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

Hallelujah!

The Lord is Risen! He is Risen indeed!

The Cross

"Christ Jesus came to earth for one reason - - to give His life as a ransom for you, for me, for all of us. He sacrificed Himself to give us a second chance. He would have gone to any lengths to do so. And He did! He went to the cross, where man's utter despair collided with God's unbending grace. And in that moment when God's great gift was complete, the compassionate Christ showed the world the cost of His gift." (from Max Lucado's book The Gift for All People)

GRACE

Lent has provided us time to empty our souls of the unnecessary so that we might be filled with the essential. In the moments when we found ourselves most barren, we discovered what Edna Hong called "a passionately felt need for grace." Philip Yancey's book, What's So Amazing About Grace, ends, "When grace descends, the world falls silent before it." Holy Father ~ We come to You full of the world and empty! Our human hearts cannot offer Perfect Love. Our finite minds cannot comprehend Eternal Glory. Our barren souls cannot know Everlasting Peace. Father, reveal our needs. Fill our hearts with Your Desires. Fill our minds with Your Wisdom. Fill our souls with Your Joy. In Your Holy presence, when grace descends ~ let us fall silent! "Let it be to me according to Your word."** Amen. ~dho (**Luke 1:38)

In the Temple

Meister Eckhart (1260-1327) wrote The temple God wants to be master of is the human soul, which he created and fashioned just like himself. We read that God said, “Let us make man in our own image.” . . . He made each soul so much like himself that nothing else in heaven or on earth resembles him as much. . . God wants the temple to be pure, so pure that nothing should dwell there except he himself. And that is the reason why he is so pleased when we really prepare our souls for him.

“Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who were buying and selling there.”
Matthew 21:12

Eckhart continued If Jesus is to speak and be heard the soul must be alone and quiet. And what does Jesus say when the soul has been cleared? . . . He reveals the Father’s majesty with unmeasured power.

“When Jesus entered Jerusalem, all the city was filled with excitement. The people asked, “Who is this man?’
The crowd said, “This man is Jesus, the prophet from the town of Nazareth in Galilee.” Matthew 21:10-11 (NCV)

As Holy Week begins, allow Jesus to enter the temple, clear the soul. Listen for the Father’s majesty with unmeasured power. ~dho

Breathe

© dho/2004

Prayer is the breath of life to our soul. ~ Mother Teresa

Keeper of the lions

Daniel 6:16 . . . The king said to Daniel, "May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!" King Darius cast Daniel into the lion's den, knowing that Daniel's only hope was with the God whom you serve. Even a doubting, egotistical king was overcome with remorse when his decree revealed Daniel still chose God and must be punished for breaking the rules. There is comfort in Daniel choosing God, taking a risk; there is comfort in the king getting a second chance, choosing God.

The story is familiar. Daniel had been found kneeling in prayer, thanking and praising his God. The conspirators found him praying, asking God for help. They went to the king reminding him of his royal decree forbidding anyone to pray to any god except the king for thirty days. The punishment was to be thrown into the loins' den. The king had found favor with Daniel and was distressed to learn that he was who they were reporting. At this, the king was very upset and tried his best to get Daniel out of the fix . . . He worked at it the whole day long. But the conspirators were back, "Remember . . .the king's decree!" The king . . . ordered Daniel thrown into the lions' den. But he said to Daniel, "Your God, to whom you are so loyal, is going to get you out of this. The king could not eat, could not sleep.

Daniel was protected and the king rejoiced. Verse 23 says Daniel was saved because He had trusted his God. Continuing on with verses 24-27 The king commanded that the conspirators who had informed on Daniel be thrown into the lions' den, along with their wives and children. Before they hit the floor, the lions had them in their jaws, tearing them to pieces. King Darius published this proclalmation to every race, color and creed on earth:
Peace to you! Abundant peace!
I decree that Daniel's God shall be worshiped and feared in all parts of my kingdom.
He is the living God, world without end.
His kingdom never falls.
His rule continues eternally.
He is a savior and rescuer.
He performs astonishing miracles in heaven and on earth.
He saved Daniel from the power of the lions. ~ from Daniel 6 in the Message

There is comfort in knowing that the God we worship and love and praise, reaches down in difficult times and rescues us from those who desire us to fail. He uses our Christian witness - our confessions of mistakes, our commitment of faith and our choices - to influence others. I know that conspirators manipulate truth and that evil seeks destruction. But even better - I know God - a living God, who never falls, a savior and rescuer,who performs astonishing miracles. God saves us from the lions! And in our worst moments, when we let ourselves get in the way - He reveals Himself to us through others, provides us with a chance for forgiveness and redemption. What a Mighty God!

Keeper of the lions!

Mighty God -
I come to You on my knees with a contrite heart. How is it that You choose to love me so much? How is it that You rescue me even when I allow evil to permeate my heart? How is it that you give me second chances when I fall? I know it is easy to blame the conspirators and fear the lions. It is harder to see the manipulation and harder to trust the lions' den. Make me like Daniel, willing to risk all that I have for You. Rescue me when I fall victim to evil. Save me from the lions! And when I am more like Darius, swayed by my own pursuits, let me see You in another's actions, hear You in another's words. Let me feel Your presence in my unsettled heart. My hope rests in a Mighty God who loves me. I trust in a Living God that rescues my heart from the deeds of evil, that saves me from the lions. Praise prayers call to You from the deepest places within my soul - Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Holy Spirit, come and dwell in me. Be my Abundant Peace. I ask this in the name of Jesus, Son of the Everlasting Father, Maker of heaven and earth. Amen. ~dho

He gives a greater grace . . . James 4:6 (msg)