Dear Lord you have created this earth for your glory just as you have created me. As this summer comes to a close, relieve my stress and my worries. Increase my faith in you. Help me to use this week solely, yes solely, for your glory. Help me as I finish my required books — may I enjoy them and the work I have to do for their behalf. I offer it to you, O Lord. O Lord, help me to discern your will for my life. Help me to seek only you and your glorification because we can take nothing of this world beyond death and death is sooner than we realize. O God, how can I serve you? How can I fulfill your will perfectly? Guide me, O God, and I will follow. Help me to grow in faith, love, and confidence with you. Help me to go forward with joy, joy and peace that cannot be obtained from this world but only from you. Help me, God, to set you forever before my eyes. Every moment of every day I need you and you give to me. May I never offend you. Help me to detest my sin ardently as separation from you and as rejection of your grace. I am not a son of the earth, O God, but a son of heaven, of you. The earth is not my home.
– The first entry in Isaac’s Prayer Journal — August 19, 2014
Isaac on August 13, 2014 (age 15).
The one-year anniversary of our last day with Isaac
doing something he loved and marveling at a millipede.
On the anniversary of Isaac’s departure from this life.
Read previous offerings
The permanence of God’s beauty
Journal entries written on hearts
“If you give me anything, let me love Jesus.”
“I am your servant” — painting the Baptism of Christ
Help me to withhold nothing (“Teach me to be a great saint”)
Ready to receive you (an Advent prayer)
“An intense desire.” A longing to depart from this fallen world.
“Why are you afraid?” Isaac’s final journal entry
“Moved to tears: the meaning behind Isaac’s gravestone”
“The reward of distracted prayer” (November 27th)
“The end of all beauties” (November 21s
“Memento mori” (November 18th)
“Root out my sin” (November 15th)
“Let me suffer” (November 12th)
Why the title? About the Offerings of Isaac