Psalm 119:114 says, “You are my refuge and my shield; your word is my source of hope.” Last night while reading this, I thought of my childhood friend Heather’s house. She lived out in the country on a farm like I did, several miles of gravel roads between our houses.
I loved going to her house, because her older brothers built her a treehouse. Technically, they built her a platform for a treehouse that never fully optimized it’s potential, but in the summer when our moms were out walking for fitness, we would sit up on the platform and eat the bag of potato chips she pilfered from her mom’s kitchen. Her mom bought fancy snacks like sour cream and onion chips, cheese slices, and Fudgsicles. This was so much better than the boxes of raisins at my house (health, y’all).
Her brothers also showed her the giant shrub on their property with a secret hideout in the middle. You had to go around to the back of the shrub and find the slight opening in the branches, and then follow the path to the middle opening (I told you it was big!) This spot was also a good place to eat potato chips or cheese slices. And if these two hideouts were not enough, there was a converted chicken coop playhouse! You can see why Heather’s house rocked.
I thought of Heather’s hideouts because when I read, “You are my refuge and my shield,” I can’t help but think of the forts we built as kids. Heather also taught me how to make the best couch/blanket fort ever – one with lots of maze-like tunnels. We would crawl to the middle and she’d scare me to death telling me about the horror movie she watched, that she definitely shouldn’t have watched.
Right now, those hideouts are good memories for me. After years of living I know that the Lord is my true hideout, my refuge, my shield. He’s the storm calmer (Mt 8), my anchor (Heb 6:19), my help in times of trouble (Ps 46:1), my rock (Ps 18:2), and the healer of my heart. (Ps 147:3) #allthethings How wonderful it is that the Lord is always my refuge, even if my address changes. The scenery can change, new house, new state, new everything, but He is marvelously consistent. How wonderful that He’s unchanging even if our circumstances change. He is ever faithful.
I can take refuge in Him and draw hope from His word. Friends, let’s draw near today and seek Him first. Let’s seek Him and His voice. Our refuge is just a prayer away.
Thank you for joining me today, friends!
Note: on the sticker photo, I used the corner of an ink pad to dab ink onto the sticky part of the sticker paper. Then, when the sticker is smoothed down, the ink stays behind the sticker.
Additional Supplies: Avery 8665 full page label sheets
I’m trying to print my “print & pray” Bible verse & cannot get it to go into my cart so that I can check out & print. The previous time I did this, I never had success either. Please direct. Ty, Julie
(P.S. my official name is “Juliea” pronounced like “Juliet” with 3 syllables. But everyone calls me “Julie”).
Hi Juliea, Have you sent an email to customer service, so that they can look into it? I’d love to help you but the blog is separate from the shop and I’m not sure what’s going on and why you aren’t able to get it into the cart. Also, have you tried a different browser? Are you signed/logged in? Those are a couple things I would try while you wait to hear back from customer service.