This Wednesday afternoon, I am sitting at a park in Tyler. This pretty little park is my most recent discovery of favorite places to be. There is a Starbucks on the way too :)

Here I am with my laptop, a lousy wireless connection, a plate of Chinese take-out, a grande solo (shot of espresso) mocha Frapp, a patchwork quilt, and sunshine – lots of sunshine. By the way, $4.76 is an absurd price for a drink! Gratefully, its price was covered by a friend in the form of a gift card. Ah…praise the Lord for friends!

I have such a wonderful dad. Ok…that was a change of subject I know. But hey, it works for me and its my blog :)

My dad has always, always, always shown his love for his girls in such sweet ways. As Catherine and I grew, Dad knew what a great joy it was for his daughters to be able to give. Particularly at Christmastime, this was always on Dad’s heart. He knew that our greatest joy at Christmas would not be in the things we received, but in being able to have gifts for others – for him.

But there was one dilemna for us girls. Catherine and I were POOR.

And so, Dad would reach into his wallet with a glad, loving heart and give his girls “spending money”. Ah, what a grand Christmas it was then! Catherine and I could shop! Not for ourselves, but for those most dear to us.

Christmas morning, Dad and Mom would open their gifts from each of us and smile and hug us - Wow, it was great! Never mind that Dad had actually PAID for his OWN GIFT! That didn’t matter to him. It didn’t matter to me.

Dad didn’t mock my or my sister’s poverty. He rejoiced in the fact that we gave from our hearts (though it was from his pocket). And, you know what?…Our poverty itself proved to be a gift – for that very lack created the need for Dad to step in, for us to see with our eyes and hearts his love for his girls, and allowed us to give back not out of our plenty but out of our dependence and love.

So, here I am with my Heavenly Father. I long to give Him everything that I am. But what specifically can I give? He has given so much to me. There are things to give that I can see easily: my talents, possessions, my future. But are there other things that He’s given that I haven’t yet learned to see as gifts???

What has my Heavenly Father given me that I can give back? At times and in some ways, I feel so poor. But maybe, in this case as well, the poverty itself is a gift. Maybe…I can give this to Him as well.

Maybe just as it is with Dad, my lack, my hunger, my poverty are gifts. Maybe they are among the most precious gifts of all – those that cause us to see HIM for all that He is.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.” (James 1:17)

In giving these humble things back to the Father, He doesn’t mock our poverty. Rather, He rejoices with us that we gave because He gave first. This is what makes even the smallest of gifts PRICELESS.

SO. Like I said…I have such a wonderful dad. And these two girls – who will always be Daddy’s girls – are grateful for a dad who, as a father, is constantly being a picture of Christ’s love for His children.

I love you, Daddy.

I believe in miracles.

And sometimes, it seems that the miracles that He does in our hearts and minds are GREATER and GRANDER…….than parting the Red Sea, or making the lame to walk, or calming the storm.

It is just as miraculous to calm the storm in me.

“And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, ‘Peace, be still.’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.” Mark 4:39

• “The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want…

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” Need? Used to think of that in a physical sense (money, shelter, clothing). And Father does provide those things, but He also does SO MUCH more. He supplies our needs for companionship and comfort, our needs for hope and grace, our needs for mercy and new days, and the list goes on and on and on. What a kind, generous, and abundantly RICH Father!

• HE RESTORETH MY SOUL:

Soul: Mind, will, and emotions. “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.” Psalm 42:5 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your HEARTS and MINDS through Christ Jesus.” Phil. 4:6,7 ….. And THEN, just THINK on that word “restore”!!!! Restore. What a beautiful word!

• He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE…

FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE!!!!!!!! Oh Father! Keep me for Your name’s sake! To You be all glory!!!!! “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Eph 2:8,9 Ah, THANK YOU FATHER THAT IT IS NOT UP TO ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• Surely GOODNESS and MERCY shall follow me all the days of my life:

GOODNESS and MERCY: I see them every day, every time I wake up, every time I breathe, every time I lay down, every time I HOPE, every time I cry, every time I smile. Goodness: The Lord’s goodness just can’t be summed up with human words. It can’t even be comprehended by the human heart. God’s goodness is one of those realities that if you try to imagine the breadth of it, it is like trying to fathom eternity or the extent of the universe. Just b l o w s a girl away. Poof, I am gone. Mercy: I don’t deserve it. Cannot earn it. Desperately need it. He freely GIVES. Over and over and over and over………………..”Oh, the blood of Jesus. It washes white as snow.” His mercies are NEW every morning. GREAT is His faithfulness to me.

• and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”

Psalm 27 “One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion…he shall set me up upon a rock…Therefore will I offer in his tabernacle sacrifices of joy; I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto the LORD…When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek… Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies… I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living…Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”

I pray that these thoughts encourage your heart as they are encouraging mine. Wait on the Lord, my friends. Be of good courage. He will strengthen your heart.

first calculate your forces;

and if you consider yourself well enough equipped to begin

you are a fool,

because the tower to be built costs an outrageous price,

and the enemy coming out to meet you is an angel

before whom you are of no account.

Get to know yourself so well,

that you cannot contemplate yourself without flinching;

then there will be room for HOPE.

Only in the sure knowledge that you are obliged

to do the impossible in Him who strengthens you

are you ready for a task which can be performed

only through the cross.”

My dear friends and readers far and wide – in case you need a reminder – God is good.

His righteousness is complete and finished. You don’t have to earn it or fake it. You can rest in all that He is. Your heart can be still in Him.

In His Spirit is Life and Peace. Take your mind of your flesh – after all, if it is SUPPOSED to be dead it does no good to sit there glaring at it. Just turn your eyes to Christ. Turn your back on your failures, dissatisfaction with your spiritual life, frustration with self-efforts at righteousness – Abandon it all and find…HIM.

Look at Christ, simply rest in Him, believe what He says and…There…You will find…EVERYTHING.

I am amazed at the goodness and mercy of God. How He holds us, keeps us, draws us. And in His love, never grows tired of us. And when He looks at me, He sees HIS SON.

Some thoughts just blow me away. BLOW ME AWAY. And those that do that are of Him – of all that He is, has done, and always will be.

Some thoughts are too big to process. TOO BIG. And those that are are of Him – of His never-ending mercy, of His love for me, of His patience.

Some thoughts cannot be captured or expressed adequately. THEY JUST CAN’T. But they are true.

“We can use the words we know to tell You what an Awesome God You are. But words are not enough to tell You of our love. So, listen to our hearts.”

Friend, there is more than just existence in Christ. There is LIFE. ABUNDANT LIFE. And it is YOURS – glorious, full, free, all-consuming, all-satisfying LIFE.

This is CHRIST.

You know how they say that when you see an iceberg floating in the ocean, it is only a small evidence of something huge under the surface. It’s the proverbial “tip of the iceberg”.

On that day, someone sort of gave my little iceberg-tip a slight shove. And then IT happened. The whole thing capsized. I knew there was a colossal glacier under there, so it was no surprise to me. But it was still hard to see and admit to it.

I was so frustrated with myself – tired – of desiring things that I cannot have. Of failing where I should succeed. Of not being truly satisfied in Christ the way I know I can and should be.

I cried. I laid it out before the Lord. I asked for mercy.

And then, that very evening, someone that I greatly admire said…

“Every struggle I’ve had in life has come when I have had more than One Desire.”

One Desire.

I knew it was true. I have desires competing with Lord almost everywhere I look. He IS my greatest Desire. But there is so much competition in this heart of mine. And there is so much struggle.

I know in the deepest part of my heart…that in finding Christ I find all things.

My dad said something really meaningful to me tonight. He pointed out that Scripture says, Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Its a promise. My God is not going to go the other way. He will draw near to me. And the drawing near to Him part, that is a work of His Spirit too. That’s how good our God is……..

My dear sisters and brothers, may He be your One Desire. May He be mine…

~ My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers

Everything that I have and am is a gift from God. The greatest gift the Father has given was the life of His Son. Having been created for His glory, I am created to be HIS. The greatest joys and truest peace of life will come not through hanging on to my life, but through yielding it to the Father. Then I find myself right where I was created to be.

Well, this Sarah Perkins has given her life to the Lord. I am His own.

To me, one of the profound aspects of this craft is that the lid on the gift box is never sealed. Whenever you discover another something that needs to be yielded to the Lord, there the box is – ready to be opened, ready to add another “right.” Interesting thing about me though is that my box would contain not just one paper that says “life” or “desires” or any number of other things. My box would contain certain identical papers a thousand times – as over and over I come back to the Lord and say, “Father, here I am again. Here is my life. Here are my desires. Here is ‘me’.”

Amazingly, Father never slams shut the lid to that box and says, “No more!!” He only receives. And then receives again. And then blesses. He is so patient with me.

Regardless of all that is in my heart and head, my greatest desire is to be WHOLLY His. To be so satisfied in Christ that the pleasures of this world and of my flesh, have no power to attract or distract. He is working that in me. And as hard as it may be at times, I pray that He keeps working [I know He will]. It is good.

Psalm 103:1 says, “Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.”

Emotions…Bless the Lord

Heart…Bless the Lord

Desires…Bless the Lord

Actions…Bless the Lord

Mind…Bless the Lord

ALL that is within me.

and….. I am home again. :) Here’s me and my lovely sis. Moving is hard work :P

But the rewards are s-w-e-e-t! :)