The Bookends

During the school year I do what we call our Monday Prayer e-mails. Charles and I are both at a computer so much that we've found it to be a great way to share thoughts and prayer requests for the week. I haven't done it all summer and I have really missed it. I usually share a little of the e-mail here on the blog. I'll hopefully start that again next Monday.
However, this morning our devotional with our kiddos really reached out to me. Their verse is simply "My help comes from God. He made heaven and earth. " Psalm 121:2 Some of the bullet points of the devotional are:
* God made heaven and earth. He is strong and can help you to be strong too.
*If God wants you to do something, he will help you do it.
* You don't have to be strong or important or smart to do great things for God. He will be all of those things for you.

We read about Jeremiah today. God told him, don't be afraid of people. I'm with you. I will take care of you. Oh, our wonderful God who promises never to leave us nor forsake us. What a comfort to me today. What a comfort to know that its ok if I'm not smart enough, or I don't talk the right way, or I'm not strong enough (because I am none of those things). God will be those things in me according to His purpose.
Today I have been praying especially to keep the fruit of the spirit. I had a hard day at work yesterday, and I know that I need an extra dose of His holiness within me right now. As I prayed today, I felt God telling me to focus on the bookends of the list of his fruit. Love and Self Control. I will focus on those today and trust God to fill in the middle!
God asked Moses (who we read about yesterday) "who gave people their mouths? Who makes people hear or see?" (translated in a children's Bible). God has given me this mouth and he has given those around me the eyes and ears to hear and see what comes out of me. I want what comes out of my mouth (and my life) to reflect Him.
Pray for me today as I try to keep it all between those precious bookends of love and self-control.
LOVE, Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, SELF-CONTROL