Grateful

I am so grateful these days - and I find myself so grateful this Sunday evening.

What a quiet day it was in our home.

Mass - live streamed

Brunch cooked up by us - with all of the trimmings - such a treat on this rainy spring day.



Later that same day - An early Sunday dinner with creamy, tasty homemade tomato bisque soup and a platter of meats, cheeses, vegetables, and homemade bread sticks.





Scott led us in a Bible study on how the Lord is indeed our Shepherd as we were finishing up our meal.

These are Sundays I long for in the school year. And although there is so much uncertainty about the future right now, I feel overly grateful for a peaceful, quiet day with my family. Good food, conversation, and us.

This psalm today - Psalm 103

Bless the Lord, O my soul
and all that is within me, bless His Holy name! 
Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits
Who forgives all your iniquities. Who heals all your diseases
Who redeems your life from the pit and corruption, 
Who beautifies dignifies, and crowns you with loving-kindness and tender mercy;
Who satisfies you mouth with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle's . 
The Lord executes righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. 
He made known His ways to Moses; His acts to the children of Israel.
The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and plenteous in mercy and loving-kindness. 
He will not always chide or be contending; neither will He keep His anger forever or hold a grudge.
He has not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. 
For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great are His mercy and loving-kindness toward those who reverently and worshipfully fear Him. 
As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. 

I believe words like these with the news headlines, online words, and our own sins and what is happening, can be so easy to forget - forget the words of Scripture - and that they are somehow not applicable to the situation but I really think the works of faith in a season like we are in is to root ourselves even deeper in these words and keep a sense of their truth and reality an immediacy to our situation. So these are the words we must live by in these times: The Lord is righteous and compassionate, which are are high as the Heavens are above the earth. Those are the words that need to form our days and our identity and our use of time and our sense of self - even in these strange times.