“Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life. Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. Don’t look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health. God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Don’t throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home. Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. Unbutton my lips, dear God; I’ll let loose with your praise.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭51‬:‭7‬-‭15‬ ‭MSG‬‬

The italicized part of today’s scripture has inspired me to call today Tune In Tuesday. I am not musically talented but God uses music to inspire and encourage me. Often I have felt God’s nudge when listening to music. Julie and I often share links to songs that underscore the message we are trying to convey.

What about you? Is there a certain genre of music you are drawn to that draws you closer to God? Is there a specific song that you turn to for hope and encouragement? What are your go-to, foot-tapping songs?

Spend some time this morning tuning in to God. Like the person in today’s photo, take some time apart from the busy world to reminisce about music and specific songs that God has used to speak to you. Search YouTube for songs and listen for a few minutes. Allow the music and words to draw you closer to God as you “tune in” to God’s message for you individually. What is God saying to you today?

Click here to listen to a foot tapping song I heard yesterday just when I needed a pick-me-up.

“Soak me in your laundry and I’ll come out clean, scrub me and I’ll have a snow-white life. Tune me in to foot-tapping songs, set these once-broken bones to dancing. Don’t look too close for blemishes, give me a clean bill of health. God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life. Don’t throw me out with the trash, or fail to breathe holiness in me. Bring me back from gray exile, put a fresh wind in my sails! Give me a job teaching rebels your ways so the lost can find their way home. Commute my death sentence, God, my salvation God, and I’ll sing anthems to your life-giving ways. Unbutton my lips, dear God; I’ll let loose with your praise.”
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭51‬:‭7‬-‭15‬ ‭MSG‬‬

Yesterday I shared Psalm 51:10-12 from the New International Version Bible. For the rest of the week I will discuss various parts of Psalm 51.

This Mindset Monday, let’s reflect on The Message version and in particular “God, make a fresh start in me, shape a Genesis week from the chaos of my life.” What a refreshing and comforting thought! No matter what craziness is going on in my life, God is able to create a new beginning! Do you need a fresh start today? Do you need a do over?

Just like the beautiful sunrise in today’s picture, you and I can also rise and shine with the promise of a Genesis week! Let’s greet today and begin our week with a positive attitude filled with the promises of God.

“for though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again, but the wicked stumble when calamity strikes.” ‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭24:16‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Click here to watch today’s See You Saturday video.

“But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”” Ephesians‬ ‭5:13-14‬ ‭NIV‬‬

In yesterday’s post I encouraged you to look for the goodness of God. Did you see? Did you find God’s goodness? I did! I saw God’s grace and mercy filling my faith up all day long!

When I left home to head to work, I was amazed at the songs I heard on the Christian radio station. Were they picked just for me or was I listening with more open ears? I had a jam packed schedule at work, but God’s grace and mercy gave me the strength and stamina to meet my needs. Several texts and conversations throughout the day reported of answered prayers of mine, family members or friends. Go God! God continually showed off yesterday.

However, when talking with my friend last night of an answered prayer, I had an “aha” revelation. I think God is constantly answering prayers, performing miracles, bestowing blessings and showing off. I think that we are not always looking. I think we are often asleep and in the dark.

You and I rush through life from one task to the other. We are constantly looking to the next big thing while God is constantly working for our good. Let’s make today a Faith-Filled Friday. Let’s turn on the light and be awake to God’s constant work in our lives. Let’s allow Christ to shine on us and fill up our faith for His glory.

“The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever.””
‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭40:8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

How has your week been for you? Has it been smooth sailing or has there been bumps in the road. This has been a busy and stressful week for me. I have had activities outside of our home every evening this week. I have run up against some frustrating road blocks that have added to my stress. As I prepared for today’s blog post I was drawn to this beautiful photograph taken by Ray White. I googled “scripture about horizon”. As I read through the scriptures listed, I felt a nudge towards today’s featured verse. As I read it over and meditated on it I was reminded that the promises of God never fail and that God is with me through the stress. I then decided to turn to the scripture and read its context. At this point I really hadn’t paid attention to the scripture “address” (chapter and verse). How had I not realized that this verse comes from the same chapter as my life verse?

“Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah‬ ‭40:30-31‬ ‭NIV‬‬

WOW! God is so good. In the midst of my stress, I was led to a reminder of the goodness of God.

Today is Thankful Thursday. Today may we each keep our eyes open for the goodness of God that surrounds us. May we each praise God and give thanks for the enduring word of God.

Click here to listen to this beautiful song, The Goodness of God. I have shared this several times before, but yesterday a coworker shared that she listens to it every morning to start her day. Let’s do the same today and praise God this Thankful Thursday!

““What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ “ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. “Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. “Which of the two did what his father wanted?” “The first,” they answered. Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.”
‭‭Matthew‬ ‭21:28-32‬ ‭NIV‬‬

I love peanut butter! I especially love chocolate and peanut butter together! A few summers ago, our family was vacationing in Washington, DC. As you may know, touring in Washington involves much walking. One particular day as we walked from one end of the National Mall to the other, we happened upon an ice cream truck. Since it was July, we were hot and we were excited at the thought of a cool ice cream treat. Imagine my delight when the side of the truck, pictured above, had a Reece’s peanut butter cup sundae as an option. Of course that’s what I ordered. Now imagine my disappointment when I was handed the cup of ice cream in today’s second picture. There were no Reece’s peanut butter cups! My cup simply had ice cream with peanut butter smeared on the side and chocolate drizzled on top. That is definitely false advertisement and not what the truck image portrayed!

I am calling today “Walk the Walk Wednesday”. I want each of us to examine the image we are portraying to the world.

Are you walking the walk you claim as a Christian? Are you talking the talk God instructs? Does your walk match your talk? Are you presenting one image, but not following through?

When we say one thing about Christ, but do another, we are being hypocrites. When we portray the Christian life as God instructs us but we don’t walk the walk, we are not being an accurate example of a Christian and we are not growing the kingdom of God.

My prayer for each of us today is that we all “repent and believe him.” May we each walk the walk and talk the talk of Christianity. May each of us not only be the image of Christ, but also be Christ to the world.

***On a side note, the ice cream was terrible and it ended up being thrown away not long after it was purchased . What a disappointment! Even today our family continues to get a good laugh out of my Reece’s ice cream sundae debacle.