rarely needs a leash as we trek up our mountain road.
He stays close to me.
Quite often Blue will pick up a scent and stop to investigate on the edge of our road, nose scrunching rapidly up and down.
I’ll continue to walk on ahead.
Then I’ll stop, turn, pat my leg, and say, “Come, on, Blue. Let’s go.”
A Prayer When the Consequences of Obedience are Hard
Lord, You are beautiful in holiness, magnificent beyond comprehension. If I should go to the highest heaven You are there; or to the depths of hell, You are there also.
You carry me to the mountaintops and comfort me in the valleys deep.
Your love astounds me.
The more and more I desire to make You Lord, the harder it is — sweeter than anything imaginable — but hard.
I Heard Her Song Through the Impending Darkness
There’s a dark cloud on the horizon — the deep charcoal winter-kind-of-dark cloud. A storm is coming with significant snowfall and fierce winds. A gray veil is settling over the mountain valley as the snow clouds roll in, softening the harsh brown of winter.
I sipped my coffee as I watched the sultry winter clouds deepen over the ridge.
To my right, down towards the old apple tree, a burst of sunlight made its way through the clouds and I could hear her song — a meadowlark rejoicing in the warmth of the unexpected light. Her song trilled across the impending darkness — perhaps in spite of the darkness and comforted my restless spirit.
A Prayer When You Need to Take His Hand, Walk, and Trust
Lord, You shine as the noonday sun lighting my darkness. You are the Morning Star, the Waymaker, the Faithful God who tenderly watches over me.
I praise You for these truths, Lord. I praise You for Your goodness, for being my Sure Place to hold onto when the earth trembles beneath me.
Sometimes, I feel like my feet are encased in concrete — heavy-laden, unable to move forward.