This past weekend I enjoyed a ladies night out at the beach with four of the women from our little Clandon community. On Friday afternoon Helen, Janine, Giselle, Hannah and I all drove out to Waihi  beach. It was drizzling litely most of the weekend so we got lots of time indoors to talk and watch movies and enjoy delightful platters of food. I was really blessed by one on one talks about marriage and worship as well as group sharing of testimonies.

It’s so neat to hear how God has worked and is working in the lives of these women. I love to see God’s hand holding and guiding each of us into His truth through all sorts of lessons in the midst of such diverse circumstances and stages of the journey. I didn't make it down to the ocean until Saturday morning while the house was still quiet. The crashing waves beneath rolling clouds was a loud reminder of our Lord’s great holiness and wonder.

Praise the Lord, O my soul;

all my inmost being, praise

his holy name.

Praise the Lord, O my soul,

and forget not all his

benefits-

who forgives all your sins

and heals all your diseases

who redeems your life from 

the pit

and crowns you with love

and compassion

who satisfies you desires

with good things

so that your youth is 

renewed like the eagle's.

The Lord works 

righteousness

and justice for all the 

oppressed.

He made known his ways to 

Moses, 

his deeds to the people of 

Israel:

The Lord is compassionate

and gracious,

slow to anger, abounding in 

love. 

He will not always accuse,

nor will he harbor his anger 

forever;

he does not treat us as our 

sins deserve

or repay us according to our 

iniquities.

For as high as the heavens 

are above the earth, 

so great is his love for those

 who fear him; 

as far as the east is from the 

west, 

so far has he removed are 

transgressions from us.

As a father has compassion

on his children,

so the Lord has compassion

on those who fear him;

for he knows how we are 

formed, 

he remembers that we are 

dust.

As for man, his days are like

grass,

he flourishes like a flower of 

the field;

the wind blows over it and it

is gone,

and its place remembers it

no more.

But from everlasting to 

everlasting

the Lord's love is with those 

who fear him, 

and his righteousness with 

their children's children-

with those who keep his 

covenant

and remember to obey

his precepts.

The Lord has established his 

throne in heaven,

and his kingdom rules over

all. 

Praise the Lord, you his

angels,

you mighty ones who do his 

bidding,

who obey his word. 

Praise the Lord, all his 

heavenly hosts,

you his servants who do his

will.

Praise the Lord, all his works

everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, O my soul.

Ps 103