Those Who Hope In the Lord Will Renew Their Strength

But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. — Isaiah 40:31 

Today we woke to the news that Spencer, Iowa was flooded.

The Little Sioux River overflowed its banks and sections of the town and cemetery are under water.

Our prayers go out to the people of that town and others that were affected.

Here's the Dairy Queen Kirk and Ernie stopped by on their way to Akron a couple of years ago.

We are shocked and saddened.

We hope in the Lord even when the world sends us disasters and floods.

In Christ, we will walk and not be faint.

The Sovreign Lord is My Strength

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments. — Habakkuk 3:19 

God is my strength and my song.

He makes my feet like the feet of a deer.

As a deer pants for water, so my soul longs for the Lord.

Tomorrow we sing "Sicut Cervus," which is based on this Scripture.

God enables me to walk on the heights.

He is my portion.

He is my strength.

God Is the Strength of My Heart

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. — Psalm 73:25-26

God is my refuge.

I have nothing without Him.

And earth has nothing I desire but God.

My body may fail.

My flesh may fade away.

But God is the strength of my heart.

He is my portion forever.

He sustains me throughout my life.

The Lord Our God Is One

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. — Deuteronomy

The Lord our God is one.

We love the Lord with all our hearts.

And with all our souls.

And with all our strentgh.

Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

I Will SIng of God's Strength

But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. — Psalm 59:16

It's now morning, and I'm singing of God's love.

He is my stronghold.

My fortress.

My refuge in times of anxiety.

My hope in times of trouble.

My strength.

And my song.

God Is Our Refuge

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. — Psalm 46:1 

Icthus - Jesus, the Messiah, our Savior

Over the past several weeks, we've had friends with each of the following situations:

    Her mom died.

    His dad died.

    His wife was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

    Her daughter was diagnosed with cancer.

    She got married.

    Her husband died, the father of their 23-year-old daughter.

    She had an anxiety attack.

    Her dog died.

    She discovered she's pregnant and is expecting her first baby.

    Her cat was hospitalized.

We don't realize just how much sorrow exists in our world until it touches us personally.

But through the happy days and the sad days.

Through the hurt and the sorrow, God is our refuge.

And the Lord is our strength.

God Is the Strength of My Heart

Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. — Psalm 73:75-76 

Earth has nothing better than God.

God is the strength of my heart.

Even when my body gives up or breaks down.

He keeps me going, even when I can't do it on my own.

My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strengt of my heart.

He is my portion forever.

And I am grateful. 

I Love You, Lord, My Strength

I love you, Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  — Psalm 18:1-2 

Yesterday we hiked out to Cedar Creek Waterfall in Ramona.

What a beautiful day.

The waterfall was much fuller than it was two years ago when we hiked there in April.

And we waded across three streams.

But when we arrived, we were there with just a few other people.

Hiking out we ran into a large group of college students hiking in.

Thankfully we went early and had the waterfall almost to ourselves.

What a beautiful day!

I Will Sing of Your Strength

But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. — Psalm 59:16

Monday I took dinner to my coworker whose wife just had a baby.

And I made a chicken pot pie for our family, too.

Yum!

 I will sing of God's strength.

In the morning I will sing of His love.

God is my fortress.

He is my refuge in times of trouble.

All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying: “Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!” — Revelation 7:11-12

The angels fell down on their faces and worshiped God.

That's what we'll be doing in heaven one day.

Saying, praise and glory and wisdom and thanks be to our God.

Honor and power and strength be His for ever.

Amen!

This baby was born on new year's eve to my colleague at work - their first.

Kya Mae looks like she's ready to face the world.

We praise God for her birth.

The Voice of Angels

Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, In a loud voice they were saying: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” — Revelation 5:12

The voice of many angels worship God night and day.

In one voice they say, Worthy is the Lamb!

Jesus was slain to receive power, wealth, wisdom and strength.

To Him be honor and glory and praise.

He alone is worthy of our adoration.

Love the Lord

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. — Deuteronomy 6:5

These are the commands, decrees and laws that God directed Moses to teach us to observe.

The first is to love the Lord our God with our entire being.

To love the Lord with everything we have.

With our heart, soul, and with all our strength.

So every fiber of our being sings His praise and glory.

God Is Our Refuge

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. — Psalm 46:1

 

God is my refuge.

And He is my strength.

He is ever present.

And with me always.

The Lord is my refuge and help in times of trouble.

He cares for me and loves me.

We visited several cemeteries in Normandy.

And we were blessed to be able to see the lowering of the flag at this one as they played Taps in the evening.

A very moving reminder of God's presence with us wherever we go.

Hope in the Lord

Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. — Isaiah 40:31

We hope in the Lord.

And He will renew our strength.

We will soar on wings like eagles.

And run without growing weary.

We will walk and not be faint.

God will lead us through dark valleys.

He will guide and direct us.

 

The Sovereign Lord Is My Strength

The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights. — Habakkuk 3:19

La Jolla Shores Beach

God is my strength and my song.

In the midst of Covid, He protects me from infection.

Last week, a singer next to me during our rehearsal found out she had Covid.

Another one came down with it a few days ago.

I've tested negative so far with my at-home tests.

And I have no symptoms.

I took another Covid test yesterday morning at Kaiser, and I'm waiting for the results.

I should know more in a day or two.

In the meantime, I'm masking up and staying 6 feet away from people, not touching Abby or Kirk.

And I've been swimming every day except today.

God the sovereign Lord is my strength!

You Are My Strength

But you, Lord, do not be far from me. You are my strength; come quickly to help me. — Psalm 22:19 

God is my strength.

He is never far from me.

When I call out to Him, He answers.

He comes quickly to help me when I call.

At times He has me wait for His timing.

He is my strength and my song.

I Will Sing of Your Strength

But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. — Psalm 59:16

Last night we went to a class on the Confessions of Augustine.

We are on Book 3.

It's a translation written by Sarah Ruden.

We had a good discussion about Augustine as a teenager, lamenting over the empty place in his heart.

And his mom praying for him with her tears.

Very similar to my mom praying for each of us her children, the week before she died.

I will sing of God's mercies and strength.

Today is Kyle's birthday!

In the morning I will sing of His love.

He is my fortress and my refuge.

Love the Lord Your God

Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. — Deuteronomy 6:5

Welcome, February!

Today my friend Lorraine told me about a coworker of hers that was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.

I was diagnosed three years ago in January, and my surgery was February 22, 2019.

I was wearing a hat and fall for our 35th anniversary party in October of 2019.

Three years later, my oncologist has said that I don't need to see her again for a year.

Last week when I got my hair cut, my hairdresser mentioned how my hair has come back in thick and full.

Just as it was before the chemo.

My cancer is either in remission or completely healed!

What a wonderful miracle.

I'm praying the same for Lorraine's friend.

May God bless her through this time as He has blessed me.

And may she feel His loving arms holding her tight and surrounding her with His deep peace.

The Majesty of the Lord

He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. — Micah 5:4

God shepherds us just as a shepherd takes care of his flock.

He watches over us and cares for us.

He never sleeps - He sees everything we do.

And He is near to guide us through the rocky places

And to carry us over the ravines and streams.

All the while He gives us just what we need

And much more.

Renewal of Your Strength

You would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’ You found renewal of your strength, and so you did not faint. — Isaiah 57:10

While Kirk and Ernie were in Iowa, they visited the cemetery outside Spencer.

They found Rita and Gary's headstones.

They found the Rogers and also the Kindlespires.

The put flowers and flags on the headstones.

A nice remembrance.

And a beautiful day to be outside.

Some of the other days were too hot and humid to be outside for long.

And the bugs came out in force.

We are glad to be here in San Diego.

Still, it's a beautiful place to visit.