A Monday Morning Gift to You

Sometimes we need it simple and straight. We don’t need someones interpretation or in-depth theology. Sometimes, we just need the pure and simple words written in the book. I pray you have a beautiful Monday morning filled with joy and peace.

Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is always before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight,

so that you are provide right when you speak and justified when you judge.

Surely I was sinful at birth,

sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;

you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

and sinners will turn back to you.

Save me from bloodguilt, O God,

the God who saves me,

and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will declare your praise.

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;

you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart,

O God, you will not despise.

In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;

build up the walls of Jerusalem.

Then there will be righteous sacrifices,

whole burnt offerings to delight you;

then bulls will be offered on your altar.

~ Psalm 51

A Monday Morning Gift to You

Sometimes we need it simple and straight. We don’t need someones interpretation or in-depth theology. Sometimes, we just need the pure and simple words written in the book. I pray you have a beautiful Monday morning filled with joy and peace.

Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is always before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight,

so that you are provide right when you speak and justified when you judge.

Surely I was sinful at birth,

sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Surely you desire truth in the inner parts;

you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

and sinners will turn back to you.

Save me from bloodguilt, O God,

the God who saves me,

and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

O Lord, open my lips,

and my mouth will declare your praise.

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;

you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart,

O God, you will not despise.

In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;

build up the walls of Jerusalem.

Then there will be righteous sacrifices,

whole burnt offerings to delight you;

then bulls will be offered on your altar.

~ Psalm 51

Music Tuesday:Bradley Hathaway’s Joy

The word joy seems to be ringing in my heart lately so I thought, what better way to spend Music Tuesday than talking about joy? Not happiness. I’m talking about JOY. The type of joy that’s found deep within your soul. Your source of peace and contentment, even if things are hard or going wrong. The joy that helps you to smile in the rain and be kind to those that don’t deserve it. The joy that says “I want to make this person happy” with no expectation of receiving something back. The type of joy that many people spend their lives trying to find.

Bradley Hathaway, a writer,/poet/ singer/songwriter from Arkansas has a poem entitled “On Being Joyful and Content” that explains joy in such a great way that I’m doing my post today referencing it. You can watch/read it below. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

I’m ecstatic!

and my thoughts
are
uncontrollably
sporadic!

Yet centered around one center

Joy.

In plush ripe tones
joy is rushing through my bones!

If joy were a color
it would be purple
pastel
pretty

Like old women and young children
both wear on Easter

Smiling while having deviled eggs
and drinking kool-aid

Chasing blown bubbles
in the backyard

The young ones’ distracting hats
fly off…

And the old ones laugh
a contagious laughter
that is to be shared
by everyone there

The sun
shines down upon them
as all of their physical imperfections
gleam
beautifully

and inside
inside
I feel like this
and I look outside my window
and imagine the
future purple pastel pretty
moments of joy
that I will one day have with my wife.
My Children.
My friends.
My family.

I really look forward to those moments.
But I am thankful for the one
that I am having right now.
this morning.

Alone.
On my couch.

Overwhelmed by Joy.

Before I end this post, I’d like to pray for my readers. I know it’s not a common thing on my blog, but I feel led to…so I will. I hope that you will read it slowly and pray it in your heart as well.

“Dear Lord of all things – I pray for my readers. Each and everyone one of them. Whether they know you or not. I know that you know them. And I know that you believe in them. And I know that you want them to experience the type of joy that only comes from you and you alone. I pray that each one of their hearts starts to fill with this love and joy. That it builds and builds and lives within their soul. It reaches to points that they can’t touch and can’t understand. They just know that it’s there. From the first smile during a bad situation to a compassion for their enemies that they just don’t understand. I pray that we all have an increase of the joy that’s found in knowing, loving and worshiping you. Amen”

Keep the Peace

Walk around the streets of any city and you’ll find a lot going on. You’ll see a lot of violence and hate. You’ll see a lot of anger and hurt. You’ll feel the depression and overall struggle within people. But then something will catch your attention and the pain will go away. Whether it’s a couple holding hands, a baby sleeping or a gust of wind through the trees on a warm spring day. There is peace without a protest. There is love without a song and there is a hope without a word.

I think sometimes we need to close our eyes and open our hearts to the hope, peace and joy that can still be found on the earth today. We need to trust one another when there is no reason to trust. We need to love one another even when we don’t feel the love first. And we need to spread peace and hope even when the media is reminding us that the world is at war and there is little excuse to smile.

So do yourself a favor. Turn off the tv. Put down the newspaper. Silence the people around you. And go outside. Close your eyes. Take a deep breathe. And realize that God has kept you alive for another day and the possibilities of that day are endless.