When I remember
How precious I am to God,
I find contentment.
He created me,
Jesus gave His life for me,
The Spirit's in me.
I am forgiven,
My home in heaven is sure,
God's peace lives in me.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Friday, August 26, 2011
Prayer
Prayer is the focus of today's devotion with Romans 8:26,27 as our Bible reading:
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."
I have the delightful privilege of teaching writing to students in grades 6 and 7 at Salem Lutheran School in Tomball, Texas. This past week my students were given the opportunity to write a bio-poem and were also introduced to haiku poetry. Each verse of haiku poetry has three lines. The first and third lines each have five syllables; the second line has seven syllables.
One of my students, Tyler Wysocki, wrote this poem, which I include in my devotion with his permission:
PRAYER
Time with God and I;
A time to lay down requests;
A time to give thanks.
Tyler's poetry inspired me to write a haiku poem about prayer using Romans 8:26,27 as my focus:
PRAYER
The Holy Spirit,
Who lives within us, beckons
Us to pray to God.
He encourages
Us to confess sin daily
To keep fellowship
With God unhindered.
When we don't know how to pray,
He will intercede.
He will pray for us
Because He knows our feelings,
All our thoughts and needs.
He comforts and guides;
He loves us intimately;
He dwells in our hearts.
Pray daily to God;
Nestle in His safe embrace;
Receive His blessing.
May you be blessed this day.
Sincerely,
Kathy Graumann
"Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And He who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God."
I have the delightful privilege of teaching writing to students in grades 6 and 7 at Salem Lutheran School in Tomball, Texas. This past week my students were given the opportunity to write a bio-poem and were also introduced to haiku poetry. Each verse of haiku poetry has three lines. The first and third lines each have five syllables; the second line has seven syllables.
One of my students, Tyler Wysocki, wrote this poem, which I include in my devotion with his permission:
PRAYER
Time with God and I;
A time to lay down requests;
A time to give thanks.
Tyler's poetry inspired me to write a haiku poem about prayer using Romans 8:26,27 as my focus:
PRAYER
The Holy Spirit,
Who lives within us, beckons
Us to pray to God.
He encourages
Us to confess sin daily
To keep fellowship
With God unhindered.
When we don't know how to pray,
He will intercede.
He will pray for us
Because He knows our feelings,
All our thoughts and needs.
He comforts and guides;
He loves us intimately;
He dwells in our hearts.
Pray daily to God;
Nestle in His safe embrace;
Receive His blessing.
May you be blessed this day.
Sincerely,
Kathy Graumann
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Patience
Devotion:
Live a life worthy
Of Christ, characterized by
Abundant patience.
Wait for God's timing,
Seek His wisdom at all times.
Patience is refined
In times that try us.
Do not step out of God's will;
Follow His design.
God will give new strength
When we follow instruction
That He provides us.
Do not miss blessings
Because of your impatience;
Wait upon the Lord.
Be joyful in hope
And patient in affliction;
Grow in these virtues.
Let's be like-minded,
Conformed into Christ's image:
Patient, like Jesus.
Bible Readings:
Isaiah 40:31; Ephesians 4:1-3; 1 Peter 2:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; Romans 12:12; Colossians 3:12; Galatians 5:22; Philippians 2:2
Live a life worthy
Of Christ, characterized by
Abundant patience.
Wait for God's timing,
Seek His wisdom at all times.
Patience is refined
In times that try us.
Do not step out of God's will;
Follow His design.
God will give new strength
When we follow instruction
That He provides us.
Do not miss blessings
Because of your impatience;
Wait upon the Lord.
Be joyful in hope
And patient in affliction;
Grow in these virtues.
Let's be like-minded,
Conformed into Christ's image:
Patient, like Jesus.
Bible Readings:
Isaiah 40:31; Ephesians 4:1-3; 1 Peter 2:20; 1 Thessalonians 5:14; Romans 12:12; Colossians 3:12; Galatians 5:22; Philippians 2:2
Sunday, August 21, 2011
SURRENDER
Devotion:
I want to become
The person You created
Me to be; I want
To accomplish all
You have planned for me to do.
I am willing, Lord,
To do whatever
Is necessary to bring
About submission
To Your holy will.
I will relinquish desires
That don’t fit Your plan.
I will die to self
So that I might live for You
And know life’s fullness.
Bible Readings: John 12:26; Luke 22
I want to become
The person You created
Me to be; I want
To accomplish all
You have planned for me to do.
I am willing, Lord,
To do whatever
Is necessary to bring
About submission
To Your holy will.
I will relinquish desires
That don’t fit Your plan.
I will die to self
So that I might live for You
And know life’s fullness.
Bible Readings: John 12:26; Luke 22
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
IMMANUEL: GOD WITH US
Devotion:
Jesus’ abiding
Presence is with us always.
His comfort is ours;
His encouragement
Strengthens in difficulty,
Upholds in weakness.
God promised to us
A Helper Who would remain
With us forever.
The Holy Spirit
Abides in believers’ lives –
The Lord is with us.
He delights in us;
He rejoices over us;
His love quiets us.
Do not be afraid –
God will never forsake us;
We trust His promise.
Our Immanuel,
Our God is with us always;
He gives us His peace.
Bible Readings: Ephesians 2:13; Hebrews 13:5,6; Zephaniah 3:17
“But now in Christ Jesus you, who once were far off, have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13”
“…He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’ Hebrews 13:5,6”
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17”
Jesus’ abiding
Presence is with us always.
His comfort is ours;
His encouragement
Strengthens in difficulty,
Upholds in weakness.
God promised to us
A Helper Who would remain
With us forever.
The Holy Spirit
Abides in believers’ lives –
The Lord is with us.
He delights in us;
He rejoices over us;
His love quiets us.
Do not be afraid –
God will never forsake us;
We trust His promise.
Our Immanuel,
Our God is with us always;
He gives us His peace.
Bible Readings: Ephesians 2:13; Hebrews 13:5,6; Zephaniah 3:17
“But now in Christ Jesus you, who once were far off, have been brought near by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13”
“…He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we can confidently say, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not fear; what can man do to me?’ Hebrews 13:5,6”
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing. Zephaniah 3:17”
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
The Grieving
Today, in our congregation, we tragically and suddenly lost a dear young husband and father and a former congregational elder at Salem Lutheran Church of Rosehill. I wrote a Haiku poem to commemorate this occasion and to help me in this grieving process:
In this time of need
Our hearts are burdened with grief;
We feel deep sadness.
Dark clouds surround us
As we mourn the sudden loss
Of a godly man.
Our God is faithful;
He'll not leave us comfortless;
His love never fails.
Donald loved Jesus;
He knew Him intimately;
He's with Jesus now.
God will let good come,
Even through this tragedy;
We trust His promise.
God's presence remains
Now and into the future;
He'll never leave us.
In this time of need
Our hearts are burdened with grief;
We feel deep sadness.
Dark clouds surround us
As we mourn the sudden loss
Of a godly man.
Our God is faithful;
He'll not leave us comfortless;
His love never fails.
Donald loved Jesus;
He knew Him intimately;
He's with Jesus now.
God will let good come,
Even through this tragedy;
We trust His promise.
God's presence remains
Now and into the future;
He'll never leave us.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Thirsting for God
Bible Reading: Psalm63
Haiku Poem
Oh, God, earnestly
I seek You and thirst for You;
I want to know You,
Draw closer to You,
Have intimate communion
With You in Your Word.
The most important
Part of my day is the time
I spend with You, Lord.
I see Your power
And Your glory; I praise You;
My soul clings to You.
The joy I have lasts;
The rewards are eternal;
You open my heart.
Haiku Poem
Oh, God, earnestly
I seek You and thirst for You;
I want to know You,
Draw closer to You,
Have intimate communion
With You in Your Word.
The most important
Part of my day is the time
I spend with You, Lord.
I see Your power
And Your glory; I praise You;
My soul clings to You.
The joy I have lasts;
The rewards are eternal;
You open my heart.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Will I Respond as Ananias Did?
Devotion:
God asked him to go
To visit a murderer,
The one who had killed
His friends and wanted
To kill him and God’s people:
Saul, the persecutor;
Saul, who dragged people
Off, putting them in prison,
Threatening with death.
In spite of the risk,
Ananias obeyed God:
Ananias went.
Sightless, broken, Saul
Awaited Ananias.
Obediently
Ananias spoke,
“Brother Saul,” he said. (Brother!
How could he say that?!)
After what Saul did,
Ananias still forgave!
He touched Saul and said,
“Brother Saul, Jesus
Sent me to give you your sight.
He sent me to you
So you, Saul, may be
Filled with the Holy Spirit.”
God had plans for Saul.
Immediately,
Saul could see and was baptized;
Saul’s life was transformed.
Saul began to preach:
“Jesus is the Son of God.”
Multitudes were saved.
What could have happened
If Ananias had bowed
To fear and logic
And refused to go?
Saul, later Apostle Paul,
Became a writer
And missionary
Who brought many to Jesus,
Growing God’s Kingdom.
Ananias let
The Lord humbly work through him,
And the church was blessed.
How will I respond?
When Christ says, “Go,” will I go,
Like Ananias?
Or will I choose my
Comfort zone, failing to act,
Failing to share Christ?
Will I remain in
My predictable church pew,
Never inviting
Someone new to church?
What am I willing to do
To bring souls to Christ?
Today, our culture
Is becoming non-Christian,
Forsaking values
Held dear by Christians.
This beckons a return to
Early church practice.
Missional living
Is the Biblical way of
Evangelism.
It’s how the first church,
By personal example,
Brought people to Christ.
We are sent to be
The hands and feet of Jesus
To those in our lives.
God’s Word is taught and
Preached, engaging with people
As blessing agents.
How am I willing
To live in community
To win souls for Christ?
God designs a role
For each of us to play in
Redemption’s story.
The Holy Spirit
Will equip us with power
To answer the call.
Bible Reading: Acts 9:1-19
God asked him to go
To visit a murderer,
The one who had killed
His friends and wanted
To kill him and God’s people:
Saul, the persecutor;
Saul, who dragged people
Off, putting them in prison,
Threatening with death.
In spite of the risk,
Ananias obeyed God:
Ananias went.
Sightless, broken, Saul
Awaited Ananias.
Obediently
Ananias spoke,
“Brother Saul,” he said. (Brother!
How could he say that?!)
After what Saul did,
Ananias still forgave!
He touched Saul and said,
“Brother Saul, Jesus
Sent me to give you your sight.
He sent me to you
So you, Saul, may be
Filled with the Holy Spirit.”
God had plans for Saul.
Immediately,
Saul could see and was baptized;
Saul’s life was transformed.
Saul began to preach:
“Jesus is the Son of God.”
Multitudes were saved.
What could have happened
If Ananias had bowed
To fear and logic
And refused to go?
Saul, later Apostle Paul,
Became a writer
And missionary
Who brought many to Jesus,
Growing God’s Kingdom.
Ananias let
The Lord humbly work through him,
And the church was blessed.
How will I respond?
When Christ says, “Go,” will I go,
Like Ananias?
Or will I choose my
Comfort zone, failing to act,
Failing to share Christ?
Will I remain in
My predictable church pew,
Never inviting
Someone new to church?
What am I willing to do
To bring souls to Christ?
Today, our culture
Is becoming non-Christian,
Forsaking values
Held dear by Christians.
This beckons a return to
Early church practice.
Missional living
Is the Biblical way of
Evangelism.
It’s how the first church,
By personal example,
Brought people to Christ.
We are sent to be
The hands and feet of Jesus
To those in our lives.
God’s Word is taught and
Preached, engaging with people
As blessing agents.
How am I willing
To live in community
To win souls for Christ?
God designs a role
For each of us to play in
Redemption’s story.
The Holy Spirit
Will equip us with power
To answer the call.
Bible Reading: Acts 9:1-19
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