when things are wrong and my 🙏 prayer for you
Who can possibly ascend the mountain of the Eternal? Who can stand before Him in sacred spaces?
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Psalm 24 brings to mind the old cities with their city gates and high walls that could close against enemies and danger.
City gates—open wide! Ancient doors—stand back! For the glorious King shall soon pass your way. Who is the glorious King? The Eternal who is powerful
and mightily equipped for battle. City gates—open wide! Ancient doors—stand back! For the glorious King shall soon pass your way. Who is the glorious King? The Eternal, Commander of heaven’s army, He is the glorious King. [pause]
The Eternal’s might and power, glorious and strong- let’s think about that for a minute. Who can stand against Him? No one. Who can defeat Him? No one. His mighty power overcomes the evil in this world. One day, our world will be at peace when it becomes the new world. No more tears and no more danger.
Isaiah 60:11 speaks of the same thing: a time of peace, security, and prosperity, when the gates can always be open.
Now your gates will stay open to a constant stream of gifts;
all day and night they will not be shut
As the wealth of nations is brought to you
with their kings leading the processions.
But the part that really spoke to me was the idea of the Eternal drawing close to me with blessings and mercy. Without Jesus Christ and his sacrifice for me, I would not be able to declare my hands clean or my heart pure. I could not say I’ll have nothing to do with lies and deceit. But through His forgiveness, I can stand in God’s presence.
He comforts me. He brings blessings to me. His mercy surrounds me. I seek Him out daily. I look for His face. I see Him in others He has created.
And the things that are wrong, He rights. When my attitude is wrong, He brings me joy. When I have needs, He provides. When I falter, He forgives. His lovingkindness lasts for eternity.
Thank You, Lord, for Your love and care.
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Verse of the Week and My Prayer for You
Psalm 24
The earth and all that’s upon it belong to the Eternal. The world is His, with every living creature on it. With seas as foundations and rivers as boundaries, He shaped the continents, fashioned the earth.
Who can possibly ascend the mountain of the Eternal? Who can stand before Him in sacred spaces? Only those whose hands have been washed and hearts made pure, men and women who are not given to lies or deception. The Eternal will stand close to them with blessing and mercy at hand, and the God who redeems will right what has been wrong. These are the people who chase after Him; [like Jacob, they look for the face of God]. [pause]
City gates—open wide! Ancient doors—stand back! For the glorious King shall soon pass your way. Who is the glorious King? The Eternal who is powerful
and mightily equipped for battle. City gates—open wide! Ancient doors—stand back! For the glorious King shall soon pass your way. Who is the glorious King? The Eternal, Commander of heaven’s army, He is the glorious King. [pause]
Prayer
Lord, thank You for my reader. Thank You for showing her Your might and power. She is in awe of Your glorious creation. Thank You that she stands before You, in Your presence. Because of the sacrifice of Jesus, her hands are washed, and her heart is pure. She is not given to lies or deception.
Thank You, Lord, for coming close to her, surrounding her with Your blessings and mercy. She can feel Your presence daily. You redeem her, Lord, and You right what is wrong. She chases after You, Lord, and looks for Your face.
Lord, You are our Great and Mighty King. You fight for us every day. We trust in You. We rest in You, knowing You are faithful. Help us to be grateful and praise Your name, Almighty God. Be glorified through her. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
I’m back to writing the next Morro Bay. Sometimes, life can get overwhelming, and we need time to recover. Jane and her dog are recovering from Susie being shot. Morgan’s family is recovering from the shock of him being accused of murder.
What are you recovering from? Just hit Reply and tell me. I read every response.
Have a blessed week! Thank you for reading!
Making of The Giant Forest - A Preteen Novel - with Alternate Ending: How a Father and Middle School Daughter Collaborated to Write a Novel for Preteen Readers
A how-to book - Retired Dad and 11-yo daughter collaborate on a debut novel, now a 6-book series
Kids love to read AND write when a parent gets involved.
What if an ordinary dad and his 11-year-old daughter could write a whole fantasy series together… in the car?
That’s exactly what happened on the brutal Silicon Valley commutes between Sunnyvale and Los Altos.
In The Making of The Giant Forest, I share the real, messy, and surprisingly fun story of how my daughter Mia and I created the first book in our six-book Growing Up Aimi series — more than 2,000 pages and nearly 9,000 downloads so far.
This isn’t a polished “how-to” success story. It’s the honest record of how we actually did it: the 12 simple steps we followed, the arguments, the breakthroughs, the ridiculous ideas, the late-night document sharing, and the pure joy of creating something together.
You’ll see exactly how we made time, brainstormed stories, handled feedback from Mia’s friends, set deadlines, and even why we ended up with two completely different endings (you get to read both).
Along the way, I also share two bonus stories about Mia’s older brothers and what they taught me about letting kids chase their own dreams.
Whether you want to write a book with your child, start a creative project together, or simply have better conversations with them, this short book was written for you.
If an old guy in his sixties and his little girl could do it, maybe you and yours can too.
Start reading The Giant Forest (Book 1 of the Growing Up Aimi series) today — it’s where the adventure really begins.
Available in paperback, hardcover, ebook, and audiobook.