Psalm 122

Psalm 122:1 I rejoiced when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord.”

The author is the Psalm, David, wrote this for those people going on their pilgrimage for the holy feasts. He had a picture in his mind perhaps of all the individuals coming together in the community for the gathering. To be invited to go to church in a new place is something big. I remember when I was in college, we had a small Catholic Church on campus. I didn’t know anyone on campus, and was scared to go by myself. So someone I had met at registration invited me to go to church with her on Sundays, and even though it was a church I belonged to, a church anyone could freely enter, I felt so relieved to be invited to go with someone.

I had that church in Monroe, then the church I grew up in in Erath, then a church in Lafayette when I moved there, then Shreveport, Little Rock, and now Manhattan. I love my church, St. Thomas More, in Manhattan. We have a moms group that I belong to, which made the new area so welcoming 3 years ago. This group became my extended family. Our group hosts a moms Bible study, in which we have sitters to watch the kids while we go through the Bible. We also host a Trunk or Treat in the fall and a Valentine’s Dance in the spring. And an Easter Egg hunt. Besides these events, our church hosts several other family and community events.

Now with this virus, and things being closed, and safety precautions in place, I haven’t been inside the church for Mass since March. And it hurts my heart. We do set up our basement every Sunday with chairs, and our church records the Saturday evening Mass and has it available online. So Sunday mornings, the girls and I wear our veils, get the song sheets on the iPad ready, and prepare ourselves as if we were still in the house of the Lord. There are many services available online, and when we went visit my family in Louisiana for two weeks,  my mom offered for us to watch the one she had taped that week for Mass. I politely declined, because though it was also a Catholic service,  seeing our Father Coady up on our church’s alter makes us feel closer to being where we should be.

It is very important for people to gather in prayer. Being in our church community, praying together brings so much joy to me. I know then time will come when we feel comfortable going back in public
(Masked or not), but for right now, it is too much of a risk for us to bring the virus home, then my husbands lab shutting down because he gets sick. We pray weekly while watching our Mass that Jesus comes into our hearts for a spiritual communion, since we can’t be present for the physical one. I do miss our church, but I know that God is present in my home as well, and I pray that he finds our worship acceptable during this time.

Do you have a church that you attend regularly? How do you find joy in your church?

Psalm 121

Psalm 121:1-2 I raise my eyes toward the mountains. From where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth.

This Psalm is one many people recite as a blessing for someone who is leaving on a journey. It helps people to remember that even though the road ahead looks scary, the woods may be dark, the mountains high, God is there with them always. He is not confined to a pace or time. He goes where ever we go. Every step we take, day or night, God is by our side.

Even when we are on a spiritual journey, we don’t have to wait until the end of it, or until we have arrived to the church we were searching for, to find him. People jump from church to church because they can’t “find God,” but that is a mistake. God is always with us in the journey itself. He is our guardian, watching our steps. He is there to protect us from evil. He is there during the night to keep the darkness away. All we need to do is trust in him.

Lord, I pray that you continued to protect me on this journey I am set upon. I put my faith in you Lord, let thy will be done.

Psalm 120

https://womenlivingwell.org/2020/06/good-morning-girls-resources-psalms-116-120/

“ Chapter 120

God is faithful. He is a God who hears our prayers. He hears our cries for help in the midst of distress and he delivers his people.

Have you ever cried out for help and felt like God did not deliver you? I have. But now that I look back at those times, I am able to see that God was working something else out in my life that I could not understand in that moment and he truly did hear my cries. Is there something stressing you out right now? Tell God about right now and ask him for help. Then wait on the Lord and trust that he does hear the prayers of his people. God loves you!”

There have been many times when I cried for help or restoration after being wronged, and I felt like God didn’t answer me. Looking back now, I see and know that he did. His answer just wasn’t what I wanted to hear at the time. But his answer was better. His will is always better than what we envision for ourselves.

We do have something stressing us out now. It is not something we are ready to talk about openly. But I am praying that God helps us with this situation. I trust in the Lord, that he will hear our prayers and will guide us. That he will reassure us.

Psalm 119

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light for my path

Psalm 119:130 The revelation of your words sheds light, gives understanding to the simple.

Most children at some point become afraid of the dark. I know mine all went through phases of needing some kind of nightlight during bedtime. Light brings us comfort.

God’s light is our guide in the darkness of the world. His word is our lamp. His word gives us a path to follow. Even when we are lost in the darkness this world brings, Or in the midst of shadows put forth by evil, God will always create a path for us to get out. If we find ourselves stuck in a situation that seems hopeless, if we remember God’s words, he will shed light for us.

Just as God only provided enough manna in the desert for the Israelites for the day, God sometimes only provides enough light for us for the current situation. He wants us to continue looking for the light each and every day. If he had given the people manna to last for the unforeseeable future, they wouldn’t have needed him to provide the next day. If he gave us the light today for us to see the rest of our life played out, why would we need to turn to him tomorrow?

Everyday we need to remember to turn on God’s light, to use his words, just as we put on his armor before starting our day. Every day, there is a chance for us to face some sort of darkness. If we prepare ourselves ahead of time, we will be ready to use the light of God to find the path through it. But even for those who have not seen the light or used it in a while, those for have forgotten what light even looks like, can find it again just by calling on him. What a great and loving God we have!

Knowing that we aren’t alone in the dark can bring us hope. If you see the light clearly, who can you direct it too today, so that they aren’t alone in the dark?

Psalm 118

Psalm 118:8 Better to take refuge in the Lord than to put one’s trust in mortals.

All throughout our lives, we have been disappointed in someone. Whether it is a friend, spouse, family member, church leader, government leader, someone has let us down. God NEVER will. God is wiser, stronger, more faithful than anyone else in our lives. It is painful to feel betrayed or rejected, let down or disappointment. God is trustworthy and will never let us down. God will always lift us up, instead of trying to cut us down.

We will have many people in our lives. When we are in need, some could help but won’t. Others will wish they could help but can’t. Some people are too proud, have to much vanity to lift a hand to help. It is better to put our trust in the Lord, to always ready to him for help first, instead of depending on man.

Lord thank you for always being there to help me. Even if I didn’t notice it at first, you were always right beside me. I trust yo Lord, in every storm.

Psalm 117

Psalm 117:1-2 “Praise the Lord, all you nations! Give glory, all you peoples! The Lord’s love for us is strong; the Lord is faithful forever.”

This is a very short chapter today. I have written the whole thing on this blog. Only two verses. But it says so much.  “All you nations,” wasn’t just referring to the Israelites, but ALL the nations. Including the Gentiles. So, today, would be calling not just the Christians, but all the people of every denomination or belief. Even those without beliefs. He didn’t create the world and heaven just for one  religion, for one color, for one type of person. God’s love overcomes our man-made borders and  territories. It breaks through our racial prejudice and hate. God wants the whole world to know and love him.

This message is repeated in Romans 15:11, “And again: ‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles, and let all the peoples praise him.’”
Can you imagine how beautiful it would be if all the tribes, all the nations gathered to praise God’s name together? All the people of the world, all the different customs and clothing, all the different skin tones, hair colors, languages all praising God. That is what he wants.

“ God’s love is not just for Israel but for all of the nations. He loves both the Jews and Gentiles. That steadfast love reaches all of our hearts and should cause us to praise Him!
God is faithful and worthy of all our praise for many reasons. One of those reasons is his love for all the nations. How have you seen God’s love for the nations displayed? If you know the name of a missionary, say a prayer for them today as they proclaim the love of Jesus around the world.”

My birthday and Corona openings

So yesterday was my birthday. I’m a big ole 36 now. We had a good day, starting with my oldest making eggs for breakfast. The kids and I had a lazy day, meaning instead of doing our daily education work, we watched movies. I cooked buffalo chicken for dinner, and we had chocolate cake.  

In the middle of my birthday, I read our state department of education and our local district’s plan for opening up schools. So, school was supposed to start August 12, and we were to register this Monday for what choice we wanted for our children. Choice? Whether we would send them to school for on-site learning, or keep them home and they would do online Remote Learning (R.L.). That is a tough decision in itself. The governor has since issued a mandate that schools won’t open until after Labor Day, and kids/staff/teachers will wear masks on campus. 

The reopening plan includes contingencies for those who choose on-site learning. If needed, the district could switch to plan A, which is Hybrid Learning (HL) that would include a few days at school and a few days online at home. They would rotate students, so some would be on-site Mon-Tues, and do online Wed-Fri, and others would do online Mon-Wed, and on-site Thurs-Fri. They would both be doing online on Wednesday, and that would give teachers/staff time to clean the building between on-site students. The district could also decide to go to plan B if the area gets bad enough with cases of virus. Plan B is called All Distance Learning (ADL). ADL means those on-site would be all online. I do not know if they would be doing to same as the R.L. during this time or not. There are still several questions unanswered.

Another thing that I have found out is that if a student in a classroom tests positive for COVID, all close contacts need to quarantine for 14 days. Close contact is less than 6 feet away for more than 10 minutes. So pretty much, the most of the class would need to quarantine. Furthermore, siblings of a positive test need to quarantine, obviously. Here is the kicker: the siblings quarantine doesn’t start until the positive test is finished with their isolation. So the positive test can go back to school after 14 days, and then the siblings have ANOTHER 14 days at home. So siblings might have 24-31 days home because of a positive test. The school could choose to close for 2-5 days after a positive case occurs. Or they could just rope off the areas the positive test had been known to be to thoroughly clean them. 

So my thoughts are now, what is the point of sending them to school? Yes the likelihood of the children getting and spreading virus is a lot lower than the actual, but it could still happen. As of now, they are likely going to start the on-site learning in either plan A or B, not full time on-site. So the on-site kids will just be thrown around this semester, depending on the case load in or state, and depending on the small chance of someone bringing the virus into school. 

We all pushed to return to “normal” after the shut down. It’s frustrating, because there will not be a “normalcy” this year for school. Even for those doing the RL, this is far from normal. Not seeing their classmates, not being able to play in school sports, being in front of a computer most of the day for learning, etc. This is what I plowed through on my birthday, and I still have no idea what is best. I’m going to really be putting my faith in God regardless of the choice I make.

Psalm 116

Psalm 116:10 I kept my faith, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted.”

My youngest (5) was taking swim lessons last month. During the first lesson, after being gently guided under the water for a few seconds, she began screaming, “I don’t want to!” When asked to do it again. Now, in our family, that is not an appropriate response. I didn’t respond because I knew the swim teacher had everything under control. The swim teacher kept making her, despite her yelling. And it got loud. So much so that I went and sat in my car. At the end of the lesson, I took a sneak back in and watched Katie glide under water without holding her nose for 3 seconds. That’s a big step! She certainly wasn’t happy about it, but if her teacher hadn’t pushed her, she wouldn’t have done it on her own.

The next day, we went back to swim lessons, and she told me she was fearful. I told her it was ok to be fearful, but we can’t let our fear keep us from doing things. I told her we all need to put our faith in God, that he would keep her safe. That God chose the right person to be her swim teacher, and that God gave her teacher the knowledge of helping Katie. I explained that Jesus might have been fearful on the cross, that he might not have wanted to be up there, nailed to it. But he trusted in God’s plan and he did what needed to be done. We talked about this very topic, about how even in the scariest moments we need to have faith in God. There was no crying when I dropped her off.

When the lesson was nearly over, I snuck in again to watch. I saw Katie glide under water from one side of the pool to the other (the teacher by her side, yes). She got out of the water and saw me, and her face shone like the sun! When we got back to the car, she told me she was brave and she tried even though she was still a little scared. She told me she trusted her teacher. I told her that I, and God, were very proud of her still trying even though she was scared.

This verse may be more related to severe despair, and the chapter begins with speaking of being near death. So it’s not quite related to my 5 year olds swim lesson, but in a small way it is. She hasn’t seen life’s scary things to know there is worse things to fear than swim lessons (especially in a pool only 5 feet deep). But to her, especially her use of the word “fearful” I thought it fitting to share the story. We must be fearful in life, but that is easier said than done. God has a plan for us, and we should trust in it. Again, sometimes easier said than done. Especially when it comes time for someone’s story to end. God is near his people when their time has come. Sometimes, he will intervene and save them, where other times he calls them home. It’s never easy to loose a loved one. It’s never easy to read a news article about a child who has died. But we need to know that God has that person together with him. Let us continue to put our faith in God, even in our most fearful moments.

Psalm 115

Psalm 115:16 The heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth is given to us.

God made the earth. It’s one of the first biblical stories we teach children. He took great care in forming the earths shape, giving it light, separating the waters and forming rivers, putting plants and trees of all kinds as well as all the animals on land, sky, and sea. And then God created man and woman, blessed them, and gave them the earth.

God giving us the earth means we should use its resources but not overuse and abuse them. We should care for nature, not destroy it. Just like a toy given to a child as a gift. We teach the child to cherish it and use it for its purpose, and (I would hope) teach the child not to break or destroy it. But alas, they do. And then it gets thrown away and they get another one. How similar is the story to the gift God has given us. Except we can’t get a new earth. We only have the one, and should care for it, should treasure this gift from God like we treasure our own lives.

Lord, thank you for giving us this wonderful planet to live on. Thank you for all the resources you have provided on the earth for us to live. I will do my best to take care of the earth you have blessed us with. I pray that all humanity will see your gift and cherish is as well.

Psalm 114

This chapter shows a lot of personification in the verses, making nature seem alive as humans, as the people of Israel take their journey from Egypt. We know God made the Red Sea part so the Israelites could cross, as well as the Jordan River. But reading it as the sea “beheld and fled” and the river “turned back” (v3) makes me feel like the mighty waters knew the all-powerful God was in command. As if they could see his people coming, and moved out of their way.

Next we read the mountains “skipped like rams” and of course I have the image of mountains picking up themselves and actually skipping across a field. It’s probably more likely them shaking in earthquake patterns as God appeared on Mt. Sinai. But still, the personification makes it easier to visualize the strong mountains trembling before God. If God can make mountains tremble and water dry up, such magnificent natural forces yield to his power, imagine what he could do for you!

Later in their journey of Exodus, we know they thirst, and God had Moses touch a rock. It split, and water flowed for them to drink. Verse 8 of this psalm is a reminder of that very phenomenon, “turned rock into pools of water, stone into flowing springs.” God provided when his people needed. All they had to do was believe and ask. He still provides in ways we don’t always see. But he is there, leading our path through the waters and mountains of life.

“ The Lord is the Lord of all the earth. Not only are we called to fear him, but all creation trembles at his mighty and majestic presence.
Imagine being in the presence of the Lord in heaven. What sort of emotions do you think you will feel? How does knowing that the God, who causes the whole earth to tremble, loves you deeply and is with you and for you?”

Psalm 113

Psalm 113:7 The Lord raises the needy from dust, lifts the poor from the ash heap

Here, this verse is mentioning that through God alone can someone be lifted from the dust. He can bring someone from the lowest point of their lives. This could mean the literal poor and destitute, as it says many places in the Bible. It could mean the people who have lost their faith, and are struggling with something in lift,  and scrambling to find something to fill their needs. Our story isn’t over. God wants to lift us to sit with princes! But this also may foretell God lifting Jesus from the dead. Only God could lift him to heaven. Only God can lift the spiritually dead. Praise his goodness. Let him lift us.

“Morning, noon and night, our God is worthy of praise. He is unchanging and always worthy of continual praise.
List 5 things you can praise the Lord for today and then pause and give him praise right where you are. He is worthy.”
Praise the Lord for my family.
Praise the Lord for my husband’s job, that we have a stability at the moment.
Praise the Lord for doctors and scientist who are working to find a solution for the virus.
Praise the Lord for our health.
Praise the Lord for my friends, who will drop everything to help when needed.

Psalm 112

Chapter 112 details the blessings one can receive if they remain close to God. The blessings include children (“descendants shall be mighty in the land”-v2), wealth (“wealth and riches shall be in their homes”-v3), and virtue (“they shine through the darkness”-v-4). 

Chapter 111 talked about how we should fear the Lord and his works, and we would be provided for. In chapter 112, we are told also to delight in, or love, God’s commandments. To fear and respect God protects us from the evils of this earth. To love him will lead us to obedience in his word.

I have been told many times that we can’t take our gold with us, that the money we make here on earth will not grant us a spot in heaven. God wants us to raise our children with his word, to teach them how to depend on God, and in that way, we will leave behind a great legacy. Our names may be forgotten after a generation or two, but if we imbed the love of the Lord in our children, and they will continue teaching God’s word, we will have set up our future generations to prosper. That is the mighty descendants we can produce.

To have wealth and riches in our home doesn’t just mean money and value. Though, if we continue to support those who need it, putting others before ourselves even when our finances are strained, and God sees us taking care of his people (as he commanded us to do), financial issues can work themselves out. But wealth and riches can also mean happiness and love in the home. It means more to have a home with high morals and low finances than to have a billionaire with low morals.

We are called to be the light in the darkness of this earth. We are not the ultimate light, which is God, but we can certainly reflect his light by living a virtuous life. Or trying to live by the virtues. We can be gracious and merciful, just as we hope God is for us. We can help others who are in need. We can give our time to organizations that are doing good things for the community. We can teach God’s word to our children. We can show the love God has given to us, and God will fill our lives with goodness.

Psalm 111

Psalm 111:5 You gave food to those who fear you
           111: 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom

In the desert, God gave manna to the Israelites who were hungry. He provided for their needs. Jesus, in the miracle of multiplying the bread, feed thousands who were in need. But there were more people who needed him. And Jesus did the ultimate, to feed us forever: he gave us his body. Jesus died on the cross so that those who fear the Lord could be nourished forever with the bread of the Eucharist.

It is important to remember that this “fear” is not terror. Not like you fear the monsters in the movie. No, “fear” here means reverent, respect, awe. The respect of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Until we have the respect for the creator of the world, we will not obtain wisdom. Godly wisdom comes from above, and is used is all parts of life. It helps us to see the world as God intended. But a without reverence for God, wisdom is nothing.

In life, we will have ups and downs. There are struggles. We turn to God asking for help because our souls are hungry. And God can basically say, “I gave you my son. In him you are fed.” Meaning, if we study his word, search Jesus’s teachings, seek wisdom, our soul will be filled. Jesus is the everlasting bread. We need to depend on God, coming to him for our daily needs, and trust that he will provide for us. He is our nourishment.

Give us this day our daily bread.

Psalm 110

Psalm 110:3 Your people shall be volunteers in the day of your power.

I took this verse from the KJV bible, as my bible didn’t have the verse so eloquently written. My NABRE Bible has “your is princely power from the day of your birth.” I like how the other versions state that his people will be ‘volunteers.’ They knowingly and willingly will go into the battle alongside God. Having known and seen the power of God, they do not fear what is up ahead and will put on their armor to fight against the devil. There will be no draft, where people are forced into a fight. Though those who don’t stand with God may be forced by the evil side.

This battle is not one that will be in the future; it is going on now. Every day, good is fighting against evil. Every day, we are having to decide what armor we are putting on, who’s flag we are flying. God’s volunteers choose daily to stand firm, stand united against the evils that are present in their lives. The choices they have to make, what and who they allow in their lives, how to respond, etc. are all small battles in the big war. Some people will have more battle scars than others, some will have more bad days than others. But the key point is that GOD is alongside us each and every day, as we choose to fight for him.

Whose side will you be on?

Psalm 109

Psalm 109:4 In return for my love, they slander me, even though I prayed for them. 

The “them” David is referring to are his enemies. Even though David claims to have prayed for them, and given them nothing but love, they still attack him. The point here is that David prayed for his enemies. David turned to God with his pain, asking God to show his hand in the evil doing. David was not going to take action against his enemies. He left the revenge to God.

In Romans 12:19, we read, “Beloved, do not look for revenge but leave room for the wrath; for it is written, ‘Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.’” It is so easy to get caught up in emotions when someone has done us wrong. I try to explain this to my children several times a day it seems. I tell them not to attack their sibling because they were wronged, but to pray about it. That nothing is really solved through violence (or breaking their siblings fort on purpose), and God is watching how their sibling has treated them. He is also watching how they reacted. They should pray for their enemy (sometimes a sibling seems like an enemy at this age) instead, that God may open their hearts to kindness and understanding, that their inner battles be calmed. I figure if this thought process can be understood about their fighting with siblings, it can prepare their hearts and minds for the things and people they will come against the rest of their lives.

The same thought should be used with adults. We all have our beliefs about leadership roles, and those in leadership positions. If we don’t care for those who are in charge, maybe instead of vehemently complaining about the person, we should pray for them with the same passion. Our world is in desperate need of prayers right now, and things only change from the top down. Praying to God shows that while we may not understand his will, we accept that he has people in place for a reason. Praying for our enemies shows we have compassion for those who may be lost in their own sin, but that we are wise enough to leave that up to God.

David, in this chapter, was praying for the ruin of his enemies, but still left it up to God to answer the prayers. Through Jesus, we now understand we should pray for the good of our enemies, not their ruin.