awake & free: Psalm 33 {Katie}

I don't know about you gals, but it's amazing to me how quickly my life can slip out of balance. I get behind on the housework, something for my job, or some personal project that I've been really wanting to work on... Or, heaven forbid, behind on working out. Yikes! That's a whole lot of behind. And as an overachiever who dabbles in perfectionism, you can imagine how much I enjoy being in this state.

Not much at all! I go back and forth between worry or frenzy of trying to catch up, to the other extreme of just completely giving up and saying "whatever", laying on the couch and watching another 6 episodes of "Friends" or "Gilmore Girls" for the 100th time. And there might be ice cream involved there too. ;) Has anyone tried the Ben & Jerry's Peanut Butter Fudge? Sublime....

Because no matter how often I end up running on this wheel of craziness like a deranged hamster, what I need is so beautifully simple it always astounds me...

I slowly lift my eyes up, then pray or open His Word- maybe even let a trusted person into my crazy zone to pray for me and before I know it, the world has stilled. My mind begins to race a little less.

Having let my time with the Lord slip of late, I've begun to get back on the horse this week and God has been drawing me to the Psalms -the 30s seemed good since that's my age decade. Thankfully, there's some fantastic messages in these so I've included one that's been encouraging me today...

As you read the psalm or some other passage of your choosing, I pray that the Lord draws near to you, speaks tenderly to you in whatever your wilderness is right now, and I thank Him for making His Word a lamp unto your feet and a light unto your path. Know how great and steadfast His love for you is TODAY and always!

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous;
  it is fitting for the upright to praise him.Praise the Lord with the harp;
  make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.Sing to him a new song;
  play skillfully, and shout for joy.
For the word of the Lord is right and true;
  he is faithful in all he does.
The Lord loves righteousness and justice;
  the earth is full of his unfailing love.

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made,
  their starry host by the breath of his mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea into jars[a];
  he puts the deep into storehouses.Let all the earth fear the Lord;
  let all the people of the world revere him.For he spoke, and it came to be;
  he commanded, and it stood firm. The Lord foils the plans of the nations;
  he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever,
  the purposes of his heart through all generations.
Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord,
  the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the Lord looks down
  and sees all mankind;
from his dwelling place he watches
  all who live on earth—he who forms the hearts of all,
  who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army;
  no warrior escapes by his great strength.
A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
  despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the Lord are on those who fear him,
  on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
to deliver them from death
  and keep them alive in famine. We wait in hope for the Lord;
  he is our help and our shield.
In him our hearts rejoice,
  for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love be with us, Lord,
  even as we put our hope in you.