My Divine Notes

Psalm 36:5-7 5 Your unfailing love, O L ord , is as vast as the heavens; your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds. 6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your justice like the ocean depths. You care for people and animals alike, O L ord . 7 How precious is your unfailing love, O God! All humanity finds shelter in the shadow of your wings.  My cat, Jack, adopted me for 15 years. Last night a longtime friend went to bed with a sad heart. His family’s beloved pet dog died. Death catches us unexpectedly at times and it makes us consider the things that are really important in our lives. This morning I woke up thinking about that sweet little dog and it brought to mind my own loss. Almost 10 years ago, a big white cat who owned my heart for 15 years died. My heart was sad for many years after Jack’s physical presence left my life. As I sit here this morning thinking about how animals make a difference in our lives, it’s hard not to consider the tie tha...

Sept. 17, 2011 Nehemiah 8:10 (AMP) …be not grieved and depressed, for the joy of the Lord is your strength and stronghold. Joy in the pits of life exists even though the intellectual mind and heart say it cannot be. Yes – it is possible for Christians to experience joy in middle of trials. There is something very empowering about exposing our souls before God. Transparency before and dependence on God renews the intimate bonds we already share with Him. Until I became a child of God, my feelings, emotions and thoughts took over and amplified my circumstances in very unhealthy ways. Now that I know a powerful and compassionate God, I know that I can hang on to His arms when I am facing the battles of my life. Oh, believe me, I face incredible battles – but I will not let go of God’s loving hand! This is how I keep joy in my heart while I’m in the battlefield: I realize that it’s easy to fall back into my old ways of thinking, so I ask the Lord to stop my wrong thinking. ...

May 29, 2011 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (GW) 3 So if the Good News that we tell others is covered with a veil, it is hidden from those who are dying. 4 The god of this world has blinded the minds of those who don't believe. As a result, they don't see the light of the Good News about Christ's glory. It is Christ who is God's image. Time and time again my grandmother would talk to me about the wonderful things God was doing in her life. At the time, my heart was covered with a veil and I refused to believe God could care about me. Sure – he showed up in her life, but he never showed up for me. I believe that the god of this world had hardened my heart with pride and self-sufficiency so that I could not appreciate the wisdom and have the faith of my God-loving grandmother.   I was miserable during those years because I was living a life blinded by sin. I made myself feel good about my behavior by thinking that I was a good person who did many good things for others. ...