Very Truly Yours

Daily, I ponder what it means to abide in Jesus. I think through being connected to Him with all my thoughts and pursuits, so that I can stay on the path He has for me. God created me and He knows how I operate best. He gave me specific gifts; He planned my potential. If I stick with Him, I’ll be on that plan.

But I am much more than a puppet on a string. Oh yes, I have the freedom to try to do it all myself, my own way! However, I am limited when I am on my own and there is no satisfaction in self-indulgent ways. I feel much more complete when I am others-focused. I need others and, most of all, I need Jesus. A branch cannot bear fruit if it is disconnected from the Vine, and neither will I if I am not connected to Him. (John 15:4)

It is in being connected to that Magnificent Vine, trusting Him for my nourishment and direction that I can thrive and flourish. 

So, instead of being compelled by what the world wants, I am guided by heavenly wisdom. Instead of a driving competition for my own success, I stay focused, do what He asks, encourage others along the way, and let God open the doors. Instead of trusting in my own accomplishments or my bank account to provide my worth and happiness, I am trusting in my Lord to give me what I need, as I need it. And He is faithful.

So, the more of myself I can surrender, the more of me that is in His hands to work with. God is my loving Father, who planned my potential. Why wouldn’t I want to stay close and watch His plan unfold?

Lord, today I want to be fully yours – very truly yours – surrendered to you in a way that you do the work YOU want to accomplish. Let your glory unfold in the world around me.

Who Will Be Blessed for My Obedience?

Digging in for a Bible study, I am again drawn to a deeper appreciation of the very familiar story of Abraham heading to the mountain to sacrifice Isaac.

Ted and I had explored this story, in depth, on several occasions. We've had the pleasure of dissecting it with a dozen friends gathered in our living room for a Genesis study. Most of us have heard this story many, many times since childhood. Yet new observances keep opening the way for me to grasp more and more of God's grace each time.

God tests (but does not tempt), and He gave Abraham the supreme test. Was he willing to sacrifice his only son, whom he dearly loved? (Gen. 22) His prior experiences had brought him to a level of faith where he did not waiver, but did exactly as he was told -- until the angel of the Lord urgently called out to stop him! He then caught a ram in the thicket and offered it in place of his son -- a burnt offering -- a symbol of surrender.

Because Abraham did not withhold anything from God, even his long-awaited, beloved son, God knew he was "all in." Because of Abraham's obedience, not only was he blessed, but all nations on earth would be blessed!

This story foreshadows the Greatest Sacrifice, and we know that God did not withhold His only beloved Son either. The ram in the thicket foreshadows the Lamb of God taking our place on the cross, offering full and complete forgiveness and the awesome gift of eternal life with our Creator.

This is the most beautiful story on so many levels. It takes years and years, and multiple readings of this story for it to sift into my brain to a more full comprehension.

In the ancient times, people would sit around with their families and extended families and tell these miraculous stories and relive the blessings, time after time. Today, we have that same privilege -- if we choose to do it -- to sit around with family and friends -- in living rooms, church gatherings or around campfires -- and chew on these stories, sift these words, ponder these truths together to reap the blessings for obedience in our own lives.

If Abraham would not withhold his only son from God... and if God would not withhold his only Son from us... can I surrender in trust the lives and the futures of my own beloved children and grandchildren into God's very capable hands?

In full confidence, Abraham told his servants (v. 5) "we will come back to you." The same way, I can know with complete confidence that the Lord is guiding and providing for each of them through the complicated and sometimes treacherous paths of our lives.

If, because of Abraham's obedience, his whole family and all nations on earth were blessed, who will be blessed because of MY obedience? Or, said another way, who will not be blessed if I don't fully obey?


Lord, I want the kind of faith that pleases you. I want to fully obey so that you can fully bless. I want to live the life of full surrender and obedience that gives you all the glory.

Who will likely share in the blessings for YOUR obedience?

Total Dependence

Depending on the Vine for all we need...

The thought of having God "help me" with something is really quite ridiculous. Let me explain...

I often find myself in prayer using words like "help me"...do well with this or that, "help them" to feel or see or accomplish this or that. As I reflected on these types of prayers, they began to sound like I had all the grand ideas and was telling God what I needed help with. (What?!)

Ted had planted the idea with me awhile ago and we've talked a great deal about it in recent weeks: When we pray, we are not asking God to help us with our agendas, but rather, we are asking to be sensitive to His Spirit so that we can join Him with His agenda at hand. I've begun to deliberately and carefully change my approach.

I do believe that God hears all our prayers and doesn't criticize the words we use -- He knows our hearts and understands what we are asking, so we should never be afraid to come to Him and spill our guts, however it all comes out.

But, now I've been coming to God, realizing my great need for Him. I know these situations I bring are far beyond my control or ability to do anything about. But nothing is too difficult for the Lord! I thank Him that He has everything under control, that He has a plan, that His love is infinitely deep. I remember that His wisdom is tremendously greater than anything I could ever dream up and that His faithfulness is so amazing as I recall all He's already given and already done.

Who am I to limit God or suggest my meager solution when there is no end to what He could or would do?  I remember the great and wonderful "Who" I am talking to...that He is able, powerful, kind, gracious, loving, generous, merciful and just! 

Prayer is humbling ourselves before the Lord, uniting with Him, admitting our total dependence, surrendering to His will and outcome. Prayer is powerful when we're focused on His word, His character, His promises. When we are filled with Him, there is no longer any room to have our eyes on our problems.

Lord, forgive my sometimes lazy prayers that sound like laundry lists of all that's gone awry in "my" world. Thank you for your great wisdom, power, passion and patience. You inspire me with many beautiful examples of total dependence in the Bible:
Hannah, David, Solomon, Daniel and, of course, Jesus.

(The colored names are links to their prayers.)

A Bright New Hope

Magnificent moment of sunrise, captured in Minnesota.

Living on high alert can be exhausting.

Since we learned just how aggressive Ted's cancer had become, I once again became vigilant. Needing to ask the right questions, wanting to be prepared for whatever is next, knowing it could be a long journey, I took it all on as best I could.

But, it's hard to sleep when you can't let your body relax. So I've been practicing a lot of "letting go" of the burdens I am trying to carry:

When we learned his cancer had become resistant to standard chemo drugs, we asked God to show us a way. We know that God beats incredible odds and redeems impossible situations. We read it and teach it and share it each day. Now it is time to believe it for ourselves. We got a second opinion which offered a clinical trial on a promising new drug.

In the weeks we waited to hear if insurance would cover the costs, we knew we had to surrender that, too. God would provide, we said -- or maybe He already had, even if it wiped out all our savings (it all came from Him in the first place). Soon we got word that insurance will likely cover.

Yet, the heaviest weight I carry is the thought of losing my dear husband and all the richness of life we enjoy together.

In the sweetest of spots deep in my heart, I know the love of God is greater than anything I could ever ask or imagine. Nothing can ever separate me from His love. His care and His grace go with me every step of the way. Though I pray desperately for healing, I opened my hands and asked that God's will be done, because He has a plan for all and He knows best.

And three days after Ted started taking the drug, we began to see amazing results. It's working! It's working! A bright new hope gleams at this moment in our lives. We continue to surrender to Him and trust that it will continue. We are in awe of the One who provides all we need for each day.

(If you'd like, you can follow our journey on www.caringbridge.org/visit/tbj. You'll need to enter your email and set up a password.)

New Leg of His Journey

He was a good man -- thoughtful, gracious and easy to be around. He was adventurous, creative, vibrant and fun. And now our dear friend is gone. His valiant battle with cancer is over.

It happened only days after the Women's Breakaway, where I had shared the details of how Ted and I had ridden a roller coaster of health issues last summer, hanging on for dear life. In the most frail of moments, we had clung to our faith and surrendered to God's bigger plan -- whatever that would be.

For Ted and I, things turned out far better than we anticipated. We found ourselves receiving amazing answers to prayer.

For our friend, this is not what we thought would happen. He was only 49.

Yet it begs me to answer once more, can I trust God to be God? Can I surrender again into the hands of a Loving Father who has a bigger plan that we can't see?

Again, it's time to dig in with my deepest roots that keep me strong. I call out to God, telling Him of all that boggles my mind and burdens my heart. I surrender and rest in Him because He is Author and Creator and the way the story will unfold is for Him to decide.

I devote time to reading God's Word and I preserve some quiet time to listen for His wisdom. I trust in Him for comfort and refreshing. My hope is in eternity where we will see our loved ones again and walk with God in a new world of splendor beyond human description.

And the Comforter comes near, once again. My mind opens a bit wider to let in more Light. The Holy Spirit brings peace into the most perplexing situations; Love shows up in our darkest hour; and Hope appears in the midst of our emotional pain.

Our friend will live on in the hearts of all who had the blessing of knowing him. While we will miss him deeply, he has inspired us to live with that same courage, humility and grace that he and his sweet wife have so beautifully demonstrated.

Now he has gone on to a new leg of his journey. As Christ-followers, we don't grieve like those who have no hope (1 Thess. 4:13-14 NIV). Our earthly lives are only a small segment of the journey -- a temporary separation -- in the face of forever.

Heavenly Father, great is your love toward us; your faithfulness endures forever. (Ps. 117:2 NIV) You are omniscient, and you have the greater good in mind, always. We will fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Cor. 4:18 NIV) 

I Sometimes Forget Good Friday

A Holy Moment in the Smokies

God loved us so much He gave His only son to be crucified to redeem us from our sins.

Why would we fear anything when His love for us is so real, so deep, so powerful? Why would we ever have difficulty letting go and asking that God's will be done, rather than our own? How can we, even for a moment, forget what He has done to show His love for us?

And yet, there are times I hold tightly to the things I want, the direction I desire, the goals I have in mind. When His answers seem too slow, I forget that it takes time to orchestrate all the right details into place. When I yearn for these things now, I forget that He sees all and there is a greater good down the road if I will be patient. When life is difficult or painful, I sometimes forget that I am in the crucible with Christ and He is doing His awesome work to mold me for His glory.

I was reading in 1 Kings 11 where God told Jereboam through Ahijah the prophet that He would give him 10 of the 12 kingdoms. If only he would follow the Lord's commands and walk in His ways, God would be with Jeroboam. "I will build you a dynasty as enduring as the one I built for David and I will give Israel to you," He said.

But that never did come to pass, because Jereboam built shrines to other gods and did all kinds of evil, and God could not do all that He wanted to do.

I have seen that so often in the stories of the Bible, and I know it happens in our lives, too. God cannot do all that He wants to do if we do not trust that His way is best, surrender our own agendas and walk by faith, following wholeheartedly after Him.

Oh, Awesome God, I do not want to ever forget what you've done for me. I love you and I trust you with my life. Show me where I might be slowing you down or resisting your plans. I want to abandon my agenda and follow yours with all my heart.

Facing Trials of Many Kinds

I've been keeping vigil on Ted's health all summer and it was starting to take a toll on me. We'd been through some difficult trials, and I got behind on sleep.

When sleep-deprived, ever notice how your whole outlook changes? Doubt and discouragement creep in. It is a tool of the enemy to steal our hope and joy.

The Bible tells us to “Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds, because the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” (James 1:2-4 NIV)

Sometimes it is hard to make the leap to “joy,” but I do know I want mature faith. I tell myself I need to persevere so I can be complete, not lacking anything. It will all be worth it. The joy will come again. I’d say, “OK, Lord. If that’s what it takes, then bring it on. But, help me persevere.”

I’d be strong one moment, and then doubt would enter in. I’d think of how long a road this has already been and how little progress I’ve seen lately. I’d start to wonder if Ted would ever get off oxygen again. Would we ever be able to sleep in a tent and hear the sounds of the crickets or the loons singing on the lake? Would we ever feel the peaceful glide of our canoe on the water? Would we ever enjoy a late bonfire, watching the last few valiant embers fade? These are the things we love. We’ve enjoyed the sweetest of outdoor memories together, but what if that’s all we have now – just memories of doing these things?

I struggled and wrestled. What if this were God’s will for us? I cried out to God. I grieved the loss of my summer, the loss of the life we knew. Finally, I told God I would accept whatever He has for us and I would still praise Him. I’d have to adjust, but I’d still love Him and praise Him, whether in the valleys or on the mountaintops.

After my prayer of surrender, God began to encourage me. Ted’s strength increased a great deal in a few days. Yesterday, he got to turn his oxygen down a notch, and his blood counts show the infection is going away… yes, progress! (I celebrated by bringing him flowers from the farmers market and a loaf of his favorite bread – yes, he can have carbs again!)

This morning I opened my Bible to read where I had left off, at the story of David and Goliath. Once again, God reminded me of how we can conquer the giants in our lives – beat incredible odds – if we just trust in Him. We must not focus on the giant, but on God.

Do you have a “giant” that is trying to discourage you?

Oh God, you are so good and you are faithful beyond our comprehension. I trust you with whatever you allow to happen in our lives, because you are in control. Thank you for the glorious hope we have in knowing you.

Hold Fast to Him

Hiking in the Smokies in April 2010.

This summer is turning out so different than what we anticipated or planned. The activities we had in mind now seem so far away... camping, canoeing, biking, hiking and backpacking. Ted is now on oxygen 24/7 after a few surgeries and two weeks in the hospital. I've been on PTO from work and we've cleared our calendars to work full-time on restoring Ted's health. We were not prepared for this.

...Or were we?

As I reflect, it is clear that God has been equipping me. For several months, God has been impressing me to be still and know He's in control. I'd been inspired to commit more time than usual to God's Word (now I find I've been fortified by reading half the Bible since last summer). I'd also read several books by authors with extraordinary faith in various difficult situations (see my reading list). In my previous blog posts, I am reminded of all God has been teaching me... like how He's there to guide us through the storms, how He provides all we need for each day, and how we can beat incredible odds by trusting Him!

I am not unprepared. And my strength is certainly not my own.

As a couple, we work at surrendering our lives to the Lord to use however He chooses. We often don't have a clue how He is working in our lives, but we do know that God is good and He has a purpose in all of it. In my reading of the Old Testament I have seen repeatedly the command to "hold fast to Him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul" (Joshua 22:5 NIV). That is what we strive to do every day.

Whether we are out and about traveling wide circles, or limited by health issues, God uses us right where He has us. We are His servants and we let Him make that call. It is a privilege to hold fast to Him and serve Him wherever we are.

How about you -- has your life been "detoured" lately? How will you serve Him through it?

God, you are all good. Anything that happens to us must first pass through your hands. We trust in your design for our lives. Thank you for equipping us, guiding us and providing for us. We hold fast to you and follow you wholeheartedly through the storm.

Wrapped in His Love

After a whirlwind week, Ted and I feel wrapped in God's love. Maybe I should say "rapt" in His love!

Saturday, in the Intensive Care Unit we were given heavy news. Ted's condition had baffled the good doctors and we were given three suspected scenarios of what might be causing the rapid decline in his respiratory system. Treatment for one might conflict with the other diagnoses, making things worse, so guessing would not be an option. The best way to know what is going on would be an open lung biopsy. But because Ted's oxygenation was so low, they feared he would never come off the breathing machine after surgery. This would mean being fed through a tube, and communicating by writing notes, no talking. Maybe for the rest of his life. This was what they prepared us for...

"We're between a rock and a hard place," one doctor said. "You're right on the cusp and we may have to make the decision for you. We can't afford to wait much longer." A second opinion from another doctor concurred.

We looked at each other, overwhelmed. Then we prayed.

"God, you know everything going on inside. We need Your direction. We surrender this to you, because it's way beyond us to figure out. As always, we want to abide in You."

Our pastor and his wife (our friends) were here within minutes to pray with us. Then a steady stream of others shared their wisdom and prayers through visits, emails, voicemails and texts. Another thoughtful doctor from our church stopped in (during his vacation) and share his insights.

A peace was growing as we saw one direction clearly taking shape -- we consented to the surgery.

We talked with each of our kids regarding the surgery that was scheduled for the morning. Each was sobered by the risks involved. Alyssa asked, "How does he feel about all this?" I handed Ted the phone for a few words.

"I have a peace about it." he said.

"How can you have peace with all this ahead of you?" she asked.

He softly said, "It comes from a lifetime of walking with the Lord, being in relationship with Him. I know He is with me every step of the way. He's going with me in the operating room and He knows all. I have nothing to fear."

We truly felt the love of God surround us. The peace that passes all understanding came to us.

The surgery came out far better than we had anticipated. They were able to do a less invasive surgery and get an adequate sample of a cancerous lymph node. Less cutting equals faster healing. Just knowing what it was brought some relief. That was the first hurdle cleared. 

The second one was cleared about an hour later when the breathing tube was successfully taken out!! Praise God. We are still hearing Ted's sweet voice and enjoying his smile.

Today, Tuesday, we are still awaiting the pathology results so that a treatment can be determined. Meanwhile, with other medical (and supernatural) interventions, his condition has improved enough to move out of ICU to another floor.

We still feel that incredible peace. Despite facing great darkness, it was a sweet weekend. We absolutely felt bathed in the beauty of the Lord. Wrapped in His love, we have nothing to fear.

Thank you, God, for being our Rock, our Shelter, our Peace!

A Cool New Way to Journal!

I love to journal and to encourage others to do so. The biggest reason? To remember amazing things that God has done as I abide in Him!

As I re-read my journals, I am so encouraged to review what God has orchestrated. As I turn the pages, I see how the pieces fit together as part of His great plan. I get excited as I see my prayers of surrender and know that beautiful answers are coming in the pages that follow.

Maybe you don't have much time to journal... maybe you don't want to write too many details... or maybe you don't want others reading what you've written... Hey, I've found a cool new solution to all three!

It's called 280daily, an online way to journal. Here's the link to go and check it out. Set up your own secure account (it's free), and you'll get an email reminding you to sum up your day in 280 characters. That's the number of characters you see in the green paragraph above. If you use Twitter, it's twice as many characters as you can put in a tweet!

The site allows you to sort your entries in various categories, add photos, use the search feature, review fun stats (like how many times you've used certain words), and export to a PDF, CSV, or a book format.

How cool is that?! It's organized, private and portable! (Did I mention it's free?)

I've found it's a fun way to maximize my writing -- I practice telling the best story I can with only those few characters. It's also a reminder to optimize my life. Each day I want to have a story worth telling.

How do I sum up my day in 280 words? I try to capture a sweet moment, write what I'm learning or how I perceive God speaking to me on that day.

And for those days that just can't be summed up in 280 words, I still cherish the traditional method of journaling!


Lord, you make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalm 16:11 NIV)

Do you journal? Why or why not?

Blessings for Obedience

We recently returned from southern Arkansas where the fruit trees were blossoming and warm breezes were blowing. Now who around here, still looking at a foot of snow, wouldn't find that refreshing? But hang on, Spring will arrive for us, too!

A road trip clears my mind and freshens my perspective. With my husband driving the many miles we covered, I had the opportunity to read to him, and then we'd discuss what stood out to us. We were in Leviticus (which can be a challenge), but here is the treasure I found there:

"If you follow my decrees and are careful to obey my commands, I will send you..." (I'll summarize, but you can read it here: Leviticus 26:3-13 NIV) rain... crops... fruit... harvest... safety... peace... security... favor... increase... abundance... freedom. The Lord shared beautiful promises:

• "I will look on you with favor and make you fruitful..."
• "I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people..."
• "I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high..."

And the one that really charmed me was:

• "Five of you will chase a hundred, and a hundred of you will chase ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you."

What this says to me is when we walk with God, we can beat INCREDIBLE odds! When we walk in obedience, surrendered to Him, He can do things we could have never imagined.

Ted and I talked about times in our lives we've known that to be true. Sweet times of fully trusting; we saw God's hand and His favor in our lives beyond what we would have believed. Dismal situations that turned out far better than we could have hoped.

We wished it could always be that way, but we sometimes get in the way of that. God wants our full obedience... we say we want to follow Him wholeheartedly, but we hold back a little piece of ourselves. We try to give God power and authority over our lives but we hold onto something we don't really want Him to change. We live under burdens we don't need to carry because we want to do it our way.

When we worry or doubt, we are focusing on ourselves and not God. With people things seem impossible, but with God all things are possible. What power there is in surrender! We're afraid of losing, but in reality, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

God, help us to be careful to obey your commands. We want your blessings for obedience. With our eyes on you, we strive to let go of all that holds us back. We want to beat the odds, to rise above the selfishness that keeps us from knowing your perfect will.

Is there something that seems too big in your life? Give it to God and watch Him work.

My Prayer of Surrender



Bowman Lake at Glacier National Park

Before my feet even hit the floor in the morning, I'm working on surrendering all to the Lord. Today my prayer went something like this:
Lord, I surrender to You...

• All the details of projects engaging me, of challenges perplexing me, of opportunities awaiting me...because I want You to set my priorities for today. (Exodus 9:16 NIV)
• All the words I speak too critically, all my words that flow too freely, all my words I guard too carefully...because I want you to guard my lips for today. (Ps. 141:3 NIV)
• All the doubts that discourage me, the distractions that crowd me, the temptations that derail me...because I want to live in faith and follow You and You alone today. (Is. 7:9 NIV)

Lord, I empty myself of...

• Needing to be strong, needing to be right, needing to be sharper, younger, thinner or better in some way... because You love me as I am and You are working in me and through me when I am submitted to you and abiding in You.

Lord, now fill me with Your Love, Your Hope, Your Grace, Your Peace, Your Power and may Your Will be done through me today. Amen.

Write a comment. Can you identify with any of these? What kinds of things are you working on surrendering these days?

Abiding Fully

The Holy Spirit abides inside every believer. We have full access to Him. Yet not every one of us gives Him full access and control. Day by day, our journey is about turning more and more over to His control -- abiding also in Him -- so that He can work in us and through us to bring about His glory.

Life is made up of individual challenges and decisions and influences. It can be overwhelming at times. But increasingly, as we are able to surrender more of our lives to Him, He makes those pieces fall into place. He alone is the One who knows How to complete the puzzle!

I thought of many varied conversations, perplexities and disciplines that are shaping my life right now. And every once in awhile, I get just a "glimpse" of the big picture. It's as if I see the scenery on the front of the puzzle box -- for just a moment -- and I know what I need to do to work toward completion for that beautiful view.

God is fully alive in us, and He has every means of working in our lives. But sometimes I stifle Him by wanting to retain too much control. Sometimes I settle for "good" when I could have had "great" or "glorious."

I realize, once again, that I can't hurry God. I can't say, "Answer faster." His ways are high above our ways, His thoughts high above our thoughts. (Is. 55:8-9 NIV) It would be like force-fitting the pieces of the puzzle into place to complete it hastily instead of enduring the wait, being patient for the right fit.

Lord, I do not want a "quick" answer -- I want Your answer! Once more I surrender, as best I know how, to let You reign over every area of my life. God, I trust You to be the One who puts each piece into place for Your glory!

The Beauty of Surrender

We know that God doesn't always answer prayer in the way we would anticipate, or as "quickly" as we would wish. But I can now see that for many of these times, He has given me an answer far better than I knew to ask for, in just the right timing.

As I reread my journals from a few years back, I gained a different perspective on how God was shaping me. He was orchestrating the details that needed to be put into place, while at the same time, preparing my heart to want the greater things He had in mind for me.

Upon reviewing these journals, I made a wonderful observation. Whenever something really "big" happened in my life -- an answer to a long-time prayer -- it came directly after a period when I was able to fully "surrender." By this I mean that I had given up control of the way I wanted the situation to go, realizing that He knows best. I could finally be open to His solution (the one that was perfect in the first place!)

But God is a gentleman and He didn't hurry, pressure or force me. I saw that many times He was incredibly patient with me. When I eventually stopped pleading with God about what needed to be done (how silly that sounds!) and resolved that I could trust Him -- whatever the outcome -- then the answer finally arrived. An answer that surpassed human understanding. An answer that gave me the greatest peace ever. An answer that came in a great big God way.

I now reflect on the character of God and His promises in the Bible:

• Great is His faithfulness (Lam. 3:23)...
• He can work all things together for good (Romans 8:28)...
• Nothing can separate us from His love (Romans 8:39)...
  
• He wouldn't give a snake when we ask for a fish (Matt 7:10)...
  
• All things are possible with God (Mark 10:27)...

I remember that He really has my best interests at heart.

The beautiful 1855 hymn reminds us what a Friend we have: "Oh, what peace we often forfeit; oh, what needless pain we bear; all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer."

Do you have a heavy burden you're carrying? Are you ready to lay it down?

Father, help me get my head, my heart and my feet on the "same page." Help me, more and more, to surrender to You. I really do want Your way. I know that from the fullness of Your grace we have all received one blessing after another (John 1:16). We have every reason to trust You.