Home Sweet Home

It's great to be back.

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Preperation and Answers are from the Lord

Recently, I've been really blessed by a couple verses in Proverbs chapter 16:

(1) The preparation of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the LORD.
(3) Commit thy works unto the LORD, and thy thoughts shall be established.

In the mornings here, we have a routine of gathering in groups of 2 or 3 and praying for each other and ATI families. I asked the young lady I prayed with today that she would pray for God to bless me with His wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Although these are virtues I hope I grow in my entire life, I saw God acknowledge that prayer later in the morning, as He gave me the opportunity to put into practice things He's been teaching me by crossing my paths with a woman who had a lot of questions about salvation, Heaven, and the sin nature. I am so grateful for the Bible during conversations like that, because God almost always brings to mind verses and precepts from Scripture that directly apply to the topic at hand. I thank the Lord that His strength is made perfect in my weakness, and that He has promised His Word will not return unto Him void, but will accomplish what He pleases and prosper where He sends it. [See Isaiah 55:11]

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Bible Bee Nationals

Some of you may be aware of the growing excitement over what's going on in Washington D.C. this week: a great gathering of people from all over the nation coming together to participate in the Bible Bee Nationals! I am so inspired by the diligence and perseverance shown in their memorizing, and look forward to watching some of the live webcast here! Let's keep the contestants in prayer, especially that God would bless them in their love for the Word of God!

*Update*

Congratulations, Daniel Staddon, for winning 1st place!!

"Thy word have I hid in mine heart,
that I might not sin against thee."
Psalm 119:11

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David Prays

Prayer is really a beautiful thing. I am so grateful that I can come to the Lord about anything, at any time, anywhere. I cherish the time alone I get to truly commune with God, and have quickly learned that I need that time daily! I know instantly whenever I become troubled about something, that I just need to go to God about it, and I will find a peace and rest in that place that nothing else can provide.

Last night I came across a prayer in I Chronicles 29 that was so eloquent and so beautiful, and quickly pulled out from my heart a deep gratitude and admiration for God! It was prayed by David in front of a whole congregation before making his son, Solomon, the king:

Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory,
and the victory, and the majesty:
for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine;
thine is the kingdom, O LORD,
and thou art exalted as head above all.
Both riches and honor come of thee,
and thou reignest over all;
and in thine hand is power and might;
and in thine hand it is to make great,
and to give strength unto all.
Now therefore, our God, we thank thee,
and praise thy glorious name.

¹⁴But who am I, and what is my people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort? for all things come of thee, and of thine own have we given thee.
¹⁵For we are strangers before thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding.
¹⁶O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.
¹⁷I know also, my God, that thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness. As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered all these things: and now have I seen with joy thy people, which are present here, to offer willingly unto thee.
¹⁸O LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, our fathers, keep this for ever in the imagination of the thoughts of the heart of thy people, and prepare their heart unto thee:
¹⁹And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep thy commandments, thy testimonies, and thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to build the palace, for the which I have made provision.
²⁰And David said to all the congregation, Now bless the LORD your God. And all the congregation blessed the LORD God of their fathers, and bowed down their heads, and worshipped the LORD, and the king.

Trust in him at all times;
ye people, pour out your heart before him:
God is a refuge for us.
Selah.
Psalm 62:8

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God is Sovereign

A couple weeks ago, Dad, Mom, and Jewel were able to visit me in Chicago. Our time together was short, but it was so good to be able to see each other again! During their stay, we took the opportunity to visit Sears Tower, which is located downtown Chicago. From the sky deck, which is 1,353 feet high, you can see 40-50 miles around on a clear day, and on the 103rd floor, there are 4 glass boxes you can walk into that extend almost 4 feet out from the wall and over the street! It was an amazing experience to go there, and the Lord really blessed our time together. We had no trouble getting to the tower (even though all we knew is it was "somewhere downtown"!) and it was the absolute perfect time of day to go: right when the sun was displaying a beautiful array of colors as it was setting, and the many, many lights of the city were shining bright.

While I was up there, I couldn't help but remember how vainly the tower of Babel was built; how man's greatest achievements are no greater than dust in the hands of our God-- which really is a comforting thought! Nothing we could possibly put our hands to-- no success, no mistake-- is greater than God's ability to manage it, and to be in complete control.

Whether His will be the supporting and building up of an effort we make, or the tearing down, it is God which worketh in us, both to will and do of His good pleasure (Philippians 2:13) and "I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him." (Ecclesiastes 3:14)

God is Sovereign.

I looked up the meaning of sovereign in the dictionary today to greater understand the meaning, and came across these definitions:

1. belonging to or characteristic of a sovereign or sovereignty; royal.

2. having supreme rank, power, or authority.

3. supreme; preeminent; indisputable: a sovereign right.

4. greatest in degree; utmost or extreme.

5. being above all others in character, importance, excellence, etc.

6. efficacious; potent: a sovereign remedy.

And he hath on His vesture
and on his thigh a name written,
KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

Revelation 19:16

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