Matthew 19:14
Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

I remember the days of old, when no one lived but me,
I sat at the window and cried to God, His face I longed to see.
I told Him of the sorrow deep, the scars that would not heal
He listened to me patiently, my anguish much too real.

I thought I was alone that day as I cried unto the sky,
And never did I dream that I had tempted Him to cry.
I lived a life of solitude, alone in my despair,
Not knowing He was watching all, that He was always there.

And when in love the years gone by, we sat alone we two,
I shared my hurts and told Him all that He already knew.
He understood as no one else, the hidden parts of me,
For all along there wasn’t one, but one and Holy Three.

Father God, It was good for me to be afflicted so I might learn your decrees (Psalm 119:71). In my alarm I said, ‘I am cut off from your sight!’ Yet You heard my cry for mercy when I called to You for help (Psalm 31:22). Your Word says, ‘If you seek Him with all of your heart and with all your soul, you will find Him’ (Deuteronomy 4:29). You were faithful to Your Word. Isaiah 34:17 reminds us, ‘He allots their portions; his hand distributes them by measure. They will possess it forever and dwell there from generation to generation.’ So I came out to meet you; I looked for you and have found you! (Proverbs 7:15). In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 121:8 “The Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forever more.”

“Off Duty…Call 911.” How would we feel if we needed help and those who could help were “Off Duty.” Recently my deepest fears have been awakened. My husband and children have faced health issues that placed us in various states of emergency. As my family members faced their own unique trials, my faith was tested and my affections revealed; those affections were observed raw and unguarded.

As a wife, seeing my life-long friend suffering so seemed incomprehensible. It became readily apparent that regardless of the years spent together, in the end, it’s never enough. As a mother, protecting my children comes as natural as breathing. The innate response to shield and care for ones own is so strong that it cuts through communal mores and is obtuse to the boundaries one should follow when interacting with ones adult children. Continue reading Watching Over You →

Matthew 26:40, 41
Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Gethsemane is a garden at the foot of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, most famous as the place where Jesus prayed and his disciples slept the night before Jesus’ crucifixion.

It is in Gethsemane that the depth of Jesus’ distress is recorded.  Speaking to three of his disciples Jesus says, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.  Stay here and keep watch with me.”  Anticipating his crucifixion and overwhelmed with sorrow, Jesus bears his soul and solicits the support of those in his inner circle.  Jesus leaves to pray and upon his return, finds the disciples asleep.  It is during Jesus’ darkest hour that those closest to him have succumbed to an unconscious state.  We see the contrasting responses of our Lord and the disciples; Jesus is anguished and prayerful while the disciples succumb to sleep.  Instead of berating the men for their failure, Jesus tenderly instructs them saying, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.” Continue reading In the Garden . . . →