Psalm 1

Blessed is the man
who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,
nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
but his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

He is like a tree
planted by streams of water
that yields its fruit in its season,
and its leaf does not wither.
In all that he does, he prospers.

The wicked are not so,
but are like chaff that the wind drives away.

Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
for the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.

River of your delights

How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
The children of mankind take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
in your light do we see light.

~Psalm 36: 7-9

I want to drink from the river of your delights, Lord!

The Steadfast Love of the Lord

Shout for joy in the Lord, O you righteous!
Praise befits the upright.
Give thanks to the Lord with the lyre;
make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!
Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

For the word of the Lord is upright,
and all his work is done in faithfulness.
He loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
he puts the deep in storehouses.

Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants stand in awe of him!
For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.

The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing;
he frustrates the plans of the peoples.
The counsel of the Lord stands forever,
the plans of his heart to all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!

The Lord looks down from heaven and
he sees all the children of man;
from where he sits enthroned he looks out
on all inhabitants of the earth,
he who fashions the hearts of them all
and observes all their deeds.
The king is not saved by his great army;
a warrior is not delivered by his great strength.
The war horse is a false hope for salvation,
and by its great might it cannot rescue.

Behold the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him,
on those who hope in his steadfast love,
that he may deliver the soul from death
and keep them alive in famine.

Our soul waits for the Lord;
he is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in his holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.

~ Psalm 33

What a refreshing psalm for this new day! Sing to him a new song... his work is done in faithfulness... let all the earth stand in awe of him!.. the counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of his heart to all generations... he is our help and shield... our heart is glad in him. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful... What a wonderful God we serve!

Spring is in the air!!!

Ahh it's the 1st of September and the first official day of spring! It also happens to be a stunningly beautiful day with a crispness in the air! I love spring; everything about spring excites me. The transition between winter and summer is such a special time of growth and renewal and rebirth. I think the beginning of spring always places a new hope inside of me and a new song in my heart! As I was reading my Psalm for the day I was filled with joy:

Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
and give thanks to his holy name.
For his anger is but for a moment,
and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
but joy comes in the morning...
You have turned for me my mourning into dancing;
you have loosed my sackcloth
and clothed me with gladness,
that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!

~Psalm 30:4-5, 11-12

I hope this spring brings a new season in my heart; a new start, a new beginning. I'm so grateful we have the opportunity to start afresh in the Lord! What a blessing!

Fearfully and wonderfully made

For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you.
When I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
~Psalm 139:13-16

So God created man in his own image
~Genesis 1:27

I am 17 weeks pregnant with baby number two and I have just begun to feel the little one kicking away inside of me. I love this part of the pregnancy when I am actually able to feel that there really is a little person growing inside of me and I haven't just been 'out of sorts' for months for no reason! I love being pregnant and think it is the greatest privilege bestowed upon women! I always picture God with his tiny little knitting needles knitting this new little person who is created in His own image. It excites me so much to imagine that this person that is as of yet unknown in this world is loved so utterly and completely by God. I recently came across the labour and birth record of Conrad's birth and reading it brought back such a joy at the miracle of new life; the labour and birth of my gorgeous boy was the greatest experience of my life- second only to my baptism. I can't wait to meet my new baby and see the new dimension they add to my beautiful family!

Teach me

Make me to know your paths, O Lord; teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.
Psalm 25: 4-5