satisfy

Psalm 145:1-21 NIV

I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.  Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.  Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.  One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.  They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty— and I will meditate on your wonderful works.  They tell of the power of your awesome works— and I will proclaim your great deeds.  They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.  The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.  The Lord is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.  All your works praise you, Lord ; your faithful people extol you.  They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,  so that all people may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.  Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.  The Lord upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.  The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.  You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.  The Lord is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.  The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.  He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.  The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.  My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord . Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

28

every year on my birthday
i spend time assessing the previous year, praying for the next, dreaming, and setting goals for my upcoming trip around the sun.
last year i prayed that this one would be the best yet.
of course i had in mind what i thought the best would look like
but i am bursting with gratitude and relief
that God doesn't grant our requests according to our details
but that He grants the requests that funnel into His will for us
His good, pleasing, and perfect will.
that prayer on the 12th of june, 2012, was like a tiny seed, mustard probably,
that He grew with grace upon grace.
He's taught me a new level of humility [believe it or not]
He's revealed to me much more of the confidence for which i've been painfully searching.
He's given me an independence and desire to which i hadn't yet been introduced.
He's given me integrity to see those things that make up my DNA, those things that at their deepest reality are who i am, what i love, what i want, and what drives me.
and He's shown me that it is okay, even good, to hold tightly to them regardless of what anyone thinks.
He's allowed me to feel down, to feel self-sufficient, to feel hopeless, all temporary of course, so that i can know intimately the promises on the other side.
lovingly, He gave me singleness, an internship, empowerment coaching, a job with two precious little ones who teach me more about Him than anyone else could.
He added to my life a new nephew, two new brothers, a new home, a small group of the most capable, beautiful, and hungry young women.
i'm delighted by all that He's built into my life since last year
i'm grateful.
our Father only, always gives good gifts to His children
because He alone defines goodness.
looking forward to these next 365 days.

epaphras

if his name wasn't quite so strange for a 21st century american context, i'd most likely name my first son epaphras.

colossians 4.12
Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured. 
amen. God, please make me like this, like Jesus.

firm

Psalm 37:23-24 NIV
The Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him;  though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the Lord upholds him with his hand.