Good Morning

I'm sorry I haven't posted in forever.

This morning I went to my car to go to church, and it wouldn't start. So, instead, I had some devotional time here at home. I began with a prayer from Valley of Vision. They are so beautiful and say words that I'm trying to say in such a clearer way.

THE DEEPS

Give me a deeper repentance,
a horror of sin, a dread of its approach;

Help me chastely to flee it,
and jealously to resolve that my heart shall be thine alone.

Give me a deeper trust, that I may lose myself to find myself in thee,
the ground of my rest, the spring of my being.

Give me a deeper knowledge of thyself as Saviour, Master, Lord, and King.
Give me a deeper power in private prayer, more sweetness in thy Word,
more steadfastness grip on its truth.

Give me deeper holiness in speech, thought, action,
and let me not seek moral virtue apart from thee.

Plough deep in me, great Lord, heavenly Husbandman,
that my being may be a tilled field, the roots of grace spreading far and wide,
until thou alone art seen in me, thy beauty golden like summer harvest,
thy fruitfulness as autumn plenty.

I have no Master but thee, no law but thy will, no delight but thyself,
no wealth but that thou givest, no good but that thou blessest, no peace but that thou bestowest.

I am nothing but that thou makest me,
I have nothing but that I receive from thee,
I can be nothing but that grace adorns me.

Quarry me deep, dear Lord, and then fill me to overflowing with living water.

I also opened up Ruth and read through it. Here I am, right where you were a couple of months ago Claire, not sure what I'm doing. I'm trying to figure out how to become a working artist, how to support myself, what job to get so that I can support myself but also continue to make art the priority. Right now that means being in Scottsboro. I don't know where I'm going. I feel like things are slightly clearer than maybe a week ago, but I still have so so many questions. Ruth is such a comfort to me. Its like having an aerial view, seeing from the way God sees things; a reminder that God's view is so much larger than ours. First of all, Naomi has lost all hope; she says that she has come back empty. By the end of the book, Naomi is seen as extremely blessed. Then there is Ruth who begins to follow the Lord and gives up everything besides Him by choosing to obey and follow where He leads her. In the end she becomes a mother and wife. God completely takes care of and provide for both of these women. Finally, God is using them to bring about our Savior. Its such a bigger story. Its a wonderful reminder that God has a perfect plan for my life even if it seems to be going no where right now.

Last thing, I have recently discovered Dolly Parton's Travelin' Thru. While the theology isn't always exactly right, I like the theme and humility in it.

Questions I have many, answers but a few,
But we're here to learn, the spirit burns, to know the greater truth
We've all been crucified and they nailed Jesus to the tree
and when I'm born again you're going to see a change in me.

God made me for a reason and nothing is in vain
Redemption comes in many shapes with many kinds of pain
Oh sweet Jesus if you're listening, keep me ever close to You
As I'm stumblin, tumblin, wonderin, as I'm travelin thru

I'm just travelin, travelin, travelin, I'm just travelin
Drifting like a floating boat and roaming like the wind
oh give me some direction Lord, let me lean on You
As I'm travelin, travelin, travelin thru.

Hope you all enjoy your Sunday!