Write Now!
This blog started as a 'Lenten Writing Project', where we wrote each day in Lent. Now that Summer is here, let's keep up the discipline of writing with a weekly writing challenge! A prompt will be posted each week and anyone is welcome to join in and post their writing here or participate just by reading it.
Every writer has their own special light to add to this blog and all of your writing offerings are appreciated, whether poetry, prose, essay, thoughts, lists or comments and encouragement.
I love Psalm 139, which speaks of God, a personal God who knows me personally, knows me even better than I know myself. My God not only knows me, my God understands my thoughts, my yearnings, my actions – even better than I understand myself. My God surrounds me with love, at all times and places, with love for just exactly who I am becoming.
ReplyDeletePsalm 139
O LORD, you have searched me and known me.
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from far away.
You search out my path and my lying down,
and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
O LORD, you know it completely.
You hem me in, behind and before,
and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
it is so high that I cannot attain it.
Where can I go from your spirit?
Or where can I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there;
if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
If I take the wings of the morning
and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me fast.
If I say, ‘Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light around me become night’,
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
all the days that were formed for me,
when none of them as yet existed.
How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
I try to count them—they are more than the sand;
I come to the end—I am still with you.
Psalms 139
ReplyDeleteparticularly verse 16
by Pat Mason
"Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being imperfect; and upon thy books all these things were written, even before day was and man was brought into existence."
God had seen our/my imperfect substance even before the day was created and before man existed.
He knew of us yet created it all anyway.
Not only did He believe that I was worth it, He also believed that all of mankind was worth it as well.
How then, can I believe anything less.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletePsalm 23 is a beautiful promise. And my favorite line from this Psalm is “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want”
ReplyDeleteIn this world where Sin, lies, deceit, conceit is so prevalent, reminding myself of this line, brings more confidence and stability within me. Sometimes life throws at us such challenging situations, where we as Humans fail to remind ourselves of the promise of God’s Love.
I experienced this yesterday morning, my day started with 6:55AM phone call that was filled me anger and pride. I spent close to 2 hours explaining and standing up for myself. But this did not result in any success. I went into the battle, unprepared and unexpected. I never knew this was coming my way. I had plans to be at church for the 11AM service, but I was running late. In the heat of the situation, I did not call out for help from The Lord. I had lost my calm for some time during the phone conversation.
It was 10:55AM when I unlocked the front door to head out. I stepped out and there came in pouring snow. I stood still on the pathway, staring out at the snow. As I stood there in the cold with wind and blurry image,….. I did murmur, Lord guide me through this…. my mind calmed down and I could see things clear. My determination grew stronger and I was ready to take on the real snow and dare to church road.
What amused me was, I didn’t realize God was with me all through from the 6.55AM turmoil, I did not surrender to Him. If only, I understood this while on the phone call, and seek His Wisdom I wouldn’t have been so late to the church. Yes I was there at 11:30AM
Why does it take one flake of snow, blurry vision, confusion to get to God. If only I was calm and sought help from God way early, I could have saved my energy for something more promising, more positive and would not be late to church.
If you are reading this passage and are looking for some help, and don’t know what to do, please just say “The Lord is my Shepherd. I shall not want”. We serve Awesome God and He will never fail us. Amen.
Sonal Tandale
Psalm 23: The Lord is my shephard.....
ReplyDeleteBrought me peace and strength while my mother was dying.
Jackie D
Psalm of Lament - I wait
ReplyDeleteOh Lord I sit in the ashes.
I have looked for you in all the places
where we have met before,
but you are not there.
Your word is dry on my lips.
Worship is no longer a song.
Silence is empty.
Even the sunlight is cold to me.
I have no tears.
I am alone.
I will wait.
I will wait for your hand on my shoulder,
your movement in my heart,
your lightness in my breath.
I will wait for your beauty in the sunrise,
your word through a friend,
your leap in my dance.
You will come.
You always do –
in a word
in the wind
in your time.
Till then I sit alone
and wait.
(So I didn't pick a Psalm from the Bible. I wrote my own! We're back to the rules thing Ruth. I find this helpful to do every once in awhile. The Psalms encompass a whole range of feelings from joy to sadness to anger to laughter. For that reason I feel a freedom to write from a whole range of emotions when I write my own Psalms - inspired by the originals)
So, is this Larry 12:1-8?
DeleteBeautiful. I like your rules.
DyAnn
Monday Feb 26 2012
ReplyDeleteSo many good Psalms to choose from...
Like choosing a favorite child. How will I choose a favorite Psalm? Therefore, I will comment on one that speaks to me on this day of Lent.
Psalm 103:1-5, and 9-19, and 22b...NO....NO
The one that calls to me even louder is one short verse.
Psalm 46:10a In my favorite translation, it reads (chidingly)
"Be still, and know that I AM God."
A few other translations read "Cease striving,..."; and even ""That's enough, now know that I AM God." In otherwards, no more dissertations, convocations, studies, committees, or b.s. "I AM WHO I AM". That's it. Here it is in a nutshell.
If you listen, you will hear it, and you will know the Truth.
Dear God, let me stop struggling so much with Life, and remember that You really are there/here; and that You really are in charge. It's so easy for me to get in my own way, instead of letting You lead. Help me start again. I'll try to be still, and listen for You, if You'll help me, because I surely can't do it without You. Thanks. s.h.
Psalm 139: 13-16
ReplyDeleteThese verses are from one of my favorite Psalms. When I feel worthless, unworthy, down, unloved, undesirable and all the ughly sides of human, these words from my Abba bring the best comfort.
"For it was you who formed my inward parts;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes beheld my unformed substance.
In your book were written
all the days that were formed for me,
when none of them as yet existed."
DyAnn Dennie
In Present Time
ReplyDeleteby Marlene Obie
I've been working on committing Psalm 103 to memory, Only up to verse 10. This morning, it was 1-5 and 8-14 that stood up to be heard.
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. (I stand to acknowledge God with a resounding cheer, as does an avid sports fan when the home team bursts onto the field)
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits--
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the Pit,
(All the blessings I'm prepared to request are here, happening before I voice my petitions. They are in the contract, without my negotiating for them. Forgiveness, healing, redemption are live streaming on and in me now)
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good as long as your live
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's
(I'm being satisfied with life-giving water now and in the future. The spigot is on and I can drink with confidence it won't run out, and use the youthful sight, sound and energy in spirit without regard to gray hair, wrinkles and waning stamina.)
Yes, it feels like a light has gone on. I have believed God has done all this for me and will do it, and that God's love covers all the tenses. But I've not thought that much about the fact that this very minute, all these benefits are in process.
David packed a lot more into this hymn. I am finding as I work on memorizing it, it reveals additional insights daily.
For now, as my soul is being blessed,
I'm laying down to rest and
I bless the Lord!
Psalm 30:11-12
ReplyDeleteYou turned my wailing into dancing
You removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy
That my heart may sing your praises and not be silent
LORD my God, I will praise you forever.
I love this stanza of this Psalm.
A few weeks ago, I went out on a date with my husband, to a birthday party with family at a loud boisterous piano bar. I had just stopped nursing my toddler a few months ago after a long run of nursing an infant, than toddler and knew that this was the end for good (no more babies for me). I felt good about ending it – though it was a little sad for my toddler, but she did fine and rolled with it. However, I was completely unprepared for the hormonal change, which resulted in a post-nursing depression, which gobsmacked me from out of nowhere. I had never even heard of this happening - when I ended nursing my older daughter I didn’t remember this happening. I found myself flirting with lows that were shocking even to me, a seasoned clinical depressive. When I reached out to medical professionals, I did not receive relevant help, or even sympathy. I had to lay myself bare, explaining my situation and my words were met with actual, real yawning. Seriously. It seemed that no one had heard of this before. I am a strong person in my walk with depression in that I try to be ready to battle it when I need to with the resources I need (not to disrespect anyone else’s battle. We all have our own ways). Walk may not be the right word. It is more of a dance. An apache. After confiding in my husband and my mom about what was going on and advocating for a few resources for myself, I went to this aforementioned birthday party for my beloved, (one of 4 beloved) aunt at a bar where singing showtunes at the top of one’s lungs, cheering drunkenly and dancing were encouraged. That night, I am embarrassed, yet happy to say, I completely embarrassed my family – or maybe just myself. I had not danced like that in perhaps a decade. Many new things shook that didn’t shake like that a decade ago. I was alive though and fully celebrating it. In the strangest of settings, with the seemingly most inappropriate of dance, clothing and praises, I celebrated being alive and didn’t once think about how I looked to myself or others. It felt good. More than good. And I know that God was happy too.