Steadfast and True

May your unfailing love be with us, Lord, even as we put our hope in you. – (Psalm 33:22, NIV)

Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you. – (Psalm 33:22, ESV)

Let your love and steadfast kindness overshadow us continually, for we trust and we wait upon you! – (Psalm 33:22, TPT)

God’s love and kindness are demonstrated to us, over and over again. He knows our needs and the desires of our hearts, and blesses us in ways that fill us where we feel depleted. This weekend, my husband needed time with his brother. It has been a blessing to gather, as time together is a joy and a much needed change of scenery. With all that is going on in the world, hope rises up when we are able to take inventory of our blessings. In all things, God is with us and shows us His love and kindness. May we ever look to the Lord and His steadfast love, and place our hope in Him.

The love of the Lord,

Clearly we need to take a photo this time… 🙂

Is steadfast and true;

In Him, hope shall rise,

Each day, it’s made new.

For by His great love,

He shows us His grace;

And blesses our hearts,

As Him we embrace.

With each brand new day,

May we give Him praise;

For love and nearness,

Our hope for always.

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your unfailing love is with us always, and that we can ever trust in You. Thank You that You bless us and pour out Your kindness upon us, renewing our hope in You. Forgive us for our frustrations and fears that are founded in what we see, rather than trusting that You are with us, holding us up in Your hands. Teach us to trust You more, for You are our hope. Show us how to love one another with Your kindness and unfailing love. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we hope in You and praise You for who You are and how You love. Amen.

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

Surely Your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. – Psalm 23:6

Faithfulness to the Skies

Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, Your faithfulness to the skies. – (Psalm 36:5, NIV)

Lord, your faithful love reaches to the sky. Your faithfulness is as high as the clouds. – (Psalm 36:5, ERV)

Your steadfast love, O Lord, is as great as all the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. – (Psalm 36:5, TLB)

 

I love that every day is new, and each morning is a fresh reminder of God’s goodness and faithfulness and love. It is particularly clear from my vantage point, as the view from mom’s kitchen table is spectacular. Each day as I rise before the sun, God’s handiwork greets me as He paints the sky new every morning. No two sunrises look the same. The cloud patterns and the colors shift and change, mix and blend, reminding me that He is creative and innovative, able to take on new challenges in new ways.

Last night, mom only woke one time during the night! For those who have been following our story daily, this means that both of us slept more last night, than we like did over the previous two nights combined. (Thank you for those of you who have been praying!) Furthermore, yesterday was full of things to be celebrated! During physical therapy in the morning, mom walked nearly half the length of her hallway with her walker, unassisted! Once she grew a bit fatigued, she rested for a moment or two, and then the physical therapist, Nick, had me assist/spot mom with her walking. It was exhilarating to participate directly with her, and gain the nod of approval to at last work with mom on our own on walking. Because we now have clearance to practice walking, we gave it another go in the evening as we were winding down. Mom is overjoyed and completely motivated, as she is ready to demonstrate her new-found confidence for my husband and boys when they arrive later this morning. The appointment with mom’s physiatrist went well, as she is the one who oversees and coordinates all post-stroke care. She was pleased with mom’s progress thus far, and will see her again in early August. We had a wonderful visit with mom’s next-door neighbors before dinner, and made the most of our evening, prior to calling it a night fairly early, after our previous two nights of not nearly enough sleep. Mom and I shared an early breakfast to watch the sunrise (photo below), and appreciated God’s handiwork together. Each of us sat in awe, as we gazed upon His glory in gratitude. May we ever remember the faithfulness and goodness of God, and just how far-reaching His love is for us all.

 

The Lord is faithful,

Beyond what we see;

His grace unending,

He loves tangibly.

Be it a sunrise,

At the break of day;

Or loving guidance,

As He points the way.

No matter what comes,

The Lord, He is near;

He will remain close,

Help us persevere.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that You are good and kind and loving. Thank You that Your faithfulness never ends. Thank You for sleep and restoration when we need it the most. Forgive us for our frustration when we cannot do anything to control our circumstances. Continue to teach us to hand all to You. Show us how to love well all those around us, as You empower us to walk faithfully and lovingly alongside them, encouraging and building up as they move forward. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we give You praise for Your steadfast love and faithfulness that reaches to the heavens and is painted across the sky each morning. Amen.

 

© Shannon Elizabeth Grabrick and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

 

Out of His fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. – John 1:16

Faithful Love

Lord, Your faithful love reaches to the sky. Your faithfulness is as high as the clouds. – (Psalm 36:5, ERV)

Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens; Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. – (Psalm 36:5, NLT)

Your steadfast love, O Lord, is as great as all the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. – (Psalm 36:5, TLB)

 

It is with great joy and an overflowing heart, that I can testify of God’s great faithfulness in my own life. For far too many years, I existed in a world where “love” had conditions and the price was losing much of who I was, and hiding who I was meant to be. After making the agonizing decision to get out of that which was destroying me and detrimental to my boys, I began to learn just how faithful the Lord’s love is for me, personally. I rediscovered my passion, drive, and my voice, and began to discover the depth and breadth of His love and care, as I sought Him in all things. About a year and a half ago, I was visiting with my best friend out on her deck, when she got a text message back from an old friend in response to a mechanical question that she had asked him earlier. Polite, casual conversation, soon turned to his curiosity as to who I was, and whether or not I was single. Her response was, “Not for you.” The banter back and forth that continued that evening between the three of us led to him asking my permission to message me. I verified with my dear friend the safety of doing so, and the rest is history. Last evening, as we gathered with great friends for a Bunco night, my Viking surprised everyone with his sweet proposal, right there, as we were taking a break between rounds. My heart can hardly contain the joy and excitement for the life that we are learning to build together as we spend as much time as we are able as a to-be family of five. The Lord is faithful beyond what we could hope or imagine and we must choose to trust in the power of His perfect love.

 

The Lord’s faithfulness, 

Goes beyond what’s seen;

We must simply trust,

The time in between.

Though trust is scary,

To hold what’s unseen;

Love beyond measure,

As God intervenes.

So great is His love,

And that which He gives;

His faithful blessings,

All trust as we live.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for the incredible faithfulness of Your great love, and how You hold us in Your hands. Thank You that You pick us up, dust us off, and heal the wounded places to prepare us to receive so much more than we ever would have thought possible. Forgive us for our fearfulness and lack of trust when we cannot see Your hand. Teach us to trust You more, as You are faithful forever, and have great things in store for those who follow after You. Thank You for the incredible gift of this man that You brought into my life when I had no intention to risk love again. Thank You for showing me Your heart in new ways through the love that I receive. Show us how to give love that demonstrates Your faithfulness in ways that encourage and touch hearts most. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we give You all praise for Your faithful loving ways forever. Amen.

 

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

 

When times are good, be happy. – Ecclesiastes 7:14

Love that’s Better than Life

Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise You! – (Psalm 63:3, NLT)

Your faithful love is better than life, so my lips praise You. – (Psalm 63:3, ERV)

Your steadfast love is better than life itself, so my lips will give You all my praise. – (Psalm 63:3, VOICE)

 

God’s love is what gives us life and breath and purpose in our being. Without Him and receiving His love, existence would be void of the light and life that we were created to know. Because the love of God is steadfast and will not waiver based on what we do or do not do, we have reason to give Him praise for all of our days. Unconditional love is the greatest love we will ever know, and when we receive it for ourselves, we hold fast to this life-sustaining goodness that stirs up a desire within us to give God our praise. May we ever seek the Lord and receive the love that He readily offers, as His love provides purpose and reason to give Him praise.

 

The love of the Lord, 

Is steadfast and true;

It’s better than life,

As it makes us new.

Because of His love,

I will ever praise;

The God of all grace,

For all of my days.

His love never fails,

Though we always do;

God’s mercy and grace,

Always see us through.

 

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your unfailing love is better than life itself. Thank You that Your love is our reason to praise You. Thank You that Your love gives us light and life and hope and reason for being. Forgive us for not trusting Your love to be true for us, or for not giving proper praise to You, where ALL praise is due. Teach us to trust You more, so that we would receive what You freely offer and give You all the glory. Show us how to love those around us in such a way, that they may see Your goodness and grace through our words and deeds. May many come into a lasting relationship with You. Be glorified O God, as we receive Your faithful love and give You praise forever. Amen.

 

© Shannon Elizabeth Moreno and Revelations in Writing, May 2011 – present

 

When times are good, be happy. – Ecclesiastes 7:14