100 Days of Mercy ~ Scripture Verses

Shout for joy, O heavens! And rejoice, O earth!
Burst into joyful song, O mountains!
For the LORD has comforted his people
And will have mercy on his afflicted.
~ Isaiah 49:13

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
~ Psalm 147:3

Gracious is the Lord, and righteous; our God is merciful.
~ Psalm 116:5

He [Jesus] said to her, “Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace and be freed from your suffering.”
~ Mark 5:34

The Eternal God is Thy refuge,
and underneath are the Everlasting arms.
– Deuteronomy 33:27

In the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness;
for we do not know how to pray as we ought,
but that very Spirit intercedes for us with sighs
too deep for words.
~ Romans 8:26

For You alone my soul in silence waits.
~ Psalm 63:1

My soul yearns for you in the night;
in the morning my spirit longs for you.
~ Isaiah 26:9a

I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.
~ Isaiah 49:16

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
~1 Chronicles 16:34

Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
even as we put our hope in you.
~ Psalm 33:20-22

The LORD, your God, is in your midst,
. . . he will rejoice over you with gladness,
he will renew you in his love,
he will exalt over you with loud singing.
~ Zephaniah 3:17

To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion,
to give unto them beauty for ashes,
the oil of joy for mourning,
the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness;
that they might be called trees of righteousness,
the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.
~ Isaiah 61:3

Be strong and courageous;
have no fear or dread of them,
for it is the Lord your God who goes with you;
he will never leave you nor forsake you.
~ Deuteronomy 31:6

And they shall be like a tree planted by streams of water,
that brings forth their fruit in its season;
and whose leaf does not wither;
In all that they do, they shall prosper.
~ Psalm 1:3

The Lord is good,
a refuge in times of trouble.
And cares for those who trust in him.
~ Nahum 1:7

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
~ Psalm 46:1

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows;
yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and
afflicted ~ Isaiah 53:4

Trust in the Lord, and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Take delight in the Lord,
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Commit your way to the Lord;
trust in him, and he will act.
~ Psalm 37:3 – 5

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.
~ 3 John 1:2

The LORD is compassionate and gracious,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness
~ Psalm 103:8

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,
and do not rely on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
~ Proverbs 3:5-6

Blessed are the merciful for they will receive mercy.
(The words of Jesus in Matthew 5:7)

Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the Lord!
~ Psalm 31:24

Suffering invites us to place our hurts in larger hands.
In Christ we see God suffering – for us.
And calling us to share in God’s
suffering love for a hurting world.
The small and even overpowering pains
of our lives are intimately connected
with the greater pains of Christ.
Our daily sorrows are anchored in a
greater sorrow and therefore a larger hope.
~ Henri J.M. Nouwen

The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart exults,
And with my song I shall thank Him.
~ Psalm 28:7

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels,
nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers,
nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
~ Romans 8:38-39

In returning to me and resting in me you shall be healed:
in quietness and trust shall your strength be.
~ Isaiah 30:15

Whoever believes in me, as the scripture has said,
streams of living water will flow from within them.
~ John 7:38

You will keep in perfect peace
those whose minds are stayed on Thee,
because they trust in you. ~ Isaiah 26:3

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. ~ Galatians 2:20

To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be his holy people, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:
~ 1 Corinthians 1:2

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ~ 1 Thessalonians 5:23

When the cares of my heart are many,
Your consolations cheer my soul.
~ Psalm 94:19

From the end of the earth I call to you,
when my heart is faint.
Lead me to the rock
that is higher than I;
for you are my refuge,
a strong tower against the enemy. (Cancer)
~ Psalm 61:2-3

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.
~ Philippians 4:6

And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
~ Colossians 3:15-17

If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed . . . nothing
shall be impossible onto you. ~ Matthew 17:20

The Lord will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
~ Isaiah 58:11

The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are open to their cry. . .
When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears,
and rescues them from all their troubles.
The Lord is near to the brokenhearted,
and saves the crushed in spirit.
~ Psalm 34:15, 17-18

Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
for in you I trust.
Make me know the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul. ~ Psalm 143:8

Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land. For I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. ~ Genesis 28:15

Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;
he rises to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!
~ Isaiah 30:18

“I am the Light of the world”
~ John 8:12

Surely God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid,
for the LORD GOD is my strength
and my might;
he has become my salvation.
~ Isaiah 12:2

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.
~ Psalm 40:2–3

Why are you cast down, O my soul?
And why so disquieted within me?
Hope in God, for I shall praise Him still,
My Savior and my God.
~ Psalm 42:5

The Lord delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.
~ Psalm 147:11

Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
And when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior . . .
You are precious and honored in my sight,
and I love you. ~ Isaiah 43:1b-4

Whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lords.
~ Romans 14:8

But I have trusted in Thy mercy;
my heart shall rejoice in Thy salvation.
~ Psalm 13:5

“Though he slay me, yet will I praise him”. ~ Job 13:15

“For I know the plans I have for you,
declares the LORD,
plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.”
~ Jeremiah 29:11

And what does the LORD require of you
but to do justice, and to love mercy,
and to walk humbly with your God.
~ Micah 6:8

Our Stolen Future

This past week 2 young children in Alberta, Canada died from pesticides used in their home. Because I too have experienced the devastation caused by pesticide poisoning, I feel compelled to share this story I wrote many years ago. Today I am remembering Cindy Duehring.

When I first became chemically injured, I was guided to Cindy Duehring who lived in a small rural community in North Dakota. Like me, Cindy had also been poisoned by pesticides and the continual assault on her system by toxins in her community forced her to live in isolation as well. She was a great source of hope and encouragement. Whenever I spoke with her I came away with new courage to face the day. Those were difficult times of adjusting to chronic illness and disability, and she helped me to go on.

Cindy had been a brilliant pre-med student when her apartment got sprayed. Before that, she had been extremely healthy, active in sports, and pursuing a degree in medicine. The poisoning caused a steady deterioration in her health including a seizure disorder, reactive airways dysfunction, peripheral neuropathy, fibromyalgia, and a disorder of porphyrin metabolism, as well as auto-immune, kidney, and neurologic damage. Even low level exposures to chemicals caused seizures and severe bronchial reactions so that she had to live in a specially created environment with windows covered over with foil to protect her from sunlight which triggered a reaction. Cindy had not left her space or even seen the sun shine for eight years.

Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my dearest husband on your
70th Birthday! Oh how I have cherished our years together.
Here is just one of your special moments.

Mine Eyes Have Seen The Glory!

It was 1965, 50 years ago this spring.
You had just turned 20, and I was 17.
We’d dated a few times and had been writing
letters to each other for a little over a year.

It was the year of the march to
Selma, Alabama; and there you were, in the midst of
making history.

You had gone off to Morehouse College, the alma mater
of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., on a student exchange program . . .
one of 3 white students at an all black college for men.

I wondered: “what was this tall, blonde, handsome, Scandinavian
guy doing – – going off to risk so much in these turbulent times?
What had awakened you to this movement for civil rights?”

With Eternal Love In Christ ~ ~ ~ We Lit The Candle

It was on this night 48 years ago that we lit the candle.

I walked down the aisle to meet my Beloved, and in front of family and friends gathered there, we said: “I do.”

We said: I do take you ~ to love and to cherish ~ above all others ~

I choose you to share my life ~ for better or worse ~ richer or poorer ~ in sickness and in health until death us do part.

We knelt together, blessed by the pastor, with a song of prayer sung over us ~ ~ then we lit the candle.

We took our own individual flames and joined them together as One in Christ.

We lit the candle to say:
Now our two lives are lived with the guidance of a Higher Power ~ a Sacred Presence ~ always with us no matter what we face.

May We Always Send Forth Ribbons and Doves

I was very angry at our neighbors. Their choice to burn slash piles had significantly damaged my health. I was angry that my health had relapsed once again and I could no longer leave our property.

Someone reminded me I needed to do something to get rid of my anger, or it would bring more harm to my health. So one day I set out walking towards the boundary of our properties. As I walked the winding prayer path, I fantasized how I would shout my anger towards their land and throw sticks with a vengeance.

Then suddenly I became aware of a pink ribbon in my pocket on which our granddaughter had written the word JOY. There was also a metal piece with a dove shape cut through the middle and the inscription: Where there is hatred let me sow love.

By the time I got to the boundary of our land, I could shout no anger after all. God had removed it from my heart. I could only thread the pink ribbon through the dove and place it at the point where our properties meet.
O Lord, give us the strength to withstand injustice, and the courage to choose not to send more hatred into the world. Instead, make us channels of your peace.

Seek Peace and Pursue It

In 2006 the peace of an Amish community in Pennsylvania was shattered when a gunman intruded a schoolhouse and shot ten young girls, killing 5 of them before turning the gun upon himself. I was overcome with compassion for their community of faithful people. And then, I was amazed as I watched how they dealt with such tragedy. In the midst of their overwhelming grief, they offered immediate forgiveness and reached out to comfort and care for the shooter’s family.

I listened closely when an interviewer asked one: “How are you able to have such a forgiving attitude?”
The answer was something like:
“It is because our lives are continually focused on the love of Jesus, and through that we develop 100% inner peace within us.”

100% inner peace. I wrote that down, because I knew at that moment I wanted that in my life. 100% inner peace no matter what difficulties come to me. That has become an overriding intention for my life.
I have found that it comes gradually, as I learn to trust the Divine Source no matter what the circumstances. We learn to grow in grace and peace.

This, my friends, is the gift of Christmas. The Prince of Peace is given to us so that we may know 100% inner peace. Not just for ourselves, but so that it naturally flows out bringing peace to all the world.

On this day, may you seek peace and pursue it with all your heart and soul.
And may the gift of 100% inner peace be born in you through Christ. Amen.

Seek peace and pursue it. Psalm 34:14

Ferguson ~ O Ferguson: You Teach Us We Are So Much More Than We Allow Ourselves To Be

Ferguson ~ O Ferguson: You teach us we are so much more than we allow
ourselves to be.

I am still trying to process all that is happening in Ferguson, Mo.
This situation tears at the depth of my soul and I lament.

I know, I know, I’m taking it personally – – because I know that this young man that was gunned down could have been my son.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This month marks 43 years since we got the call:

“There is a 9 month old boy that needs a home.
Would you be interested in adoption?”

We were poor, very poor seminary students at the time, with a three year old daughter of our own. But our hearts reached out to these children in need.

We hoped to give this one child more opportunities in life.
Hoped that in time the world would be a better place and racism would be overcome with love and peace.<!–more–>

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I remember a song I especially loved singing as part of the Civil Rights Movement.

Tell me why you’re crying, my son
I know you’re frightened, like everyone
Is it the thunder in the distance you fear?
Will it help if I stay very near?
I am here.

Refrain:
And if you take my hand my son
All will be well when the day is done.
And if you take my hand my son
All will be well when the day is done.
Day is done, Day is done
Day is done, Day is done

Do you ask why I’m sighing, my son?
You shall inherit what mankind has done.
In a world filled with sorrow and woe
If you ask me why this is so, I really don’t know.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And so, we reached out and took his hand
and he taught us to grow and love and learn in
ways we had never imagined.

We saw first hand the incidents of racism, discrimination,
hatred, abuse, injustice, racial profiling that he experienced
only because his skin was brown and not white.

Only his skin color distinguished him from all the other
children at his all white schools, all white sports teams,
all white places of employment, all white neighborhoods and
communities and family.

And so, this incident in Ferguson – – I take it personally.
I struggle with the fact that even after 43 years there is still
such racism and injustice in our North American societies.
There is still so much denial to face this disease that permeates
our culture. There is still such inequality among people.
It stings at my sense of hope for a greater humanity and seems a set-back
to any signs that progress has been made over the past 43 years.

And so I dig deep, and pray that I can find a way to do more – – to be more loving and kind in a world that still dishonors those who are different than ourselves.

I ask that in each moment we could choose wisely – – to do and be that which is most truly the expression of our loving and gracious God.

May our hearts open to love, honor, and respect each others differences,
and rejoice in the diversity of humanity.

We are so much more than we allow ourselves to be.

Dyslexia ~ My Story

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month.  1 out of 5 people have dyslexia and many don’t even know it.  Most schools are not equipt to deal with the learning differences persons with dyslexia face.  So I’m re-posting from my other website Well Bless My Soul that deals with spirituality for those with dyslexia.

If you have had any learning difficulties throughout your life, I encourage you to check out one of the free screening sites for dyslexia that are available online.

One link is:   http://www.dyslexia.com/dyslexiatest/

Dyslexia ~ My Story

Like many persons with dyslexia, I experienced trauma and confusion in my childhood. In grade one and two I spent much of the time standing out in the hall or in front of the class with my face to the chalkboard or sitting in the corner. The humiliation instilled a sense of unworthiness within me that affected my sense of self worth for many years.

Does A Book On Prayer Become Outdated?

Does A Book On Prayer Become Outdated?

About 25 years ago I compiled a book called Praying: One Day At A Time to bring prayer into greater focus in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada. It was used for personal and small group purposes to help teach people to pray. When I recently mentioned to a friend that it is now outdated, she said: “How can a book on prayer become outdated?” What a great question for contemplation. In my reflections this morning, this is what I’ve come up with.

Soul Story – Feed My Sheep

 

In 2000, on a stormy gray day, I stood on the beach in Galilee where Jesus is said to have appeared to his disciples for the last time. It was a small, pebbly, utterly unremarkable beach, but something in its atmosphere brought me to my knees.
Although I have a lover’s quarrel with the churches erected in his name, Jesus has
always been the greatest love of my heart. I loved him as a small boy, and I shall love him until the day I die; I pray always that my last thoughts will be of him.