Sleeping in God's Peace

I'm sure you know the value of a good night's rest. You wake up and pop up out of bed and run around the house singing and hopping! Ok, maybe not that, but it sure does feel good. Well, I don't always sleep well, in fact, not very often. It is discouraging and something I haven't been able to understand for a while now.

However, last night I was talking with a friend on the phone who happens to be having trouble getting peaceful sleep as well and I prayed/read through Psalms 4 with this friend, claiming the words of God and believing that God would use it to give them a peaceful nights sleep. I then started thinking about how small my faith is. I believed it for my friend, but not for me. I've tried in the past to do so, but never really believed it.

That said, I'm praying God will help me in my unbelief to claim His words for myself. If you don't sleep well or just need a good word from the Lord, I hope that you can claim Psalm 4 for yourself and the promise that God has made to us!

God's peace to you!

Psalms 4
1.	Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness! You have relieved me in my distress; Be gracious to me and hear my prayer.
2.	O sons of men, how long will my honor become a reproach? How long will you love what is worthless and aim at deception? Selah.
3.	But know that the LORD has set apart the godly man for Himself; The LORD hears when I call to Him.
4.	Tremble, and do not sin; Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.
5.	Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, And trust in the LORD.
6.	Many are saying, "Who will show us any good?" Lift up the light of Your countenance upon us, O LORD !
7.	You have put gladness in my heart, More than when their grain and new wine abound.
8.	In peace I will both lie down and sleep, For You alone, O LORD, make me to dwell in safety.

The Garden of Eden or something like it...

Do you ever wonder what the weather in the Garden of Eden was like? I'll bet it was like the last few days here in DC! Sunny, warm and all around pleasant to be in. Then what happened...we sinned and messed it all up!

When it's super hot and humid and when it's cold and nasty, I always say 'God didn't create the human body to live in these conditions!' I stand by my statement! :D

Don't forget to thank God for the blessing of a beautiful day!

God in the small things

You ever have one of those weeks where you just feel like Atlas, where you have the world on your shoulders? I had/am having one of those weeks. I'm not sad, depressed or feel distant from God, just burdened. Anyone relate? I'm sure you do!

Well, I was out at lunchtime getting some fresh air and enjoying the warmer weather when I noticed some blooms coming out of a tree near my office. I went over and smelled them! The frangrance of blossoms in the spring is one of God's greatest gifts to us (in my opinion). I felt much better and renewed in strength to push on with the day.

God used something as small and unassuming as a bloom to remind me that He is there, even in the most unlooked for places. It reminded me of the story of Elijah (or was it Moses, or someone else!??), when he went up on the mountain and God sent howling wind, rain, thunder, lightning and all this crazy stuff to him, but He wasn't in any of that. Then God came in a calm breeze that blowed by; the most unlooked for and unexpected place Elijah thought God would be.

Praise God for His blessings in the unlooked for! May He bless you with that today.