My Divine Notes

Psalm 36:5-7 5 Your unfailing love, O L ord , is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. 6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O L ord . 7 How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.  My cat, Jack, adopted me for 15 years. Last night a longtime friend went to bed with a sad heart. His family’s beloved pet dog died. Death catches us unexpectedly at times and it makes us consider the things that are really important in our lives. This morning I woke up thinking about that sweet little dog and it brought to mind my own loss. Almost 10 years ago, a big white cat who owned my heart for 15 years died. My heart was sad for many years after Jack’s physical presence left my life. As I sit here this morning thinking about how animals make a difference in our lives, it’s hard not to consider the tie tha...

Sept. 17, 2011 Nehemiah 8:10 (AMP) …be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold. Joy in the pits of life exists even though the intellectual mind and heart say it cannot be. Yes – it is possible for Christians to experience joy in middle of trials. There is something very empowering about exposing our souls before God. Transparency before and dependence on God renews the intimate bonds we already share with Him. Until I became a child of God, my feelings, emotions and thoughts took over and amplified my circumstances in very unhealthy ways. Now that I know a powerful and compassionate God, I know that I can hang on to His arms when I am facing the battles of my life. Oh, believe me, I face incredible battles – but I will not let go of God’s loving hand! This is how I keep joy in my heart while I’m in the battlefield: I realize that it’s easy to fall back into my old ways of thinking, so I ask the Lord to stop my wrong thinking. ...

May 29, 2011 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (GW) 3 So if the Good News that we tell others is covered with a veil, it is hidden from those who are dying. 4 The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. As a result, they don't see the light of the Good News about Christ's glory. It is Christ who is God's image. Time and time again my grandmother would talk to me about the wonderful things God was doing in her life. At the time, my heart was covered with a veil and I refused to believe God could care about me. Sure – he showed up in her life, but he never showed up for me. I believe that the god of this world had hardened my heart with pride and self-sufficiency so that I could not appreciate the wisdom and have the faith of my God-loving grandmother.   I was miserable during those years because I was living a life blinded by sin. I made myself feel good about my behavior by thinking that I was a good person who did many good things for others. ...

July 9, 2011 Proverbs 23:29-35 (GW) 29 Who has trouble? Who has misery? Who has quarrels? Who has a complaint? Who has wounds for no reason? Who has bloodshot eyes? 30 Those who drink glass after glass of wine and mix it with everything. 31 Do not look at wine because it is red, because it sparkles in the cup, because it goes down smoothly. 32 Later it bites like a snake and strikes like a poisonous snake. 33 Your eyes will see strange sights, and your mouth will say embarrassing things. 34 You will be like someone lying down in the middle of the sea or like someone lying down on top of a ship's mast, saying, 35 “They strike me, but I feel no pain. They beat me, but I'm not aware of it. Whenever I wake up, I'm going to look for another drink.” I cannot imagine drinking a giant alcoholic beverage and then stumbling out of a restaurant -> aided by a walker. I witnessed an elderly person do that recently and it got me to thinking of my experience. If you’ve ever had...

August 24, 2011 Matthew 5:3 (MSG) You're blessed when you're at the end of your rope. With less of you there is more of God and his rule. A good, good cry cleanses the soul. Ever have one of those days when you cry out to God realizing that you have no excuses and you don’t know what else to do? It’s a humbling experience to go before God when we’re at the end of our rope and still trying to justify our actions. It’s hard to know what to say, but God brings the remembrance of shortcomings into our minds. Waves of tears and excuses tumble out of our mouths yet it only takes humble confession before Almighty God to get clarity in our lives. Once that God-given clarity sets in, all that haze and darkness reveals itself. Try humbling yourself before God. Watch him wipe off the self-imposed layers of sin and whatever keeps you from using or touching the gifts he placed in your heart. Less of you is good.

Monday, August 15, 2011 Psalm 31:24 Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. Strength. I gain my strength from the Lord, from his promises and from his love. Today at dusk upon entering the grocery store, I saw a big, bright summer moon partially hidden behind the tall suburban skyscrapers of my neighborhood. It was huge and red, and it made me smile. J I was amazed at its uniqueness, it took my breath away. I motioned for my favorite store greeter to step out with me to see the vision, and he, along with another passerby, stopped to enjoy the view. Just like that moon was partially hidden from my sight; I know that while I can’t see God, I can count on his presence and his hope. Perhaps it took a giant red moon for the Lord to get my attention. It was his way of letting me know that he knows the contents of my heart. He is aware of the story of my life, and he will help me hang on when I feel like letting go . I will enjoy and appreciate the bright reminders t...

Matthew 6:9-13 9 In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. It’s never too late to make everlasting memories. I’ve been reflecting on the last six months, and how precious each day is for my Mom, who is at the end of her earthly life. The goal is now to care and not to cure her. Time spent with her is very special. We’ve celebrated her birthday, and I try to spend quality time just letting her know how much I love her and making her comfortable. My college-age daughter has been in town this summer. We started praying the Lord’s Prayer with Mom when she could speak. Now she simply makes a muffled noise or is silent. Several times we...