An Earnest Appeal for Guidance and Deliverance…

Teach me to do Your will,
For You are my God;
Your Spirit is good.
Lead me in the land of uprightness.

Psalms 143:10 (NKJV)

I did not blog on Monday (or Wednesday, as has been my habit).  Battling exhaustion from overdoing on Easter Sunday, pleased but pooped, it was all I could do to get everyone up and out of the house to begin the week.  My husband and daughter battled allergies so severe that neither made it to worship for Resurrection Sunday.  Certainly, feeling the need to compensate, after rising at 5 to stress over whether I’d be able to fit into the suit (not new) that matched my hat (not new)…I’d actually considered getting up around 3 to try the suit on since I wasn't sleeping anyway…I had it bad.  My FB status Easter Sunday was

Dropped off son playing for Easter service at church by 8:30 am. 3 miles run by 9. Into hat, heels, and suit by 10:00. Got my Easter worship ON, home before 1! Dinner is cooking, guests will arrive after 4:00. Wine chilling. I am abundantly blessed.

By God’s Grace, I’m a little better now.  Everyone’s allergies are better, and life is getting back to normal.  Spring Break, for which we have no plans, is on the horizon (Thank You, Lord).  This morning, breaking fast with my husband (a rare weekday treat), this inspired our morning devotion and prayer…

…Remind me that Your plan, Your love for me is my salvation.  Everything else is a figment of my imagination and a function of fear.  Today, Dear God, I recognize that I don’t even know what to pray for, so I will leave the blessing up to You….from Every Day I Pray by Iyanla Vanzant.

And then I was better.  Cooking gives me joy, but even more so when I release myself to it.  I find entertaining exhilarating, but when I am letting it happen rather that working at it, I am blessed in the doing.  I need to be taught (Lord).  I need to be led (who doesn’t, by the One in the right direction??) When I run (which, in reflection, really allowed me to get through the day), I pray and meditate.  I have nothing else to do but keep moving, experience the music and scripture (I have The Bible Experience on my iPod and it shuffles in and around my playlists), breathe, and lose myself in the beauty of the sky, the landscape, the rhythm of my body as it moves through space, leaves and flower petals as they dance in the breeze…and then I am better. 

I am better.  I get better.  Balanced, restored.  Revived.  “Revive me, O Lord, for Your name’s sake!  For Your righteousness’ sake bring my soul out of trouble.” Psalms 143:11.  But what about staying restored, instead of driving ourselves crazy and then needing to bet back there?  My lesson learned is to stay closer to the Source, the One, so I don’t need so much revival.  Revival is good, staying charged up is better.

So, on this beautiful day, with only 4 weeks to go before our first mother/son 5k race, I’m off to take a run.  To worship.  To accept the rare gift (at least in my life) of 30 or 40 minutes when I will do nothing besides run, seeking the presence of God.    I run to You, Lord.  Thank You for hearing my “Earnest Appeal for Guidance and Deliverance.” Thank You for having answered to prayer I didn’t quite know how to offer; for loving me when I get it right by leaving it all up to You.  That is the blessing.  That is today’s blessed assurance that God is Good.

Today’s Feast: Pink Grapefruit Cupcakes…

Backstory~For Easter dessert, I just wanted sweet bites.  Our family doesn’t do lots of sweets anyway, so I thought petite sweet and tangy cupcakes with just a scoop of good vanilla ice cream would fill the bill.  It did, beautifully. 

1 package (18.25 oz.) White Cake Mix

1 1/4 cups unsweetened pink or ruby red grapefruit juice

1 egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 tablespoon grapefruit zest,

4-5 T fresh squeezed grapefruit juice with pulp

Preheat oven to 350˚.  Beat together eggs and oil, then add grapefruit juice, Fold in cake mix, oil, zest, and fresh grapefruit juice.  Fill cups ¾ full and bake until done.

I frosted them with cream cheese frosting which I whipped for about 10-12 minutes, adding a couple drops of food coloring to make it pink, as well as a couple tablespoons of grapefruit juice.  Garnish with sprinkles if desired.