Show off God...

My prayer:

Today was a mishmash of good and annoying experiences. I choose to stay focused on the good things, it sure feels better. Now, I am just spent. Mind body and spirit are all saying, we are done!

What God Said Tonight:

I have divine appointments in your life and today was chocked full of them. Remember that every interaction you have is an opportunity to show people my heart.  From the great old friend to the woman who annoyed you at the grocery store, each one is a chance to show me off.

 

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Don't get weary...

My prayer:

Thank you God for your unusual favor and timing today! The train was running late for everyone else, but showed up just when I walked up to the station. So many little things like that today God where you blessed me in the middle of what was a mess for everyone else.

I bet there is a message in that!

I love you God. Thank you for always taking such great care of me.

What God Said Tonight:

I have steps ordered and set aside for you. I have a path picked out that is just for you. You who like to travel the less traveled path will find that my path for your life is as unique as you could possibly hope.

I have not abandoned you. You may feel like your path has stalled out but I have your best interest in mind, even in the waiting.

Don't get weary in your well doing. Don't get weary in your hope. I haven't given up on your dream.

Victory...

My prayer:

Today you gave me some incredible news of your miraculous healing which was AMAZING. Thank you so much for healing my friend from lung cancer! Within a month we went from the doctors saying "stage 4, get your things in order" to a clean CAT scan with no signs of a tumor! YOU ARE AMAZING GOD!

And, surrounding that amazing news was a day filled with nastiness, hassle, strife and stress. I was really getting down about it earlier but as I sit here tonight and think about it, all that other crud was likely just satan trying to distract me from your amazing miracle. What you did was so GOOD, he had to throw whatever BAD he could find at me so I would be tempted to forget your goodness. That sounds like him.

God, I apologize if I let satan take one second of my worship of you. I apologize that I let him steal the praise report, even for a moment. Today was an amazing day when I got to hear that someone I love is going to live a full and healthy life free of lung cancer. Nothing else matters.

What God Said Tonight:

I heard you complaining today but I heard your praise. I saw you frustrated today but I also saw you reaching to me for help.

Satan can throw whatever he wants to at you. You stay focused on me and I will bring you through.

I never expect you to be perfect. I never expect you to not get down, depressed, stressed, angry...on the contrary. I made you. I made you with the capacity for all of those reactions. I made you to fully experience life. I made you filled with joy.

So, while you struggle against the enemy, as long as you turn toward me and not away from me, he can never win.

You are mine and I hear your voice, no matter what is going on. Call me and I will be there with you. Call on me and I will change the atmosphere and the situation. I love you.

Celebrate...

My prayer:

Wow God. Thanks for the heads up this morning that I would need an extra portion of your peace to get through today. The chaos and trouble swirling around me today was intense but I never lost sight of you. I never lost connection with your peace.

I am SO GRATEFUL for you in my life!!!!!!!

What God Said Tonight:

I have great victory and joy in your immediate future. I have a celebration planed for you.

You will see dreams realized and you will triumph over obstacles.

 Celebrate now in your heart. Tomorrow you will celebrate with your team. I love you.

Selective memory...

My prayer:

Another wonderful day God. THANK YOU!

I do want to talk a bit more about the topic we started discussing on the hike. I am still confused about how selective my memory can be. When it comes to bad memories, painful memories, I fight every day to overcome them. I fight every day to not allow them to ruin my present and future. I fight every day to allow you to heal me. And still, they pop back up at the worst times. They are relentless.

The crazy thing is the exact opposite is true with good memories. Even something as simple as working out. When I am in the routine of it, I love it. It feels fantastic, my stress level is down, I feel good about myself. But let me get out of the habit and the memory of how good it is fades. I start to think, well it wasn't that good. I can put it off another day.

It is even true of those most amazing moments with you. You have shown me so many amazing things. You have given me experiences of your presence that are truly miraculous. But those times, I have to work at remembering those times. I have to bring them back to my remembrance and even then, I have to remind myself that, yes, it really was that amazing and wonderful.

I would really like it to be the other way around. It would be so much better if the good memories were more persistent and relentless and the bad memories faded in detail and significance. Can we do that God?

What God Said Tonight:

What do you think it is about the bad memories that keeps them around? You have an enemy that is constantly reminding you of them. You have a voice whispering in your ear every mistake, every hurt, every thing he can think of to accuse you. It is who he is and what he does.

The good memories. The times you and I have, I don't want to have to constantly remind you of them. I don't want them to lose their significance by constant repetition.

I also don't want you to get so tied up in those memories that you miss what I am doing for you right now. I am your comforter and your helper. I will remind you of the good when you need it but I really want to focus more time and effort on the good of right now. I want to focus on the good we will have tomorrow.

I don't see great benefit in getting stuck in the past, good or bad. I love you and we have a lot of good memories yet to make.

A blessed day...

My prayer:

Thank you for a truly wonderful day God! A beautiful hike, great food, good friends and prayers answered, I could not ask for more.

Thank you for days like today where peace and joy reign!

What God Said Tonight:

You are welcome. I love to bless you!

Truth...

My prayer:

I am consistently amazed at how easily people misunderstand each other. It seems that we all have this filter of what we expect to hear or want to hear and that colors everything.

I wonder what it would be like if we could hear and understand what the other person is really saying instead of our own interpretation of what they are saying. I bet we would have less arguments, hatred and war.

I ask God for increased discernment to hear and understand what people actually mean when they are talking to me and not just my interpretation, filtered through my scars.

What God Said Tonight:

I have given you my heart and my Spirit. Listen with them and not just your ears and you will hear and understand the truth in every situation.

I have no interest in seeing you deceived. I am made of truth, I am truth and there is no deception in me. Use me as your filter and deception must flee so that all that remains is truth.

I have much planned that requires your ability to see and discern the truth. Your tools are ready to use.