Late last night reading in the Old Testament book of Joshua, I was struck by God’s precision and intentionality when he laid out the boundary lines to divide his Promised Land. I smiled when I read verse 19:23 “the boundary ran…from the oak at Zaanannim”. Sounded to my ears like down-home directions given by someone who has lived someplace for many years. It’s almost like the “just turn left by the old red barn that was torn down 10 yrs ago” kind of directive that can only come from familiarity.

And God the Creator’s words to me are based on familiarity and bring intimacy to our relationship. But the depth of our relationship is much deeper on his side because he knew me before I knew him. He’s actually told me that he knew me before he laid out the foundations of the earth…such amazing unfathomable intentionality.

So I wonder…what would my daily world look like, if I practiced his directives intentionally?

I’m trying this one today… 

                     Give all of your worries and cares to God, 

                            for he cares about you.

                                       1 Peter 5:7

 Blessings of releasing

Joshua (the Israelite leader who moved into Moses’ position following his death) prayed:

      “’Let the sun stand still over Gibeon,

                and the moon over the valley of Aijalon’

So the sun stood still and the moon stayed in place until the nation of Israel had defeated its enemies…

The sun stayed in the middle of the sky, and it did not set as on a normal day. 

There has never been a day like this one before or since, when the LORD answered such a prayer.”         Joshua 10:12-14

My heart soars to know that the LORD God, this incredible amazing Being of power, is the same Father God I speak with daily. And I am so incredibly grateful that my children also walk with him.

I love good questions…those that make me think, ponder and sometimes undo and rearrange what I thought I already knew. My husband once told me that the two most important life questions are: one, what do you do with Jesus? And two, whom do you marry?

Reading a verse of Scripture from different translations is a wonderful way to experience the richness and fullness of its meaning. I love the Aramaic Bible in Plain English poetic rendition of Jesus’ question in Mark 8:29:

And Yeshua said to them,
     “But what is it you are saying about me as to who I am?”
Shimeon answered and he said to him,
     “You are The Messiah, The Son of THE LIVING GOD.”

I say YES to serving THE LIVING GOD!

I’ve nearly always loved life’s random absurdities (they usually make me laugh) along with good questions and ideas that jangle my thinking. The Scriptures are filled with them…and one of my current favorites is knowing that…

Rahab, a prostitute who lived in the city wall of old Jericho, is an ancestor of my Lord Jesus Christ.

It amazes me. God knew her heart and, obviously, her failures…just like he knows mine. And he loved her…and me…and you. In spite of all that we are, and all that we aren’t, he still loves us. I rejoice knowing there’s nothing I can do to make God love me any less or make him love me any more. He’s constant.

(my bees arrived unannounced)

I want to be a transparently honest light-streaming-through-brightly-colored-stained-glass-windows sanctuary of the Lord.