Open Your Mouth

“I am the LORD your God,

who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. 

Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it.”

Psalm 81:10

Feed me Lord.

I open wide my mouth, my heart, my soul to You this day.

Amen.

This Day

 

 

 

God’s Version of Memory Impairment

 

I have a part-time job where I stay with a dear, sweet lady who has Alzheimer’s.  She is in the early stages and it is only her short term memory that fails her.   We play cards every day.  She is a fantastic Rummy player and that is probably due to the fact that she has played Rummy since she was a young child.  She never tires of playing though, since she doesn’t remember that we played the day before, and the day before that, and the day before that.  Today she put a blank check in her wallet, walked out to the car with me to go to the grocery store, got in, then said, “Wait a minute, I had better check to see if I have a check.”  Then as we progressed through our shopping trip, she told me many times that she should have gone to the bank to get checks since she didn’t have a check.  At the checkout, she fretted that she didn’t have a check to pay for the groceries, until I reminded her yet again that she had a check under the stamps in her checkbook.  How I love this lady!

This disease is mind-boggling to me.   To mess with someone’s brain enough that they can forget within minutes what just happened.  Then it hit me – This is the way God is when we come to him in all sincerity and ask for forgiveness.  Our sins are forgiven and forgotten!  Isaiah 43:25 : “I, I am He who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins.”  Another mind-boggler!  This one though, only leads to praise!

Lord, I praise you with all that I am.

May I never forget the good things You do for me.

You forgive (then forget) all my sins,

You heal all my diseases.

I praise you Lord with my everything!

Amem

Based on Psalm 103:2-3 NLT

 

 

The Voice of Creation

    “Only the human person, created in the image and likeness of God, is capable of raising a hymn of praise and thanksgiving to the Creator.  The earth, with all its creatures, and the entire universe call on man to be their voice.”  — Blessed John Paul II

On this beautiful, crisp fall day, I  raise my voice and praise God for His work of creation.  

Psalm 136: 3 – 9

 Give thanks to the Lord of lords;

for his loving kindness endures forever.

 To him who alone does great wonders  

For his loving kindness endures forever.

To him who by understanding made the heavens,

For his loving kindness endures forever.

 To him who spread out the earth above the waters

 For his loving kindness endures forever.  

To him who made the great lights,

For his loving kindness endures forever.

 The sun to rule the day,

For his loving kindness endures forever.

 The moon and stars to rule the nights,

For his loving kindness endures forever.

Psalm from a Grateful Heart

Yesterday I wrote about Michaelangelo’s amazing work, “David”. It is only right that today my prayer is one of David’s – a sinner like us, yet one who so deeply loved his God. Anytime I have trouble praying, I turn to his psalms and they speak for me as I am sure they do for many. Back when I was in college, I even put this psalm to music. Of course, I am the only one who has ever sung it … but I am hopeful that I will one day be joined by many as I stand before my God and sing this song of praise.

Psalm 138

I will give thanks to you, O Lord, with all my heart,

for you have heard the words of my mouth.

 In the presence of the angels I will sing your praise;

I will worship at your holy temple

and give thanks to your name,  

Because of your kindness and your truth;

for you have made great above all things

your name and your promise.  

When I called, you answered me;

You built up strength within me.

All the kings of the earth shall give thanks to you, O Lord,

When they hear the words of your mouth;

And they shall sing of the ways of the Lord;

“Great is the glory of the Lord.”

The Lord is exalted, yet the lowly he sees,

and the proud he knows from afar.

Though I walk amid distress, you preserve me;

against the anger of my enemies you raise your hand;

your right hand saves me.

The Lord will complete what he has done for me;

Your kindness, O Lord, endures forever;

forsake not the work of your hands.

–David