My God, your steadfastness and predictability reassure me every day that you keep your promises. I see it in all you created ~ the repeated path of the stars, the rotation of the planets, the regrowth of hair and fingernails, the germination of a seed to reproduce more seeds, animals, and people who reproduce ourselves, the rising and ebbing of the tides, the cycle of the seasons. Everything you set in motion has stayed in motion just like you have. You are the self-existent one and you never change. Therefore, I completely trust you and that you will fulfill all your promises to me.

Lord, thank you for the animals large and small that you put here for our delight and to help us in our work.  Big and gruff ones, little and gentle ones.  Tough-skinned ones and fluffy ones.  Once they trust us, they become inseparably close to us and love us better than we do them sometimes. Such loyalty.  They realize they cannot think of the kinds of things we think of or do the kinds of things we do. When they begin to rely on us and love us at the same time, we become gods to them. They are examples of what we should feel for you, our Holy God. Thank you for their innocent trust.

Ah, my Lord, you love me when I feel unloved and unlovable. You are patient with me when I am not patient with myself or anyone else. You continue to work when I give up and quit. You forgive when I sin. You never stop. You are always working to preserve my soul long enough to join you in heaven. You want your children to be gathered around you. I want that too. Give a strong vision of that to my soul so I can extol your love, your patience, your work, and your mercy forever.

You came back to life, Jesus. It was on a morning so long ago. You defied nature, confronted Satan, and filled the angels with awe.  You actually returned to your body and proved to this world and all other worlds it was possible. You made it possible for me too.  In the blink of an eye, it will happen to me.  Someday. I cannot even begin to thank you for all this and heaven too.

I stood on the greatest philosophy I have ever encountered and basked in its brilliance. But I fell.  I stood on patriotism for the best place to live on earth and savored its opportunities. But I fell.  I stood on equal rights around the world, defending the underdog everywhere. But I fell.  I stood on Christ, God in bodily form, and, and, and…  I stood tall and strong. Nothing could interfere or change or destroy. Ah, Lord Jesus, you are my solid rock. Everything else is quicksand. On you I will stand for eternity for you are the majestic wholeness of all that exists now and forever.

Thank you for daytime and night. In the night I am forced to stop whatever I am doing and rest. You made my body to need it. It cannot go on indefinitely. And my body influences my mind. Without enough rest, I cannot think clearly. And so, as the sun sets, I slow down until I recognize my tiredness. Night time is precious. Then there is morning. I wake up with the sun and hear the birds happily singing outside my window. A new day of starting over fresh. A day of new beginnings and second chances. Thank you, Lord, for daytime and night.