God Is Forgiving, Gracious and Compassionate

You are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. — Nehemiah 9:17

God shows His compassion to me every day.

He showed compassion to our country and its founders.

Here's a photo of the Jefferson memorial.

A vivid reminder of God's compassion to our united states.

God is forgiving and gracious.

He is slow to get angry, even when I provoke Him.

And He is abounding in love.

Thank you, God.

Love Is Patient

Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. — 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 

Marina Village San Diego

Love is patient and kind.

We watched the Super Bowl yesterday as a family.

And we celebrated our time together.

Abby brought us beautiful tulips.

Here we are at the wedding the day before.

The wind was really chilly.

But we had a great time even so.

We met lots of fun people.

And caught up with others we hadn't seen in years.

Love does not dishonor others. 

It keeps no record of wrongs.

A Gentle Response

A gentle response turns away anger, but a harsh word stirs up wrath. — Proverbs 15:1

Sometimes it's difficult to give a gentle response when someone says something unkind or treats others badly.

I feel like lashing out instead of responding with gentleness.

In that moment, I just have to bite my tongue and ask God for wisdom.

So I don't blurt out the first thing that comes to mind,

And then regret it later when I end up with foot in mouth disease.

But God's Word is true.

A gentle response turns away wrath.

And the opposite is true.

A harsh word stirs up wrath.

Give me a gentle spirit today, Lord.

Understand This!

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters! Let every person be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger. — James 1:19

It's sometimes hard to listen to the people around us.

Even when we care about them.

They can sound like so much noise and it can be easy to tune them out.

I may want to speak over them or interrupt them.

But God calls me to listen first.

He commands me to bite my tongue and stifle my anger rather than letting emotions get the best of me.

My mom used to say, "I just bite my tongue until it's bloody" so I don't speak too quickly or at all.

Very good advice.

Sing God's Praises

Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime. — Psalm 30:4-5

I love singing God's praises.

Our choir is now meeting to rehearse on Zoom.

It's fun to be able to stay in touch with everyone around the county and the state.

What a blessing to be able to sing the praises of the Lord, even while sheltering in place.

His anger lasts only a moment.

But His blessings last a lifetime.

I am grateful.