Saturday, March 15, 2008

Bless the LORD

Psalm 103 KJV
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name.

2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits:

3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases;

4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;

5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's.

6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.

7 He made known his ways unto Moses, his acts unto the children of Israel.

8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.

9 He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.

10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.

12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.

13 Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

14 For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

15 As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.

16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

17 But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, and his righteousness unto children's children;

18 To such as keep his covenant, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

19 The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all.

20 Bless the LORD, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word.

21 Bless ye the LORD, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.

22 Bless the LORD, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.


I love the Psalms and can just get caught up reading them. They bless my soul. I think this is why so many times I turn to the Psalms first before going on to other passages to think about and study. I also love David and the message he has left behind to help the rest of us understand how to love God and how much God loves us. David certainly messed up many times but God loved David and even said David was after His own heart.

As a mother and grandmother I can certainly related to loving someone so much that you feel they have captured your heart and all the things they do you totally forgive and forget because you love them so much. It only takes Anna Claire or Carley Ann one time to hold their arms out to me and I'm mush. I think God feels this way too. David cries out to God, holds his arms out, and God is mush. I'm so thankful that God loves us this much too and we can cry out and hold our arms out to Him anytime. He is as close as the air we breath! Bless the LORD oh my soul and everything that is within me. It is so true that what we send out we will receive many times over. We bless Him; He blesses us. It just can't get any better than that. :)

The girls are still asleep but I'm thinking of crawling back into bed with them so I can watch them wake up. Today is going to be a stormy day, so the weather channel says. Last night they had a tornado in Atlanta but my house is over 100 miles south so we only had high winds. I've had someone working in my yard this week and I hope I don't have tons of limbs down to mess up what they worked so hard on this week. We'll see when the sun comes up.

Yesterday I showed some pictures of my trip to Giverny, France. This was a trip of a lifetime for me as I have always loved the art of Claude Monet and the history of the impressionism movement. The light in France seems so much brighter... strange, huh. Over the next few days I'll put up some more photos and explain myself better. Hope you have a great day.

Green Jello Salad

1 pkg. lemon/lime Jello
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese cut in small pieces
1 lb. can crushed pineapple
1 cup small marshmallos
1 c. chopped pecans
1/2 pt. whipped topping

Dissolve Jello in 1 cup hot water. Add 1 cup juice from pineapple. Mix cream cheese, pineapple, marshmallows and nuts and put into Jello liquid. Put into mold or dish and chill until set. Use the whipped topping on top before serving.

6 comments:

kimberly said...

love this scripture too, phyllis....and i know exactly what you mean when grandchildren open their arms for you or say "sorry"...mush! :) what a wonderful God. i just finished reading I and II Samuel...about David...
will be looking forward to more about your trip! have a wonderful weekend!
kimberly

Joni said...

I so easily turn to mush...I use to think this was a weakness, but I'm more inclined these days to contribute it to the flexibilities of unconditional love and so I am really thankful that I am soft hearted, because those around me know they are truly loved. I love the Psalms too Phyllis...so much that speaks to my soul and I look very much forward to your Giverny story especially now that I'm up to par!

enjoy the girls ~
Joni

Annette said...

Thats how I feel when I see my God daughter Danielle Hope "mush" I mean "mush" city, and when she smiles that smile that all downs syderome children smile their little eyes squint, and Im so glad God loves me and others the same way, I love him so much, I wonder if he realy know how much? Much love to you....Annette

Phyllis Russell Franklin said...

Yes, Annette, you are right, God loves you and knows it. He feels what you feel and understands. After all, we were made in His image and I suspect our feelings have the same attributes as His does. All He asks is that we love Him and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior. What you are feeling is His voice. You are His sheep and He is your shepherd. He knows and cares about everything you do and everything that happens to you. But you know all this already. :)

Phyllis Russell Franklin said...

Kimberly, I need to go back and read I and II Samuel again in its entirety. I get caught up in just reading what strikes me at the moment or sometimes something I'm reading triggers some thought and verse to read. I've always loved reading about other people’s lives and the life of David is certainly one that is worthy of study.

Thanks for the reminder.

Phyllis Russell Franklin said...

Joni, I so understand. When I worked in the corporate world much was said about being tough in order to get ahead in this world. It seemed to me that women had to put on a different persona when 8 o'clock rolled around. I even read an article once that said, "never let them see you cry". What a shame. I'm glad I don't have to deal with that anymore. After all, what is corporate success actually worth except money and maybe a little boost to ego?

I think being soft hearted and being able to show it without regret is best. :)

Word of the day.

.:.