Christ be with me, Christ be within me
Christ behind me, Christ before me
Christ beside me, Christ to win me
Christ to comfort me, Christ above me
Christ in quiet, Christ in danger
Christ in hearts of all that love me
Christ in mouth of friend and stranger
– St. Patrick, Irish cleric
This Gaelic prayer is deep and beautiful. May the love of Christ surround you today. Blessings, Lisa
It’s easy to be pleasant when life flows by like a song
But the man worthwhile is the one who can smile
When everything goes dead wrong.
For the test of the heart is trouble, and it always comes with years.
And the smile that is worth its salt
Is the smile that shines through the tears.
~Irish, Unknown Author
I was moved by this blessing/poem today, and it encouraged me to keep smiling, keep singing, keep hoping…through trouble, through pain, through hard times. Because life is good, God is loving, and joy can be found, right now. Blessings for a good weekend, Lisa
Yesterday was a rough day…sad news from Oklahoma,sad news from friends, worries about others. It drove me to praying pretty quick. I know that many of you are doing the same thing. And I’m also praying that I keep praying…that I don’t forget to keep lifting these people up in the days to come. Blessings, Lisa
“O Lord, the God who saves me, day and night I cry out before you. may my prayer come before you; turn your ear to my cry.” – Psalm 88:1-2
“From the ends of the earth I call to you, I call as my heart grows faint; lead me to the rock that is higher than I. For you have been my refuge, a strong tower…” – Psalm 61:2-3
Holding on, letting go, and finding joy and meaning in the midst of it all…life seems to be a balance of all these things. As I grow older, I find more and more that what I need to hold on to, what is constant, is my relationship with God who made me and knows me. Whatever changes in my life, He doesn’t. And I’m so thankful for that.
I’m a musician, a pianist mostly. Everything else springs from that…the vocals, the songwriting. And in the past few months, I found that I have a problem in my thumb…no cartilage from overuse. So I’ve been icing, heating, exercising, resting, bracing the thumb that I took for granted all these years. My daughter and I were talking about Prokofiev the other day, and it hit me…I probably will never play that again. Too much strain on the thumb. And it made me sad. Holding on, letting go, finding joy. Loss is a part of life for all of us, but after the storm of sadness, there is still joy. I can still play the piano, just differently, and I am thankful. I don’t take it for granted anymore like I used to. And I’m not just a musician; I’m God’s child. And one day, all will be made new; no more tears and sadness. And that’s joy.
I thought about not sharing all this, because I never want to be a downer, only an encouragement. But I know that many of you are facing hard times also, and we are here to pray and help each other along the way. Let me know if I can pray for you. Blessings, Lisa
“Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid.” – Isaiah 12:2a
May God give you…
For every storm, a rainbow,
For every tear, a smile,
For every care, a promise,
And a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,
A faithful friend to share,
For every sigh, a sweet song,
And an answer for each prayer
Walk today knowing that God loves you so much. Blessings, Lisa
Think About These Things 