Week of July 6 devotional ideas

Sunday July 6-Ps. 45 is thought to be a marriage hymn for the marriage of a king and a new bride.Wedding celebrate human lfie at its best. What was the best wedding you attended? what was the best reception?

Monday-"God remembers you: your name and your story, today and every day;In the darkness before morning you are not alone;In the questions without answers you are not unheard.Whatever happens to you, you will always be yourself.God is on your road; God walks with you All the smiles and tears of your journey.Today and every day, God remembers you with love." (Ruth Burgess)

Tuesday- In the "Peanuts" comic strip, Lucy once instructed her younger brother, Linus, by drawing a heart, half of which was black and the other half white. "There is a battle going on within our hearts," Lucy preached. Linus thought about what she had said and exclaimed, "I think that I can feel the fight going on inside of me!" (From God Pause’s Nelson)

Wednesday-The sacred moments,the moments of miracle,are often the everyday moments.

(F. Buechner- from The Magnificent Defeat) Do you make a point of seeking traces of grace in daily life? Can you isolate some moments in everyday life that were vehicles of grace?

Thursday-Louis Zamperini died recently. I know of few stories that speak as well of the pwoer of forgiveness as his terrible story.He showed immense courage, but he was being eaten up inside by his understandable burning hatred of his captors.When has it been diffiuclt for you to forgive/ when has lack of forgivneess damaged you as a person?

Friday-“Language ... has created the word 'loneliness' to express the pain of being alone. And it has created the word 'solitude' to express the glory of being alone.” ― Paul Tillich, The Eternal Now-when do you feel lonely? when do you most enjoy solitutde?

Saturday-“What you are is God's gift to you, what you become is your gift to God.”

― Hans Urs von Balthasar, Prayer I need ot read more of the eminent writer, but for today, I am so impressed with hsi deep grasp of the meaning of offering one’s life to god as a gift. I love the idea that we are truly gifted by god, but that we work through and with those gifts. what are your greatest gifts? How have your gifts touched others?