May 6,2010...Good morning, Lord! Thank You for this day, "I will rejoice and be glad in it." The devotional book I read out of first each morning is called "The Quiet Heart". My prayer today is that I would have a quiet heart before You, so that I will be able to hear what You want to say to me. Quiet my thoughts so that there will be no distractions. I want to hear Your voice today, Lord.

Well, that was an interesting word this morning. Time - what do I do with my time? Am I a hoarder or a spender of it? Am I always trying to find ways to save time or do I spend every minute that You have given me doing what You want me to do? I like what the old piano teacher said when asked how she does so much. She said,"Well, you see, most folks worry about saving time. I figure the Good Lord gave me so much time on earth and meant that I should spend it - not hoard it up." I like that. As Ephesians 4:16 says, "Making the most of your time - buying up each opportunity - because the days are evil" (Amplified). Lord, help me to use my day today wisely, even if it is just little things like smiling to someone as you walk by them on the street. One thing I need to do is to finish the cross stitch for Anne by Sunday; help me Lord to make that a priority.

Lord, help me to act in love and kindness towards those I come in contact with today - especially my family.

Help me to be at peace with where You have put me and what You have given me. Sometimes this is hard for me - to be at peace - to be contented with what I have, with what You have given me. I want to know contentment like Paul did when he wrote in Philippians 4:11-13 (I like the Amplified version here, how it gives meaning to these verses). "Not that I am implying that I was in any personal want, for I have learned how to be content (satisfied to the point where I am not disturbed or disquieted)in whatever state I am. I know how to be abased and live humbly in straightened circumstances, and I know also how to enjoy plenty and live in abundance. I have learned in any and every circumstance the secret of facing every situation, whether well-fed or going hungry, having a sufficiency and to spare or going without and being in want. I have strength for all things in Christ who empowers me - I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him who infuses inner strength into me (that is, I am self-sufficient in Christ's sufficiency)." WOW! I know that this is not going to be easy Lord; and yes, I know I will fail, but I want to learn this quality. Sometimes I do find it easy to trust You in this; but sometimes I must confess that sometimes I fail miserably at it too. Please help me to become self-sufficient in Your sufficiency, because Lord, I know that that is the only way to really live. I love you, Lord. Help me to trust You today and to be at peace with everything You give me today.

It is neat how my evening devotional book complements my morning ones. You want to become a person others want to be around - become more like You, Jesus. To become more like you, Lord - spend time in Your Word. Don't keep what you learn to yourself either, share it. Then your "fragrance" will spread to others. What is y fragrance, Lord? Am I like the sweet smelling flower that others want to have around or am I more like the smell of a dirty diaper that people want to get rid of or pass off to someone else? Lord, I want to be a sweet smelling rose to others - the only way that is possible is to become more like You - the only way to become more lie You is to spend time with You each day. Lord, please change me each day as I spend time with You. Lord, please help me to make it a priority to spend time with You each and every day. Lord, I want You to become my best friend, but I also want to become more lie You too.

Already I feel like I am learning about who You are, Jesus. Just from the first chapter and a bit of Yancey's book, I am getting a new perspective. We don't often think about the hard times Mary and Joseph would have faced because Mary was pregnant before they were married. However, that is a real part of the story surrounding Your birth. Lord, help me never to trivialize the things that led up to our birth. Yes, our birth was a beautiful thing and it should be celebrated, but help me to remember that it wasn't an easy thing. Help me to see the whole story, not just the 'glamorous'
parts we celebrate at Christmastime.

I love You, Lord. Thank You for the insight You have given me these last couple of days. Good-night, Lord1