Second first date

Tonight was my second first date in a week.
It was a very pleasant evening.
Tomorrow, date number two
with first date number one -
church services together.

I have said several times in this blog
that dating is hard work.
My daughters keep telling me
I'm doing it wrong,
that it's supposed to be fun!
And they're right!
It is!

For so long, my heart just wasn't in it.
In some ways, it still isn't.
I still wish things were different.
But they aren't different.
They are what they are.

And I'm finally enjoying
the dance that is this life again.
I think of the New Year's Eve
dance that I attended with my friend -
I love having a male friend! -
and the fun I had.
It was the first time I'd had absolute fun,
laughed with complete abandon,
in a very long time.
It has happened again several times.
The laughter is, at last, overtaking the tears.

So stay tuned,
maybe this blog will become
the happy space I envisioned last year
after all!

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in Him,

and He helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I praise Him.

                                                                 ~~ Psalm28:7 NIV ~~

 

Silver linings

I've always been a silver lining kind of a gal.
The last three years have toned that down a bit,
but the silver lining is still there!



Have you ever flown in cloudy conditions?
On the ground, it's dreary and drizzly, cold and grey.
Then you take off.

And as you climb  through the thick clouds, 

there are bumps and jolts, 

maybe even lightening strikes, 

and you cannot see beyond your little window. 

But then you emerge!
You break through the darkness
and fly above the clouds!
                       And there is the sun,
                            shining gloriously,
                                 blindingly bright,
                                      on snowy white,
                                           fluffy,
                                                beautiful clouds below you!
The sun was there all the time,
even when you couldn't see it.

Layovers on the ground are not fun.
And the climb can be scary and nerve wracking.
But when you are above the clouds...
              Ahhhhhhh........

That is the way I am feeling right now, 

as if I am just about to break free of the cloud cover.

The Son has carried me through the bumps and jolts,
has protected my life from the lightening strikes,
and is bringing me back into the sun.

Thank You, Daddy God, for Your great gift of joy after the mourning!

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in Him,

and He helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I praise Him.

                                                                 ~~ Psalm28:7 NIV ~~

Miracles

The last couple weeks have been very full!
I have had several evening commitments
following long work days.
We seem to be in feast or famine mode.
Either extremely busy,
or bored to tears.
Too many cars, or none at all.

The weather has been bi-polar as well,
warm and sunny, bitterly cold and windy,
dry, wet, ice, snow,
we've had it all.

I had a successful first date last week-end
and will have another first date this week-end.
I am looking forward to the evening out
and the company of this gentleman.
And, I am looking forward to a second date
with the first gentleman.
For so long, everyone I met was "Myeh..."
and suddenly, I find myself very attracted
to two fine men who are very attracted to me -
and their attraction to me is not merely physical!
Both are perfect gentlemen!
And I am in no rush to "choose" between them.
I will take my time.
I will move at God's pace for me.

I no longer feel the desperate need
to make the hurting stop!
I no longer feel the desperate need
to find someone, anyone,
to replace what I had lost.
My life is full.
I have discovered contentment in myself
and in my God.
And if that is all there will ever be on this earth,
that is okay.
It is more than enough.

So in this period of sharp turns in every aspect of my life,
this period of feeling God's blessing to move forward,
of tucking away the two men I love
into their respective corners of my heart,
and giving myself permission to once again
fall in love,
I have found peace at last.

There are still tears.
Sometimes there are still sobs.
I still tear up, weep, at thoughts of my precious Al most days.
And I still smile at thoughts of our happy times.
I still think of him many, many times.
I still miss him more than words can say,
still love him wholly and completely.
And, I still tear up, cry, at thoughts of my Harlan most days.
And smile at thoughts of our happy times.
I still think of him many, many times.
I still miss him, still love him,
still wish with all my heart it had turned out differently.

But it is changing, this grief of mine.
It is more past,
less present.
It is no longer hope for what cannot be.
Or fantasy.

And, in some ways that makes me sad.
But the relief in my spirit is such a blessing!

I find myself smiling more in the last couple weeks.
I hear humming and realize it's me.
My sense of humor, my wit, is returning.
My energy is increasing.
I am sleeping better.

Dare I say it?
I think I am, once again,
finding joy in the journey of this life!
Something only God could accomplish!

And people say God doesn't still perform miracles!

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in Him,

and He helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I praise Him.

                                                                 ~~ Psalm28:7 NIV ~~

Boaz and Ruth

I am on a couple widows' pages on Facebook.
We widows talk about all kinds of things.
One of the things we discuss is remarriage.

The book of Ruth tells the story of Naomi
and her daughter-in-law, Ruth,
both widows.
Ruth meets and marries Mr. Perfectly Right
and lives happily ever after.
We all talk about wanting and waiting for our Boaz.

But recently, I have begun to realize that
I am focusing on the wrong thing!
I need to stop watching for Boaz
and starting being Ruth!
Ruth was not only obedient,
she was a servant.
She followed God's leading
regarding being the perfect wife for Boaz.

I've heard it before.
But it's becoming more "real".
I need to stop looking for the man God has for me
and work on becoming the woman He has for my future husband!

Lord, may I become the "Ruth" You want me to be!
 

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in Him,

and He helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I praise Him.

                                                                 ~~ Psalm28:7 NIV ~~

In the Garden

 
I am currently using the devotional,
"On Calvary's Hill" by Max Lucado
for my morning devotional during Lent.
I recommend it!

This morning's entry,
"In the Garden",
was based on Mark 14: 32-36:

 And they came to an olive grove called Gethsemane,

and Jesus said,

"Sit here while I go pray."

He took Peter, James, and John with Him,

and He began to be filled with horror and deep distress.

He told them,

"My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death.

Stay here and watch with me."

He went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground.

He prayed that,

if it were possible,

the awful hour awaiting Him might pass Him by.

"Abba, Father," He said,

"everything is possible for You.

Please take this cup of suffering away from me.

Yet I want your will, not mine."

Imagine it.

Not the pretty picture with which we are familiar!

Not the serene Jesus kneeling, hands folded, 

halo shining, whispering a gentle prayer at the rock.

No!

The anguished,

     horrified,

          passionate,

               heart-breaking,

                    sweat drops of blood,

                         prostrate on the ground,

                              fists clenched,

                                   begging,

                                         pleading

prayers that I myself have shouted out!

The yearning so deep there were no words,

     only groans!

The disappointment and hurt and sorrow

so intense it was physical!     

The loss,

     the longing for another way,

          a different outcome,

               evident in the tear-stained struggle.

And finally,

the acceptance,    

the willingness,          

the love of us,              

of me,                   

that was greater                        

than the dread of torture and death.                             

That is the "Garden" prayer I read about this morning.

In the Garden.

Alone.

For me.

     For Al.

          For Harlan.

               For Michael.

                    For Joann.

                         For Christi.

                              For Karen.

                                   For Lauri.

                              For Darlene.

                         For Sandra.

                    For Joy.

               For Hester.

          For Donna.

     For all of us!

Every last one!

Thank You, Jesus!

You do understand!

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in Him,

and He helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I praise Him.

                                                                 ~~ Psalm28:7 NIV ~~

And a good time was had by all.....

 
Dinner was delish.

The company was nice -
     he was the gentleman he promised to be -
          was funny, attentive and comfortable,
               and darn cute if you want to know the truth! 

The symphony was wonderful!

I think perhaps the best performance so far this season!

The guest violinist was truly amazing!

She made the music soar and fall in

heated passion and gentle slumber.         

Tonight's performance was titled "Storytellers"

and one could truly see the stories unfolding         

in the notes floating through the auditorium!              

It was truly a musically magical evening!

A successful first date.
There will be a second....

Tonight's the night!

It's just after 6:30 in the morning.
On a Saturday!
I was looking forward to sleeping in,
and while, believe it or not,
this is sleeping in,
it's not the sleeping in I had in mind!

You see, this has been a very full week
with several evening commitments
and I came home yesterday after work
absolutely worn out,
determined to relax,
go to bed early,
and sleep late.
Because, you see,
tonight's the night.
And I want to feel and look rested!

Tonight is my symphony date.
And for the first time in a very long while,
I find myself looking forward to an evening out.
Oh, I have gone out in the evenings.
And I have had a nice time.
But it has always been a forced attendance.
A duty.
An "I suppose I should..."
Over the last two weeks, my attitude has shifted
and earlier this week I realized, 
I am looking forward to it!

So in a few hours, I will begin preparing.
I will soak in the tub so I am relaxed and fragrant.
I will apply my makeup carefully.
I will pay extra attention to my hair.
I have spent the last week trying on "outfits".
It has been a long time since I cared how I looked
above my normal concern.
It is the first time since Harlan
that I have felt a woman's excitement at meeting a man. 
It's not the same level, 
nor will it ever be for no one else will be either Al or Harlan,
but it's a nice change nonetheless,
one filled with hope and promise of healing!

So a nice dinner and the symphony.
Stay tuned........ 

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in Him,

and He helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I praise Him.

                                                                 ~~ Psalm28:7 NIV ~~

"Utterly amazed"

Habakkuk’s Complaint

² How long, Lord, must I call for help,
    but you do not listen?
Or cry out to you, “Violence!”
    but you do not save?
³ Why do you make me look at injustice?
    Why do you tolerate wrongdoing?
Destruction and violence are before me;
    there is strife, and conflict abounds.
⁴ Therefore the law is paralyzed,
    and justice never prevails.
The wicked hem in the righteous,
    so that justice is perverted.

The Lord’s Answer

⁵ “Look at the nations and watch—
    and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days
    that you would not believe,
    even if you were told.

                    ~~ Habakkuk 1:2-5 NIV ~~

This is one of my favorite passages of Scripture.

"Utterly amazed"! 

He has utterly amazed me so often! 

When I have thought hope was lost, 
          He moved! 

When I have thought I could not go on, 
          He has carried me!

When I have disappointed myself and Him, 
          He has forgiven me!

I have seen miracles that only He could have performed!

I have experienced,
and am experiencing,
within myself healing of heart and soul 
that no psychiatrist could ever have accomplished!

When injustice has prevailed, 
He has come along and defeated it! 

When I have been unjust, 
He has shown me a better way!

"Utterly amazed." 

Indeed!

I am a grown up!

Yes, I am now an adult!
I used to think I was, but I was wrong.
When I turned 13, I was pretty sure I was.
At 16, I got a "real job" and that proved it!
At 18, I got married
      duh......
            ALL grown up!
Then I had babies,
      learned to drink coffee,
            graduated from college.
Grown up for sure!
My children married,
      grandchildren came along,
            I became the matriarch.
Surely that made me a grown up!
Then my husband died,
      grief and sorrow became my companions,
            I began a relationship,
                  broke it off,
                        more grief and sorrow,
                              and I aged,
but I now know I was still not a grown up.
Nope.
In order to be a grown up,
      one must develop an ulcer.
NOW I am a grown up!

Can I go back back to not being a grown up?
Please....

Top Down

Today was a lovely, sunny, windless day.
Now, the sun shines the majority of days
in my corner of the world.
And the wind blows most days!
A lot!
So a windless day is a rare blessing!

So what did I do on this
beautiful, springlike, windless day?
Why, I rode through my city
in a white, Camaro convertible,
with the top down!

I had to laugh at myself as I put down the top.
It was really too chilly to have it down.
But that didn't stop me!
I rolled up the side windows,
turned the heat on full blast,
cranked up KLOVE,
and reveled in the sun on my skin
and the wind in my hair!
It was glorious!

Thank You, Lord!

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in Him,

and He helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I praise Him.

                                                                 ~~ Psalm28:7 NIV ~~

Another chance

Periodically, I teach a class at the Salvation Army
on interviewing successfully.
Tonight was one of those classes.
And it got me to thinking.

These men and women have been
in the midst of major storms!
They are struggling!
They are feeling like failures.
Many feel worthless.
Many feel hopelessly lost.
And they are all asking for another chance.
It pleases me to be part of making
another chance happen for them.

And it pleases God to offer another chance to us!
Can you imagine?
Another chance.
And another.
And another.
And yet another.
From the Creator of all that
is, was, and ever will be!
From Almighty God Himself!
Another chance!

I have asked for another chance time and again.
I am asking for another chance now.
And in His infinite mercy and grace,
He will answer as He wills.
Because what we see as another chance,
He sees as another opportunity to refine His child,
to display His power and love.
The chance I ask for may or may not
turn out as I envision.
But He is faithful!
And it will turn out as He plans
as long as I follow His leading.

Do you need another chance?
Ask!
Do you need to be part of another chance?
Do it!

A man who refuses to admit his mistakes 

can never be successful. 

But if he confesses and forsakes them, 

he gets another chance.

                                  ~~ Proverbs 28:13 TLB ~~

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in Him,

and He helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I praise Him.

                                                                 ~~ Psalm28:7 NIV ~~

Walking on water

I have mentioned before
that I relate to Biblical Peter.
He was passionate and impulsive.
I am passionate and impulsive.
He was determined, yet often failed.
I am determined, yet often fail.
He struggled with trust and faith.
I struggle with trust and faith.
Yes, I relate to Peter.

My favorite Peter story is his and Jesus'
walking on the water adventure.

Immediately after this,

Jesus made His disciples get back into the boat

and cross to the other side of the lake

while He sent the people home.

Afterword He went up into the hills by Himself to pray.

Night fell while He was there alone.

Meanwhile, the disciples were in trouble

far away from land,

for a strong wind had risen,

and they were fighting heavy waves.

About three o'clock in the morning

Jesus came to them,

walking on the water.

When the disciples saw Him,

they screamed in terror,

thinking He was a ghost.

But Jesus spoke to them at once.

"It's all right," He said.

"I am here!

Don't be afraid."

Then Peter called to Him,

"Lord, if it's really You,

tell me to come to you by walking on water."

"All right, come," Jesus said.

So Peter went over the side of the boat

and walked on the water toward Jesus.

But when he looked around at the high waves,

he was terrified and began to sink.

"Save me, Lord!" He shouted.

Instantly Jesus reached out His hand and grabbed Him.

"You don't have much faith," Jesus said.

"Why did you doubt Me?"

And when they climbed back into the boat,

the wind stopped.

                                 ~~ Matthew 14:22-32 NLT ~~

There is so much spiritual meat in this story!

Right off the bat, Jesus is taking care of and protecting

His disciples from the enemy!

The feeding of the 5000 had just taken place

and the people, who had begun to desire to make Jesus king,

were likely again calling for his coronation.

Knowing they were not yet strong enough to resist the crowd,

Jesus sent the disciples away

and He dealt with the crowd.

Then Jesus teaches a valuable lesson!

He withdrew and prayed.

Not just because of what He knew was coming,

but for His own strengthening of spirit.

Then, I have talked before about Peter's faith

in stepping out of the boat,

his faltering of faith when he took his eyes off Jesus

and looked instead at the raging storm.

And Jesus' rescue of Peter when Peter cried out to Him for help.

Today, my pastor looked at this story 

from a perspective I have never thought about.

He looked at the storm.

God allows storms in our lives.

They don't happen unless He allows them.

But he allows them for different reasons.

There is the correcting storm.

You know, the kind of our own making.

We have made a choice, often sinful or foolish,

but without seeking God,

and a storm has resulted.

We understand these storms,

even expect and, in some ways,

welcome them

because they make us feel like we

have paid for our sins.

Then there is the perfecting storm.

These storms are the direct result of 

following God's direction!

We tend to think that we have made a mistake,

misheard God,

when these storms rage.

But that is not the case. 

Persecuted Christians through the ages

have experienced these storms.

They are the hardest to understand I think!

The last type of storm is the protecting storm.

These storms are those that save us from something worse.

These storms are also hard to understand because

we rarely know we are being protected,

we only see the storm.

God also allows calamity to show His power.

He saved Peter.

He calmed the storm.

And His timing was perfect.

The disciples had been on the lake,

battling the storm for several hours.

They were exhausted from pulling the oars.

They were frightened that drowning was imminent.

And just when they thought all was lost,

Jesus came walking on the water.

He was right on time.

Not too early.

Not too late.

And He allowed Peter to sink.

But He didn't let him go under for the third time.

Think of it!

The "instant" that Peter called "Save me, Lord!"

Jesus reached out to him!

Right on time!

So storms are part of life.

But if we keep our eyes on Jesus,

if we are expecting Him,

He will be right on time!

Sometimes He will calm the storm.

Sometimes He will carry us through it.

Sometimes He will walk with us back to the boat.

But He is there!

He is always there!

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in Him,

and He helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I praise Him.

                                                                 ~~ Psalm28:7 NIV ~~

Thank you, Lord!

Valentine's Day

I admit it.
I'm feeling a little bit like Job today.
As I awoke this morning,
my bed seemed very, very big.
And very, very empty.
And I felt very, very sorry for myself.

But I have the very, very best Valentine ever!
One who loved me so much,
He died for me!
One who never, ever betrays me!
One who never, ever leaves me alone!
I don't always understand His ways.
I don't always like what He allows.
Just like Job, 
I have done some complaining.
But just like Job, I will serve Him!
For He is God Almighty!
He is worthy of my praise and worship
based upon that fact alone!
And while I do not understand His ways,
I trust Him
and know that His ways are best!

I! Will! Serve! Him!
No turning back!
No turning back!

May you experience the love
of the Ultimate Valentine today!

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in Him,

and He helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I praise Him.

                                                                 ~~ Psalm28:7 NIV ~~

Miss Emily Revisited

Today's the day.
One year ago I knew.
I received undeniable, irrefutable evidence.
There could be no doubt.
It was over.

And yet, there has been nothing but doubt.
For an entire year.
What if. . .

A while back, I talked about Miss Emily from "The Waltons"
Miss Emily loved Ashley Longworth.
And, long after Ashley was gone,
she continued to love him
and had a relationship with him in her heart
and in her mind.
I commented that all-in-all it wasn't a bad arrangement.
She got her man in perfection
because he was only in her mind and heart.
There was no reality to rain on her parade.

But really, I don't want to be Miss Emily!
I really don't!

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in Him,

and He helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I praise Him.

                                                                 ~~ Psalm28:7 NIV ~~

Emotions

Emotions are a funny thing.
And I don't mean "ha ha"
I mean strange and unpredictable.

I have a friend who became engaged this week.
Like me, she is a widow.
She's four years out.
And she's really in love with her fiance.
But today, she has struggled.
She is experiencing renewed grief.
And sorrow that she can be engaged.
Because her husband is dead.
And there's the rub.
Joy, born of sorrow.
It's confusing.

And we all know.
It will always be there.
Even when we push it down.
It's there.
Even when we bury it.
It's there.
It touches everything.
Once sorrow and grief have touched us,
regardless of the source,
they never completely turn loose.

And yet, their grip does stop being all consuming.
And life does eventually go on.
And joy is out there.

Please God, let it be so..........

Blessings

This has been a tough winter!
Emotionally and physically.
They are likely tied to one another.
My sore throat has become a full-blown illness.
No voice.
Runny nose.
Stuffy head.
Deep cough.
Sneezing.
Watery eyes.
And lots of, ahem, self-sympathy.
Yeah, that's it, sympathy. . . .
I am home sick.
Again.

So, my Thera-flu brain is going to try to blog.
Should be interesting. . . .

I've been thinking about Joy.
Not the joy in my life and heart.
My very best friend from high school, Joy.

She knew almost everything about me.
What I didn't tell, I think she sensed.
We shared hopes, dreams, secrets -
lots and lots of secrets.
We skipped school together our senior year.
(I got caught, she didn't)
We both had a crush on the same boy
in our English class our sophomore year.
He didn't give either one of us a second glance -
which was really okay since we both had boyfriends.

We were very different.
She was tiny and petite.
Italian, she had long, luxurious, dark hair,
and a beautiful olive complexion
that tanned beautifully.
I was taller by about 3 inches,
large boned,
fair skinned,
fine, light hair.
Her home-life was happy and secure.
Mine was - not.
But all our differences didn't matter.
We became women together.
She was my very, very best friend.
And I loved her!

As often happens,
we drifted apart after graduation,
lost touch.
But a few years ago, we found each other again.
I was so excited!
We have remained in contact through Facebook.

Joy has a daughter, Sara.
A year before my Al died,
Sara's Scott died as a result of his service in Afghanastan.
(Thank a vet and their family! They sacrifice for you and me!)
And Sara and I became Facebook friends.
She is nearly 30 years younger than I.
All those years ago,
little did I know that the child
of the woman who walked with me as I became a woman
would one day help teach me how to be a widow.

Sara commented the other day that
she and Joy were talking about me
and Joy commented,
"She used to be my best friend. . . now she's yours."

What a privilege to have been
given these two Italian beauties
as friends,
each helping me walk through
the two toughest times of my life!

So today, instead of thinking about how bad I feel,
instead of thinking about how much I've lost,
instead of feeling sorry for myself,
I am choosing joy!
That kind that lives in your heart and life!
I am thinking about my many, many blessings!

Thank you, God, for Joy and Sara!

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in Him,

and He helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I praise Him.

                                                ~~ Psalm28:7 NIV ~~

God's Plan

I've thought a lot about God's plan 
            for my life over the last three years.
When Al was alive, 
            I thought about God's plan for his life.
Because he was my life, 
            whatever God planned for him,
                        He planned for me.
Then Al died.
And it was no longer about Al and God 
            and me as Al's wife.
It was about me and God.
And I discovered that I had been very, very dependent upon Al
            and not so dependent upon God 
                        for the answers to my future.

I didn't fully understand why God took my Al,
            I still don't fully understand why.
But I knew that life was difficult for him
            and that he was finally, finally well 
                        and content and joy-filled!
And so, in the midst of my grief and tears,
            I could accept that God's plan 
                        had unfolded the best way for Al.
But me, 
            what about God's plan for me without him?

So I began seeking God.
Diligently.
For myself.
What did He want of me.
What was His plan for me.
Me without Al.
I listened carefully.
Asked for lots of confirmations.
Received them.
And things didn't turn out the way I thought they would.

And boy have I been confused!!!
So, I have spent the last year trying to understand.
And have realized that I don't, 
            can't, 
                        never will in this life!
For "God's ways are far above our ways"!
And with Naomi in the Book of Ruth, I said,
            "...the Almighty has made life very bitter for me...
            The Lord has caused me to suffer
            and The Almighty has sent such tragedy."

This morning, I posted the above thought to my Facebook page. My friend, Cheri, made a very profound comment. 

"As I have gone through 15 months since Zane went to Heaven, I have read so many times about God having a plan for us. I have recently come to realize His plan is now. God's plan is already happening for each of us. It is unfolding as we live every day. It is not out there somewhere in our future."

Wow!

You have read many times my comment that I am certain 
I was in the center of God's will in my relationship with Harlan.
Despite appearances,
despite my sorrow,
despite my pain,
he was God's will for me.
I don't understand why if it was only going to lead to heartache.
But, as I have said before,
I don't have to understand why.
And, of course, I cannot.

My friend's comment is freeing!
It gives new comfort to me.
Fresh realization that God is in the here and now.
He is not concerned with only my future.
He is concerned with my present.
My past has a reason.
My future has His hope.
My present is staying in the palm of His Hand
and letting Him carry me where He wills.

And just as He carried Naomi,
            just as He met her needs,
                        so will He meet mine.

So, as I face this difficult week,
            no, I don't understand God's plan now.
But He is the author of my life.
Everything happens for a reason.
And, really, this is not my life.
It is His.

"Sometimes things just don’t go the way you expect them to, or even the way you think they should. But I have a plan. I also have the Power to take all those unexpected things—even the not-so-good ones—and use them for good in your life." -Jesus Calling for Kids by Sarah Young

 "Why am I so sad? Why am I so upset? I should put my hope in God. I should keep praising him, my Savior and my God." -Psalm 42:11 (ICB)

The Lord is my strength and my shield;

my heart trusts in Him,

and He helps me.

My heart leaps for joy,

and with my song I praise Him.

                                                          ~~ Psalm28:7 NIV ~~