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
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.
Finding God’s Presence ~ When Discouragement Fights the Wind
Just took a brisk walk with Blue up to the meadow and back. It’s bitter cold outside today. Wind howling. Millions of tiny snowflakes swirling.
Discouragement tried to take over my thoughts the past few days. It showed in my hunched-over shoulders as I pressed into the wind.
A loved one is very sick. Finances, in the natural, will never be able to stretch enough to cover Christmas, a Christmas wedding, and medical expenses. (Even though I know that I know God has never failed us, sometimes the flesh kicks in with worry.)
And my daughter’s healing from knee surgery seems to be going backwards for some reason …
A Prayer When Seeking Restoration for the Years the Locusts Have Eaten
"So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten ..." ~ Joel 2:25 Lord, what a mighty God You are! You are the God of Angel Armies, our Lord triumphant. Nothing is too hard for You -- absolutely nothing. What the enemy means for evil, You will...
Finding God’s Presence ~ A Thankful Heart Leads the Way When We Need Him Most
I’m learning a lot about thanksgiving — maintaining a thankful heart in spite of very difficult circumstances, understanding the importance of a thankful heart, recognizing how a thankful heart is a gift and tool from the Lord to lift us above the difficult places.
This type of thanksgiving runs deep through our veins bringing life to our weary bones.
It swaddles me at night when I close my eyes for much needed sleep and say, “Thank You, Lord. It is well with my soul.”
And mean it.