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 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.
Thus Far He Has Helped Us
It was a long hike. I had veered off the gravel road that ribboned across the mountain valley and chose a trail created by the multitude of deer that grazed this land.
My breathing was a bit labored as I hoisted myself onto the rocky ledge overlooking the river below. I bent over with hands on my knees to catch my breath, only to lose it again once I raised up and took in the glorious sight below.
Sunshine glimmered across the river in the alcoves where the flow was serene. Ferns blanketed the banks in the shadows of hemlocks, pine, and oak. Hills rose and fell, sculpting the land all the way to the summit on which we stood.
A Prayer When You Want to Rejoice, But …
Lord, what a Mighty God You are! You are faithful and true, merciful and kind. You work miracles in our midst, even when we aren’t aware of it.
You, Lord, are worthy of praise.
Remind us of this, Lord.
Remind us that, even when life is hard, we can — and should — rejoice in You. Always.
A Christmas Prayer ~ Jesus, I Want to be Your Bethlehem
Oh this, His birthday, may our hearts become His Bethlehem. "So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to...
A Prayer for the Quest of Solitude
Lord, You are the Song in my night, the light in my darkness. You are the hope in my brokenness and my quiet in the chaos.
Teach me to seek after the quiet — to understand the treasures of solitude.
Solitude feels elusive, Lord, unattainable in this busy, noisy season of Christmas.
A Prayer to Help You Find Jesus in the Crazy of Christmas
Lord, in Your infinite mercy You draw us to Yourself — You pursue us with Your love. Bless You, Lord! Thank You for Your faithfulness and Your mercies that are new every morning.
You are a great God.
We desire to know You more.
We desire to experience the fullness of who You are.
But it’s so crazy busy right now for everyone! We desire to be with You, but the demands are louder. The very One whose birth we celebrate becomes second place, pushed to a shelf or to the bottom of the to-do list.