God's Promises

 


Yet Jerusalem says, “The Lord has deserted us;
    the Lord has forgotten us.”

 “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child?
    Can she feel no love for the child she has borne?
But even if that were possible,
    I would not forget you!   

See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.
    Always in my mind is a picture of Jerusalem’s walls in ruins. 

 Soon your descendants will come back,
    and all who are trying to destroy you will go away. 

 Look around you and see,
    for all your children will come back to you.
As surely as I live,” says the Lord,
    “they will be like jewels or bridal ornaments for you to display.

 “Even the most desolate parts of your abandoned land
    will soon be crowded with your people.
Your enemies who enslaved you
    will be far away. 

 The generations born in exile will return and say,
    ‘We need more room! It’s crowded here!’  

Isaiah 49:14-20 NLT

A Godly Vision For Your Child

      

God has a great plan for each child's life. He wants to be glorified in each life He creates. He wants each life to experience the richness He has designed for it. Do we as parents have a vision for our children to guide them to the fullness of God's design for them? Or are we focused on worldly goals?

We as parents can lead our children very far from God's plan for them. We can lead them astray, or we can lead them to God and closer to His purposes for them.

 We have to pray constantly for God's wisdom about our children. We need to pray He reveals to us our children's God given talents, who they are and how to train them in the way they should go. Each child is so unique that we must pray for God's unique wisdom pertaining to how to best guide that child. 

Each persons life will reach it's fullest potential in Christ when they fulfill what God intended for them, when He lives in their hearts and they accept Him.

Let's be in prayer daily as parents for wisdom to be the parent God needs us to be. To show our children God. Guide them in their talents and help them focus on who they are uniquely created to be. 

We have visions and goals for a lot of things in our life. We need to have them for our children too. When they are 30, 40, 50, what do you want for them? Do you want them to be walking in God's truth and fulfilling God's perfect design for them? Or are you only focused on their academic or sports successes?

It takes diligence, discipline and commitment on our part to pray for our children every day and guide them every day. We need God's help in this. Our focus cannot waver on who they need to be in Christ. If we wash our hands of our responsibilities we are not doing our God given duty as a parent. We will stand before God one day and give an account of our shepherding the life of the little ones God entrusted to us.

Maybe you don't have small children anymore. Maybe you have come to know Christ or grown in Christ and you regret how you raised your children. It's not late. Whether they are 20 or 55, pray for them now. Pray that whatever relationship you have with them now that you will be able to see them live in the fullness of their life in Christ. Pray for repentance for your own mistakes in not leading them as you should have, and ask for God's guidance for their future.

When we as parents step up to our God ordained roles, we help our children know how to grow up and step into theirs. Our children then go on to teach their children and grandchildren. It affects each generation. It is of utmost importance that we diligently show our children Christ and pray for clear visions of their futures.

If you are being lazy in this area with your children, pray for God's strength, energy and discipline to come into your life so you can follow God in your parenting.

We know how much we love our children as parents. We can only imagine how much more God loves them. We should hope as parents for God to guide us, to show us His great plan for them and to be the best vessel we can be to guide them to glorify God and live the abundant life He has for them. The life God has planned for them is far greater than we as parents could ever plan for them or imagine.

 "For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
-Jeremiah 29:11

 "For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." Psalm 139:13-16

"Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart." Proverbs 29:17

 "What do you think? If a man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?  And if he finds it, truly, I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray. So it is not the will of my Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones should perish." Matthew 18:12-14

Contentment

 

Contentment. Have you ever truly felt content in your life? Are you always running around searching for more, building your future, but missing your life now? Contentment is knowing that right now, we are supposed to be right where we are, that God has us right where He wants us. Right now, I am not supposed to be anywhere else in my life. In spite of my mistakes, or circumstances, I am called by God to be content. To be anything less is a sin. I am then telling God, "what you have given me God is not enough." "You did not give me all the things I wanted right now so I will not rejoice."

  

The human heart always wants to do more, to dream, and to be more. God put this desire for growth in our lives in our hearts and minds. Using our discernment to know how to work toward the future while maintaining contentment in the moment is where we need God's help. I believe we grow in our journey of contentment when we grow in our walk with God. True contentment lies within our hearts, it lies in our love for God and our relationship with Him. Notice I did not say "true contentment will happen when you receive the right job." "True contentment will happen when you get that great house." Contentment is not a state of being where we feel happy with our "stuff." Our stuff will never satisfy.

Contentment is a state of the heart. The heart beats in peace with God. It is a state of satisfaction with knowing God and who He is. True contentment is permanent no matter what stage of life you are in.

We absolutely need to master this skill as Christians. Yes, contentment is a learned skill. What a challenge in this culture of more, more, more. 

If we look back on our lives, we can see our behavior and thought patterns. "Once I get that job God, I"ll be content with my life." "Once I get that dream house God, oh and my dream car, I'll be content." "Once this difficulty in my life is over God, I'll be happy." "Once I get (insert your personal experience here) I'll be happy." Once you achieved those things, were you content? Or did you move on to the next thing? Notice what just happened! You missed being content. You missed being peaceful with where you were. You missed your opportunity to be in peace at that moment in your heart with God communing with Him. A lack of contentment and constantly looking out for the next thing to fulfill is distracting from our relationship with God. Can you see how a lack of contentment is causing you to miss out on the life God has given you? I believe this is why God calls us to be content. To see the abundant life He has given us in Him. In order to realize how to live in the fullness of God's love, we must be at peace in our hearts. In order to fully grow in our lives to the person God calls us to be we must learn contentment.

Life has seasons. It will always have changes and God may bless us with more money, or even a bigger house, or the other things we have in our minds that we desire- or that may not be His plan for your life. He may have something else in mind-something more than you imagined for yourself. You may also experience crisis, illness, unemployment, loss, frustrations and stress.  But life is constant and if we constantly wait to receive our contentment, to "reach" this state we are chasing after, you may never in this life reach it if you don't realize the root of what contentment actually is.

Contentment does not mean we will not continue to pray for our future. It doesn't mean we don't continue to work toward our future, and to work toward the future God speaks to us and directs us towards. Contentment means while we are getting there, we know that right now, what we have is enough from God. Right now, God is filling our hearts. He is enough. Right now we are going to take time to commune with God. We are going to feel peace in our hearts. We feel the fullness of Christ. The external is not all we need. God is all we need, no matter what phase of life we are in and what we are working towards we should always feel content with Christ.

You might be missing out on a lot in your life right now based on your lack of contentment. Are you always spinning around? Are you so much focused on the future and the future that will "make everything better?" On the "next best thing?"  Your lack of contentment is holding you back from your life. You are missing out. You are missing out on time with your children, time with your spouse, your family. Time serving God or time doing whatever else God will put before you. Time worshiping God and growing and learning. Your anxieties and tunnel vision about building your future are not from God. They are taking away from your relationship with God. The moment you are living right now is what God put before you. Live in it. God wants you to live in His abundance, His fullness, His richness, His peace, right now.

Give your control over your future, your worries, your anxieties and discontent to God. Leave them at the foot of the cross. Let God be enough. He already is. The one who was, and is and is to come. He is always enough.

Dear Lord, help me to know how to feel peace and contentment right now in this moment in my life. Give me wisdom and discernment to know how to feel that peace while praying and preparing for the future you have for me, no matter what my current circumstances. Let my heart beat to your rhythm God. Help me to find my peace and contentment in you always Lord.


 I believe that contentment is such a large part of the Christian walk. The Bible is abundant with scripture on contentment. A few are below:

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content"
Phillipians 4:11

"For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong."
2 Corinthians 12:10

"Now there is great gain in godliness with contentment, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content."
1 Timothy 6:6-8

"Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”
Hebrews 13:5

"As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness."
Psalm 17:15

Wisdom

 True wisdom is so hard to find in the world and in people. We seem to seek it everywhere. When we have a decision to make and we are thinking over the right thing to do, what are we really wanting? Wisdom to know the right thing to do. We seek it in so many places. Self help books, speakers, pastors, family, talk shows, the latest fad, and the latest bestseller.  Most of these things and people may have some great advice to offer. But how do we know? How do we know what we read or what someone says is wise? How do we know to really take that advice to heart? How do we know that they don't just have only knowledge? Knowledge does not equal wisdom. We could make the choice to follow that book, or that person and be led wayward again and again only to keep seeking the answer to the problem we started out with.  How can we know TRUE wisdom and come to recognize it?
  Ask God.
Ask God for wisdom and for Him to reveal more of His heart and mind to you. Read your Bible. Ask God to show you what He needs to speak to you about your life and pray for wisdom. How many times have we gone astray trying to go off our own smarts or the smarts of someone close to us, only to be disappointed at the results. How much better it is to have the gold, but then have the wisdom to know what to do with it. What a disaster to have the gold, and squander it because we were not wise.

The Bible says:
If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. (NIV) James 1:5

How many times in your life have you prayed for God to make you wise? Such a simple thing, but we so often fail to ask.

We must also compare the sources of wisdom we get in our lives to the Bible. If someone is an "expert" on parenting, we must also compare what they say to the Bible, or we can go astray. If someone is an "expert" on marriage, let's then look at what the Bible has to say about what we heard, to see if it lines up. God uses many people to speak to us, Christian's and many times non Christian's. The test is our meditation on what we have heard and let in our lives as well as our praying about it and comparing it to the Bible. We will less often go astray when we follow these steps. As Christians we often fail to put everything to the test of our faith and forget that God is the ultimate source of wisdom. We often look to everything outside of God and the Bible.

I like to think of the Bible as the ultimate self help book. God wouldn't create a universe and people in it, and then fail to give us a manual. That's what the Bible is. We need to stop thinking of it as some old fashioned book with stories in it of battles and of Christ's birth, death and resurrection. It is so much more. It has all we need in it! Need God to speak wisdom to you about your children and how to parent? Read your Bible. Need God to speak wisdom to you about your relationships? Read your Bible. Need God to speak wisdom to you about your job, your finances, what to do next in your life? Read your Bible. You get the idea.

I'm not saying that some books and people aren't brought into our lives that aren't God inspired. God uses many things to teach us wisdom, and many of these are great, God inspired, and help us grow on our journey. But FIRST, where do we turn? If we are first turning outside of God that is a sin. Turn first to God, and turn first to your Bible. Pray He reveals His wisdom to you, and then brings whatever sources of help or wisdom into your life that you may need, and pray you will recognize God and recognize the sources of wisdom that are truly Godly. Use your God given discernment and God will give you the answers you seek. We pray to God about the needs in our life. We pray "God help me with finances," God help me to be a good parent." What is missing here? "God give me the wisdom to know what to do with my finances." God give me the wisdom to know how to be a good parent." "God give me the wisdom to use my discernment."
  Ask God for wisdom. Turn to your Bible and prayer first. Use your discernment to know if God is bringing you His answer in some form in your life. You will make fewer mistakes, know the peace of God, grow in wisdom and begin to know and understand God more.

Prayer:  God, it is so hard to find wisdom in the world. But I will not find it in the world. I will find it in you. Help me to be wise God, and give me listening ears and a listening heart. Help me to know you more and to each day see your wisdom with clear eyes.

1 Corinthians 1:19-21
For it is written, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the cleverness of the clever I will set aside." Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not come to know God, God was well-pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe.

Colossians 2:2-3
My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Ecclesiastes 8:1
Wisdom brightens a man's face and changes its hard appearance. (NIV)

Ecclesiastes 2:13
I thought, “Wisdom is better than foolishness, just as light is better than darkness."

 

Suffering

 




  As much as Jesus wanted to run away from His crucifixion He knew God wouldn't let Him out of this hardship. How much He must have wanted to run over the hill and escape. But His God would be watching Him. He followed God and we were given a savior. God knew this must happen for the world to be saved, but He still wept for His son. God may allow things to happen for our own growth or for reasons we will never know in this life, but He still weeps with us.

Jesus asked "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:45-46) God did have the opportunity to save Jesus from this. But He knew without this we would not know God's love for us. We cannot grasp this without Jesus' death on the cross. In my own suffering I have gained knowledge of Christ's sacrifice and His love for us. Would I know this in my heart, mind and soul without my own suffering?

Suffering can produce a deep understanding of life and all it's beauty and a true knowledge of the beauty of heaven. It produces a spirit alive with the knowledge of heaven and that heaven is not far away and those we love are right now, in this very moment, alive. We can't physically see heaven but it's a place alive right now and a place alive in our hearts, minds and souls.

We may never have the "whys" of our sufferings fully explained. We can learn, grow and understand Jesus more through them. When Jesus' physical suffering and crucifixion ended, what came afterwards? Resurrection, joy and healing. And yet Jesus bore and still bears the scars of the crucifixion. Yet, He is not a man of bitterness or hate. He is a man of love, compassion, and forgiveness. His scars do not define His heart nor lessen the meaning of His life. Instead they enhance the beauty, depth and meaning of his life.

How much in our own life do our scars paralyze us? Do we live in the suffering or crucifixion or the joy, love and healing? Do our scars lessen our importance? Suffering produces a real and deep joy, love and healing. Without suffering we never truly know God's power and presence.  We cannot then without suffering know the beauty of the resurrection and the love of God.

Jesus' crucifixion and suffering did not make sense to many human hearts. It still doesn't today. We don't understand our own problems and suffering. We are doubtful, angry, scared, anxious, bitter and upset. We question our faith and we question God.  These emotions are part of the human experience. Even Jesus wept at the death of Lazarus. (John 11:35) It is as Christians that in our faith we have hope in these times. We can see that there is beauty waiting for us on the other side. Beauty we may have missed out on without walking through our darker times.

When I see Christ's blood on the cross, I see His suffering in a new light. For only now have I gained a small, human understanding of His physical and emotional agony. The way He must have wanted God to take away His suffering and yet God did not and Jesus still trusted in Him.  Jesus did not run away from the difficulty He faced. I see His blood shed for me, and for all. In the blood I see my sin, inadequacy, and unworthiness. After I see His suffering, I see joy. The joy of knowing I live in the freedom of God's mercy. I live in the freedom of Christ's love and death on the cross even though I know I will not be spared suffering in this life.

I know heaven and my children awaiting me (lost to miscarriage) are very close by and alive. How much I have wanted to run away at times from my own pain and suffering. Running would never work. Not knowing that Christ died on the cross for me and did not run. He trusted. I cannot be a coward. I must trust. And look at the beauty we can now behold if we take it, and hold on to it. Beauty after suffering. Heaven awaiting us after this life and our trials and sufferings.

Lord, help me to see through my suffering and pain. Help me to see the healing and beauty you will bring me. Help me to keep my eyes fixed on eternity, on You, so that I do not lose my sight in the blindness of my pain. Help me to see like Jesus did.

"In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.  You know the way to the place where I am going."

John 14:2-4

"He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."  He who was seated on the throne said, "I am making everything new!" Then he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true."  He said to me: "It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.  He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.  But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars--their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

Revelation 21:4-8

Reaffirming Jesus In Our Children Daily

I think it is so important that the word of God and the name of Jesus is in our hearts and minds daily. There is another place the word of God needs to be more often. On our lips. Do we speak of God daily to our children?

It seems that we will live our life and our daily grind without scriptures or the name of God even coming out of our lips once to our children. A simple verse, song, phrase, or book can help us in our tired moments to make sure that we are speaking of God to our children.

It seems "hard" to fit it in daily with all we have to do, especially with little ones. Making a before nap or bed routine of reading a few age appropriate Bible stories or faith based books and saying a verse or two before nap and bed is a great way to make sure you are taking the steps to speak of Jesus daily. And make sure to say prayers with your children every day, no matter how young (or old) they are. It is never to early or too late to start.  Sing a song or say a scripture while you take a walk or are playing in the yard. Once these habits form you will notice new ones starting as well. Pretty soon it is embedded in your daily routine with your children.

We can't go through our days with no mention of God and then show up at church on Sunday, then go the rest of week with no mention of God again. To train and teach our children the name of God must be on our lips daily.  The more I do this myself, the more I grow myself. I grow along with my children. By singing a simple song, saying a scripture with them for them to memorize I have been able to better maintain my own focus during the day. It helps our adult hearts to maintain focus on God every day. That He is the reason for living each day.

We can't call ourselves a Christian and then not have Jesus present in our minds and hearts each day. He has to be a focus EVERY day. Not on a whim, not when it's convenient, it must be daily. It must be how we are living our life, a path we are walking. We must convey this to our children daily. On our lips and through our words.

Teach the word of God to your children daily. More importantly, speak of it daily and live it daily.


  
 “Listen, O Israel! The Lord is our God, the Lord alone. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.  And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. ⁷Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.  Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:4-9
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Slow Down

 

  We are all so busy with various things every day. Paying bills, keeping up with basic household chores, family obligations, grocery shopping, let alone adding young children to take care of in the mix.  We are also presented with so many options for activities, so many things to do. So many classes we "have" to sign the kids up for. So many things we "have" to be involved in. One thing I have realized in my personal journey with "busyness" is that I don't have to do a lot of these things, I have a choice.

We are made for a lot of activity and to enjoy the things God has put on earth. We want to help our children develop their talents and for them to learn. A lot of these things are great. But how much is too much?

As mothers, when we have young children, our daily life in the home can be busy enough. Add in getting the kids diapers changed before we leave, getting them dressed, packing their snacks and getting ourselves ready to get out of the house and you are ready for a nap.

I have fallen into the busyness trap so often. Thinking I have to be "doing" something always, or I'm not useful as a person. So many things were idle and time wasters. It leads to burn out.

God really pressed this on my heart. Slow down. Don't ignore those I've placed right in front of you. I began to realize that first and foremost my time should be given to my family.  They are placed right in front of my nose! Why would I overlook them for outside busyness? They come first, other activities second.  Even activities that are for the kids can take away from the peace of the family. I am not bound by the outside busyness trap of the world anymore. 

I reevaluated our schedule and eliminated the unnecessary. We still have activities, we still have things we are involved in and I will still sign the kids up for a class or two. But I am careful now to judge carefully what will raise our stress levels as a family or run us ragged. I will think carefully about each social event presented and whether it is worth the time, effort, possible money spent and possible stress to me or my children and family. If it isn't necessary, it is given a no.  No? What? Yes, I said, NO! That is the hardest part, saying no. You can't please everyone. Yes, it is sometimes necessary to make extra effort for a wonderful friend or for family and sometimes it will even cause stress. But we can judge if that extra is worth it. Some things are just time fillers, busy activities. We need to look closely at those. Those activities are the ones stressing us out and probably stressing our kids out. They are also distracting. What are they distracting from? God and those He has placed in front of us. Do we have quiet time with God? Do we stop and teach our children about Jesus? How can we have that time and instill those things in their hearts if we are busy all the time? We can't. Here's where that cheesy saying comes in:
B. U. S. Y. "Being Under Satan's Yolk". Busyness binds us. It distracts us from God. Too much can be a spiritual hindrance, a block in our walk with Christ.

I can't have time outside with my children, to play with their toys and enjoy the sunshine if I am always busy. I won't have time to sing hymns and songs with them and teach them scripture if we are always running here and there. I won't have time to play chalk outside with them or read to them, or play our own made up games. They won't have time to play with their trains. We can't enjoy the house we've worked to make into a home, a refuge. My husband and I can't take a break during their naps on the weekends if we are so busy!

The Lord has been speaking to my heart lately. Maybe I put things on my plate that were never meant to be there! Maybe He did NOT call me to all this busyness?! Revolutionary! So I've begun to focus on what He has called me too. And everything is falling into place  There will be busy days still, simply with the things that ARE worth doing. But I have no problem having a day without "activity" outside the home. (all of us mothers know that even those days are still busy tending to young children) I've begun to pray about what activities should be on my plate and where God wants our time as a family and where we need to find rest.

You will also notice that the removal of constant busyness then produces a more peaceful home. It's restful, peaceful, and a place of growth. A place where Jesus dwells. Because there is time to dwell in Him.

The Bible is not full of people who ran here and there filling their days with endless and sometimes useless activities. They were busy for God, they were living life, and they were growing in Christ. Nowhere does it suggest that if we are not busy always that we are letting God down. Nowhere does it suggest if we don't sign our children up for every sport or church activity that we are failures. In fact the Bible states the opposite:

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Ephesians 5:15-17

We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. Psalm 39:6


Mothers, we all know we need to train our children, and be their nurturers. This takes time, it takes quality time. Our kids don't need every class, every social event, every activity. They need us and they need Jesus, and they need us to show them Jesus. So slow down, for your children and for yourself. Need to take a bath during the kids nap? Do it! And add some bath salts in and bubble bath! Take time to put lotion on yourself afterwards and don't feel "bad" about it! Schedule in some time for self care too! Read the Bible during the kids nap, even a Psalm or two. You will feel refreshed. Schedule a few days per week (if you can) of just being at home with your children without the rush of getting out of the house. Teach them a scripture, take a walk and sing songs, look at the leaves and the sky. Hug them, kiss them and have the name of Jesus on your lips and slow down. 

  We need to not be so focused on accomplishments and be more focused on relationships.  With God, our husbands, and our children, our friends and our extended families. There is also a difference between feeling tired at the end of a long day and feeling burnt out with busyness. Too much busyness is toxic to the body, soul, and your relationships.

Ask yourself, if this concept of busyness and slowing down scares you, "what am I so afraid of?" Is it that you will have to spend time with God and truly listen to what He is telling you? That you'll truly have to spend time with your children and husband? What are you blocking? Issues within yourself? WHY is your time so filled in an unhealthy manner?! Are you afraid of societal pressure and that you'll actually have a "free" day and what others will think? Why do you keep yourself so busy? Do you have any time amongst all of your busyness to reflect, to work on yourself, to pray? Do you have time to rest in Christ?

I have learned to take this lesson on busyness with me throughout my life. I no longer have to live as a slave to the worlds busyness. I want to enjoy the gifts God has set before me, not be too busy for them, no matter how old I am!

Pray and ask God what He intends to fill your days with and what His purposes are for your time. Be willing to listen and obey and drop the unnecessary. Then embrace the peace that comes from getting rid of busyness.

"Even the sparrow finds a home there, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young-a place near your altar. O Lord Almighty, my King and my God! How happy are those who can live in your house, always singing your praises." Psalm 84:3-4

"This is what the Lord says: Stop at the crossroads and look around. Ask for the old, godly way, and walk in it. Travel it's path, and you will find rest for your souls. But you reply, No! That's not the road we want." Jeremiah 6:16

"If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet." Proverbs 3:24