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Quotes from Psalm 23: The Song of a Passionate Heart

Here is a poem that David Roper shared.

“Isn’t it odd

That a being like God

Who sees the facade

Still loves the clod

He made out of sod?

Now isn’t that odd?   Unknown writer

I have never understood why God loves someone like me. I try hard to do what is right but I get frustrated and say something that might hurt the other person’s feelings. I told my co-worker to select her next video to listen to and stop using her phone. She replied, “Why?” She caught me by surprise because our employer is starting a ban on phones on the floor next week. This week was a grace period. So, I am required to remind them. I replied,”That’s a stupid question.” I added “You are not stupid. I know that you are a smart person. The question was stupid only.” I think there was a better way to handle her response. But, she puzzles me with her odd responses sometimes.

“Solitude begins with a time and place for God, and him alone. If we really believe not only that God exists, but that he is actively present in our lives-healing, teaching, and guiding-we need to set aside a time and space to give him our undivided attention.” Henri Nouwen

I need to do this. I read a daily devotional as part of my breakfast but I usually have a YouTube video playing in the background.

“God lets us fall not to shame us, but to assure us that though we are guilty, vile, and helpless we are deeply loved by God. God’s love in the face of our wickedness is what awakens us to humility and contrition.” (Pg. 84)

Here is my favorite quote from this book. “As we draw closer to Him-walking with Him, talking to Him, listening to His words,relying on Him, asking for His help-His character begins to rub off on us. Quietly and unobtrusively His influence softens our wills, making us thirsty for righteousness, inclining us to do His pleasure, restraining our passions, keeping us from evil, making us ashamed of evil, giving us the courage to choose what is good. In His quiet love He takes all that’s unworthy in us and gradually turns it into something worthwhile for Him.” (Pgs 94-95)

Dear God, please do this for me. I want to grow closer to you like a plant leans towards the sun. Yet, I fail to spend time with you. Sure, I pray to you while I drive to work and read a devotional during breakfast. But, I usually have a YouTube video playing while I try to comprehend what I am reading. Sometimes, it makes me think. Other times, I forget it all before I finish breakfast. Please forgive my failings and use the moments when I manage to stumble in the right direction. Amen.

I found this book at my church. A fellow church member died and someone brought some of her books for us to take if we wanted. I wrote,”gifted in memory of Sharon Ann Wood(3/4/1943-7/5/2026)” and put it into a little free library near a local church. I hope the book blesses others.

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Come closer quotes

I have some quotes from Come Closer by Jane Rubietta.

“This healing required attending support groups every week for years, studying and living in the connection between soul growth and emotional health, and choosing day after day to do the hard work of trusting, talking, feeling. It meant tending to the wounds as they occurred rather than allowing them to fester, and always, always, it meant putting my relationship with Christ first. ” Pg. 64

I have attended support groups and learned how to work through my hurts and pains. I believe that God uses the people in our lives to heal and nurture us.

“Part of catching up is figuring out how our paralysis benefits us. For instance, if you were paralyzed at emotional adolescence, and now when you blow up in anger, you get your way or get attention or get left alone, how does this get you what you really want? How can you discern your real and legitimate needs and longings, and get them met in adult-appropriate, Christlike ways?” Pg.67

“How will you cooperate with the healing Christ comes to bring you? Will it be exercising forgiveness? Visiting a doctor? Accountability with addictions? A support group or counseling or mentoring or a wise listening partner?

It’s never too late to become whole, never too late to receive the healing Jesus lives to offer. ‘I will come and heal you,’ Jesus says to us, as he said to the centurion about the servant.” Pg.72

“Through the power of the Holy Spirit, God uses failed, flawed, fallen people to effect change in this world. Never lose the wonder of being just that type of woman-a woman who has failed and been forgiven, though flawed is being repaired, though fallen and has been picked up, who knows that God is impacting others through her ordinary days.” Pg. 120

She also has some great poetry that I am not listing here.

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Making a difference

Here is a quote from Holy Moments by Matthew Kelley

“One day, when God invites us into His library to read His history books, we will see that it is so…”

“…On that day we will discover that seemingly insignificant acts, the smallest acts of kindness, unnoticed acts of generosity, set in motion a series of events that altered the whole course of human history ”

Another quote from the same book. “I grew up in Australia and before my first trip to Europe, my spiritual mentor took me aside one day and said,’Promise me you will never forget what I am about to tell you. You will only ever see less than one percent of the impact you have on people’s lives. Reflect on that whenever you get discouraged.'” (pg. 106)

“Sociologists tell us that even the most introverted individual will influence ten thousand other people during his or her lifetime!” Developing the Leader Within You by John C. Maxwell

Here is a Forbe’s article mentioning this claim.

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Almost everything

What makes you nervous?

What makes my heart rate go up?

Driving. I am scared of changing lanes right in front of someone that I didn’t see in my blind spot. Or pulling out in front of someone in my other blind spot. Getting distracted by something further down the street or a big truck near me and failing to respond to something else. When I drove in poorly plowed snowy roads, my Fitbit registered it as exercise.

a person holding a steering wheel
Photo by Keenan Constance on Pexels.com

In my dreams, I try driving while my lower body is stuck in the back seat. The car goes faster and faster but I can only steer the car.

I am scared of confrontation. I talked to my boss about my application for a lead position and my desire to make 20 dollars an hour. I ended up crying. I can’t remember if my heart rate went up or not. My Fitbit didn’t register and zone minutes around that time.

side view of two women s face
Photo by Anna Giorgia Zambrelli on Pexels.com

I am also scared of heights and high speeds.

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Poll worker

What job would you do for free?

I became a poll worker in 2020. Now, I volunteer a few days a year to help run the polls. I do this job as a way to help my community.

My city helped each other after the Christmas Parade tragedy. I have seen news articles about people donating stuff to people who had a house fire.

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Amazing Grace

The hymn titled “Amazing Grace” was written by John Newton (1725-1807). After serving in the Royal Navy, Newton entered the slave trade. He worked as a captain of a slave trade ship. He saw with his own eyes the harsh treatment that the African slaves were experiencing. In 1748, Newton cried out to God while on his ship in the midst of a storm. He continued in the slave trade until 1754.  Ten years later, he was ordained in the Church of England. Newton wrote this hymn to illustrate a sermon on New Year’s Day in 1773. Here are the lyrics.

Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found; was blind, but now I see.

Twas grace that taught my heart to fear, and grace my fears relieved; how precious did that grace appear the hour I first believed!

Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come; tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me; his word my hope secures; he will my shield and portion be as long as life endures.

When we’ve been there ten thousand years, bright shining as the sun, we’ve no less days to sing God’s praise than when we’d first begun.

In 1788, Newton wrote Thoughts upon the African Slave Trade. Here is a quote from that book. “I hope it will always be a subject of humiliating reflection to me, that I was once an active instrument in a business at which my heart now shudders.”

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Gratitude quotes

As I have been working on my daily photo challenge for the American Cancer Society, I have been photographing things that represent what I am thankful for.

I have a calendar that lists a variety of unheard of holidays for each day of the year. Today has worship of tools day in the list. So, I googled it. According to Google’s AI, tools day is a reminder to take care of your tools. So today, I am thankful for the people who invented tools. I especially appreciate a magnetized Philip screw driver. The screw that holds the ground wires are on the back of the box with plenty of insulated wires in my way at work. So, I bought a new magnetized screw driver for it. My employer’s new screw driver couldn’t even hold the screw up long enough for me to reach the hole.

“Gratitude is the ability to experience life as a gift. It liberates us from the prison of self-preoccupation.” John Orberg

“Glad that I live am I:

That the sky is blue;

Glad for the country lanes,

And the fall of dew.  “A Little Song of Life,” Stanza 1 Lizette Reese (1856-1935)

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Family and Friends

I posted two pictures on Facebook earlier this week as part of the photo a day challenge for the American Cancer Society.

This one is the one that represents family to me. My mom bought me the cat reading a book for Christmas one year. The second is a character that I made at Legoland while visiting my brother’s family in Florida.

This picture represents my friends. The two cats are from a work friend. The painted rock is from a rock collecting friend a few blocks from me.

I am thankful for my family and friends. I am sorry for not expressing or showing that often.

“In a workshop recently, I asked the group to put together a list of the ten aspects of life that mattered most. This is what they came up with: Health, Marriage and Family, Work, Spirituality, Home Life, Finances, Friendships, Recreation, Community, and Personal Growth.” Holy Moments by Matthew W. Kelly

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Middle East prayer

God, please guide the leaders of the US, Israel, Iran, other middle East nations, Europe and any other nation involved with this war. I know that some travellers have got stuck in the Middle East due to the closures of air space. Help those travellers to get home. Protect civilians as this war continues.

I want to ask You to bring our troops home safely but I think I should pray for the well being of all combatants. They are all fighting because it is what our governments have ordered them to do. In other circumstances, they could be friends. War sucks for everyone involved.

Please reassure everyone involved in this war that you are with them. Please bring peace to the Middle East. I just want the suffering to end. Amen.

One Lira from Israel
Half Lira from Israel

I collect coins from foreign countries. I like to be able to hold things from all over the world.

5 Rials from Iran

This is my next entry in the photo a day challenge for the American Cancer Society. Yesterday’s photos were a thanksgiving for being taught to read.