The Light of Your Presence: Psalm 89:15

Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you,
who walk in the light of your presence, Lord.
Psalm 89:15 (NIV)

Blessed are those who know the Lord, and follow His way. They flourish in His love and find refuge in His strength. The Lord leads them on the path of righteousness and refreshes their soul. They walk in the glorious light of His presence and receive His peace, for God is with them.

Where do you need the light of God’s presence to brighten and illuminate your path?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we are blessed by Your forgiveness, compassion, and love. Strengthen our faith and teach us to turn to you when we are lost, afraid, or feel alone. As the hydrangea blooms lean on a bench glowing in the sunlight, teach us to lean on You and glow, reflecting Your light into the darkness around us. Lead us Lord, and teach us to walk in the light of Your presence. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

To God Be the Glory! Romans 11:36

All things come from him. All things are directed by him. All things are for his praise. May God be given the glory forever! Amen.
Romans 11:36 (NIRV)

Everything comes from him; Everything happens through him;
Everything ends up in him. Always glory! Always praise! Yes. Yes. Yes.
Romans 11:36 (MSG)

Our Heavenly Father is the Alpha, the beginning, the source of everything, and the Omega, our hope of things to come. When we praise God, adore Him, and follow His path for us, we give glory to Him. Everything comes from Him, He is the Sustainer of the universe, He is the source and fountain of all our blessings. We give glory to God when we sing praises to Him, when we obey His Word, and when we spread His love. To God be the glory, forever! Yes! Yes! Amen.

All things come from God, and all things are directed by God. Do you take time to glorify God with praise, thanksgiving, and prayer?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for your extravagant generosity. We are in awe of the beauty and bounty that surround us. Lord, guide us on Your path and open our hearts to your Word. Like the overflowing vibrant, blossoms of the clematis, teach us to be overflowing with love and vibrant in faith. To You, God, we give glory, forever and ever! In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

Lord in Your Heart: 1Peter 3:15

But set Christ apart as Lord in your hearts and always be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks about the hope you possess.
1 Peter 3:15 (NET)

But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)

When we revere Christ as Lord in our hearts, we honor Him and give Him glory. We acknowledge Him as our God, our protector, and our hope. With actions, confidence, and strength, our hope is visible to others. Which causes people to inquire, from where our hope comes? With patience and respect, we explain, our hope comes from the Lord!

In your actions and deeds, are you exhibiting Christ as Lord in your heart?

Prayer: Our heavenly Father, we thank and praise you for the hope you give us. Help us to open our hearts to You, and our actions to show You, Lord, in our hearts. As the open lily blossom shines in the sun and reflects the shadows of its stamens, let our hearts shine with Your love, and our actions shadow and reflect Christ. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

Rely on the Lord: Psalm 27:14

Rely on the LORD! Be strong and confident! Rely on the LORD!
Psalm 27:14 (NET) a psalm of David

Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord. (NIV)
Psalm 27:14 (NIV)

Being patient and waiting are not favorite pastimes of mine. However, in troubling times, it is important to be patient and rely on God. Rely means to depend on with full trust or confidence. Life can seem overwhelming, confusing, and frightening, but we can be confident and depend on God. With faith and patient endurance, we wait on the Lord, and He strengthens our hearts and guides us. Yes, as David did, we also can rely on the Lord and be strong and confident!

When you are concerned and overwhelmed, where do you find your strength? Do you rely on the Lord?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for your blessing and guidance. Help us to grow in faith and learn to rely on You. Teach us to be patient, and strong. Like the flowers of the azalea, rely on You for sunlight, and water, teach us to rely on You and grow in confidence, and strength. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

A special thank you to MRS. T’S CORNER for nominating me for Ten of My Favorite Feelings and HERRY CHIC COUNSELS for nominating me for 10 Things That Make Me Happy. 🌸 Both of the blogs are favorites of mine, and they make me happy. 😊 I will do a few answers for each.

Some of my Favorite feelings are the peace of the Lord, security in God’s love, the happiness of singing praise, the warm friendship of friends and family, and joy of nature around me.🌺🌼🌳

A few things that make me happy are children laughing, puppies, flowers, books (of all kinds), clouds in blue skies, and ice cream! 🍦🐶🌸🌺🌼

Light a Lamp: Psalm 18:28

You light a lamp for me. The LORD, my God, lights up my darkness.
Psalm 18:28 (NLT)

When the world seems dark and dreary, we can look to God for illumination. He will light a lamp for us, to remedy discouragement and darkness around us, and illuminate our path. Christ and the light of His countenance will enlighten us, leading us out of the darkness and into the light. He will transmit His light to us, imparting understanding, love, and peace.

Where do you need Jesus’ to light a lamp and illuminate darkness?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, we thank you for the light you bring into our world. Help us to turn to you when darkness approaches. Shine a light on our discouragement and fear, and revive our spirit. We ask you to light a lamp and enlighten our path. Like the trillium plant flower is illuminated and glows in the sun, illuminate us and let us glow with Christs’ love toward one another. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

God is Our Refuge: Psalm 62:8

Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
Psalm 62:8 (NIV)

My help and glory are in God
    —granite-strength and safe-harbor-God—
So trust him absolutely, people;
    lay your lives on the line for him.
    God is a safe place to be.
Psalm 62:7-8 (MSG)

Trust is defined as; “firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone.” God is truth, His strength is unparalleled, and His people have relied on Him for years. When we pour our hearts out to God, we make known to him in prayer our sorrows, worries, wishes, and troubles. The definition of refuge is; “a condition of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or trouble.” As David advises, God is our refuge a safe place to take shelter during life’s storms. When we put our trust in God and go to Him with our troubles, God keeps us safe and shelters us.

Is God your refuge, do you reach out to Him when you are lost, afraid, worried, or troubled?

Prayer: Dear Lord, we thank You for your grace, Your forgiveness, and Your guidance. Teach us to trust in You, to go to You with our concerns, and to remember in all situations that You are our refuge. As the white cross-shaped bracts (flowers) of the dogwood tree brighten spring days, let us remember your sacrifice on the cross, and brighten the world by spreading Your love. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

I would like to thank Dawn Drawing Closer to Christ and Jacquie JOY COTTAGE for nominating me for the Kennedy Award for Excellence. I highly recommend Dawn’s and Jacquie’s blogs they are inspiring, full of God’s love, and spirit-driven.

A New Heart: Ezekiel 36:26

26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.
Ezekiel 36:26 (NLT)

A stony, stubborn heart one hardened by sin, and selfishness can be changed, renewed by the Lord. With His love, mercy, and grace He can open and soften a heart of stone. The Holy Spirit infuses us with love and leads us from a self-centered life into a God-centered life, and to a new heart that is compassionate, and tender.

Where do you need God to open your heart and to give you a new and more responsive heart?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, open our hearts to Your Word and ways. Thank you, for being tendered hearted to us, teach us to be tenderhearted to others. Take away our stony, stubborn, self-centered hearts and replace them with new hearts that are loving and caring. Like the sunflower blossoms are different but join together into a beautiful display, teach us to join together, displaying love and compassion for each other. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

I thought you would enjoy this video of people from 50 countries affected by COVID-19 singing Amazing Grace.

The Rising Sun: Luke 1:78-79

78 because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven 79 to shine on those living in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.
LUKE 1:78-79 (NIV)

In Luke, Zachariah prophesied about his son John the Baptist and Jesus “The Rising Sun.” In different versions of the Bible, Jesus is called the “Sun of Righteousness,” “Heaven’s Dawn,” and “Dayspring from on High” all terms to describe the light that Jesus brings into the world. God, in His great and tender mercy, gives us Jesus. He is the light shining on those in darkness, a guide to our feet showing us which way to go, and illuminating our path to peace. Jesus leads us to spiritual peace here and eternal peace in Heaven.

When you are surrounded by confusion and unrest where do you go for peace? Jesus, “The Rising Sun,” is waiting for your call.

Prayer: Our tender and merciful Father, we thank you for the gift of light, Your Son, “The Rising Sun,” Jesus. He shines, light into our dark places, and leads us through the shadow of death, guiding our feet on the path of peace. Like the agave, and impatiens flowers highlight and brighten a pathway, teach us to brighten our surroundings by shining Your light, highlighting the path toward peace. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen

* A special thank you to Tangie Wood, Christian Blogger, for nominating me for The Original Outstanding Blogger Award — MRS. T’S CORNER. Please check out her site, her posts are thoughtful, loving, and encouraging.

Overcome Evil: Romans 12:21

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12:21 (NIV)

The bible is full of quotes about loving one another. Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39). When it seems evil is winning, we often become frustrated, angry, and want revenge. May the Lord’s love and mercy give us strength during times of unrest. Lord open our hearts and help us to overcome evil with good. Teach us to work together to strive for the good of all mankind, to spread love, and overcome evil.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
Martin Luther King, Jr.

To overcome evil we need to respond with love. Where can you be a good neighbor and spread love today?

Prayer: Our Heavenly Father, where there is hatred, let us spread love. Help us to love one another and overcome evil with good works. Let your light shine upon us and drive out the darkness. As the bright peony blossoms soften and enhance a concrete path, teach us to soften our hearts and follow your path by sharing Your love. In Jesus’ holy name. Amen.