my strength for today

First, a proverb that I sometimes find myself saying in my mind as I go about my daily business, esp. on tough days:

The wise woman builds her house,
but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

--Proverbs 14:1


Second, my all-time favorite bit of the Bible, which I read not only as gorgeous poetry, but also almost like a love letter from God to me, in which I imagine I am that city, and the Holy Spirit is that river:

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the
earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.
Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad
the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells,
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

--Psalm 46: 1-6



P. S. Just an FYI for those readers who have been following my recent struggles with kids--they have responded really well to my crackdown on our timing of the day and their heart lessons, and so have been acting just fine this week, and were great today! No, today was not harder than usual, I just had a headache and was feeling down and didn't get accomplished what I needed to today. Such is life! So everyday, but especially the days that feel rough, I need to remind myself of beautiful Truth. That, like the first verse reminds me, I can choose to build up or tear down my home. And that, like in the second selection, there is nothing God cannot do to meet the needs of the one who calls upon Him in need.