Meditations from Eugenia
Daily Scripture and Prayer
Safe Harbor Presbyterian Church
September 2019

September 1: Mark 5:14b-15a “Then people came to see what it was that had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind.”
Dear God, sometimes I feel like I am running like a lunatic among the tombs of my life. Help me to turn to you for focus and healing. Center and calm me so that I can live with joy. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 2: Psalm 104:10 “You (God) make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills.
Dear God, where I live the hills are brown and dry. Remind me at the end of a long summer that you are my supreme source, all I need and all I want. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 3: Mat. 22:18-19a “But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, ‘Why are you putting me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin used for the tax.”
Dear God, sometimes I put you to the test just like those who confronted Jesus. “If you love me, do this, don’t do that.” Forgive me and teach me to trust. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 4: Eph. 3:12 “In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.”
Dear God, the gift of Jesus gives me a status I can barely comprehend. In him you invite me into your presence and fill me with wonder. Thank you. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 5: “Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.”
Dear God, we have not been a very happy nation these last months, or years. Root us in you again. When times are hard, remind us that our joy rests in you alone. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 6: Psalm 100:3 “Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.”
Dear God, thank you for my life! You formed me so tenderly and care-fully. You nourish me in every way. I am safe with you in all I do. Praise to your holy name. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 7: 1 Tim. 6:18 “They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share.”
Dear God, help me today to live with a generous spirit and an open heart. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 8: 2 Cor. 2:15-16a “For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to the one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.”
Dear God, how amazing it is that we are a sweet smell to you, like roses in a summer garden. When you think of us, you smile. Thank you for your love and grace. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 9: Psalm 77:1-2a “I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me. In the day of my trouble I see the Lord.”
Dear God, I call out to you today from the depth of my need. I thank you that you hear me and that you move swiftly to my aid. Help me, help those I love, and help us all to trust. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 10: Luke 6:21 “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh.”
Dear God, help me to remember today that this there is grace in both need and plenty, in tears and laughter. Help me to focus on you in all things and live in peace. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 11: Mat. 28:2 “Suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it.”
Dear God, your grace quakes through me today. Your messengers and messages of love are everywhere. Open me to see you and follow you. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 12: 1 Sam. 17:45 “David said to the Philistine, ‘You come to me with sword and spear and javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts...who you have defied.”
Dear God, help me to live my life in your name. Only then can I face the powers that be with confidence and courage. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 13: Luke 5:13a “Then Jesus stretched out his hand, touched him, and said, ‘I do choose. Be made clean.”
Dear God, thank you that you choose my healing and wholeness no matter what my circumstances. Help me to trust that you are working for my good. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 14: James 1:5 “If any of you is lacking in wisdom, ask God, who gives to all generously and ungrudgingly, and it will be given you.”
Dear God, give me wisdom! Show me your ways and guide me in your paths. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 15: Mark 4:26-27 “Jesus also said, ‘The kingdom of God is as if someone would scatter seed on the ground, and would sleep and rise night and day, and the seed would sprout and grow, he does not know how.”
Dear God, even in my sleep you are working for my good. Thank you for your kindness and your promises. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 16: Mark 11:15a “On reaching Jerusalem, Jesus entered the temple area and began driving out those who were buying and selling there.”
Dear God, give me the courage to conform my life to your values, even if it means going against my habits or the customs of the world. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 17: Palm 88:2 “Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry.”
Dear God, today I pour out my whole heart to you...all that I know of it. I am an open book to you. Read me with tender care. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 18: Psalm 104:27-28 “These (your creatures) all look to you to give them their food in due season; when you give to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.”
Dear God, thank you for your providential care for me today. I will rest knowing that you are in charge. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 19: 2 Cor. 7:10 “For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death.”
Dear God, I am sorry for all the ways that I have failed you. Thank you for pointing them out to me so that I can grow closer to you. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 20: Neh. 8:10 “Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
Dear God, today is a day for rejoicing! When I think of your creatures, when I ponder your majesty, my heart is full of joy and my strength grows more and more. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 21: Gen. 9:16 “When the bow is in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.”
Dear God, I once saw a double rainbow and was moved to tears. Help me today to remember the bounty of your covenant promises and rejoice. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 22: Mat. 19:14 “Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs.”
Dear God, open my eyes to ways that I can love your children of all ages today. Use me to help them come to you. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 23: Prov. 18:24 “Some friends play at friendship but a true friend sticks closer than one’s nearest kin.”
Dear God, thank you for the friends who have been your gift to me. I name them before you now and ask your blessing on each one. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 24: Psalm 89:1 “I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.”
Dear God, your constant love is the central thread of my life. It holds me together, shapes and fashions me. Help me to love as you have loved me. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 25: Luke 13:34b “How often have I desired to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!”
Dear God, as your son lamented over the pain and willfulness of Jerusalem, turn my heart toward those in need. Help me to help in your name. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 26: Prov. 31: 11-12 “The heart of her husband trusts in her; and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.”
Dear God, help me to be a person that looks to the good of others and finds ways to make their lives a little better. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 27: John 13:14 “So if I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.”
Dear God, sometimes we can hardly take care of myself and barely have the energy to make it through the day. Even so we long to serve. Help find a way. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 28: Psalm 104:24 “O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.”
Dear God, I once saw a leafy sea dragon in an aquarium. It looked like a seahorse fairy. How did you think of that? You are awesome beyond words! In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 29: Psalm 145:8-9 “The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.”
Dear God your compassion for me is so much greater than my compassion to myself. Help me to treat myself as you treat me so that I can treat others better too. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

September 30: Gn. 11:9 “Therefore it was called Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth; and from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the earth.”
Dear God, sometimes I don’t understand anybody or anything. It was ever thus. Un-scatter us, O God, bring your people together again. In Jesus’ holy name I pray. Amen.

Eugenia was our mentor pastor until her retirement in June.    

A PCUSA pastor who has served more than 30 years, she served pastorates in Alabama, Colorado and California. She has served the church at every governing body level in both staff and elected positions. Eugenia was a founding pastor of First Light, Inc. a center for homeless women and children. She is an author, speaker, preacher, and retreat leader who loves nothing more than helping the Bible come alive for people.  Her articles and essays and short stories have appeared in numerous publications. She is the author of the 2019-20 denomination wide Bible study for Presbyterian Women, Love Carved in Stone: A Fresh Look at the Ten Commandments, and was on the Committee of Fifteen to work on A Brief Statement of Faith for the PCUSA. She is married to Rob Phillips and they reside in her home state of Alabama. She remains our spiritual and devotional mentor.