Part of my reading this morning was Ps 12:8 ~ The wicked strut about on every side when vileness is exalted among the sons of men. How true this is. I/we see it daily, on an ever-increasing basis. Maranatha! But, enough about that...

I also read from 'Heaven,' by Randy Alcorn this morning, give to me by my dear friend, Kat, for Christmas. On page 88, he talks about biblical words beginning with the re- prefix: reconcile, redeem, restore, recover, return, renew, regenerate & resurrect. The re- prefix suggests a return to an original condition that was ruined or lost. He also writes: These words emphasize that God always sees us in light of what He intended us to be, and he always seeks to restore us to that design. YEAH!!! This reminds me of a relationship I prayed for many years ago between a daughter & mother, that their relationship would be restored. A friend challenged me on praying this way, saying that relationship had never been one that would warrant being restored. My response to her was that it would be restored to what GOD had in mind for it before the foundation of the world. I believe that is HIS view of true restoration...not a restoration of what we deem as having been good, but what HE deemed good, before we were ever born...and of which we know very little. I believe even the best of relationships still falls FAR short of what He intended it to be...because of our finiteness and our sin. So how can we know a truly other-serving relationship apart from being glorified in our new, wholly redeemed bodies with wholly redeemed spirits? Impossible...but we should still strive for that, looking to Him, the Author and Perfecter of our faith, which is from Him, through Him and to Him!