On A Journey

May your life become one of glad and unending praise to the Lord as you journey through this world. ~ Teresa of Avila

Holy Father,
This day shouts Your beauty! I am humbled as I ponder Your Love. For it is so much higher and deeper, wider and stronger ~ more vast than my human mind can understand. How I long to love with such certainty, without conditions. How I long to love with such freedom, without restrictions. How I long to love with such magnitude, without measure. You seal my desire to love with the love of Christ, His signature already on my soul. Your love is Pure Grace!
There are times when the days are easy, like lazy afternoons at the beach. There are times when the days are busy, like a full day of essential tasks. There are times when the days are hectic, like fragmented chaos with infused intentions. Every day we choose to find You or to lose You in our ordered ways. You are the One who gives us the choice.
Refine us through the chaos. Renew us in the busyness. Restore us with easy times. Remind us of Your never-ending Love. In the name of Jesus, Amen. ~dho

I wonder what sort of tale we've fallen into?
~ J.R.R. Tolkein, The Lord of the Rings

Extravagant Gifts

I get up in the middle of the night to thank You;
Your decisions are so right, so true -
I can't wait till morning! Psalm 119:62

Loving God,
The night sky is filled with luminaries that
light the darkness. Angels whisper evening
songs to our weary souls. We do not notice.
As sleep gently calls, we forget that we have
breathed the morning air, listened to laughter,
seen the evening sky appear. Another day!
Something disturbs the rhythm of our sleep,
summons our souls. In these sleepless moments,
the Holy Spirit is waiting and listens for our
response. Thank You! Thank You!
Thank You!
Father, when we fail to see the beauty of
Your day, remind us with a glorious morning
to take our breath away, a soul laugh that only
a listening heart can find, and a night sky
crowded with stars like diamonds that demand
a lingering look. Our hearts should burst with
unmeasured thankfulness! These are Your
ordinary gifts! We simply miss them in our
hectic hours, our scheduled chaos, our
saturated time.
Give our hearts the desire to breathe,
listen and see the ordinary with extraordinary
intention. Grant our souls the desire to breathe,
listen and see Your extraordinary gifts of
Love, Grace, and Joy! Let us find Your
extravagant gifts in our every day! Let us say
Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
Refresh our spirit! Refine our faith!
Restore our love! Renew our strength!
Rebuild our trust! Reclaim our souls!
Amen. ~dho

God Hugs

. . . the Spirit of God dwells in you 1 Corinthians 3:16 (the Message)

In her book When the Heart Waits, Sue Monk Kidd writes "What is this still point? It represents the Center, the quiet core where God's Spirit dwells in us. . . At this inmost center of our being, a place where we are deeply and profoundly known and loved by God, is the Presence in our midst. . . Ultimately, the still point is a love meeting, an embrace."

God hugs you.
You are encircled
by the arms
of the mystery of God. ~ Hildegard of Bingen

Island Meditation

God’s my island hideaway,
keeps danger far from the shore,
throws garlands of hosannas around my neck.
Psalm 32:7 (the Message)

Along the island shore, I walk with uneven steps.
Rocks and shells and wind and sun,
And thoughts and soul,
And God . . .
Unite. ~dho

Shelter of His Wings

Let me live forever in Your sanctuary,
safe beneath the shelter of Your wings! Psalm 61:4 (NLT)

Faithful Father,
You are our firm foundation, the Truth on which we build our lives. There are times whenYour Glory shines from the snow covered mountain tops, from the sun-reflected oceans, from the starry night skies. There are times when Your Glory cannot be seen through foggy mornings, through stormy afternoons, through dark clouds. There are times when Your Glory seems lost in the empty silence, in the path-free wilderness, in the endless uncertainty. Yet, at all times You can find us. You are the unspoken beauty in everyday, the unseen in every hour, the unknown in every moment. Because You love us so unconditionally, You find us in all the unlikely places the world takes us. It is in the moment that You reach out for us, that we become aware of our needs. It is in the moment that we reach out for You, that we become aware of Your presence. In such holy moments, You hold us, wrap us in Truth and Light.
Oh, Father, I pray my soul will never forget these holy moments. Faithful Father, that You always find me where I am, restores and renews my longing for You. Let me wait quietly for Your holy whispers. Amen. ~dho

Everything comes from Him; everything happens through Him, everything ends up in Him. Always glory! Always praise! Romans 11:36 (the Message)

God Almighty

Genesis 43:14 [ Jacob's Prayer] ~ I pray God Almighty will cause the governor to be merciful to you and that he will allow Simeon and Benjamin to come back with you. If I am robbed of my children, then I am robbed of them.
El Shaddai -
You are the God of Possibility. Protect us
from ourselves. Show us Your Grace, for we are
incomplete without You. Release us from our prisons
of doubt and fear and disappointment. We surrender
our desires to your Divine Intentions for us. In the
name of Jesus Christ, Amen. ~dho