Jesus Rebuilds and Restores
the Ruins of Our Hearts
“You will be rebuilt;
I will restore all your ruins!”
Jeremiah 44:26 NLT
There are so many storms in life, both visible and hidden, that overwhelm us. Overpower us. Crush us. Circumstances that don’t seem fair and we can’t begin to understand. Trials that turn our lives upside down and inside out. Emotional turmoil that spins us around and knocks the breath out of us. Leaving us in a heap of rubble. Our strength drains and our eyes grow so dim we can’t see hope on the horizon.
But this brokenness is exactly what draws Jesus and His compassion. He feels each struggle and cries with us. He knows what it’s like. No one suffers the way He suffered for us. He was crushed so broken ones can be made whole. He specializes in broken hearts. No matter how broken and crushed we are, it is never beyond His power to restore.
Precious Jesus,
Rescuer of the powerless,
Healer of the wounded,
Restorer of ruins,
Sometimes our hearts
Feel so broken,
Crushed into a million pieces,
Without hope of being restored,
But Your limitless power
Can and will restore
Broken bodies,
Crushed spirits,
Smashed hopes.
We plead upon
Your tender compassion,
Your unmerited favor,
Your boundless love.
Help us to flee to You,
To confide in You,
To rest in You.
~ Excerpt and Prayer Poem from 2014 post ~
Remembering to Whom We Belong
“At the core of who we are, we crave the acceptance that comes from being loved. To satisfy this longing we will either be ‘graspers’ of God’s love or ‘grabbers’ for people’s love.” (Lysa TerKeurst)
“You can’t control how other people receive your energy. Anything you do or say gets filtered through the lens of whatever they are going through at the moment, which is not about you. Just keep doing your thing with as much integrity and love as possible.” (Nana Hoffman)
“Who I am does not change who God is; yet my knowing who I am, in God, changes me. It changes me from a false identity to a true one, from a life of slavery to one of freedom.” ( Jennifer Camp)
Nature Retreat
“Always be on the lookout
for the presence of wonder.”
E.B.White
This month my brother sent interesting, unique photos of hybrids and an almost anomaly. Thank you, John!
Freed to Fly 
Those birds are fascinating, Trudy! And I really appreciate the quote about controlling how other people receive our energy. So insightful! I hope you are well, dear friend!
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I’m glad you enjoyed the unique birds, Lois. 🙂 That quote really speaks to me as well. I definitely need to take it to heart! May we have the grace to just keep doing what we’re called to do “with as much integrity and love as possible!”
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Dear Trudy,
Thank you for sharing your excerpt from your 2014 post! This part especially touched me in your prayer poem:
We plead upon
Your tender compassion,
Your unmerited favor,
Your boundless love.
Oh how blessed we are to be able to go to our gracious Lord with all our cares. You’ve blessed me so much again today. I pray for blessings to cover you also dear sister. Hugs & love.
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I am blessed to know you are blessed, Bettie! Yes, we are so “blessed to be able to go to our gracious Lord with all our cares!” We honestly would be floundering like a fish out of water without Him, wouldn’t we? Thank you for your prayers, dear friend. Hugs and love to you, too! May we keep pleading on our gracious Lord’s tender compassion, unmerited favor, and boundless love!
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How in the world did John get photos of cross-bred birds??? That’s a unique feat in and of itself, Trudy!
I so needed these words of encouragement and hope today. Thanks so much, as always, for the inspiration you always give us here, my friend. God bless you and yours!
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So true, Martha. 🙂 John is definitely a gifted bird-watcher and wildlife photographer. 🙂 I’m so grateful you were encouraged here. God bless you and yours as well! May we cling to Jesus, our Anchor of HOPE!
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I am always awe-struck by your Nature Retreats, Trudy. Your brother, John, truly capture nature in the most awe-striking ways. And that you know the names of all these creatures…wow! I just know them as ducks or water fowl, a lot of the time. I tend not to remember their particular names. How awe-some is our God who knows all our names! Thank you for blessing me with God’s words, encouraging quotes, and beautiful nature pictures.
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I’m so glad you are awed by my brother’s photos, Lynn. 🙂 I am, too. He truly does have a gift in capturing nature. As for knowing the names, I can’t take credit for that. 🙂 I sometimes challenge myself to look them up, but most often I have to ask John or he tells me what they are. 🙂 I’m so glad you were blessed and encouraged here. Yes, so truly awe-some is our God who knows all our names! May we cling to that Truth and His never-ending love for us!
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Those are some really neat species of birds!
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Yes, Joanne, they truly are amazing. I’m so glad you stopped in. 🙂 May the wonders of God’s creation encourage our days!
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Thank you for sharing your poem from 2014. It is a perfect reminder for now. I love the quotes about identity, especially Jennifer Camp’s quote. We need to remember to whom we belong.
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I’m glad you enjoyed the poem and quotes, Mary. May we continually remember to whom we belong!
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dear Trudy, yes it’s in our brokenness and weariness that we feel the tender love of Jesus. He lifts us up and carries us close and tells us we are His children. i’m so thankful for His tender love and care. what a Savior!
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“He lifts us up and carries us close and tells us we are His children.” Yes, what a Savior! I’m so thankful with you, Linda. May we cast all our cares on Him who cares so much!
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I loved the Nana Hoffman quote! This was such a lovely, encouraging post, and I always love seeing your brother’s photos. God bless you, sweet friend.
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I love that quote, too, Cheryl. It’s certainly something I need to remember. 🙂 No matter what, may we just keep doing whatever God leads us to do with integrity and love! I’m grateful you were encouraged here. God bless you, too!
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