Friday, August 13, 2010

Morning Quiet Time Journal

God, your bible is so rich and full of treasure. Anyone who reads you word cannot help but fall in love with you. I pray that I will desire your good food to feed my soul and not leave it up to the world and its comforts. I pray that I will seek you in the morning and you will harvest in me a new seed for your liking. Your peace and abundant blessing flow to me out of your palace and meet me at my feet. I did not ask for such majestic water but your grace has sent it to me. Lord, you have searched me and you know me, make a change in me, transform me in your richness. Make me who you want me to be. Take the lead my faithful husband. Give me the honor of being a bride to the most high King. I am treasured, I am sought after, I am washed, I am cleansed, I am helped in my time of need, I am defended and protected. I am cherished beyond belief. How humbling to know that our God takes action on our behalf. You are so wise Lord. You cause me to grow and be planted by your streams, seek me and mark out your path for me today. Fill me up with your precious spirit to keep me within the folds of your arms. I love you.

                                                 -Bride

Monday, August 9, 2010

Intro

"How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them they would outnumber the grains of sand." -Psalm 139:17-18


I started the habit of journaling as a way to communicate with God about four years ago. Some of our best, most intimate and visceral moments together have come from these late night and early morning writings. If I were to consider myself a writer, the journals I have accumulated thus far, are what I would regard as my most valuable work. The documentation of the condition of my heart and the way that God has moved in my life is a priceless possession to me. I can go back and read the crying of a distraught and broken heart on one page, turn to the next and find that very same heart praising God and his goodness. It is not only the journaling that brings these transformative moments with God, but the moments in between the journals. The moments when I put down the pen, throw down my face and weep like an infant are what have changed me the most.

A great mentor of mine, who I consider one the most Goldy woman I have had the great fortune of learning from, once told me to write down everything. Every time God speaks to me through his word, every time he whispers a request, brings a person to mind, says something that doesn't make sense, or responds to one of my late night writings, she told me to write it down because I would look back and see that he was right and that he is working. Since I have put this into practice I have found this to be an invaluable piece of advice. It is so easy at times to feel like we are forgotten by God, or that he is disappointed in us, or that we have reached the end of his grace, but when you have pages upon pages of cries and lamentations and pages upon pages of his loving responses, you have proof. When you write these things down you have proof that he speaks and speaks straight to you, you have proof of where you have been and where he has taken you since then, you have proof of how he has provided and taken away what was needed. You have proof of his promises and that what he says is true, and most importantly you have proof that he pays attention. There is a raw and gripping love story enfolded in the pages of my journals and I have decided that they are a valuable thing, and something worth sharing. Maybe not all of them, (some are pretty ugly) but I want to share some of them. I want to speak about marvelous moments I have spent with God in his arms, and nothings speaks better than the journals written around those mysterious places in time.

So bear with me as I try to give fame to his name by sharing what he has taught to me, how he has spoken to me, and how he has rescued me. This blog is truly intended to be about his words not mine. When God speaks, it's something worth blogging about! :)

Thanks for reading,
Dawn Carter