There's something amazing about getting a new journal. I finally finished my one I bought before Speaker's Week in England and I was just dying to get a new one. That journal is filled with pages of some of the most painful moments of my life. Also some of the happiest. Some of the hardest. Some of the most cherished. I have three pages of Czech words written in Magdalena's handwriting telling me how to say everything from Jesus (pronounced Yezeesh) to Rasberry Fanta (Fanta Malinova) to Crime Scene Investigation (Tym Pro Zajistovani)- i know...random.
I have recipes copied from Andrea's cookbook when I was babysitting on Wednesday Nights for Maya and James. I have notes from every morning devotions and Sunday Morning study from Bible College and from College and Career and Sunday and Wednesdays since I've been home... and I have prayers that I've written of pouring out my heart before the Lord in praise and pouring out my heart in mourning and weeping and hurting and repenting.

I can follow throughout my journal the ups and downs of my prayer life. The failures. The victories. The faithlessness of my own heart. And the faithfulness of our Amazing God.

And strewn throughout are verse after verse of scriptures that got me through it all. And so here I will type many of them and send them out into cyberspace...His word never returns void. (now it's time for some Women's Discipleship recitation, eh??? Where's my good friend Brooklynn when you need her?)

Who art thou O Great Mountain, before Zerubabel you shall become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shouting, crying, 'Grace, Grace, unto it' - Zechariah 4:7

Who have I in heaven, but Thee? And there is none on earth I desire beside Thee. My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. For, lo, they that are far from thee shall perish: thou hast destroyed all them that go a whoring from Thee. But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all Thy works. -Psalm 73:25-28

I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go, I will guide thee with Mine eye. Be ye not as the horse or as the mule which hath no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto Thee. Psalm 32:8-9

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee: the Lord make His face to shine upon Thee, and be gracious to thee: the Lord lift up His countenance upon thee, and give thee peace. ANd they shall put My name upon the children of Israel and I will bless them. - Numbers 6:24-27

And He said, 'I am God, the God of thy Father, fear not to go down into Egypt, for there I will make of thee a great nation. And I will surely bring thee up again.' Genesis 46:3-4 (the significance of these verses for me was that God sent them Jacob and his family down into Egypt...and there they become slaves and suffered more than like any other nation...but God promised that He would bring them up again. It was all in His hand.)

She obeyed not the voice. She recieved not correction. She trusted not in the LORD. She drew not near to her God. Zech 3:2 (This verse is what I pray against for myself- my greatest fear would for this to be said of my life.)

And the LORD said unto Joshua, 'This day have I rolled the reproach of Egypt from off you.' -Josh. 5:9

Why have I found gracde in thine eyes that thou shouldest take knowlege of me, seeing I am a stranger?- Ruth 2:10

I waited patiently for the Lord and He inclined unto me and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay and set my feet upon a rock and established my goings. And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it and fear and shall trust in the Lord. Psalm 40: 1-3

Seek ye the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near: Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord and the Lord will have mercy on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher thanthe earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.- Isaiah 55:6-9

And the king (David) said, "What have I to do with you, ye Sons of Zeriah? So let him curse because the LORD hath said unto him, 'Curse David,' who shall then say, 'Wherefore hast thou done so?' " 2 Samuel 16:10
( I love this verse because David is totally succumbed to the will of the Lord, not trying to defend himself because God's will is most important to him no matter what cost to himself or his name. He doesn't even question the Lord's will in it)

And in the eleventh year, int he month Bul, which is the eight month, was the house [the temple] finished throughout all the parts thereof and according to all the fashion of it.So was [Solomon] seven years in builiding it. But Solomon was building His own house thirteen years, and he finished all his house.- 1 Kings 6:30-7:1

And now, little children, abide in Him, that, when He shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before Him at His coming. If ye know that He is righteous, ye know that everyone that doeth righteousness is born of Him. -1 John 2:28-29

And they shall call them, the holy people, the redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought Out, a city not forsaken.- Isaiah 62:12

Ah, Lord, God! Behold thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee: ~Jeremiah 32:12

I will very glady spend and be spent for you, though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. -2 Cor. 12:15

And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, 'Lord, it is nothing with Thee to help, whether with many or with them that have no power; help us, O LORD our God, and we rest on Thee, and in Thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art God, let now man prevail against Thee' -2 Chronicles 14:11


Be ye strong, therefore, and let not your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded. -
2 Chronicles 15:7

And for this cause [God's name to be glorified] Hezekiah the king, and the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz, prayerd and cried unto heaven. -2 Chronicles 32:2

For thus saith the Lord God, 'Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep and seek them out.' Ezekiel 34:11

O LORD, we have waited for You, the desire of our soul is for Your Name and for the remembrance of You. -Isaiah 26:8

Then the moon will be disgraced and the sun ashamed for the LORD God of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem before His elders gloriously.- Isaiah 24:23

Then I said, 'I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name.' But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back and could not. - Jeremiah 20:9

My peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you: Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.- John 14:27


Wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud fo witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily, beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that endured such contradction of sinners against himself, lest yet be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. - Hebrews 12:1-4


also...here are the lyrics which I repeatedly copied in my journal for the last year...

When I look into Your eyes, I see the love that died for me
When I look into Your eyes, I see the hope that I will be, a faithful child.

Following close behind
Following ever blinded to to, the things that should not move me.
I say unto my soul:
Fix your eyes on Jesus
Fix your eyes on Jesus

When I look into Your eyes, I see the grief when I have sinned
When I look into Your eyes, I find delight when I have been a faithful child



I love that song...