Life is so fleeting, so temporary but what a wonderful gift from God. Death comes to and must be embraced even as we continue to live on this Earth.

I hear about all the weather-related death and destruction and my heart feels heavy. Yet, I get busy organizing our school room and clearing out clutter.

Grandmother's health is declining more quickly than we expected and I feel like weeping. Yet, I stay on task, organizing closets and tallying fall wardrobes.

I pray that my Heavenly Father will watch over me and guide me as I navigate thias place between life and death. In fact, every day that I live is one between my earthly life and the death of my flesh. Thank you God for giving me one more day on this Earth to please you.

Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?" declares the LORD. "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word. Isaiah 66:2 (NIV)

Our Sovereign Lord, the Creator of all things, tells His people through the prophet Isaiah what He wants from His people. He is looking for one is humble and penitent and who obeys His word. As I was reading this passage, God laid on my heart how these concepts all work together. If I am humble and contrite, I will respect God’s word and live by it. In humility, I admit that God’s word is correct and my ways are not. I must truly humble myself before the Lord to give Him the obedience that He requires of me. Also, by reading and meditating on God’s word, I will come to appreciate the importance of humility in righteous living. If I heed His word and seek to become as He wants me to become, I must become a humble and repentant woman in all of my interactions.

Heavenly Father, Guide my whole life to honor you. That request sounds radical and I guess it is but that is all I want to do is to honor You, walk with You, love You, teach about You and talk about You every waking moment of my life. Any second, any minute any hour not spent in your service glorifying you is surely a wasted moment! Do not let me waste any more moments Lord. From this time on, I give all my time to you. May everything I do or say or think help to bring more of Your Kingdom on earth. Every household task, every meal I make, every conversation and activity, let Your light shine through me. Keep me tethered to You Heavenly Father as I journey in this life, seeking to praise and exalt you and help others live as you would want them to.

How grateful I am to serve a mighty God who will rescue me in my time of trouble! It is hard not to praise him as I reflect on the beauty of his creations, great and small. Troubles will come but God's word tells us to cheer up. We have no need to fear any trouble as long as we fear and obey the Lord. Let us cry unto Him with all of our troubles and our every need. He will answer us and we will continue to praise him while we wait on His response.

Thank you so much God for your incomprehensible love for us. How amazing that you sent your Son, your only Son, to die for us even while we were still sinners. I dedicate my life to showing even  a small portion of the love You have for me to others.

 Thank you God for giving me the strength to make it up every mountain and past every obstacle. I will rise higher for you, Lord, and reach the Heavenly heights that you have prepared for me. I praise you for showing me your strength through my weakness.  Even when I can not go on, You can and you will guide my every step. Thank you Lord for knowing where I need to go and never leaving me as I set out on my journey.

Amen.

Heavenly Father, All praises, glory and honor are yours now and forever! How grateful I am that you chosen me to become fruitful and glorify your name! Help me to bear only good fruit in accordance to all that you have given me. Help me to prepare the fruit of my womb, the children you have entrusted me with, for eternal life with you. The fruit of our family legacy will truly last for all time and be a testament to your goodness. Thank you for today God!

"Fear not" or one of its variations is found many times throughout the Bible. Why? Well, I sure know why! I for one, like the rest of us fleshly mortals, am very prone to become afraid and to let fear get the best of me. Because of my limited understanding of the vast workings of God's world and lack of knowledge of exactly how my future will be, I get scared. Scared of not having enough, scared of not being enough. Scared that in the end I may be truly alone and helpless and know not what to do or how to act.

When the fear comes (as the divinely-inspired Bible writers knew it would), I feel comforted by resting in the promises of our Lord who has reminded His servants through the ages to "Fear not".  Why are we not to fear? Because God is with us. He is with us through every trial and in every dark place. He is with us in the lowest valleys and in the sickest pain. He is always with us and because of His steadfast presence, we can fear not. He has not only redeemed us but He calls us by name! What a joy that fear may come but we do not have to live in fear. Praises to our Lord who did not create us to live in a spirit of fear! Thank you God for your everlasting, comforting presence. Because of You and You only, I will "Fear not". 

Dear Lord, Thank you for your faithfulness in providing us with eternal hope. Thank you for your faithfulness in providing for us even when we feel we feel we do not have the strength to persevere. For we realize that we find our strength through you and you alone and you will renew us again and again and again. With you as our wind Oh Lord, we will soar on wings like eagles. All glory to God in the highest!

Dear Lord,

Take away all the layers of my heart that are covering up who I truly am. Remove every false self I have constructed as a result of the hurt and pain in my life so that I might better serve you O God. Continue to reveal to me who I am in Christ and who you created me to be. I submit my life with all of its layers unto you Lord. Eliminate anything that would come between me and your will for my life. I look forward to living the rest of my life as you intend me to live it. As I go through the sometimes difficult process of becoming a new creation in You, help me to persevere and remain faithful to you. May I never cease to praise your holy and glorious name that You will be exalted forever. Hosanna in the highest!

Hallelujah, Amen!

 Psalm 123: 1-4 (NKJV)

As I am facing a difficult situation today, Lord, help me to ever keep my eyes upward, focused only on you and your mercy. Though I may be treated with contempt and scorn, help me to wait patiently for you to act on my behalf.  Lead me not into haste but help me to always proceed calmly and with wise counsel.  Life is filled with ups and downs, times of easy living and more difficult times.  Keep me on an even keel through all situations. I will ride over hills and through valleys easily and surely with you as my guide. I love you Lord and worship you and only you.  You are my Almighty Savior and you are most worthy to be praised.  Hallelujah, hallelujah!

In Jesus name I pray.

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.

My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber.

Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is thy keeper: the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.

The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul.

The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

(Psalm 121 KJV)

Dearest Heavenly Father, you are indeed the Lord of heaven and earth and the keeper of all my ways.   I know from whom my help comes and I endeavor to keep my eyes upon you at all times, in every circumstance.  I am weak Lord, I need to sleep but you are ever watchful of me and my situation and you will never let me perish. No matter where I go or what I do, you are with me and you alone are my protection.  Evil forces can not rule me for you are my preservation.

As I begin my homeschooling journey, I know that I will face oppostion.  I shall not fear, for you will be with me and my family, my Lord and Savior.  Protect us from all forces that would seek to have us prematurely terminate our homeschooling journey.  Keep us strong in you, Lord as we seek your protection always.

Thank you for your divine protection Lord.

Dear Lord,

I thank you and praise you for all of your wondrous deeds.  You are All-Powerful and All-Merciful and I bow to your will at all times.  Prepare my heart and my mind, Lord, to educate my children at home.  I know that this is a big step but I also know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  You do not call me to perform duties that you do not equip me for. Keep my eyes focused upon you Lord as I prepare my home and my family for the journey of homeschooling.  May I continually seek your face in all that I do as a homeschool mom.

In Jesus name I pray.

Dearest Heavenly Father, I thank you and praise you and your Holy Name. You are Holy and the fountain of all Holiness, worthy to be worshiped.  Father, you are my shelter and my rock and my sole source of provision.  Remind me to look to you and only to you at all times and in all circumstances.  Where else can I go for all that I need?  Where else can I find the advice that I need, the advice that will sustain me, prosper me and not harm me?

Lord, as I begin my homeschooling journey, never let me forget that homeschooling is all about you.  I homeschool because of your mandate to do so.  I am your obedient servant, your daughter who loves you and lives to serve you.  As I gaze upon my precious children whom you have entrusted to my care, I am in awe of your love for all of us.  Thank you for loving me so much that you trust me with your creations, made in your image on purpose, and bought into this world as helpless, innocent children.  Fill my heart with your grace, love and forgiveness that I may parent my children as you parent me, Heavenly Father.

Our family's homeschooling journey will no doubt be filled with hills and valleys but help us to see the blessings in each circumstance that you send our way. Give us the perseverance, courage and wisdom to educate our children at home.

In Jesus name I pray.