Tag Archives: Psalm 19

Hello, It’s Me

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It’s probably not good business sense to take a month off, but whoo-boy, it’s good for the soul.

Thanks to those of you who visited a small drop 3,273 times in August. I’m no big kahuna in the world of online blogs/substacks/current platforms, but the fact that so many of you stopped by when no one was home truly warmed my heart.

I did a little reading in August: Dante’s Divine Comedy — all 900 pages. Goodness gracious. Inferno was riveting. Purgatorio was a bit slow. Paradiso was glorious. It definitely clarified the eternal options and, believe me, you don’t want Inferno. *Horrified shudder* You want Paradiso. *Happy shiver*

I also re-read Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. I liked the book when I read it in March. I loved it when I read it in August. There were so many little things I missed the first time. The subtle foreshadowing that didn’t register in March, suddenly burst forth with depth of meaning in August. The quiet references to scripture stood out the second time through. Because I knew how the story ended, everything became clearer and much more significant. The characters came off the page and into my heart.

“Featherwood”
IYKYK

Re-reading books is a rarity for me.
(I currently have 429 titles on my To-Be-Read list—
so many books, so little time.)

But I learned something during my August Pause.

I know how The Story ends, which makes everything from Genesis to Revelation pop with meaning and significance. Every time I re-read those holy pages, I find something I missed before. A little more clarity. A little more understanding. More love—every time through—more love.

May the truth of God’s Word
jump from the page
into our hearts.
Amen.

“The Word of the Lord is worth more than gold,
even more than much fine gold.” 
Psalm 19:10

Overflow

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“Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks.”  Luke 6:45

 

There’s a flow about our lives. Most of the time we don’t even realize the circuit that courses in and out of us. Until the overflow.

When I was a senior in high school, there was a group of four or five sophomore boys who liked hanging around me. They probably all had a secret crush, but figured I’d never actually date any of them, so they settled for adopting me as their big sister. I liked hanging around them because they gave me a break from the inevitable high school drama surrounding girls’ friendships. Plus, they were fun. But they had a problem with their mouths so I took it upon myself to clean up their salty language, as any big sister would. Every time an offensive expression was heard, I responded with “Watch your mouth.” I was certain my influence would have a lasting effect on those punks and that I was doing the world and God a favor. It didn’t help much. But I did get a cool t-shirt for a graduation present from my little gang of guys. Printed on the front of the shirt were the words “Watch your mouth.”

What I didn’t understand then, and regularly need to be reminded now, is that when the mouth has a problem it’s not really a mouth problem. It’s a heart problem. I should have paid more attention to the condition of the hearts of those silly sophomore boys. In an effort to teach his own boy, Solomon said, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23 In other words, what’s in my heart is going to come leaking out of my mouth.

There’s a flow about our lives. It begins with what we see and hear, travels to our thoughts, turns into desires and sets awhile in our hearts. Then one day, the cup runneth over. Good or bad, our words reveal the state of our hearts.

May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer. Psalm 19:14