Valley of Vision-The Convicting Spirit

I discovered the book, Valley of Vision while I was working at a Young Life camp in Colorado. One of my fellow interns introduced us to it and I fell in love with it. It is a collection of Puritan prayers and devotions. Each one speaks depths to the heart and so much truth.
I love to read (and will most likely share some of what I read on here) and the words on the pages of this book are always an encouragement and challenge to me.

Here is one of my favorites entitled The Convicting Spirit

Thou Blessed Spirit, Author of all grace and comfort,
Come, work repentance in my soul;
Represent sin to me in its odious colours that I may hate it;
Melt my heart by the majesty and mercy of God;
Show me my ruined self and the help there is in him;
Teach me to behold my creator.
His ability to save,
His arms outstretched,
His heart big for me.
May I confide in His power and love,
commit my soul to Him without reserve,
bear His image, observe His laws, pursue His service,
and be through time and eternity
a monument to the efficacy of His grace,
a trophy of His victory.
Make me willing to be saved in His way,
perceiving nothing in myself, but all in Jesus:
Help me not only to receive Him but
to walk in Him,
depend on Him,
commune with Him,
be conformed to Him,
follow Him,
imperfect, but still pressing forward,
not complaining of labour, but valuing rest,
not murmuring under trials, but thankful for my state.
Give me that faith which is the means of salvation,
and the principle and medium of all godliness;
May I be saved by grace through faith,
live by faith,
feel the joy of faith,
do the work of faith.
Perceiving nothing in myself, may I find in Christ
wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption.


And my prayer always....
Wrap my life in divine love,
and keep me ever desiring Thee,
always humble and resigned to Thy will,
more fixed on Thyself,
that I may be more fitted for doing and suffering.

I should be sleeping...

Well, it's 1130 pm and I should be sound asleep in bed resting up for a new week of chasing crazy toddlers all over the place. But instead, my mind was racing with thoughts of what I need to do, what I've done, what I've read, what I want to read, conversations....you know, life. So, I decided to start a blog. A blog?! Really? Hmm. Wonder if anyone will ever read this thing.
Life Outside the Nutshell. How often to do we give a brief synopsis of life and say, "Well, that's me in a nutshell" or "In a nutshell, that's my life right now". How quick we are to turn everything into this super brief framework of information. Basically nothingness. A nutshell, a small enclosure. Kind of like a box, only smaller. I don't want to live in a box, or think in a box. let alone a nutshell.
So that's what this blog will be. Life outside the nutshell. Thinking outside the box, and speaking of it. Not so comfortable. Thoughts and reflections on life. Life lived for the glory of God (or at least striving to).
Who knows what will be written on these pages of technology? No ideas. But for now, this is where I begin. My first post. My first blog.