1 Thankful Leper

We read out of Luke and Psalms this morning.

10 lepers called out to Jesus. 

He healed them on their way to the priests. 

Only 1 returned to praise and thank Jesus.

It's so easy to be one of the 9 that was so grateful 

for their gift but forgot about thanking God. 

Our thankful tree.

I brought the prayer pot back in full force today.

Almost everyone willingly participated and prayed out loud.

Be Still...

Boy, is that the verse of the day!

Be still, and know that I am God.  Psalm 46:10

That verse has kind of been the verse of the last few weeks, actually. I've visited it many times. In the women's Bible study. At church. In my personal studies. I think we might even have talked about it in small group. It's a great verse.

I had a slight melt down today, which I could see coming, looking back, because of the difficulty I had in being asleep last night. Restless.

A friend and I have talked lately about how you can be growing stronger in the Lord, feeling closer to Him, or having a lot of positive things happening, then all of a sudden you are assaulted with negative, negative, negative in an attempt to bring you down, to turn you away from God. That has been my last couple of days, it seems.

• Yesterday, there was the ambush from the group of girls.

• Last night only two or three other people showed up for the inter-generational Bible study, a huge disappointment. At least I had a good time planning with this week's team. (I don't know that our church needs new programs for this or that. I think the programs we have are good. If anything, I like the idea of beefing up the adult ministries instead of children ministries because children learn from what their parents teach them, directly and indirectly. I still strongly believe this truth: People will make time for the things that are most important to them. Unfortunately, for many people in America, being involved in church and developing a relationship with Christ (and all that that entails) is not really a priority. Sports, TV, earthly treasures, or battling for the busiest schedule takes precedent. I think what our church needs is a little (or big) push towards God. A change in commitment stems from a heart change.)

• Today, I had two students score below the "Meets Standards" for our grade level, one who chose that path on purpose, scoring a 35 out of 100. He didn't put any effort into the tests at all, as I thought he might do if the opportunity presented itself. (This was what resulted in my melt down leading to tears. I knew the reaction was silly during the time it was happening. Sometimes I surprise myself with the tears that fall in various situations. I guess I just needed a moment!)

• One of the lovely ladies from yesterday's drama decided not to drop her wrong attitude and told one of my students to tell me that she didn't like me (or something silly like that). So that drama continued also. I'm exhausted with all of that nonsense.

All in all, I'm glad the work day is over. I'm glad I can settle in tonight to the women's Bible Study and I'm super glad to crack open God's Word again tonight, the very thing that helped to calm the noises in my head so I could fall asleep late last night.

Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

But seek first [your heavenly Father's] kingdom and his righteousness, 

and all these things will be given to you as well.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,

for tomorrow will worry about itself.

Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Pulled from Matthew 6:25-34

Note to Self on a Bad Day...

O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know what I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, o Lord.

You hem me in--behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

If I say, "Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me," even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful. I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in your secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

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. When I awake, I am still with you.

If only you would slay the wicked, o God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! They speak of you with evil intent; your adversaries misuse your name. Do I not hate those who hate you, o Lord, and abhor those who rise up against you? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.

Search me, o God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 139.