Psalm 25:5/Lead Me In Thy Truth

Spencer Goodwin & Joshua after senior graduation

Good morning, dear readers,

King David writes:

"Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day."

How many of us feel we've done way too much, "on thee do I wait all the day"?

We've waited, and waited, and waited for God to do something? To change our circumstances? I know all too well that state of being. I thought I would go insane for the wait, for I was not strong in the patience department.

God took me to the edge and, before I fell, He caught me and changed my situation. Therefore, I grew into a stronger believer of Him.

After Joshua died, we had to live in the house where he died four more years. I'm serious when I say, I almost didn't make it.

Looking back, though, God wouldn't have allowed me to perish. God loves me. He knew all along for the most part I wanted to please Him. He saw that. He honored that, but He wanted more from me and for me.

In your unique situation are you lamenting about how much longer this will go on? Please dear reader, know God is waiting to catch you as you fall.

Do you know why it has to come to this?

Because, we don't need God enough. God wants us to depend upon Him for everything. Honest. Read the Bible and find verses where God says He's a jealous God, and He will have no other gods to be in competition with.

He said it.

He means it.

We best believe it.

The first part of the verse above is a good start. We need to ask God to teach us. Can you say that in a prayer to God?

Father God, holy One, creator of heaven and earth, we long to know You better. Help us to reach for Your Word, the Bible, and read what it is You want to teach us. In Jesus' holy name, I ask. Amen.

Until next time . . . read God's Word.

Psalm 24:1/The Earth is the Lord's

Joshua age nine at Lopez Lake, Arroyo Grande, CA 

Good morning dear readers,

King David says this:

"The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein."

Here it is in black and white. We belong to God. If we belong to God, we need to check in with Him on decisions. Do you think?

I am notorious for getting myself in a knot, fretting about this or that. Then, I slap my forehead, "Oh, yeah, I don't have to do this alone. Ask God." Then, I pray. Just a simple talking prayer. God always listens and I get my answers.

Don't believe folks who say God doesn't have time for even the simple requests. Just quote the above verse, and tell them, "Yes, He does."

When we lose a child to suicide. When we lose a loved one by any means. When we lose our health, isn't it hard to remember that God is here?

God listens.

God cares.

You better believe it.

This is where faith meets the highway. Our faith, God's highway.

Let's decide today to be more diligent to give God all of ourselves to Him and ride on His wings of Love, Peace, Trust. We can do this, even in the midst of the storm and battle below us, around us, and within us.

God bless you, dear readers!

Father in heaven, thank You for sending Your Son to die on a tree and lifting Him back to You, so that we may have eternal life. It is for us to choose Jesus or not. I ask this for my dear readers, who may need to choose You today. In Jesus' holy name. Amen.

Until next time . . . Choose Jesus.

Psalm 23:4/Valley of the Shadow

Joshua, age ten, when he experienced three years of good health in his short life

Good morning, dear readers,

I'm catching up after being away from my desk for a few days.

King David continues his famous Psalm chapter:

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

What does it mean for God's rod and staff to comfort us?

For the sheep herder, he used a staff to guide his sheep. God's guiding us is a comfort to us. We will stay in misery, until we yield ourselves to His perfect will for our lives. It's for our own good, but so often we are our own worse enemy.

Walking through the valley of the shadow can be applied to any situation that has us out of sorts, or any loss which includes death. A loss comes in many forms, and we can be torn apart by them. Death indeed is the harshest, but other losses like our health or a loved one's health can turn our world on its head.

A break in a close relationship is high on the sorrow scale, also.

I encourage all my readers to read God's Word daily to cope and therefore to grow closer to God. We can trust the Lord to teach us well.

The best versions of the Bible are: King James; American Standard; English Standard Version. The 1560 Geneva Bible is one of my favorites. If I doubt or don't understand the Bible version's verse, I go to the Geneva.

All other Bibles have too many problems, and I get this information from years of studies in Bible versions comparisons. But, please don't take my word for it. Search different Bibles and see for yourselves. You can get on e-Sword and compare all the Bible versions side by side. My husband uses this program often for personal studies and for the lessons he teaches.

My prayer for us today:

Lord, please help us to stay connected to You by reading Your Word. Thank You, Holy Father. In Jesus' name, I ask. Amen.

Until next time . . . Research for the best versions of the Bibles. 
 

God's Mercies After Suicide/Preface

photo by James D. Williams

Good afternoon, dear readers,

I'm doing something different today. Below is the Preface of my work-in-progress a book of devotions, God's Mercies After Suicide: Blessings Woven Through a Mother's Heart. This is to show you what I've been working on for the past six months. Currently, I'm sending out a few query letters to agents. Hopefully, I'll have representation for this book. At the bottom of this post, I've included my video interview about suicide loss.

PREFACE

Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old.

Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth,

do you not perceive it?

—Isaiah 43:18-19

I had a dream. I dreamed the nightmare never happened. Our son Joshua never passed on to the hereafter. He married and had children. Then I woke, and knew the dream was only that—a dream. We live with our reality.

I’ve written these devotions for those of you who have shared the deep heartache of a child’s suicide. Through my writing, I believe God wants me to share from my heart to yours, by encouraging you and giving you ways to cope. You can have hope and peace after a suicide. God has helped me and He wants to help you. The loss is horrific, but God is faithful. He brought me through this dark time, and He wants to do the same for you.

A yearning to write this story came five years into my journey of loss. I sensed a dawn of courage within myself, but I haven’t come this far in a blink, nor on my own. Although I knew I’d lose my nerve, only to gain it back time and again before I completed my story, I also knew I’d have the help from Lord God, and the folks He sends my way.

Am I full of courage? Yes! Yes, I shout, with God’s hand upon me.

God, when I falter, I pray You will renew my strength. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Video Interview On Suicide Loss

Psalm/He Restoreth My Soul

Joshua and his friend at the Senior Prom

Good morning, dear readers,


King David says this:

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

I love the part about restoring my soul, but wait, there's so much more to this.

Notice the first two blessings here end in for his name's sake. Have you ever truly thought how God blesses us, but it is for His glory. Not ours.

Our God is a jealous God. He wants ALL of us. Not parts. Not some. All! He expects submission, obedience, and devotion. It's not that He doesn't care about us, but don't misunderstand. God is NOT touchy feely as so many seem to believe. His unconditional love is without feeling. He says He'll do such and such. He does it. He promises eternal life for those who obey His Son's words. Period.

Now don't get in a worry over God not being touchy feely. I'd rather have Him this way. A Holy Being that does exactly what He sets out to accomplish. I can trust His ways. I can depend on Him. I know He'll never leave me. I could leave Him, but He cannot leave me.

God sends human (and animals, too) hands and feet to give us that loving feeling we so long to experience. The hugs. The one on one talks long into the night. Soft fur next to our cheeks.

Throughout the extended months after Joshua's death, I couldn't feel God. I'd see God caring for me through His workers here on earth. I read His Word, the Bible, and knew every word written was inspired by God.

We do have the Comforter, Holy Spirit, to give us personal attention. He guides us in unique-to-us choices, decisions, ways to consider a thing. Jesus said, "He [God] will give you another comforter." (John 14:16) He spoke these words to his disciples before He went into heaven.

Just remember: God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit, they all work as One.

Here's my prayer for us today:

Father, show us more about Your name's sake. Help us to desire to dig deeper in Your holy Word to learn what it is You want for each of us. In Jesus' holy name. Amen.

Until next time . . . remember to serve Lord God.

Psalm 23:2/Green Pastures

Jason, Jami and Joshua Williams

Good morning, dear readers,

King David continues his now famous chapter:

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside the still waters.

When I was three months into my grieving over the loss of my son by suicide, I cried more than I did any other act. I couldn't sleep. I called out to God, asking for help.

My sister-in-law's name came to me, and I called her on the phone. I told her between sobs how exhausted and tired I grew from crying. How I missed Joshua so much I felt nauseated continually.

When I allowed her to speak, she spoke wise words. Something along the lines that I needed to take a break. That I should take daytime naps, while Jim was at work. Get some good books and read.

After I hung up with her, I realized, she had given me permission to rest awhile.

God made me lie down in soft green (the color of calm and soothing) pastures (my bed); he allowed me to read wholesome books (still waters in my brain), which I supplemented to my daily Bible studies.

What was odd, is that I didn't realize I had picked books which had a significant take away message. I reread all of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books. The characters had heartaches and struggles and fears, just like mine. Laura even lost a son, after she married Almanzo. I read those books through fresh eyes.

God is soooo good. Faithful. He heard my cry. He sent someone to help me, and she was the perfect fit for what I needed to hear. I love her all the more for her act of kindness.

Who does Lord God want you to call?

Here's a tip first. Always cry out to God before hand. Do not take this problem on yourself. Ask the all knowing Father and He will tell you who to contact.

Here's my prayer for us today:

Lord, please help us to rely upon Your Holy Spirit more and more. In Jesus' holy name, I ask. Amen.

Until next time . . . Ask and listen, then respond.

Psalm 23:1/I Shall Not Want

Joshua in front, with some of his friends from The Crew

Good morning dear readers,

Here's the first verse of King David's famous chapter:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

For years I didn't understand what shall not want meant.  I researched it and found it means: He is always available.

That is a most comforting thought, isn't it. No matter our troubles, God is ready, waiting, and willing to meet our needs. There is nothing on this earth that can do that for us and be a loving experience.

We can reach for the bottle, like I was tempted to do after my son died. We can lock ourselves away from the world, read dozens of books that help us not at all, we can bury our heads in the proverbial sand. It may makes us feel safe for the moment, but it can not give us the help and growth that only Lord God is able to give.

God is my shepherd. That means when we ask for help, He knows just what we need at that moment. He'll show us, if we but believe. He'll show us when we read His Word, when we pray, and through people He sends our way.

There is no better way to live, dear readers. I've tried or was tempted to try many wrong choices. They do not work.

Here is my prayer for us today:

Holy Father, we love that You have given us Your Word as a guide to our lives. We are grateful. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Until next time . . . Ask and you shall receive.

Psalm 22:24/When He Cried Unto Him, He Heard

Joshua age eight, second grade

Good morning, dear readers,

King David says this about our grief:

For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from  him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.

Guys, on further research, I discovered that David is prophesying about what was to come of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. God did not despise nor abhorr (be disgusted) Jesus as He hung on that cross and took upon himself the sins of the world. When Jesus cried unto God, the holy Father heard His Son's cries.

God can do no less for His children upon the earth. He just can't. When we cry out to Him, rest assured, He hears. This proves my last post even more that when I was at my most lowest, God heard me. He attended to my needs. He has sent angels, people, and animals to comfort me in my losses. (Yes, animals. When my baby brother Eric died, I talked over the fence to a kind and listening ear of Bubba the donkey.)

God can do no less for you. He will listen to you, also, and there is a but. You must reach out your broken heart and ask.

That's it. Ask.

Can we do it?

Yes, my friends, we can and we must.

Here is my prayer for us today:

Father God, you never, ever cease to amaze us. We need You, whether or not we know it. Thank You, once again, for shedding a brighter light upon Your wonders and how You work. In Jesus' holy name, we are grateful. Amen.

Until next time . . . Cry unto the Lord.

Psalm 22:14/I Am Poured Out Like Water

Joshua age eight Christmas at Grandma and Grand's

Hello dear readers.

King David writes a most interesting verse:

I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.

Now, I'm not saying we know how this feels, because this sounds awful. I am saying though that my body and my heart felt disconnected when Joshua died. The way he died made it much worse, and us holding him when we found him. That makes feeling I am poured out like water, pretty close to how we felt.

Your mind buzzes in total chaos. Your heart does feel like it's melting like hot wax. How? Why? Where is God? Those are the thoughts that chased us for months.

And here's something that has finally made sense to me. Even though I've never doubted He was near, I thought my grieving was so loud that it blocked out God. There was no peace!

What if when God felt furthest from me, He was actually the closest?

What if He acted upon our emergency and sent people? He knew we needed hands and feet to do His work. And fast! We had dozens and dozens of hands and feet carrying us through, helping us get along those first few weeks. Guiding us. Loving us. Holding us. Talking to us.

See? God sent us love in human form. Even though folks started going about their own daily lives, God still sent a person here, a lot of strangers there. New friendships formed. All along, these people did God's will to help carry us in our sad and broken lives.

I challenge you, to think back now. Did what happen to us, with all the people help, could that have happened to you?

Please leave a comment and share your thoughts.

My prayer for us today:

Lord God, finally after almost nine years, I've had a huge breakthrough about where You were in our early grieving years. Thank You for helping me to see the God You are! Please help others, too, see You at work on this earth. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Until next time . . . Trust God.

Psalm 22:1/My God, My God

Our family in 1984, Joshua, Jim, Jami, Jason and Jean

Good morning, dear readers,

King David says this:

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?

How could King David say this to our Lord?

Move foreword many years after and this is what Jesus said, as he hung on the rugged tree,  And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, E-li, E-li, la-ma sa-bach-tha-ni? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46 KJV)

Move two thousand years foreword from Jesus' time, and to March 16, 2004 at 11:35 a.m. and this is what I said, "No Lord, no Lord, why have you left us?" (minutes after Joshua shot himself)

Here are people that cried out to Lord God asking:

Why? 

Why? 

Why? 

I won't presume to understand completely what David and Jesus meant, but I know what I meant. Why did You not, the all powerful God, stop Joshua's death? You could have. If only You would have.

God's answer to me came over the months and years since that day.

God did not abandon us, anymore than he abandon King David who had to run from evil, from where his rightful crown waited for him. God did not abandon Jesus, who willingly died for the sins of the world.

There is evil in the world, dear readers, since Adam and Eve, there is evil, and God gives us free choice to believe in Him or not. King David, Jesus, you and me, we all suffered/suffer from this very fact. Innocent people are hurt by the evil.

But, wait! This is not the end of the stories.

In time, King David rejoiced of being saved from his enemies. Jesus is now making a place for those of us who accept Him as the Savior of the world. You and I can grow to love and cherish our Lord God, even in sorrow, and especially because of sorrow, to be with Him forever in Heaven. Study His Word, the Bible, and answers will come. See the blessings of people that God sends to minister to our needs.

My prayer for us today:

Dear Father, thank You for showing us in times past how David and Jesus felt, and how their lives played out because of their obedience. In Jesus' name, I am grateful. Amen.

Until next time . . . read the Word of God.

Psalm 20:7/Some Trust in Chariots

Joshua age five, showing Daddy how he could split wood

Good morning, dear readers,

King David says this:

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God.

In David's day, chariots and horses were just as important as our vehicles today. I believe what this means is we are not to put our trust in worldly goods, but to always remember the name of Lord God.

When we are shaken to our core with a loss, how much trust we put in goods and how much trust we put in God will be our measuring stick. Another words, where we are spiritually is what we have to draw from in our spiritual bag. I found that true, as I watched myself and others around me after Joshua took his own life.

Some of us did okay. Others did not, and we barely made it through the darkest months. At one point, I was one of those that almost didn't make it. Thank the Lord that all of us in our family are stronger in Christ because of our loss to suicide.

See it doesn't mean we are stuck, or that we can't grow, it means our initial response and the wearing down of the grief over months can take it's toll and we may fall back on relying on goods, like alcohol, drugs, over spending, or any other self-destructive activity.

The things of this world really can fade as scripture teaches. I care less for the desires and strivings I once sought after. The simplest pleasures make me happy. A lone flower in the woods. A stark, rare bird on our elm tree. I relish such joys, because I see God's creation.

Even hanging on too tightly to my remaining children has lessen its grip upon me. I used to fear every ailment they would get after Joshua passed. Everyone must leave this earth some time, I now understand.

I am eagerly awaiting the day I will be with Christ forever in heaven. Until then, I live my life, training myself to be less selfish. What a chore! I'll never attain perfection here on earth, but it keeps me working to be more like Jesus.

As a special treat, I am including my friend's, Cass Wessel, devotion that goes along with my topic today. Click on  Never Far Away to read and enjoy Ms. Wessel's thoughts.

Here is my prayer for us today:

Holy God, we plead with You to help us remember Your name in time of joy and in trouble. Afterward, You send others to share in our joy and give us comfort in time of need. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Psalm 19:14/My Strength

Joshua age thirteen, the last year he played baseball. He was chosen as main pitcher.

Good morning, dear readers,

King David sings this:

Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength, and my redeemer.

Isn't this what we really want? To please Lord God and make Him smile?

I forget that too often, and as I traveled down the exhausting road of loss daily, I grew sick and tired.

Tired of my life. Tired of tears. Tired of missing my son. My mouth spoke grumbling words. My heart turned wooden in my chest. I was not acceptable in the sight of the Lord, so He could not be my strength and my redeemer.

It was only when I grew sick of myself that God's love came into my soul, and I broke away from the chains that bound my spirit. The chains of self pity.

Ah, self pity. That is an Ouch! word isn't it?

I'm sorry to say self pity comes to many of us and it lived in me for months and months. That time was truly my darkest hours. I saw no hope. I felt no joy. I locked myself away from the world and my family, and sulked.

I shudder now, to think of that dark time. I thought I would drown in my own tears and I longed for my heart to stop beating.

What happened to me, you may wondering? My words and the meditation of my heart were not acceptable, and God could not be my strength and my redeemer. I wasted precious months in pitying my circumstances. I suppose it is a natural reaction, but that is a long road to lost when God's gifts to help us are ready and waiting for the taking in our time of need.

When I came to the end of myself, guess what I found? Jesus Christ. He had been with me all along, and I finally allowed Him to embrace me.

My prayer for us today:

Why do You loves us so? You are patient and loving, and we are children of misbehaving. Thank You, Lord, for watching over us even when we are lost. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.

Until next time . . . Seek Him.

Psalm 19:3/Speech Nor Language

        Joshua at age seven in his vest I had made for him for school pictures.


Good morning, dear readers,

King David is still proclaiming the attentive love of God:

There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

I considered those of us who stifle our grief. I think many of us do this in one form or another. My stifling came in bursts of "I must be strong for my husband, daughter, son, grandchildren."

Being strong wasn't always foremost in my heart, but often enough that it nearly destroyed me. I should have taken more time to allow the icky feelings to fall from my mouth and do my own healthy grieving.

I stuffed my emotions instead.

I'd like to look at this verse in relation to our false strength. I say false, because our meager attempt to be strong pales in comparison to when we lean on Lord God's strength.

There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard.

God will and does hear us in our deepest sorrows and highest joys. He wants us to come to Him daily, and in early grief, hourly, to gain strength from Him. He hears us! It doesn't matter if we are unable to speak, He hears our thoughts.

I substituted more than I should have other comforts, instead of going to God. I surely admit it. And in doing that, I failed to allow God to show me Himself, which then would have increased my faith. When our faith is increased, we have needed comfort and we then share what we learned with the world so they too can know more of God.

Even in all that, God saw fit to pluck me up and grow me spiritually. We did it the hard way, but He showed me, He is God and I am not!


Here is my prayer for us today:

We are grateful, Lord God, for all the mercies You have seen fit to give  to us. Thank You for using King David to show us Your ways, that they are not our ways, but Yours. In Jesus' holy name, I pray. Amen.

Psalm 19:1/His Handywork

Me and Joshua at age fifteen, with the Grand Canyon as our backdrop


Good morning, dear readers,

King David says this about God and his creation:

The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 

The first few years after Joshua's death, I grasped onto the good that God has given to us. I hung on like a drowning woman with a raft in a wind-tossed sea. I was certain at any time, I would not wake the following morning, my heart ached so painfully.

I had a few pleasures that saw me through, like my husband, children, grandchildren, close friends, comfort foods, and God's handywork.

I have always enjoyed nature, but at that time, I craved to stand within the tall trees up on a high mountain. To feel the wind in my face as I gripped my husband's waist, while he drove our motorcycle. I longed for the distinct four seasons our area did not have. I needed my home state of Oregon to give me that joy.

My senses required they be fully engaged as much as possible. So when relatives needed me in Oregon to help out during the birth of their child, with glad heart I left for two weeks.

I marveled at the autumn season, in the state where I spent the second half of my childhood. The red, yellow, gold, and brown colors made me glad. I realized I had not been to my beloved Oregon in the middle of Fall, since I married my husband thirty-four years before. I drank in God's handywork like a nature-starved woman.

I could understand how the heavens declared the glory of God. I saw Him everywhere in His handywork. When the baby girl was born, I walked her when she grew colicky. She and I took autumn walks on the property and smelled all its scents. She calmed, and so did I. She felt eased from her physical pain, I from my emotional one.

God's handywork can aid in our healing, just one more of God's mercies I experience after my son's death by suicide.

What good things give you innocent pleasure in an otherwise harsh reality of loss? Enjoy those pleasures if even but for a moment and know this is one of many ways God reaches out to comfort us.

My prayer for us today:

Lord God, thank You for the beauty around us, Your handywork. In Jesus' holy name, I am grateful. Amen.

Psalm 18:39/Girded Me With Strength

Joshua was allowed to wrestle in kindergarten, but not allowed to place in contests. He could have gone on to state championship, but it was against the rules because he was too young.


Good morning dear readers,

Boy! Having a new baby goat does take time away from my desk. His mother needs my attention as well.


King David goes into detail as to how God helped and blessed him:

For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.

It's no surprise that when a loved one dies, there are people that are not sure what to do with their feelings. They may make it harder on others by acting out in aggressive ways, and that makes an added burden to our grief.

I call it The Domino Effect.

These dear ones are not our enemies and we need to love them extra special. We would want that if the tables were turned, right? In our own grief, it's hard to help others when we feel as though we may drown. Where can we go for needed strength?

To the Lord. Of course.

God will gird, or add His strength, to us when we are in a battlefield of emotions. He's proven this to me hundreds of times in my life. This is how God gains my trust and my faith grows.

Just know, dear readers, that extra burdens happen to most of us after loss. You are not alone. Not only can God send someone to help, but best of all you have Lord God. He is bigger than the battle of loss, and He waits for your prayers of request.

Here is my prayer for us today:

Holy Father, help us to see the blessings You give to us. Help us to rely on You daily and not on our own selves. Help us to cry out to You. In Jesus' holy name. Amen.

Until next time . . . Allow God into your battlefield.

Psalm 18:30/He Is A Buckler

This picture is of me and two of my three goats. I am holding Pepper when she was a doeling.


Good morning, dear readers,

Remember King David is glad God had saved him from his enemies. Here's what he goes on to sing:

As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him.

I love this verse. I love how David shows us God's greatness, and the use of tried and buckler.

When David writes God is tried, it means true. Buckler means shield.

As we talk to Lord God, we are assured He is perfect, true and our shield. Test it and see if it's not so. We may go to God and ask Him to help us in our time of need and suffering. He will come. I know this to be true for myself. See? He is true!

As we begin 2013, I believe our lives will become more difficult economically. Most anyone will attest to this, but God's love can be a part of our lives if we but knock on His door.

He wants us to be his obedient children, but we must take that first step. Then, a second, and so on.

What better time to test God to see if He is real, than when we're down? I know He's proven Who He is more in my times of troubles than any other circumstance.

My prayer for us today:

Father God, thank You for showing Yourself bigger than death. Bigger than losses of all kinds. We need You, holy One. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Until next time . . . Knock and see how He answers.

Psalm 18:2/My Rock

Mama Pepper with her buckling. Born last Saturday, he is so black you can just make out his figure laying in front of his mama. His head is below Pepper's muzzle and he's curled up, his hind end facing the camera.



Good morning, dear readers,

I've been away from my desk with good reason. We are proud farmers of a baby kid born on Saturday. The little buckling is black as night and full of energy.

New life! I can't say enough of how glad I feel we have our very first new baby on our farm. I feel blessed.

King David felt such relief and blessed, also. First, though, I'll give background from what my Bible heading says as to what happened to change David's mood.

Here's how the heading reads:

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, the servant of the Lord, who spake unto the Lord the words of this song in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul: And he [David] said,

The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

King David thanked God by showing readers what God did for him all those months he was in hiding. David was witnessing to the world that Lord God helped him get through a tumultuous time in his life. His hours of sorrow were over.

Will we who have suffered a loss one day not feel sorrow? No, I don't believe so, but we can feel less sad in time and even praise God for being our rock and our fortress in our journey of loss.

Here is my prayer for us today:

Our Father, we are so blessed to read how King David praised You. His songs give us deep hope and lifts our sad hearts to a higher place of longing that comes from wanting more of You in our lives. In Jesus' holy name I thank you. Amen.

Until next time . . . Trust.