Hello Friends~

Today’s word is “Wilderness.” Feel free time join along if you want. I hope you enjoy the photo. It was taken October 28, 2017 during a “Girl’s Weekend” camping trip with some of my friends from my church.

Wilderness according to the dictionary means a wild and uncultivated region, as of forest or desert, uninhabited or inhabited only by wild animals; a tract of wasteland.

Some examples of wilderness in the Bible are:

Ezekiel 34:24-25, “And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the Lord , have spoken. I will make with them a covenant of peace and banish wild animals from the land, so that they may live in the wild and sleep in the woods securely.”

Isaiah 43:19-21, “I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. The wild animals will honor me, the jackals and the ostriches; for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in the desert, to give drink to my chosen people, the people whom I formed for myself so that they might declare my praise.”

Mark 1:12-13, “And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.”

When thinking about the word, “wilderness” I have experienced it a couple of different ways as it relates to life in general and living a Christian life. The wilderness can be a sense of being lost or confused, as a kid I spent a lot of time in a woods near my home. If I wasn’t careful I could easily get lost or be directionally challenged if I didn’t pay attention to landscape. In the same respect, the wilderness can be a place of quiet respite. As a kid I loved going into the woods to pick wild flowers for my mom, well I learned later in life they were weeds but pretty weeds nonetheless. My mom would also take my brother and I fishing in those same woods in old mining pits. My wilderness holds lots of precious memories for me. It also holds some frightening truths about my childhood but I now know that I serve a God that is with me no matter where I go or where I’ve been.

ειρήνη – “Peace” in Greek, reference listed below.

~Peace~ειρήνη~Charlotte

References:

https://www.merriam-webster.com/

https://www.openbible.info/topics/wilderness

https://www.biblegateway.com/

https://biblehub.com/greek/1515.htm

Hello Friends~

Today is Thursday, February 27th, 2020. Our scripture verse today is Psalm 51:1-2, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.”

Lent is about us looking into a mirror and seeing our hearts. Taking a hard look at ourselves on the inside and facing our own truths is very difficult. This season of Lent is asking us to be honest with ourselves and with the sin that is in our lives. In doing these difficult yet necessary steps we make room for God to come into our lives and give us new insights, to teach us His Will. This willingness to take an open and honest look at our hearts and what they reflect, will provide space for healing and repentance to occur. Remember, there are no right or wrong, good or bad answers when reflecting. Simply naming and claiming the distractions that keep us from a healthy and full relationship with God. In order to begin any journey one must know where they are before they can start.

As we continue on our journey of repentance and lamenting, I pray for courage and God’s abundant grace. Below is a poem I read tonight during my devotional time and I wanted to share it with you.

An activity suggested in the devotional pamphlet I am reading is to draw a heart and ask God to help you examine your heart. Ask yourself:

• “What does it reflect?”

• “What do you want it to reflect?”

In a time of reflection read Psalm 51:1-10 as a prayer.

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are justified in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. Indeed, I was born guilty, a sinner when my mother conceived me. You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” -Psalm 51:1-10

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, creator of all things, I give thanks to you. I am thankful for the Holy Spirit guiding me through life. And, Lord Jesus I am thankful that you selfishly gave yourself to the cross so that all who believe and profess you as Lord and Savior would have life eternal. Jesus, you conquered the grave, defeated death and rose again! Forgive me of my sins and please be with me in all that I do and say, to bring glory to you. I ask all these things in Jesus name. Amen.

Here’s my heart drawing. Heart are typically red but my favorite color is green so a green background with a red heart. May the green serve as fertile soil so that I may grow in God’s will and spread His love wherever I go and with everyone I meet.

ειρήνη – “Peace” in Greek, reference listed below.

~Peace~ειρήνη~Charlotte

References:

http://www.luminarium.org/sevenlit/herrick/truelent.htm

Bread And Wine ~ Readings for Lent and Easter. Published by Ploughing

https://www.biblegateway.com/

https://biblehub.com/greek/1515.htm