The threads God weaves about....

My mother and I were blessed to have lunch today with a mother and daughter duo that we've been friends with for many years. It's amazing how close we have been over the years... because when we arrived at the restaurant, we had dressed alike! Mothers were in matching shades of pink, daughters were in gray with purple flowers. There's something to be said for close friends and the bonds that stay over the years.

One thing that we discussed over our lunch was the way God has his hand in our lives at every turn, even when we are not aware of it. I spent the afternoon reflecting back on the past years and the little ways that my life could have drastically changed if it were just for one simple thing.

For example, when my husband and I were dating back in high school he was contemplating going into the Army. Even though we were in high school, he asked me if I wanted him to go. That's a tough decision to ask a young woman to make - and I wrestled with it for quite a while. Eventually, I asked him to withdraw his interest. Four years later, we began to date again and eventually married. If he had gone into the military, he never would have come back to this area - and we never would have been married.

Or the time I was struggling with a personal crisis, and a very lovely lady came into my life and ministered to me exactly how I needed her. God is always so present in the way our lives move, it's just most often we can see this after the fact.

My prayer is that I will be more aware of God's hand in my everyday life, and how my choices affect my world.

Be Thou My Vision...

To launch this blog, I thought it would be appropriate to share a hymn with you.

"Be Thou My Vision" is a very powerful hymn that speaks of a total focus on God and the many ways he he can be present in our lives. If anything, this is a prayer of mine. The lyrics are included below, as well as a video of the song.

How will you ask God to be present in your life today?

Be Thou My Vision

Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art.
Thou my best Thought, by day or by night,
Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.

Be Thou my battle Shield, Sword for the fight;
Be Thou my Dignity, Thou my Delight;
Thou my soul’s Shelter, Thou my high Tower:
Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power.

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou mine Inheritance, now and always:
Thou and Thou only, first in my heart,
High King of Heaven, my Treasure Thou art.

High King of Heaven, my victory won,
May I reach Heaven’s joys, O bright Heaven’s Sun!
Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Still be my Vision, O Ruler of all.

Dal­lan For­gaill (translated from the Irish by
Ma­ry E. Byrne, Versified by El­ea­nor H. Hull)