For what seems like a very long time a recurrent prayer of mine has been that God would "redeem, renew, and restore" areas in my life that I desperately need His touch in. As I've prayed this over the months, I found my requests expanding to include other areas of need such as repair, release, revival, etc. until one day I realized that my prayers were beginning to sound like an English lesson in alliteration! :) This past week I decided to put it down in poem form:
Revive my weary spirit
Renew my troubled mind
Read my hidden thoughts
Reveal each one You find
Rescue me from darkness
Release me from these chains
Rid me of all pretense
Remove my guilt and stains
Replace my tears with laughter
Repair each broken part
Resurrect my dreams
Redeem my wounded heart
Remake me in Your image
Redirect my feet
Realign my will with Yours
Restore Your peace so sweet
Recognize my weakness
Reach down from above
Reign in me with power
Refresh me in Your love
Record my name in Heaven
Remember not my sin
Respond to me with mercy
Raise me up again
Recover what's been taken
Right my every wrong
Relieve me of my burden
Receive my praise and song
Reassure my spirit
Remind me of Your ways
Repeat to me Your promises
Remain by me all my days
(J.A.P.)
Friday, October 30, 2009
Thursday, October 29, 2009
A Care Bear Object Lesson
I never cease to be amazed at what God will use to remind me of what I need to know. The last thing I expected was to get up this morning to receive a lesson in humility by a three foot Care Bear. Actually, my four year old daughter dressed up in her "Harmony Bear" costume was really just being used as an object lesson and the Holy Spirit, of course, was the teacher.
As I was running around the house trying to get my kids out the door on time for school, my "Harmony Bear", all ready for her preschool Harvest costume party, decided to have a minor melt-down. From across the house I could hear her scream and wail. That usually meas that another child is somehow involved. Looking at my oldest son I asked, "How can anyone dressed as Harmony Bear sound like THAT? Isn't Harmony Bear supposed to be a peacemaker? Maybe ALL of us need to put on Care Bear costumes and see if it gets us more peace around here!" to which my son was quick to reply, "It won't help, Mom..."
It wasn't until we were driving to school a little while later that the Holy Spirit faithfully reminded me of what we had studied in Bible study on Tuesday. Of course putting on a Harmony Bear costume won't transform us into peacemakers, but God's Word tells us that there IS something that we are to clothe ourselves with in order to better love our sisters and brothers in Christ. Colossians 3:12 says that we are to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. I was reminded of the challenge given to us in Bible study not to leave the bedroom each morning without being clothed in humility. Perhaps if I can first learn to consistently apply that practice to my own life I can then help my children apply it to theirs. And hopefully that will mean fewer unexpected early-morning object lessons using purple bears. It sounds like a "beary" good plan to me.
As I was running around the house trying to get my kids out the door on time for school, my "Harmony Bear", all ready for her preschool Harvest costume party, decided to have a minor melt-down. From across the house I could hear her scream and wail. That usually meas that another child is somehow involved. Looking at my oldest son I asked, "How can anyone dressed as Harmony Bear sound like THAT? Isn't Harmony Bear supposed to be a peacemaker? Maybe ALL of us need to put on Care Bear costumes and see if it gets us more peace around here!" to which my son was quick to reply, "It won't help, Mom..."
It wasn't until we were driving to school a little while later that the Holy Spirit faithfully reminded me of what we had studied in Bible study on Tuesday. Of course putting on a Harmony Bear costume won't transform us into peacemakers, but God's Word tells us that there IS something that we are to clothe ourselves with in order to better love our sisters and brothers in Christ. Colossians 3:12 says that we are to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. I was reminded of the challenge given to us in Bible study not to leave the bedroom each morning without being clothed in humility. Perhaps if I can first learn to consistently apply that practice to my own life I can then help my children apply it to theirs. And hopefully that will mean fewer unexpected early-morning object lessons using purple bears. It sounds like a "beary" good plan to me.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
My All In All (A Poem)
My spirit is desperately in need of being stilled and quieted by the Lord tonight. So many things weigh upon my soul. I am reminded after a long and trying day that only God is able to meet these needs deep inside of me. Only He is able to speak peace to the storms that rage inside. Oh, how I long for Him to do just that tonight...
When the clouds roll in
And darkness falls around me
I will call to You
To keep me safe from harm
You're my hiding place
My shelter and strong-tower
I will run into
Your ever-loving arms
When I've lost my way
And can't see the path before me
I will trust in You
To guide me by Your light
You direct my steps
And walk here right beside me
I am in Your care
You keep me in Your sight
When I'm weak and tired
And my strenght has almost failed me
I will rest in You
As You surround me with Your love
You're my hope and joy
My healer and sustainer
You fill my soul
With comfort from above
When I'm all alone
With nothing to hold on to
I will cling to You
You never let me fall
When I'm at the end
Your faithfulness with find me
And through all my days
You'll be my all in all
Jennifer A. Parsons
When the clouds roll in
And darkness falls around me
I will call to You
To keep me safe from harm
You're my hiding place
My shelter and strong-tower
I will run into
Your ever-loving arms
When I've lost my way
And can't see the path before me
I will trust in You
To guide me by Your light
You direct my steps
And walk here right beside me
I am in Your care
You keep me in Your sight
When I'm weak and tired
And my strenght has almost failed me
I will rest in You
As You surround me with Your love
You're my hope and joy
My healer and sustainer
You fill my soul
With comfort from above
When I'm all alone
With nothing to hold on to
I will cling to You
You never let me fall
When I'm at the end
Your faithfulness with find me
And through all my days
You'll be my all in all
Jennifer A. Parsons
Welcome to my Blog!
Welcome to my blog! I am a traveler on the path to know ultimate life and Truth in Jesus Christ...the kind of truth that sets a person free (John 8:32)! Sometimes the journey is joyful and leads to unexpected treasure. Other times it is perilous and wearisome. I invite you to join me as I reflect on the places that God has taken me so far and process the steps of this journey still around the bend. I am encouraged that even when I fall along the way, my God is there to pick me back up and lead me on to my final destination. It is my greatest desire that through each step and stumble He would daily make me to be a little more like Himself...transforming me into His image...from glory to glory (2 Cor. 3:18)!
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