He Heard My Voice

I love the Lord,

for he heard my voice;

he heard my cry for mercy.

Because he turned his ear to me, 

I will call on him as long as I live.

Psalm 116:1-2

~

"How does the Lord turn His ear to me?", one might ask.

The ways are countless and the occurrences numerous. Perhaps such 

would be seen in the kindness offered by a passing stranger, in the assurance heard in sacred 

hymns and songs of praise, in the scripture passage that shines brighter than every other word 

on the page, in the mental image that suddenly emerges {from where, you may wonder},  

or in the words of surprising wisdom from a child or your loved one. He has been refining 

your attentiveness to these mercies ever since his spirit first entered your heart. Remain alert. 

Engage the Lord's presence through prayerful intent throughout your days. Notice how He 

turns His ear to your praise and faithfulness.

~

Today's photo is shared with the writers over at 

Still Saturday and The Sunday Community. 

Their buttons are below. 

Select one and click to wander among the beautiful images and sacred verses shared over there.

September Learning

September, a month traditionally associated with learning, did not disappoint.

School agers, educators, grad students, continuing ed adults, ballet, piano, even fall Bible study classes; nation wide, students of every phase and form, returned to endeavors of gathering knowledge. 

And then there are also those life long pursuits of deeper understanding and those serendipitous new ahas! that spark our daily lives.

Hence, this community of writers gathers over at Chatting at the Sky to rattle off what we’ve learned, some pearls of wisdom, or just plain whimsy that tickled our brains this month. Below, my notes on new wisdom and whimsy...

THE WISDOM:

I watched...

Seriously, with great admiration and learned the magnitude of courage, sacrifice, intellectual warfare, and God sustained determination that accompanied President LINCOLN’s passage of the thirteenth amendment that abolished slavery in our nation. I know this stunning movie  debuted last fall but its bound to be a classic worthy of every American’s attention.

I studied...

GIDEON, a moving Bible study that portrays human weakness as key designed to open something God has in mind specifically for you. Our weakness is meant to unleash the strength of God in our lives. Our weakness is the key God uses to unlock the door to His power. Gideon is written by Priscilla Shirer.

I read...

“...that when you pray, you are not starting the conversation from scratch, just remembering to plug back into a conversation that’s always in progress.” Anne Lamott, 

THE WHIMSY:

Husband taught me...

about Any List an app on our phones that allows us to share our grocery list. So honey does this mean you’re going to the grocery store?

Finally found the answer to...

Why God Made a Dog I promise, these photos and poem will make you smile.

And...
there was surprising personal learning that burst all around me during recent travels, and there was learning offered humbly through the stories of people whom I’m in prayer with, and there is learning that falls like rain as I walk in the morning.

This learning thing, its really very closely aligned with blessings. There is SO MUCH that comes our way that shapes our character, corrects our narrowness, expands our horizons, clarifies our insight; all that certainly qualifies as God’s good grace and blessing.
                                                              ~

Are curious about previous LEARNING posts? Just for grins here's the lists for July and August.