I searched for you everywhere, Lord God. I flew to the top of a tree, but could not find you. I rocketed to the moon and still could not find you. I soared to the stars and searched in vain for you. Finally, I stopped, stayed still in submission, and I found you. I found you in my yearning heart, the heaviness of my spirit, the aching of my soul.  You had been here all along whispering to me. You waited as long as it took until I found you. Now I rest in you.

Thank you for giving us music. Music has been loved by all people throughout all generations. Fast or slow, exciting or gentle, loud or soft, high or low. Music expresses every emotion. You gave us music to help us express those emotions, sometimes those which we do not know how to express in words.  You love music so much, you delight when we sing to you. I wonder if you hum along with us. Ah, such delights in music. Thank you.

Here’s a newspaper article about me that appeared over the weekend in case you’re interested.

https://www.pinalcentral.com/casa_grande_dispatch/area_news/faith-inspires-cg-writer-to-keep-writing-and-to-teach/article_01ace361-98fb-540d-a703-3f991928777f.html

Lord, I am like the sheep that walk around afraid to drink from troubled waters, so you lead me to where the waters are calm and peaceful. When I cannot see you, I am afraid to follow a stranger, so you keep me confined so I am safe until your return. Though I walk around with no concern for possible dangers, you are right there with me to make sure I do not fall into that danger. Sometimes I become restless and fearful if I sense a storm is coming close. Then, Lord, I hear your heart singing to my heart and it calms me and I lie down and rest in you.

The sun is shining, the frost is heavy, it is very cold out there, but I am inside warm, snuggled up, thinking, meditating and watching for the birds to discover the corn I put out for them. I am tired these days and a little depressed. But I thank you for these times when I stop everything, back off, and contemplate. I know it is often at such times that we take a good look at ourselves selves, try to see ourselves as others do, and make changes for the better. So, I thank you for this little bit of unhappy time when I can learn better who I am and how much you love me.

The scripture for today, November 18 (11/18), is Deuteronomy 11:18f as found in the Old Testament of the Bible:

“Then the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce, and you will soon perish from the good land the Lord is giving you. Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.”

Sometimes the country you live in goes through very bad times. You pray for the bad times to end, but they do not. What is going on? The above warning was to the Israelites just before they entered their promised land. God had just said through Moses, “Don’t worship idols”.

Perhaps your country is going through bad times because of idol worship ~ probably not like the hand-made idols of ancient times, but idols of money and power and lack of morality and ethics.

You may feel all alone in trying to get the people you know to do better. They may laugh at you, scorn you, fire you from you’re your job. There have been times in the Bible when a good man prayed, “God, I am the only one left who worships you.” God would reply there were a few others trying to do right also. But he never replied he was going to stop the punishing. The country hadn’t turned back to God yet.

Therefore, when you are suffering unjustly for what a majority of your countrymen are doing, you must bear it bravely. And while you wait it out, continue to remind yourself, your family, your neighbors, your countrymen of the righteous ways they should be acting.

In bad times, this is your assignment. Be brave and spread the news. Keep reminding and being as patient with them as God is with you. Perhaps someday in your lifetime, they will listen.

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Jesus was born into a violent world. It was the job of JOSEPH: THE OTHER FATHER to keep Jesus alive until grown.  To BUY NOW, click a picture or paste this:  https://amzn.to/2r0HDz7

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God, you are the friend of the world. No better friend could we have. But so many snub you out of arrogance, Satan telling them they can be their own god. They see you as their enemy, they fight you and twist your motives. Sometimes I do it myself because no one is immune to the influence of Satan. I know how often you must weep as we break your heart.  You are only trying to save us from our enemy, Satan. You are only trying to bring us into the refuge of your home so we will be forever safe. How ungrateful and arrogant we are. Some believe you will have no choice but to take them into your home when they die, forgetting you have a door, a gate into your home and do not allow just anyone into your home for the same reason we have doors into our home.  But you love all of us anyway. You are so patient. None of us deserve you. Despite my sins, I do praise you and magnify you in my heart. Of every being in the world, you are most deserving of my honor, respect, and love.

Lord, it is getting really cold outside but I am warm and cozy inside.  Thank you for what I sometimes take for granted. And thank you for the hope of heaven. Sometimes I am tired and want to rest.  Then I think of all the lost souls because they think you are their enemy, or they think they can get to heaven ~ your home, not theirs ~ their own way.  Today, may I take a deep breath and keep going.