150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 53

You can read Psalm 53 here.

How can people not believe in God?  He's everywhere.  They are going to miss out on everything.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 52

You can read Psalm 52 here.

Why do men do evil and brag about it?  But God will take them down and bring shame upon them.  But for us that love him we will flourish in his love.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 51

You can read Psalm 51 here.

I think we have all been in this place.  I know I have.  I have been in places that I have been so lost in my own shame.  I sit there is sadness and miss out on so much of the joy that life has.  I don't want to miss these things.  I want to be happy in life!   And when I wallow in my own sin there is only one way out.  Jesus.  He is my only way.  God doesn't have a need for sacrifices or offerings.  He doesn't ask me to do anything.  I don't have to get out of my pajamas on those bad days.  I don't have to go out and search for him.  He is not lost.  I am.  But I can come to him just as I am, broken and in need.  Because God knows that I need him.  Even when I forget sometimes, he knows.  And when I come to him he makes me clean.  He takes my heart and gives me what I always need.  His forgiveness and love.  I am so grateful for this love.  Jesus is just absolutely amazing.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 50

You can read Psalm 50 here.

God speaks to us.  When he wants to be heard he will not be silent.  He tells us to listen.  He knows all who are in this world.  He wants us to call on him when we are in need.  But to those who do not know him he wants nothing to do with.  We are to honor God.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 49

You can read Psalm 49 here.

What can money buy you?  Can it rescue you from death?  It can do nothing but sit on this earth and waste away.  I know that I take nothing with me when I die.  But I also know that when I do God will take me home.

Book Review: Another Piece of My Heart

I honestly don't know how I ended up finishing this book when I've put so many down at a half way point that were far more interesting.

Another Piece of My Heart by Jane Green should have been a lot better than it was.  I have read many books by Green and I was just disappointed in this one.

We start with Andi.  Andi is in her early 40s and is married to Ethan.  Ethan has two daughters from a previous marriage.  They have been married for a couple of years now.  The biggest problem?  Emily.  Emily is Ethan's oldest daughter.  She is 17 years old and a trouble maker.  She fights constantly at Andi throwing temper tantrums to get her fathers attention.  Which he give.  Every. Single. Time.

Andi is fed up.  With as much as she loves her husband she is ready to walk out the door.  She has a step-daughter that hates her and a husband who will not stand up to her.  She is also not given the one thing she has always desired... A baby of her own.

It seemed like it should of been a decent enough of a story but I just found the characters unbelievable.  I couldn't connect like I have in the past with her books.  I found this story predictable and quite boring.  I really can't recommend it.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 48

You can read Psalm 48 here.

God is great and his city is amazing.  It is beautiful.  When our enemies come upon it they are afraid of its greatness.  In the temple we praise your love.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 47

You can read Psalm 47 here.

A psalm of pure praise!  Hallelujah!  This one is just a song of worship to God.  No asking for help or redemption.  No whining about enemies or rejection.  Just a song to God.  Just a moment to tell him how wonderful he really is.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 46

You can read Psalm 46 here.

God protects us. He is a continual presence of strength around us all the time.  He is fighting for us no matter where we stand.  We just need to be still.  To stand in front of him and know his glory.  He is awesome.

This psalm reminds me of Strong Tower by Kutless.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 45

You can read Psalm 45 here.

The note at the beginning says that this is a wedding song so I must assume that it is written to celebrate two that are coming together in marriage.  The writer is excited to be apart.  He praises the groom saying how cool he is and how God has blessed him.  His new wife will also be a blessing.  His wife is beautiful and she will give herself to her husband.

This is a perfect example to me why I don't get along with Psalms.  I  just don't get it.  I don't understand what this has to do with anything.  After reading through it a few times I just can't seem to get it to penetrate my brain.  I don't feel anything when I read this.  I don't see anything to think about when I'm finished.  Maybe someone could explain it to me to make it more clear?  Let me know your thoughts.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 44

You can read Psalm 44 here.

Where did victory lie before?  It was God.  God gave us the land and is the only reason we succeeded in battle.  He is the mighty one and we are nothing without him.  Where is he now?  When we battle he is not with us.  What did we do for God to leave us?  Why will he not help us?  I do not understand.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 43

You can read Psalm 43 here.

The author is asking God not to stay away but instead to be present in his life so that he may praise him.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 42

You can read Psalm 42 here.

Well... I have officially moved into the 2nd book in the book of Psalms.  Here we are at Psalm 42.  I can't believe I have kept up with this daily on this blog for the past 42 days.  Go me!  I also know that there is still more than 100 days to go.  Psalms sure is a long, long, long book.

Finally!  A Psalm not written by David!  Not that I really minded David's psalms but I am so ready for a new voice.  This one is by the Sons of Korah a family of singers from the tribe of Levi.

Oh, how I thirst for God!  I want to be with him.  My soul longs for him.  But where is he now?  I used to lead the people in praise of his name!  I do not need to be down; I need to put my hope in God.  I will remember all the things he has done for his people, for those he loves.  He is apart of me.  I will worship him because he is my hope.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 41

You can read Psalm 41 here.

We must love on the people who do not have the things that we do.  They may be weak in mind or body, be without love or even without a home.  We need to show love and compassion to these people because God cares for all.  Sometimes he uses us to show his love to them.

Some people may speak out against us.  Even our friends may... But God is for us!  He continually gives us chance after chance.  He gives us mercy constantly.  Thank God for that!  I need mercy each and everyday.

Thank you God for showing me love through other people.  So many people have blessed my life with the love of God when I have been at my weakest points.  Thank you also for giving me new chance every single day to be the kind of person that you desire me to be.  Amen.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 40

You can read Psalm 40 here.

I waited for you.  I waited as long as you needed me to.  You lifted me from the depths and put me back on my feet.  You gave me a song of praise.  I trust in God.  You have done so much that I can not even count how many awesome thing you have done.  I want to do what you tell me to do.  I will tell everyone about you!  I will not hide you.  Please do not hide from me.  Please save me.  Let those who wish to push me down be brought down and those who rejoice in you keep worshiping you.  Oh God, I need you.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 39

You can read Psalm 39 here.

David is still feeling punished.  He is calling out for God to help him.  He knows that his days are numbered and God knows that number.  He wants to be able to praise and worship again.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 38

You can read Psalm 38 here.

David is calling out for forgiveness!  He has done wrong and is being punished for it.  He is sick and in pain.  He accepts what he has done wrong and asks God to not leave him.  He asks God to help.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 37

You can read Psalm 37 here.

Do not worry about what others have outside of God.  Be happy in what you have with God.  Those who are rich in wealth but lacking in heart and unfaithful will one day be gone.  They can not take what they accumulated here with them and they will now be without it.  But what do we have?  We have the Lord!  We can keep him and take him with us wherever we go.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 36

You can read Psalm 36 here.

The wicked have no place with God because they do not concern themselves with godly things.  They do not care to do what is right so their hearts are hard.

But what can we say about God's love?  It's truly awesome.  There is no end to its reach.  It stretches and grows and lets all people in.  What an amazing love!

Here is Your Love Oh Lord by Third Day which contains parts of this psalm.

What's for Dinner?- Mini Pizza on Bagels

Well, it's more of a what's for lunch than what for dinner post.  But it's ok.  It's food and it's good.  Michael and I had some meatball subs the other night and had some leftover marinara sauce that I wanted to use up before it wen to waste.  I also had on hand some mini bagels and pizza cheese.  So mini pizzas it is!  Yay!  They were super easy to put together and went over great with the kids and the husband too.

Just split the bagels on a baking sheet, through on some sauce and cheese.  Heat in the oven at 350 for about 10-15 minutes- until the cheese has melted and the bagels toasted.  Enjoy!

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 35

You can read Psalm 35 here.

Here David goes again.  He is asking God to be on his side and for him to overtake his enemies.  He asks God to take down those who are against him.  He asks and asks and asks.  He does not act on his own.  He does not go out and try to hurt and take vengeance on his own.  He asks for help.  He asks God to take care of it.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 34

You can read Psalm 34 here.

I give praise to God.  I will always be praising him.  When I asked of him he answered me.  He takes away my fear.  The Lord gives us good things.  When we seek him we will want for nothing.  If you want to live forever stay away from evil and pursue peace.  God watches out for the righteous.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 33

You can read Psalm 33 here.

This psalm reminds me of worship.  About just singing out praise to God and spending time in focus on him.

So I'll leave you with the song that is currently my favorite.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 32

You can read Psalm 32 here.

Sin weighs us down.  It's as if a massive rock is sitting on our shoulders all the time, making it hard to stand, hard to breathe.  

But we are blessed when we are forgiven and the weight is lifted.  When we confess God forgives.  It's so easy and so hard at the same time.

Praise God.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 31

You can read Psalm 31 here.

Is there a safer place than in the presence of the Lord?  That is where we seek refuge.  It is where we find peace.  We turn away from the world and into the arms of God.  And he shows us mercy.  We have someone to trust in.  We have someone to love, someone to love us.  We are safe.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 30

You can read Psalm 30 here.

David is a true example of praise to God.  He praises him in all circumstances.  I lifts his name and calls out to him when he is in need.  He humbles himself and asks God for help.  He gets on his knees before the Lord.  He knows that God is to be praised and honored because he gives us mercy.  We fail him constantly but he forgives us.  He brings us joy.  What a wonderful God.

Book Review: Size 12 and Ready to Rock

Most of the time I find Meg Cabot's books highly entertaining.  She has a way of making me want to continue on with the story, even when I'm not very interested.

Yesterday I finished reading Size 12 and Ready to Rock.  It's the 4th installment of the Heather Wells Mystery Series.  It's been over 2 years since I read the previous books and I honestly barely remember what happened in them.  But I was excited to take some time to read the latest book.

Heather seems to finally be getting what she wants.  She is engaged to the man she loves and has a job that she loves and is starting to go back to school.  All is good.  Until her superstar ex boyfriend's wife Tania Trace decides to hold her Rock Camp at the university and in the dorms that Heather manages.  Heather has no desire to spend two weeks catering to 50 teenage girls and their mothers as they compete for a record contract.  But then people start getting attacked.  Someone dies and Tania is breaking down.  Everyone seems to be leaning on Heather to take care of the problems.  What can she do?

I was into the book over a hundred pages before I felt the story really started moving.  It seemed that it wouldn't pick up the pace.  But once the pace did pick up I enjoyed it quite a bit.  It's not my favorite Meg Cabot book but it wasn't terrible.  I can't say that I would read it again but I wouldn't mind reading the next book in the series that is scheduled to come out sometime this year.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 29

You can read Psalm 29 here.

We need to give honor to God because he is God.  We worship him in his greatness and holiness.  He is powerful and awesome.  He is king.  He gives strength to his people and also gives them peace.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 28

You can read Psalm 28 here.

God, please hear me when I call.  Do not turn away from me.  Please give me help and mercy.  I want to be set apart from those who do not follow your word.  I do not want to end up like they will.  They will be broken and never put back together.

Thank you for hearing me and being my strength!  I trust you and love you.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 27

You can read Psalm 27 here.

Why should I be afraid when God is on my side?  The world is set against me but I find peace in the Lord.  All I want is to remain in his presence, all my days.  I will continue to seek him and he will let me in.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 26

You can read Psalm 26 here.

David is asking for God to be there for him.  To show him that he is in the right.  He does not hang out with those who are deceitful.  He asks God to search his heart and see the love he has for the Lord.

David loves God.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 25

You can read Psalm 25 here.

God is our ultimate teacher.  He shows us how we are to act, how to treat others and how to love.  How do we know?  Because he has shown us first.  We would not know how to love, honor or forgive if God had not shown us first.  He's pretty awesome like that.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 24

You can read Psalm 24 here.

The earth and everything in it belongs to God.  Pretty simple.  You hear it said all the time that everything is his, including us.  But do we act like that is the case? Not typically.  People tend to have a selfish nature and think that it all belongs to them.  Or came to them by their works.

This is not the case.  We need to treat and care for everything with the utmost respect because it does not belong to us.  We are only borrowing it from God.

We are also to honor God because he is our mighty king.  He is strong and mighty and full of glory.  And I love him.

150 Days of Psalms: Psalm 23

You can read Psalm 23 here.

This probably one of the most famous Psalms around.  We are the sheep and God is the shepherd.  We follow when he calls and leads us to keep us safe from danger.  He takes us to places that will sustain us.

When we are in danger we have no need to fear because God walks with us.  He protects us from what may come to harm us.

I have heard this Psalm many times.  It brings comfort to know the peace that God can give when I should have the most fear.