Tears in a Bottle

You keep track of all my sorrows.
You have collected all my tears in your bottle.
You have recorded each one in your book.
Psalm 56:8 (New Living Translation)

The verse above arrived via a devotion in my email last week. It struck me hard. I couldn’t tell you how many times I read it, but I drew comfort from the verse each time. 2009 was a mixed bag. It’s a little over an hour before 2010 rolls in as I write this post.

I could take the time to beat myself up over not meeting a couple of goals, but I’ve had quite the year, some good and some not-so-good surprises. Some gains and major losses. Every year has its moments, but 2009 will definitely be a year I won’t forget. Especially since I ended the decade so much differently than I entered the decade.

I’m grateful to God for carrying me through even when I wasn’t as trusting as I should be. I’m most grateful for the times I broke down in tears that He saw every tear. When no one else really saw my pain, I know He did. I’m not one for pity parties, so I’m officially bottling up the disappointment of this year and not looking back.

I have a few goals (not resolutions) for this year.

God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth. — John 4:24

I had a BLESSED weekend. I’m not a praise dancer, but a friend who is, invited me to a praise dance conference. She coordinated the conference and wanted me to design the prayer room. I wasn’t really planning to check out the conference, but stuck around and all I can say is “God is so good.” He will show up and meet you wherever you are, pursuing you like the Lover of your Soul that He is.

Ash Wednesday: Letting Go of the Unnecessary

Before I began my fifth grade year, my parents made the decision to take me out of the New York public school system. Fourth grade had not been a very good year for me, so I think my parents thought I needed a change. The change proved to be one of the highlights of my childhood … four years at Catholic school. To this day, while I’m a Protestant, Catholicism still fascinates me. I can still remember the Wednesday of each school year when the priest would stick his thumb in a bowl of ashes and make a cross on everyone’s head. At that time, I didn’t quite get the reasoning behind the smudge on my forehead.

New Beginnings

From time to time, I like to read my older journals and writings. I had several devotions and bible studies online before I switched over to this new blog format. My goal last summer was to re-publish them, but I got off track. That’s not hard for me to do. LOL!

Earlier today, I talked to a dear friend and mentor. She brought up my blog. I want to thank her for reminding me, I really need to get back to writing. Now with the new year in swing, there are some writing projects “speaking” to me that I must pursue. I plan to post a devotion or a bible study from my “classic” collection each Sunday. This devotion was originally written in 2000, but has been modified a bit. Enjoy!

In ___ We Trust

This devotion was originally written in 2000. It’s been modified to reflect my thoughts now as more mature Christian. At least that’s my prayer. Share your thoughts.

If you take a look at the coins or dollar bills in your wallet or purse. Some where on the back or front, it will state, “In God We Trust.” Trust. That’s the topic for today’s devotion.

One of the most practical areas of the bible is the book of Proverbs. Most of Proverbs was recorded by King Solomon, known to be the wisest man of all time (1 King 3:12). Like his father King David, Solomon was a good king. Unfortunately, Solomon didn’t remain as faithful to God as his father. Even though he was the wisest man in the world, Solomon inherited a flaw from his dad, a deep love for beautiful women. Solomon went above and beyond by marrying 700 foreign women and keeping 300 concubines in his lavish palace.

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