NO EXPIRATION DATE (Psalm 146)

Don't put your life in the hands of experts who nothing of life, of salvation life.
Mere humans don't have what it takes; when they die, their projects die with them.
Instead, get help from the God of Jacob, put your hope in God and know real blessing. (Psalm 146:3-5, MSG)

I need these verses at this point in my life. My fear, staring down the year to my next birthday? That I have fewer years and worse health to accomplish my life dreams.

I was thinking like a "mere human," as if my projects and dreams would die with me. As if my life consisted solely from the minutes from birth in 1954 until my death whenever it comes.

I have more than a mere mortal's life. I have salvation life, eternal life. I know that. I count on it. I look forward to it. I look forward to reuniting with my family who have gone on before.

If the question was put to me, I would even admit that my life will have ripple effects across the future. Not only my son and my grandchildren, but also my students. Children I taught for five years are reaching adulthood. Part of their impact on the body of Christ will reflect on me..

And those precious souls whom I have had a part in leading to the Lord. Them too.

But those are people. Not "projects."

My writing definitely qualifies as a project. And unless a publisher decides to commission another author to complete an unfinished manuscript at my death, my project will die with me.

But my projects--the body of my work--will outlive me. Oh, the Psalmist come out and say so, but it's implied. It's the positive implied by the negative. Life in place of death.

I have written curriculum used by thousands of Sunday school teachers around the world. At one time over 300 thousand copies of my books had sold. There must be more by now.

Any difference any of that has made in those teachers, students, readers--all of that traces back to me (and those who trained me, of course)

My books may not be read a hundred years from now. (I sincerely doubt it.) But they'll have had generations to send ripples in widening circles.

My sixty-plus years on this earth are only the beginning.

Making It Through the Day (Psalm 143)

If you wake me up each morning with the sound of your loving voice, I'll go to sleep each night trusting in you. (Psalm 143:7-8, MSG)

One (or two or even three) bad hours does not a bad day make. I learned this truth while struggling with my daughter's Borderline Personality Disorder. We had celebrated a marvelous "Jaralene" Day (Jaran + Jolene, the day between their March birthdays). Grammy was there, a rare treat. We had eaten out, opened presents, gone to a movie, and settled down to a game of Chinese checkers.

Jolene, who had behaved well all day long, fell apart. She threw the game board across the floor and stormed to her room. Mom was shaken. I was disappointed, but surprised? Not so much.

Mom said, "What a terrible day."

I said, "No, it wasn't. It was a good day, with a bad spot in the middle. I have learned to treasure the good hours--the good minutes, at times--because I rarely have an entire day that is 'good.'"

This weekend I thought about that long ago Jaralene day. For three hours, I was miserable and angrier than a hornet,to use a cliche. I needed help, and it took three hours to get it.

I decided those three hours didn't have to destroy the good day's work or the good night's rest, any more than Jolene's tantrum had to destroy our Jaralene day.

That philosophy jumped to my mind when I read the above verse. Come to God in the morning, hear His loving voice. Keep it in mind all day, so that by the time I go to sleep, I still feel like I'm floating on the cloud of His love. It reads like a seamless transition from love and God's presence in the morning to trust at night.

Sounds good. But where my life hits, my days are rarely that smooth. Perhaps if I made a better discipline of the remainder of the psalm, my days would go better.

• Stay on the road God has marked for me.
• Hope in God, not elsewhere.
• Follow where the Holy Spirit leads.
• Watch while God vanquishes my enemies.

Like any loving parent, God loves us morning, noon, and night. If we wake up to the sound of His voice and go to sleep remembering His goodness, He will declare it a good day.


Today's favorite verse: I wonder why you care, God--why do you bother with us at all? All we are is a puff of air; we're like shadows in a campfire. (Psalm 144:3-4, MSG)

WHEN TEMPTATION CALLS (Psalm 141)

May the Just One set me straight, may the Kind One correct me.
Don't let sin anoint my head. (Psalm 141:5, MSG)

Temptation. Conviction. Ugh. I'd rather pretend that we don't sin, that we never need correction. I don't like receiving it, and I'm not very good at giving. I'm a good teacher of children--if you discount poor discipline.

But the truth is, of course, that we all sin. As John says in his epistle, If we say we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. (1 John 1:10, NIV)

Since I do sin and I need correction, I'll take David's prayer as my own.

When I sin--I need both the God of justice and of mercy. The God of Justice will show me how far I have strayed from the 100% holiness. He will set me on a straight path when I have made it crooked. Without the Just One to set me straight, I won't know what the right path is. I won't know what holiness looks like. I will wander aimlessly, left only to platitudes and to my sin-weakened conscience.

But I also need the God of kindness and mercy. If I only could appeal to the God of justice, I would run the other way. I'd hope I could escape, because I know He would punish to the full extent of the law. By this point in my life, I'd be sitting on death row.

When the Kind one corrects me, I know He loves me. He understands my weakness. He became like me, to restore me to wholeness. I don't have to fear His correction. He will correct me, but fairly, in a way not meant to punish but rather to rehabilitate me.

Above all, I want to ask God to keep sin from anointing me. I don't want its ugly black oil smearing my soul,distorting the image of God in me.

Amen. Lord,

Today's favorite verse: I know that you, God, are on the side of victims, that you care for the rights of the poor. And I know that the righteous personally thank you, that good people are secure in your presence. (Psalm 140:12-13)

A PERSONAL PSALM OF THANKSGIVING

Thank God! He deserves your thanks.
His love never quits. (Psalm 136:1, MSG)
God is my Creator and Father.
His love never quits!
God is my Lord and Savior.
His love never quits!
God is my Comforter.
His love never quits!

Thank the God who created the earth.
His love never quits!
He flung stars into the universe.
His love never quits!
He created the tiniest single cell organism.
His love never quits!
He ridged America's greatness with rugged mountains.
His love never quits!
Ocean waves crash on rocky shores in the north.
His love never quits!
He was on the moon before the first landing.
His love never quits!
That God watched over my beginnings.
His love never quits!
He watched over me when my father left.
His love never quits!
When my cry reached God's ears, He shouted, "No more!"
His love never quits!
My uncle disappeared into the mists of memory.
His love never quits!
God's glory rang through Bach's preludes and fugues.
His love never quits!
Debussy painted pictures of God's glory.
His love never quits!
All 500 hymns of my hymnal testified to God's glory.
His love never quits!
God went ahead of me and sought out teachers.
His love never quits!
God softened their hearts and opened their wallets.
His love never quits!
God took me, a nobody on welfare,
His love never quits!
And made me valedictorian.
His love never quits!
He took the awards meant for others and gave them to me.
His love never quits!

God remembered us when we were down.
His love never quits!
When Grandma had died and Mom couldn't work.
His love never quits!
He took care of us in our time of need.
His love never quits!
Thank God, who did it all!
His love never quits! (Psalm 136:26, MSG)





I, too, give witness to the greatness of God,
our Lord, high above all other gods.
He does just as he pleases—
however, wherever, whenever. 135:5- 6
God, your name is eternal,
God, you’ll never be out-of-date. 135;13

His love never quits - 26 times in Psalm 136

GOD'S SEAL OF APPROVAL (Psalm 90)

And let the loveliness of our Lord, our God, rest on us, confirming the work that we do. Oh, yes, affirm that work that we do. (Psalm 90:17, MSG)

Psalm 90 is from Moses. Beautiful poetry from the man God used to used to write such vivid accounts of creation and the patriarchs, as well as his own life story.

Here he asks for God's loveliness to rest on us. "Lovely" is not a word I often associate with God. Perhaps this verse is the one Wendell Loveless had in mind when he wrote this chorus from my childhood:

Altogether lovely, He is altogether lovely,
And the fairest of ten thousand, this wonderful Friend divine;
He gave Himself to save, Now He lives in heav'n to keep me,
He is altogether lovely, is this wonderful Savior of mine.

As well as, of course, as Chris Tomlin's contemporary "Here I am to Worship." Altogether lovely, worthy, wonderful--Amen!

God's loveliness lies, not in the symmetry of beauty of His features, but in His character. He is my friend and my Savior, my protector and my husband.

And the funny thing, that loveliness validates my work.

I looked up the difference between confirm and affirm. It's a matter of proving vs. declaring. First God pokes around my work, my words, testing them for truth. Then He declares and supports them. God gives it His Seal of Approval.

Wow. That sounds like pride of the most awful sort, but this verse suggests it's available to all of us. If God could write a review of my books, what would He say? Of course, He chooses to work through His people. Until we can get a glimpse into those heavenly records, all we can do is to support each other.

Since God offers to give us His seal of approval, He deserves my very best. I should strive for quality because He is my ultimate editor.

Today's favorite verses, which again made me think of writers: Long before you brought earth itself to birth, from "once upon a time" to "kingdom come"--you are God. (Psalm 90:2 MSG)

OUT TO PASTURE? (Psalm 71)

Just as each day brims with your beauty, my mouth brims with praise.
But don't turn me out to pasture when I'm old or put me on the shelf when I can't pull my weight. (Psalm 71:8-9, MSG)

You, who made me stare trouble in the face, turn me around;
Now let me look life in the face.
I've been to the bottom;
Bring me up, streaming with honors; turn to me, be tender to me.
And I'll take up the lute and thank you to the tune of your faithfulness, God. (Psalm 71:17-24, MSG)

I had a best friend named Jonathan when we were in second grade. We remained good friends until I seventeen years later. But Jon is responsible for a sad-but-funny childhood memory. We were playing farm and ranch or something like that with another girl. They sent me "out to pasture" while they went on to play somewhere else.

Hmm. That's the way I was feeling on Saturday--put out to pasture while God was playing with someone else, someone younger, with more time and freedom to travel than I do.

Yesterday I reached a point where I felt hopeful that I would again feel hopeful and find purpose. I still don't know what that purpose will be--but God will show me and until then, I live the day He has mapped out for me: I have four more books to write. And I hope to complete two years at least of this blog, taking us all the way through the New Testament.
Today I received a birthday card that sent exactly the message I needed to hear: You hold a special place in God's heart and a special purpose in this world. . .and that makes you irreplaceable.

Saturday, I stared the trouble ahead of me in the face. I am aging. I haven't left the nursing home for anything except my trip to the hospital in over a year. I may have topped out as far as how wide a path I will cut in the writing world. (Yes, I will write more books, but I doubt that I will become a bestseller or win a Pulitzer prize.) My glass was more than empty.

Today I echo David's prayer: Let me look life in the face. And it IS life. Every pain-filled, joy-filled, GOD-filled minute of it. Any honors that come to me, may I offer them as thanksgiving and praise to the Lord. Today, my glass is half full and the liquid level is rising.

How do you look life in the face?

TODAY'S FAVORITE VERSE: Especially for writers. I'll write the book on your righteousness, talk up your salvation in the livelong day, never run out of good things to write or say. (Psalm 71:15, MSG)

WHERE IS HEAVEN? (Psalm 43)

Give me your lantern and compass, give me a map, so I can find my way to the sacred mountain to the place of your presence. (Psalm 43:3, MSG)

Oh, I was tempted today to write about another verse for writers, particularly historical fiction, my specialty: We've been hearing about this, God, all our lives. Our fathers told us the stories their fathers told them. (Psalm 44:1, MSG)

But . . . the above verse won out.

In the television series "Seventh Heaven," someone close to the family died. Everyone told the youngest children that (Grandma, or whoever) had gone to heaven; the boy became obsessed in figuring where heaven was.You see, he couldn't find an empty spot in the sky (heaven "up there," hell "down there")where heaven might be. In the end, his even younger sister said, "that's easy. Grandma is right here, in my heart."

Sweet, and in terms of someone living on in our memories, her statement is correct. The fact I still remember says something about the effectiveness of its message.

But the question stayed with me. Where is heaven? Is the New Jerusalem on the New Earth heaven? (I don't think so. Doesn't John say he saw Jerusalem descending from heaven like a cloud?)

Is it a physical place? I think so. Jesus' resurrection body was clothed in flesh and blood--just immortal. (Just?!) One day our bodies will be clothed in immortality (1 Corinthians 15).

Another galaxy? Another universe? Another dimension, like matter and antimatter in Star Trek or the side-by-side worlds in Blue Adept by Piers Anthony? (a fun little scyfy/fantasy book I discovered at 20 cent book sale)

I'll let those who obsess about such things try to figure it out. I'll know the answers some day. And I know the way--the One who said "I am the way."

Psalm 43 doesn't name David as the author. So the unknown poet begs God for directions to "the place of your presence." You can't enter "heaven" into Mapquest or GPS to find it.

Now I know "sacred mountain" and "the place of your presence" sound like the temple in Jerusalem. But I assume the poet's question isn't that literal, that surely he knew the road to Jerusalem. He probably traveled there several times a year for the annual festivals. I'll go one step farther and guess that he didn't mean a literal lantern, compass or map. He wanted to know the where's and how's of finding God.

The answer is, God never left. He is everywhere. Not only that, the Holy Spirit lives inside me. But those "facts" don't change the feeling that God is far away. I've also heard the cliche, "God didn't move, you did." Having acknowledge all of that, we all know the feeling. When we feel alone, that if God is with us, He's silent.

Let's consider lantern, compass, and map. What spiritual tools serve the God-seeker?

A lantern is first of all a light, one that shows us where we are headed. How about, "thy word is a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path"? Or the Holy Spirit, lighting the next step if not much more? It is light. It relieves the darkness. What lifts us up and doesn't tear us down--seek those things.

A compass indicates direction. In the spiritual realm, we don't need four compass points. We have two: God or not-God. The spiritual man or the natural man. Obedience or disobedience. Again, the Bible guides us, and the Holy Spirit convicts us.

A map is needed for the step-by-step journey. How do I get from where I am to where I want to be? Let's face it, the Bible doesn't come with a handy index for making those life decisions: whom should I marry? what career should I pursue? where should I live?

The Bible does tell us how to walk (in the light, walk worthy, live wisely, etc.) How we make the journey is more important to God than what journey we take. God expects the same commitment from the farmer as from the president, although he will hold the president more accountable as a leader.

Where is heaven? We've already taken the first steps--studying His Word. Let's go on together.


If you love us so much, help us! (Psalm 44:26, MSG)

WRITER'S BLOCK (Psalm 40)

The world's a huge stockpile of God-wonders and God-thoughts.
Nothing and no one comes close to you!
I start talking about you, telling what I know, and quickly run out of words.
Neither numbers nor words account for you. (Psalm 40:4-5, MSG)

When I read the verses above, my thoughts jumped to the problem of writer's block.

These few short lines contain insight for several issues writers face.

Need inspiration? (One of the most frequently asked questions I get as a writer is "where do you get your ideas?")I even teach a class on brainstorming. "Go, observe what's going on around you." That's a great primer for story planners. David describes the world in similar (but again, so very poetic language), describing the world as a "stockpile" of God-wonders and God-thoughts. With that to draw from, we'll never run out of ideas.

In spite of the limitless subject matter, writers also "run out of words." I fight the blank page every day. Once I get started, I can write and write . . . and then I reach a point where I have run out of words.

In fact, I could use this verse to explain my problem in writing about the psalms, as I mentioned a few days ago. David said it all, so well. How can my words add any value?

And how can my human words begin to describe the transcendent God, His love for me, for His world?

Of course my books don't have a single character (God) nor do they speak from God's Point of View. Probably yours don't either. But they are about God, in that He invades the stories, breathes life into them. When they work well, they show how real people, faced with impossible problems, live by faith in spite of their circumstances.

And that's why Christian authors are unlikely to run out of story ideas. A scientist's numbers and an author's words can't account for God. We can't write a character sketch about God.

But we will never run out of things to say (even when it's a struggle to get them out.)

Today's favorite verse: God promises to love me all day, sing songs all through the night! My life is God's prayer. (Psalm 41:8, MSG)

STRENUOUS WHOLENESS (Psalm 37)

Keep your eye on the healthy soul, scrutinize the straight life;
There's a future in strenuous wholeness. (Psalm 37:37-38, MSG)

The descriptions David uses here won out over advice about money (less is more and more is less, 37:16). Healthy soul? Straight life? Strenuous wholeness? In the search for role models and mentors, these are the qualities David advises us to look for.

Hmm, this reminds me a little of Paul's exhortation to the Philippians: Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent of praiseworthy--thank about such things. (Philippians 4:8, NIV)

What is a soul, anyhow? Popular culture equates "soul" with "conscience" (think of the TV series Angel, about the vampire who has a soul). In this case, I think they have it right. Ezekiel says "the soul that sinneth, it shall die." (Ezekiel 18:20, KJV). And we also know that repeated, habitual sin hardens our hearts.

So, a healthy soul is one set on obeying God. "Blameless"--no perpetual sinful habits--and made "righteous" in we are clothed in Jesus's righteousness.

A straight life, of course, is not talking about one's sexual orientation. Straight=no deviation. With my eyes on the prize, I head towards the goal of becoming like Christ. Straight suggests the same idea as pure. Straight, with no side trips. Pure, with contamination stirred in.

No wonder David calls it "strenuous" wholeness. It takes work and effort. It leaves us tired--but our spiritual muscles are strengthened by the workout. Of course, as in physical training here, the reward we get for our training is an even more arduous workout.

The more we persevere, the more wholeness we earn. That's why the elderly have the most wisdom, if they have spent a lifetime straining for wholeness.

So gird up your loins and put on your gym shorts. Work on those spiritual muscles today.

Today's favorite verse: "What am I doing in the meantime, Lord? Hoping, that's what I'm doing--hoping You'll save me from a rebel life,save me from the contempt of dunces." (Psalm 39:7-8, MSG)

BULLIES (Psalm 35)

Harass these hecklers, God, punch these bullies in the nose.
Grab a weapon, anything at hand; stand up for me! (Psalm 35:1-2, MSG)

The use of the word "bullies" in Psalm 35 grabbed my attention. Talk about a hot-button topic! Bullying certain qualifies.

Of course, David wasn't talking about schoolyard bullies. He meant very real enemies who couldn't wait to make fun of him and take advantage of him when he was feeling ill (or otherwise struggling. The exact nature isn't made clear).

But bullies are bullies, whatever century or age. I looked what for contemporary advice on dealing with bullies. This is what I gleaned from the website http://kidshealth.org/kid/feeling/emotion/bullies.html#:

don't give bully a chance--stand tall and be brave--feel good about you

find a buddy--ignore the bully--stand up for yourself

don't bully back--don't show your feelings--tell an adult

Hmm. Some of the advice rings true with David. Some doesn't.

Stand tall and be brave? Can you imagine David doing anything else? But "don't show your feelings"? Solomon might have managed it, but not David.

Don't bully back? Come to think of it, this is the man who spared Saul's life when the king was trying to kill him. Then, as now, he asked God to bully his enemies instead. The primitive part of me cheers at his words, "punch these bullies in the nose."

Calling on God for help qualifies as telling an adult.

In our world, calling on a more powerful ally might result in a temporary advantage but a longer-lasting feud.

God doesn't work like that. He will always be stronger. As the verse I quote below says, "In his largeness nothing gets lost."

Do you ever feel bullied? Occasionally I feel that way about workers here. Bullied or pacified but not taken seriously.

Maybe after I talk to the administrator--I should ask God to punch worker in the nose.


Today's favorite verse:
God's love is meteoric,his loyalty astronomic,
His purpose titanic,his verdicts oceanic.
Yet in his largeness nothing gets lost;

Not a man, not a mouse, slips through the cracks. (Psalm 36:5-6)

WRITE TO THE DEATH (Psalm 30)

When I'm 'dust to dust' my songs and stories of you won't sell. So listen! And be kind! Help me out of this! (Psalm 30:9-10, MSG)
I'm about to burst with song; I can't keep quiet about you. God, my God, I can't thank you enough. (Psalm 30:12, MSG)

Oh, wow, I read this verse at the end of the reading today and I jumped up and down. If I could jump.

Perhaps the economy worked a little differently in David's time. Now, an artist's body of work increases in value upon their death. That may not be as true with books--but my heirs at least have the potential of future revenue from my "stories."

I have no illusions that I have written books that will be considered "classics." One hundred years from now, I won't be more than a footnote in any studies of the boom of Christian fiction over the last fifteen years or so--if that much.

But I have said, here and elsewhere, that I will continue to write until God takes the pen out of my hand, whether by death or loss of mental acuity. When I'm dead, I can't sing any more songs and write any more stories. My testimony of God's goodness and kindness to people on earth ends and fades away.

Most of us (I suspect) shy away from saying "look at what I'm doing for you, God! You need me! Be kind, help me, so I can testify of You." But that's exactly that David did here.

Wow. Do I have the right to claim that? Instead of asking God, "are You sure You want me to continue writing," should I say, "God, I want to write Your stories as long as I can. Help me out here! No one else can tell the stories You give to me."

And when God answers that prayer. When I have a day like this one, when I exceed my goal, I feel well, and I even got my promised shower. Like David, I should burst with song, write like a eight-handed spider (four times as much), shouting my thanksgiving to all who will listen.

How long do you expect to write? Which of your stories--if any--do you think will live past you?

And for all the non-writers (or non-musicians as well) who read this--the same question applies. What do you, and only you, give to God that will end with your death?

Today's favorite verse: God makes his people strong. God gives his people peace. (Psalm 29:11, MSG)

***NEWS FLASH/BOOK GIVEAWAY: Giveaway to 10 comers (up to 20-30 or so) of my devotional book, It Is Well With My Soul, ends tomorrow, Sunday, 7/21/13. Leave me a comment with your email address or contact me at belovedfranklin (at) msn (dot) com.***

GOD'S GENRES (Psalm 7-9)

I thought I had my thought for today when I read God in solemn honor does things right, but his nerves are sandpapered raw. (Psalm 7:11) God has nerves?

But my writer's eye got caught on the references to writing and storytelling in Psalm 9. It lends itself to different writing genres. I'm referring to fiction genres.

These psalms refer to lifting up God through story and song, praising God, thanking God, describing His glory in nature and in our lives. But use your imagination to travel with me to different kinds of stories. And for us as Christian writers, we teach about God through our characters and stories.

David starts out with my favorite, the one I have written from the beginning:

I'm thanking you, God, from a full heart. I'm writing the book of your wonders. (Psalm 9:1)

Can you guess? What genre depends on a heart full of love? Romance, of course, telling parables of God's love affair with us.

How about my favorite genre to read, from childhood on?

Tell his stories to everyone you meet: How he tracks down killers. (Psalm 9:11)

Ah, nothing better to read or watch than a good murder mystery. What a perfect fit to showcase God's justice.

This last verse fits several genres, in my opinion.

Once you've pulled me back from the gates of death, I'll write the book on Hallelujahs. (Psalm 9:13-14)

What genre focuses on "the gates of death"? Hmm, mystery's companions, suspense and thrillers. Medical stories. Women's fiction that deals with grief or terminal illness. Think of your own stories. Whether the character dies in your story or not, God has conquered death. "Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, hallelujah!" Our stories reflect that foundational truth.

Oh, and by the way, guess who our publisher is? God Himself! Publish your mandate for us. (Psalm 7:9)

Today's favorite verses: You get us ready for life: you probe for our soft spots, you knock off our rough edges. And I'm feeling so fit, so safe. (Psalm 7:9-11)

NEWS FLASH/BOOK GIVEAWAY: I just received copies of my first ever devotional, It Is Well With My Soul. I would love to give away one copy for every five comments, up to a total of five. The giveaway will continue for a week, until Saturday, 7/14/13. Leave your name and email address as well as the name of your favorite hymn for a chance to win.

THREE DAY NIGHTS (Psalm 4-6)

At day's end I'm ready for sound sleep,
For you, God, have put my life back together. (Psalm 4:8)

I'm tired of all this--so tired. My bed has been floating forty days and nights on the flood of my tears. (Psalm 6:6-7)

Hmm, if we didn't already know, today's psalms show us the problems with "proof texts," proving a particular theological point with a single verse.

The first verse I quoted above says the kind of sleep we all crave. Sound sleep, trouble free, at peace, because "God put my life back together."

Even that day had plenty of drama. David struggled with people's scorn, and he begged God to take his side. "Now I'm in trouble again." "Again" suggests he's been here before. Discouraged, angry with the people who make life difficult, questioning hardship--who wouldn't? We're not told when he wrote the psalm, whether he was on the run from Saul or one of his sons or reigning in Jerusalem. I suspect this was a lifelong problem.

But on this day, God settles his heart within twenty-four hours. He's able to fall asleep when his head hits the pillow.

Chapter six paints a different picture. He hasn't slept well, has wept, in fact, for "40 days and nights." An extended period of depression, grief, took its toll on him physically.

My nights of good sleep ended when my daughter died. I spent my 40 days and nights weeping (and more). Shortly after that, my arthritis began giving me pain night after night, pain that continues to this day. Nights I get more than six hours of solid sleep are rare indeed.

In between a good night's sleep and a night of tears comes a surprise: a night of celebration! David celebrates the fact that God welcomes those who come to him. In the words of The Message, "let the party last all night!"

I've had a few nights of that, as well. The joy I felt in my recent, if short-lived, fall into love. Receiving a few of my more memorable book contracts. Reading a good book, for that matter! The nights my children and grandchildren were born.

Whatever kind of day or night David has had, he is excited about life with God. Let's close with today's favorite verse:

Why is everyone hungry for more? "More, more," they say. "More, more."
I have God's more-than-enough, more joy in one ordinary day
Than they get in all their shopping sprees. (Psalm 4:7)