Gratitude List

I've been doing the gratitude alarm for a few weeks now, and it truly is becoming a habit and keeping me reminded of God's presence in my life.  It's been amazing.  So I thought about a making a basic list as a starting point for anyone wanting to try this method.  Of course, you could do your own, and yours will more than likely be different than my basic list.  That's God for you though!  Each of us is an individual, fearfully and wonderfully made!

1. I have a great family.
2. I have a kindhearted husband.
3. I have an caring church.
4. I have freedom to worship.
5. I am provided for.

Creature comforts, emotional support, spiritual encouragement and teaching, all wonderful provisions of our Lord.

1. God is my Savior.  Isaiah 43:11  I, yes I, am the Lord, and there is no other Savior.
2. God is my Daddy.  Galatians 4:6  And because we are his children, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, prompting us to call out, “Abba, Father.”
3. God is my shelter.  Psalm 73:28  But as for me, how good it is to be near God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.
4. God is my Redeemer.  Psalm 78:35  Then they remembered that God was their rock, that God Most High was their redeemer.
5. God is my Friend.  John 15:15  I no longer call you slaves, because a master doesn’t confide in his slaves. Now you are my friends, since I have told you everything the Father told me.

God has done great things for us!  He has redeemed us, made us His own, and keeps us safe.

1. God is merciful.  Psalm 103:8  The Lord is compassionate and merciful, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love.
2. God's love is unfailing.  Exodus 20:6  But I lavish unfailing love for a thousand generations on those who love me and obey my commands.
3. God is kind.  Psalm 145:17  The Lord is righteous in everything he does; he is filled with kindness.
4. God is righteous.  Psalm 36:6  Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O Lord.
5. God is forgiving.   Psalm 65:3  Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all.

God's heart is perfect and we are blessed by it.  Fully loved, graciously forgiven,

1. I am seated with Christ in the heavenly places.  Ephesians 2:6  For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.
2. I can do all things through Christ.  Philippians 4:13  For I can do everything through Christ,[a] who gives me strength.
3. I have been made righteous.  Romans 5:17  For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.
4. I have been chosen.  1 Thessalonians 1:4  We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people.
5. I am loved.  1 John 4:10-12  This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins. Dear friends, since God loved us that much, we surely ought to love each other. No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and his love is brought to full expression in us.

Seated, strengthened, righteous,chosen and loved....Do we really need anything else?  Our God has blessed us beyond measure, beyond our imagination, beyond our understanding.  Every spiritual blessing is ours, even if our physical world falls short.  Thank You Father!!  Thank You our Lord and Savior!  

All these things and more I am thankful for Lord.  Continue to change my heart from one of complaining and faultfinding to one of praise and gratitude.  You have begun a good work in Your children, and I look forward to the completion of that work in us.  Thank You!!  In Jesus' beautiful, giving Name.  Amen.  

Start your own list.  

What Do You See?

Summertime.  Queens Anne's Lace, and those bluish purple flowers grow wildly along the roadsides.  Honeysuckles perfumes the air along the wooded area by my house, and dandelions dot lawns and medians.  Most people see weeds.  Invasive, unwanted weeds.  But I see beauty. I see color and joy in these hardy, grow anywhere plants.  They make me smile.

As I saw the Queen Anne's Lace all along the parkway today, I got to thinking about how we see things compared to how the Lord sees things.  While we look and we see weeds, He looks and sees flowers.  And I think that may be the same with us.  While we see faults and failures, He sees beauty and building blocks.  He sees our problems as opportunities and our failures as stepping stones.  He sees our weaknesses as a way to keep us connected to Him, reminders that we cannot do it alone.  Paul was told by God that his weaknesses were to be for God's glory, that they would show the power of Christ's work in his life. 

2 Corinthians 12: 5-10  That experience is worth boasting about, but I’m not going to do it. I will boast only about my weaknesses. 6 If I wanted to boast, I would be no fool in doing so, because I would be telling the truth. But I won’t do it, because I don’t want anyone to give me credit beyond what they can see in my life or hear in my message, 7 even though I have received such wonderful revelations from God. So to keep me from becoming proud, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger from Satan to torment me and keep me from becoming proud.  8 Three different times I begged the Lord to take it away. 9 Each time he said, “My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness.” So now I am glad to boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ can work through me. 10 That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

The ugliest event in history brought about the most wonderful of deliverances.  The Cross.  Horrible.  Brutal.  Bloody.  But oh the victory that came from that day!  What the world saw when Jesus was crucified was not what the Father saw.  The world saw death, but He saw life eternal!

There are quite a few character traits I would love to eliminate instantly from myself.  But then where would God be in that equation?  If I could immediately transform, then I would not need to rely on Him and I would appear as a "self-made" man, independent....Pride would quickly creep in, others would see me instead of Jesus.  It seems to me that in God's economy relying on Him is better than being perfect.  Weeds are better than the most perfectly groomed garden. 

The same can be said of our circumstances.  We may be facing great difficulties, darkness on every side, but God sees the beauty that comes from our hand in His leading us on to victory and deliverance. 

God is teaching me to see the beauty in the weeds, because that is where He is working the most.

Thank You Lord for another lesson in seeing through Your eyes and into Your heart.  You never cease to amaze.   There is beauty in the failure, sweetness in the difficulty because You are there.  Lord, help us to see more!  In Jesus' wonderful Name.  Amen.

Is there something in your life or self that needs different viewpoint? 

New Song!

This song came on after I posted Matthew West's Broken Things with the previous post.  I am so glad I took some time to listen to it.  What a great song! I had such a great time singing along and praising the Lord, I just had to share it.  LOL  Enjoy!

God is Never Done

For whatever reason last night as I was getting ready for bed, I had one of those regret filled moments...the fact that I've made so many serious mistakes during the course of my life started me down the road of "God could never use me, and I'll never be any good for the kingdom."  Ugh.

Thankfully, this only lasted a few seconds.  That's growth!  That's progress!  That's Jesus!  Regret has been a weak spot in my mind for a very long time.  But this time around it was different.  As soon as those thoughts popped in my head, the Word stepped up to meet them and toss them out!

My first thought went to the woman in Mark 5:24-34.  She had been sick for many, many years and thought if she only touched Jesus' garment she would be healed.  She did and she was.  Years of illness passed away to give birth to a new life of peace and wholeness.  Then onto the demon possessed man of Mark 5:1-20.  Years of bondage, years of pain and living with the dead....and then freedom and purpose found in Jesus.

Peter, denier of Jesus, repented and restored to service.  David, adulterer, murderer....God's greatest king, a "man after His own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14).  Matthew and Zacchaeus, corrupt, hated tax collectors... turned their lives around to follow Jesus, Matthew even writing one of the Gospels!  God uses the broken!  Our heavenly Father specializes in what the world would see as hopeless and useless makes them beautiful and fruitful.  What an awesome God we serve.  We are never too far gone or to lost for Him to not find us.  We are never beyond His reach or His healing.

Ephesians 1:4  Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.  Before the world began God knew us, knew all about us and chose us to be called His own.  Awesome!

Lord, thank You.  I know we all need to be reminded of these truths sometimes.  I am grateful that You have chosen me to let people know that.  And I am grateful that You have done it for me as well!  Thank You for the growth I saw last night.  Please bring healing and hope to the hearts that read this message today...You are never done with us!  We are never beyond Your love.  Oh, what a wonderful thought.  Whatever are problems are, whatever their source, wherever our choices have led us...You are there, we are still in Your hands and You bring beauty from ashes.  Help us all to believe this and hold onto to it.  What an awesome God we serve!

Psalm 139

1 O Lord, you have examined my heart

    and know everything about me.

2 You know when I sit down or stand up.

    You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

3 You see me when I travel

    and when I rest at home.

    You know everything I do.

4 You know what I am going to say

    even before I say it, Lord.

5 You go before me and follow me.

    You place your hand of blessing on my head.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

    too great for me to understand!

7 I can never escape from your Spirit!

    I can never get away from your presence!

8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;

    if I go down to the grave,[a] you are there.

9 If I ride the wings of the morning,

    if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

10 even there your hand will guide me,

    and your strength will support me.

11 I could ask the darkness to hide me

    and the light around me to become night—

12     but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.

To you the night shines as bright as day.

    Darkness and light are the same to you.

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,

    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

16 You saw me before I was born.

    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out

    before a single day had passed.

17 How precious are your thoughts about me,[b] O God.

    They cannot be numbered!

18 I can’t even count them;

    they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake up,

    you are still with me!

19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!

    Get out of my life, you murderers!

20 They blaspheme you;

    your enemies misuse your name.

21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you?

    Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?

22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred,

    for your enemies are my enemies.

23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;

    test me and know my anxious thoughts.

24 Point out anything in me that offends you,

    and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

I'm pretty sure there is someone out there who needs to be reminded of this today.   Spend some time in Psalm 139, let God's love flow over you and heal your heart.

Weapon

I heard a new song by Bethel Music yesterday on the radio.  I just love when a new song comes out and touches my heart!  Sometimes they are just new to me, but that's okay...the result is still the same....a God visit!

1 Corinthians 10:4  We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments.  One of the greatest weapons we have in our arsenal is praise.  When life gets confusing, painful...when it feels like we are falling apart, our world is crumbling, shaken and darkened, when our hearts are broken, scared, when all seems lost, solutions out of reach, God feels far away and silent....praise is our way of speaking faith into all of that hardness and despair.  It's our way of reaching beyond circumstances, feelings and worldly sight to reach out and touch heaven's heart, the throne of God.   When the world tells us we are lost, praise reminds us we are found in Christ. 

This God visit comes on the heels of the gratitude lessons, and it seems to me a natural extension of thankfulness.  As God's children, we are not left to our own devices...we are given mighty weapons, to fight the darkness in and around us.  Prayer, praise, thanksgiving, and the powerful Word of God. 

We serve a mighty God...praising Him is a natural result of being His child, knowing Who He is and trusting His heart.  It is also a strong tower to take shelter in, a mighty sword to fight with and sweet peace for our hearts. 

We thank You Father, for the gift of praise.  You are so worthy, no matter what is going on around us.  You never change and You are always on our side.  Lord, remind us to praise You when we want to complain and rail at the unfairness of life.  When things seem darkest, the Cross still stands.  We are still Your children, You still are working for us, and working out Your perfect will.  Give us faith to stand, voices to praise, and hearts to rest in You. You are kind, You are creative, You are love, You are wise beyond anything we can dream or imagine...increase our faith, increase our praise.  In Jesus' mighty Name.  Amen.

Get your praise on!

The Three P's

Promise.  Presence.  Peace.  These are the words swirling in my head this morning.  Peace has actually been there since yesterday.  I'm trying to figure out where the Lord is going with this.  I guess you could call this a God visit developing.  LOL.

My thoughts about peace yesterday were about where I felt at complete peace.   In the morning and at the end of the day I feel the quietness and serenity of being in God's Presence.  There just seems to be a hush surrounding those times of day for me.  It can easily be disturbed though.  Phones dinging, people interrupting, furry beings laying on my Bible....I am very protective of this quiet time with the Lord.  My new practice is to leave the phone in another room.

My other times of absolute peace is when I take my breaks at work...I sit in my car and part of my time is spent with the Lord, the other part generally reading a book.  It's in this solitude I can connect to the Lord and sense the quietness of His heart.  The sounds of work and life fade, even the traffic noise is seemingly muted.  It's beautiful.

This morning I am still running through this peace thingy in my mind.  And I feel the Lord's leading to the promise of Jesus in John 14:27 which says, "I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid."

This peace is not just for the quiet times alone with the Lord.  It's for all our times.  Recently I heard a teaching on reminding ourselves that we were in God's Presence.  He is everywhere so wherever we are at any given time we are in His Presence.  That leads me to another promise of God in Hebrews 13:5  Don’t love money; be satisfied with what you have. For God has said, “I will never fail you. I will never abandon you.”  

In taking God at His word, to be with us, to care for us and to leave His very own peace with us, we can remain in this quiet place each and every minute of our day.  God promises never to leave us, so why shouldn't we be a peace?  I know I want to live there!  Oh, but my soul so easily becomes disturbed by life!  Perhaps I need another physical memory helper to remind me of the peace that God says is mine.  LOL  I think I'll work on that.

Lord thank You for the promise of Your peace and Your Presence.  You never leave us.  Your care is perfect.  We are always safe in Your arms.  Lord, let these truths fill us with peace each moment.  Help us to train our minds to hold onto these truths when life starts kicking up a fuss at us, when things don't go our way or when we feel confused and lost.  You never let us go.  Lord, I know this is so very hard to do...but if You say we can have Your peace always, then we can.  Help us to learn to live there...give us constant reminders.  Help us to yield to the Holy Spirit our roiling hearts.  In Philippians 4:13  You remind us we can "do everything through Christ, who gives me strength."  Another promise for us to cling to.  Lord, teach us and lead us in this.  In Jesus Name.  Amen.

Look for your peace today.

Still Going and Growing

A week ago I started a project with being grateful and the alarm on my phone.  I am hoping that you guys started your "gratitude plan" as well.  As I said Thursday, it's been amazing and I'm so happy with the results. 

Well there is a new aspect to this whole thing that the Lord has impressed on me to add...it seemed to come as a natural offshoot to being grateful.  Now, when I find myself thankful for God's mercy to me, I ask Him to make me merciful to others.  When I thank Him for His love, I ask Him to make me loving, when I thank Him for the colors around me, I praise Him for His creativeness....on and on...being thankful is leading to prayer and praise. 

And of course, the Lord led on from there by giving me a good devotional on prayer yesterday...LOL  Joyce Meyer wrote about how prayer is a powerful connection we have with the Father, and He waits for us to come to Him.  I was thinking about prayer after reading this.  Many times my prayers feel clumsy and uninspired....but it's not in the prayer or the pray-er that the power lies, but in the one we pray to.  And so we pray with faith and expectation....that if we ask according to His will, and not amiss, He will answer in His time and in the way that is best. 

Another thing I have been getting from this new endeavor is a continual connection with the Lord.  I am more aware of being tethered to Him, reminded often of His Presence and involvement in my day...even more than just when the alarm goes off.  It's truly been a beautiful awakening that I hope is a new habit and new way of walking through life. 

1 Thessalonians 5:16  Always be joyful. 17 Never stop praying. 18 Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.

Praise God!  Thank Him always!  You are amazing and awesome and beyond anything we can imagine or dream.  Thank You for Your creativity.  Thank You for meeting us exactly where we need You to in order to accomplish Your will and purposes for our lives.  You knew my weakness was memory and getting caught up in the day to day, so You made a way for me to stay connected and aware.   My prayer is that You would help each of those who read this to see Your way for them so that they do may spend each day  in greater and greater awareness of Your nearness.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

1 Thessalonians 5:16....make it your own.

It's Working!

The "alarming" experiment is working wonderfully!   I have been so excited with the results over the last two days.  Not alone am I expressing thanks or praise when the alarm goes off once an hour, I am actually being made more aware of being thankful and am doing it even without the alarm.   This is truly an amazing experience.

Small things, creature comforts, spiritual growth, Scriptural truths, God's character, salvation, heaven, friends, family, daily blessings.....on and on and on the thankfulness goes.  It doesn't matter whether I name five things at a time or only one or two...it's helping me see in a different way, a positive way...looking for blessings instead of allowing the negative, the annoyances, the stress producers to drag me down.  It feels like something has just clicked. 

I pray that you have been trying this as well....whatever "gratitude reminder" you chose to use.  The fact that even after two days my peace and joy have already increased , I can only imagine what it will feel like after thirty days. 

When a negative comment or irritation rise up, I am being convicted quickly as well, setting that sort of thing aside and finding something to be thankful for. 

Lord, thank You for this wonderful idea.  I pray all of us will keep going forward in it and not lose momentum through laziness, or distraction.  Keep us going Lord!  You bless us in thousands of different ways, and I want to see each one!  Let this be a wonderful new way for each of us, to live in a place of thankfulness, praise, peace and joy.  You are worthy!  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.

Enjoy gratitude! 

Alarming Habit

I noticed an alarming habit last Saturday.  It's not one I haven't picked up on before, but for some reason I felt very convicted about this habit as I drove home from the kitten and cat adoption center I volunteer with a couple of days a week. 

It was an especially busy Saturday at "the shelter", as we call it.    Here in New York, kitten season usually last from around April to November, but this year, following a mild winter we've been racing through the days there since February.  Saturday was no exception.  Sick kittens, kittens not eating as they should, potential adopters, cleaning, feeding, laundry (and more laundry)....on and on the day flows by filled with activity. 

As I started to drive away Saturday evening (I was there ten hours LOL), I realized that outside of a few grumbled complaints when I spilled some water or dropped something, I hadn't really acknowledged the Lord in any meaningful way.  Wow.  Conviction came fast and heavy.  I was so saddened by my behavior that the thought of it has been with me since. 

So often I determine to go through my day thankful and looking for opportunities to praise the Lord, and then busy happens.  And the fact that the only words I gave to the Lord that day were complaints, I was especially displeased with myself. 

This morning I woke up thinking about how much I want to break this habit.  As I was laying in bed for a few minutes before actually putting my feet on the floor to start another day, I looked at my alarm clock.  I was thinking about setting it for a little later and falling back to sleep.  I mean I knew I had to get up to accomplish the things I needed to today, but those few more minutes of snooze time were oh so tempting.  LOL  And that's when God "spoke" a word into my heart. 

I want gratitude to be a habit.  I want to acknowledge my Father's goodness over and over again throughout the day.  But how to remember?  How do I make it a habit?  I'm tired of wanting it to be so  only to meet with limited or unlasting  success.  The key word this morning...ALARM.  I will set my alarm!  I will set it for the start of each hour....I will give myself a physical reminder to make a great spiritual habit.   I've heard it takes thirty days to make a habit, so I want to do this little experiment for the next 30 days. 

This may be a little annoying at first.  I mean, the alarm sounding each hour?  But I need the push.  I need the jostle to my memory to remind me to set aside a few minutes to speak sweetness to my Savior.  I want this reminding!

What a innovative and creative God we serve!  I am so grateful and am ready to start this now Lord!.  Thank You for Your wisdom and creativity.  Even if I am thankful for the same five things each hour, it's still enough.  Lord, I don't want to make me day filled with complaints or ignoring Your Presence for long stretches of time, I want it filled with You and filled with praise and gratitude for and to You.   Lord, make this habit in each of us.  Give each of us the method that will work with our personalities so that we can come into the joy of Your Presence often, finding peace and strength throughout our day, especially when they are crazy and busy and we feel as if we are caught up in a whirlwind.  We need You!.  Thank You for being there.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen. 

Set your alarm today, put a string around your wrist, place reminder notes in prominent places, whatever it takes for You to remember the Lord in the craziness of the day. 

Celebrate Freedom!

Jesus has set us free from oppression, sin and death.  

Luke 4:18“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free,

John 8:36  So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.

Romans 6:7  For when we died with Christ we were set free from the power of sin.

Romans 8:2  And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.


God's grace, forgiveness and salvation are free.  We can't earn or deserve them.  

Romans 11:6  And since it is through God’s kindness, then it is not by their good works. For in that case, God’s grace would not be what it really is—free and undeserved.

Romans 5:16 And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins.



When we stay in God's truth, we remain free.  Bondage comes from living in lies and sin.  

John 8:32  And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Romans 6:15  Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not!



Dwell in the Lord, follow the Spirit.  

2 Corinthians 3:17  For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.



Our freedom has purpose.  Share it with others.  

Titus 2:14  He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.

Matthew 10:8  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cure those with leprosy, and cast out demons. Give as freely as you have received!



Use your freedom wisely, and considerately.

1 Corinthians 8:9  But you must be careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble.


Freedom is a blessing.  I am thankful I live in a country where I am free to follow Jesus.  I pray for those who are persecuted for doing so.  One day, we in the US may be counted among them.  But whether we are free here on earth to follow Him or not, we have a spiritual and  eternal freedom that can never be taken from us.  Praise God!

Lord, thank You for the freedom we have in Jesus Christ.  We are free from sin, guilt, condemnation and spiritual death.  We are free to live lives that shine for You, lives that give us peace and fullness.  Thank You Jesus for buying our freedom.  Hallelujah!

Meditate on your freedom.

No Doubt!

Romans 4:20  No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God.  This verse references Abraham and his belief in God's promise of a  son.  

Do you see the part about him giving glory to God?  In the middle of waiting, maybe even wondering when the son was coming, year after year, Abraham gave glory to God.  It got me to thinking about my times of doubting God.  Do I give Him glory or do I complain?  I think we all know the answer to that one.

And then I went a step further, and started thinking about what triggers my doubts in God.  What specific events or circumstances push my "doubt button?"  What causes me to doubt God's goodness, good intentions, care and love?   What are your areas?   For me anything that steals time from my day is a big trigger.  Financials hits are another.  I think once we know the areas that set us off, we can look for healing through prayer and Scripture and learning to choose faith.  Jesus said in Matthew 26:40-41....Couldn't you watch with me even an hour.  Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give into temptation.  For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.  

1 Peter 5:8-9  Stay alert!  Watch out for your great enemy, the devil.  He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.  Stand firm against him.  

Satan looks about, roaring fears and doubts into our minds..."You can't trust God!  If God really loved you He wouldn't____or He would____."  You fill in the blanks.  He roars lies into our hearts, trying to drive a wedge between us and our heavenly Father.  When we know our weak areas, we work on them with the Lord, through His Scripture and through prayer.  Then we can stand firm, not falling prey to Satan's tricks and deceits.  Then we learn to be like Abraham, and give God glory through the seasons of waiting, and times of confusion or hurt. 

Remember, we are told in Ephesians 6:12  For we are not fighting against flesh and blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. 

What a sweet and beautiful visit this was from the Lord.  Studying His Word, reading good Christian teaching and literature can spark so much growth in our hearts.  I'm always so grateful for His leading.  Everyday we can start anew, walking with the Lord towards Christ-like character. He is a patient and loving teacher and Father. 

Thank You Lord for all that You give us.  For the blessings of Your Presence and Your lessons.  For never failing to take time to show us Your heart and Your ways.  I know how undeserving I am of Your attentions, and I am, as always, in awe that You delight in touching my life.  I am forever grateful.  Today, Lord, I ask You to make unaware of Satan's schemes and give us the strength and presence of mind to shut him down!  Strengthen us in our weaknesses that we may give You glory.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen. 

What triggers your doubts?  Find Scripture to combat these doubts and pray that Scripture in your life.