Teach Me to Number My Days

Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

- Psalm 90:12


Each day, with the gift of a whole, entire, precious, and priceless day before you, ask: "Lord, how do You want me to live this day? What is it You want me to do with this one day You have given me? What is the work You want me to accomplish today?"

- Elizabeth George


Nine-tenths of wisdom consists in being wise in scheduling time.

- President Theodore Roosevelt


(all of the above is noted in the book Small Changes for a Better Life, by Elizabeth George)

In Light of the Recent Election

I've taken some time since the presidential election to read and re-read passages in Ecclesiastes. It sorta sums things up.

Eccl. 1:4 "Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever."

Eccl 1:9 "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun."

Eccl. 3:1 "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:"

Eccl. 3:14 "I know that everything God does will endure forever; nothing can be added to it and nothing taken from it. God does it so that men will revere him."

Eccl. 12:13 "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man."

Eccl. 12:14 "For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil."


Other passages that were great reminders to me this past week . . .


Ps. 118:8 "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man."

Isaiah 26:3, 4 "You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal."

Ps. 31:24 "Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord."

James 5:7a "Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming."


God's Word is so jam-packed with encouragement! This is obviously just a taste. :) Finding a bit of encouragement in verses like these is something I need and look forward to on a regular basis.

Heart-Soil

I have a little book I like to peruse every so often. It's a devotional book of sorts that uses the idea of gardening to explain a person's relationship with Christ. Well, gardening is one of my favorite past-times. And I definitely need reminders to continue growing closer to the Lord on life's journey. Thus, "Down a Garden Path" by Karla Dornacher was written for the likes of me. :)

One of the points in this book reminds us that "beautiful blooms and a bountiful harvest require good soil." To quote more insightful words from this book...

"Good heart-soil is an ongoing, never-ending process. As you open your heart to the tender hand of the Master Gardener, He is able to till the hard places, remove the rocks, and pull up the weeds of the world that would entangle and choke out the life of His love. Take time to cultivate your relationship with the Master Gardener. Ask Him to show you any areas of your heart-soil where you need to let go and let Him work. Seek to be the beautiful and bountiful garden He designed you to be."

And then Karla Dornacher quotes a phrase from a familiar psalm, "Search me O God, and know my heart".

Wow, those words! I remember many a church communion service where the hymn, written from that psalm, was sung. The words brought my heart, mind, and soul into a quiet and reverent place of humility and dependence. I couldn't help but do some soul-searching and vow right there in the church pew to allow the Master Gardener to cultivate my heart-soil.

I've often wanted to write out the words to this hymn and post it where I could read them daily. I need a regular reminder to weed out worldly influences, plant seeds of God's Word, and cultivate my heart-soil in order to attain a beautiful and bountiful life in His eyes.

So, as I enjoy my spring planting, thank you, Karla Dornacher, for this timely reminder. And in case you're not familiar with the psalm she referenced, read these verses and see if they don't move you in some way.

Psalm 139:23, 24

"Search me, O God, and know my heart:
try me, and know my thoughts:
And see if there be any wicked way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting."

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to morn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and time for peace."


This passage never ceases to speak to me. I've been contemplating the concept of time and the seasons of life quite often of late. Becoming a mother has generated a lot of life contemplation, come to think of it. A serious reevaluation of all notions of time, actions, cause and effect, reaping and sowing--a whole host of things that new light is shed upon by bringing children into this world.

I generally take quite a bit of TIME evaluating things before coming to any steadfast conclusions, so you will not find great theological answers here, just maybe some food for thought. :)