Looking Forward

What are you looking at today? What are you looking forward to? Or perhaps, what are you trying to bounce back from looking at? On this particular day looking forward includes peering through my house windows and seeing snow everywhere! I love snow days!

 

 

 

Looking ‘backwards’ – I recall snow days when I was in elementary school that involved building forts, snowmen, and drinking mugs of hot chocolate. So far this morning I have relived the hot chocolate part of my childhood snow day memories, not sure I will venture out to build a snowmanJ

 

This past Sunday I had the opportunity to hear Pastor Todd talk about taking a windshield type of view at life versus living life focused on images in the rear view mirror. Hearing his message sparked thoughts about how I live my life. Currently, I am basking in the joy of looking forward to all the blessings our children will bring us when they are born in 6 months or less. Due to answered prayer, I find it easier to forget about the rear view mirror memories of my life, and have been able to focus more on the present and what the future holds for me/us.

 

However, windshield or a forward looking type of attitude has not always been the case for me. During the four year time of waiting, some days were more difficult than others to understand God’s timing and plan for us. When miscarriages kept surfacing in our path, we got discouraged over and over again. It was during that season of my life that I often used a rear view mirror type of mentality and felt sorry for myself that I did not have what I wanted; and that I had to go through several losses. I think that is why Pastor Todd’s message hit me so hard Sunday – because I used to struggle with the concept of not having what I desired. I asked Cole after church if we would still be in the waiting process – if we would be windshield type of viewers. Neither one of us could actually respond, due to the emotions tied to our new joy and our former ‘suffering.’

 

We fully understand that God is good all the time and that He will bring us joy and happiness, as well as trials and sufferings. Currently, we are enjoying a time of joy and celebration. For those of you who are enduring a season of waiting, suffering, or trial/s, do not lose hope. As Christians, we can endure pain or loss and still see hope in it. This is possible because of our belief in Jesus’ sacrifice, and our trust that we will be with Him and our loved ones someday. This is not always easy to hear, but is true. I appreciated Jerry Bridges thoughts on hope and the verses that go along with it:

 

“God never allows pain without a purpose in the lives of His children. He never allows Satan, nor circumstances, nor any ill-intending person to afflict us unless He uses that affliction for our good. God never wastes pain. He always causes it to work together for our ultimate good, the good of conforming us more to the likeness of His Son” (see Romans 8:28-29 ²⁸ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. ²⁹ For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.)

 

This holiday season I pray that you are able to peer through your snow filled windshield and bask in the life that we have because of the little baby boy born long ago in Bethlehem. Merry Christmas from all three of us!

 

Luke 2:14

“Glory to God in the highest heaven,
and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

 

ANGELS WE HAVE HEART ON HIGH

1. Angels we have heard on high
   Sweetly singing o’er the plains,
   And the mountains in reply
   Echoing their joyous strains.
• Refrain:
  Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
  Gloria, in excelsis Deo!
2. Shepherds, why this jubilee?
   Why your joyous strains prolong?
   What the gladsome tidings be
   Which inspire your heav’nly song?
3. Come to Bethlehem and see
   Christ Whose birth the angels sing;
   Come, adore on bended knee,
   Christ the Lord, the newborn King.
4. See Him in a manger laid,
   Whom the choirs of angels praise;
   Mary, Joseph, lend your aid,
   While our hearts in love we raise.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHkroAFnQwc – sung by Chris Tomlin

Answered Prayer

Has there ever been a time in your life when you prayed, and prayed, and prayed – just to have the answer be “not yet?” Or, are you on the flip side? Have you prayed and received an answer immediately (within one to two months) of your request? The power of prayer has come to new life for me lately. Throughout our quest to become parents, we have had countless people respond to us by saying they would continue to pray for the desires of our hearts. There were times when I doubted that God was even listening, but then He would come through with a glimmer of hope somehow/someway, so I would continue to believe that His timing had to be right. One of my favorite lines from a friend about prayer was when she told me that God DOES in fact answer all prayers; it is just that his answer/s float up in the clouds until He thinks you are ready to receive the ultimate answer. I am overjoyed to share with you God’s faithfulness and His ability to work miracles, and that our prayer request has been granted: we found out on October 2 that I am pregnant!! Official due date is June 10, 2013. Matt Redman’s song, 10,000 Reasons was on repeat the entire day when we found out (and continues to be one of my favorites)!!

Psalm 103:1-2 PRAISE THE LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name. PRAISE THE LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. The Lord heard the desires of our heart (Psalm 37:4 Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of the heart), and He has filled us with so much joy by granting our request. Matthew 7:7-8 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

After blood work confirmed that my pregnancy hormone numbers were rising, the doctor told us to come back in three weeks to find out the number of babies inside of me. My intuition was two the entire time (or it could have been that is what I was hoping for all alongJ). As you can see below, my intuition was correct!!

Ephesians 3:20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

 

Zechariah 9:12 Return to your fortress, O prisoners of hope; even now I announce that I will restore twice as much to you.

Two weeks later we had my 9.5 week ultrasound (Nov.8^th). Psalm 139:14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

 

 

Baby ‘A’ decided to show off for the occasion: can you see his/her smile?!

 

 

And Baby’ B’ is just hanging outJ

 

 

 

So, it goes without question that two of my 10,000 reasons to Praise the Lord this Thanksgiving, are for the two growing babies inside of me. We could not be more thankful, elated, or excited! God is good – all – the – time.

Mark 9:23 Jesus said to him, “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” This is the premise of Mark Schultz’s latest song, All Things Possible. I have listened to this song on the radio multiple times since October 2^nd, and each time I hear it, I believe even more in the power of God’s mighty hand. My light is no longer faded in yearning for a child, I am rejoicing in the “One who’s making all things possible!!”

May you find reassurance this day, week, or month in the hope that God does answer prayer and that He is faithful. He may not be on our earthly time clock, but He will come through in some way, shape, or form. Sometimes, even more than we could imagineJ

All Things Possible by Mark Schultz

1st Verse

I Will Call on Your Name,
For There's Always a Way,
When You Lead me.
And When Life Knocks me Down,
I am not Counted Out,
For You're With Me.
And You're With Me.

Chorus

Even when it feels like The Light is Fading,
And I've Lost my Way,
Still I'm Holding on to the One who's Making,
All Things Possible.
Even when it feels like my Heart is Breaking,
Hold on, there is Strength!
Knowing I Belong to the One who's Making,
All Things Possible.

2nd Verse

I know Mountains can Move,
I've seen what You can Do,
In my Weakness.
So my Heart will Believe,
If I Wait I will See,
My God doing,
What only He can Do, Yeah!

Chorus

Even when it feels like The Light is Fading,
And I've Lost my Way,
Still I'm Holding on to the One who's Making,
All Things Possible.
Even when it feels like my Heart is Breaking,
Hold on, there is Strength!
Knowing I Belong to the One who's Making,
All Things Possible.

Bridge (3x)

My God is Strong and Mighty.
My God is Faithful.
My Hope is in the Lord,
For He is Able!

Chorus

Even when it feels like The Light is Fading,
And I've Lost my Way,
Still I'm Holding on to the One who's Making,
All Things Possible.
Even when it feels like my Heart is Breaking,
Hold on, there is Strength!
Knowing I Belong to the One who's Making,
All Things Possible.

Repeat Bridge (2x)

My God is Strong and Mighty.
My God is Faithful.
My Hope is in the Lord,
For He is Able!

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXRNX5NrX5A

 

When Fear Creeps In

Based on your level of fear and/or anxiety, how would you rank these examples: 1) you are mowing your lawn and all of a sudden a snake slithers by your feet. 2) you get to the movie theater after dinner on a your first date, and your ‘potential’ boyfriend/girlfriend only wants to see a horror film. 3) you are cruising along on your vacation out of state, and to your surprise, the car stalls on the interstate because it ran out of gasoline. In terms of being afraid of the unknown, I would personally rank these examples 1) running out of gasoline, 2) sitting through an uncomfortable horror film, and 3) seeing a snake. Regardless of the example, we face fearful situations every single day. Lately, I have been more consumed with thoughts of the ‘unknown’ and being afraid of what could or could not happen. So, I have been taking some time to read, listen, and learn more about fear.    

In the past month it has been a challenge to find a good ‘chunk’ of time to put all my thoughts into words. Today, it seemed as if everything ‘made sense’ and I had time to write. One of my favorite messages from Pastor Todd was on the topic of ‘waiting;’ and can you guess what day he talked about this? September 23 – our anniversary. Cole and I just looked at each other and smiled when Todd started talking; it was as if God wanted us to SPECIFICALLY hear MORE about how to wait properly for what our hearts desire. My favorite line from Todd that day was “we should prayerfully and carefully do what we KNOW; while we wait for what we don’t know.” As I sat there in the padded chair, I started to tear up as I thought about the truths that have been set before me: Jesus died for my sins, He loves me more than anyone else ever can or will, and THIS love and relationship with Him is what I KNOW is true. Ephesians 1:11 Furthermore, because we are united with Christ, we have received an inheritance from God, for he chose us in advance, and he makes EVERYTHING work out according to his plan.  As Cole and I further discussed this we brought up the facts that God does have our best in mind, and He will work out everything for His good and in His time. The bible talks about God working out ALL things for us in several places. Why then, do I still doubt His goodness from time to time?

When I get caught up in the fear of the unknown, my thoughts begin to be clouded over in doubt and fear. For example, I fear that God will not allow us to hold a healthy baby of our own; I fear that I am not living up to the example of a Godly wife; I fear that I am not a ‘good enough’ teacher for my students. What are your more consistent fears or doubts? What would happen if we lived an entire day without fear, doubt, insecurity, or anxiety? It is possible to balance these emotions and it starts with truth. I found Max Lucado’s podcast, ‘Fearless’ to be very beneficial. Max said that in the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John – Jesus commands us 20 times on the topic of not being afraid: do not worry, but have courage and be of good cheer.

I have found the following verses to be helpful, and wanted to share how they speak to me about fear, worry, courage, God’s love, and faithfulness. I hope that at least one of these verses encourages your heart wherever you are today.

Psalm 112:7 He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.

I do not need to be afraid of bad news, but keep trusting that whatever God allows to happen MUST go through His hands before it gets down to me.

 

Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

This is one of my all-time favorite verses, which I read often. When I think of this verse, I have memories of the movie, “Honey I Shrunk the Kids.” I like to picture myself as a tiny person standing in the strong hand of God. No lawn mower will ever be able to ‘mow’ me overJ

 

Matthew 6:25-27 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”

When I get stuck in the rut of ‘stinking thinking,’ how is this benefiting my health? If God is taking care of the birds, he certainly will take care of all of my needs.

 

Matthew 8:26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?”
Mark 4:40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?”
Matthew 17:20 He replied, “Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.”

Like the disciples in the storm crying out to Jesus, why do I doubt that He will not provide for me? When I am in a ‘doubtful mood’ I am not acknowledging the faith that God has instilled within me. With Him by my side, anything in life is a possibility.

 

John 16:33 “These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Halleluiah! Jesus already died for my sins and the sins of the world: this should be enough to enCOURAGE me daily.

 

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

There is no reason to worry about life or circumstances. Worry will only snowball into other health issues. The best thing for me to do is talk to God and pray to Him about it. The second best thing I can do is talk and pray with friends and family. If you are one of these people: THANK YOU for your constant love, support, and prayers.

 

Romans 8:36,38-39 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Being CONVINCED about a topic is the opposite of being doubtful about a topic. I am 100% certain that God loves me with all of His heart. I am confident that His love is the only love that will remain constant and true no matter what happens to me here on earth.  

 

In closing, I would like to leave you with one of my favorite songs: Mighty to Save by Hillsong United. Every time I sing it I get goose bumps and/or tear up. The lyrics especially encourage me that God’s power is alive and real. There is no reason for me to fear the ‘unknown.’ God assures us he CAN move mountains. Now, the JOY comes in waiting and watching the mountains in your life MOVEJ  

 

Mighty to Save: Hillsong United

Everyone needs compassion
A love that's never failing
Let mercy fall on me

Everyone needs forgiveness
The kindness of a Savior
The hope of nations

(Chorus:)
Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
He rose & conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

So take me as You find me
All my fears & failures
Fill my life again

I give my life to follow
Everything I believe in
Now I surrender (I surrender)
[ Lyrics from: http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics/h/hillsong_united/mighty_to_save.html ]
(Chorus:) (2x)
Savior
He can move the mountains
My God is mighty to save
He is mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
He rose & conquered the grave
Jesus conquered the grave

(Bridge:) (2x)
Shine Your light &
Let the whole world see
We're singing
For the glory
Of the risen King
Jesus

(Chorus)
You're the Savior
You can move the mountains
Lord You are mighty to save
You are mighty to save
Forever
Author of Salvation
You rose & conquered the grave
Yes You conquered the grave

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5ghKwGEQRA

Firework

Okay, imagine this: you are anxiously awaiting the Fourth of July fireworks show to start and all of a sudden a blast of noise and color emerges about 20 feet from you. What’s your reaction? I would first be startled, but then would enjoy the beautiful colors that emerge from the fireworks. I know some of you personally would not even be sitting at the Fourth of July celebration, but humor me in envisioning yourself thereJ Have you ever listened to someone speak and after walking away felt absolutely refreshed? Well, I can honestly say that is how I felt after listening to Beth Moore speak via simulcast Saturday. She is similar to a lit firework that explodes every other second!! Either way, I left the simulcast encouraged. A couple key take aways that I received from Saturday are:

1)      Beth said, “Our story was meant to be dramatic, climatic – a showcase of God’s faithfulness.” How profound. When I first heard her say this I was reminded of the rollercoaster message I recently wrote. She nailed it. Our lives are on display for ANY and ALL to see how we ride the rollercoaster of life. We can ride it with our hands up: hooting and hollering the whole way through, or we can ride it with our hands over our eyes and our heads ducked between our knees. I have noticed that when my hands are up and I am excited about the ride, I trust that God has the ride under control; I am submitting to his plan.

Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

Even though I cannot see the next hill or turn, I have faith that the ride will return safely to the platform with the helpful employees to assist me in getting out. I have found that by allowing myself to open my eyes on the rollercoaster – I have been able to reach out to others who may be going through a similar ‘ride.’ I am grateful for the friendships that have evolved because of this journey.

2)      The second point that I loved from Beth’s fireworks display was, “Faith faces the fact that there is no formula.” I instantly felt convicted. I often put God in a box and expect him to give me what I desire. Recently, God revealed to me that He has already given me what I need. He doesn’t need to swoop down and give me A, B, C just because I asked him to. He may skip A, B, C, and give me Q, R, X! A verse that I learned Saturday put Beth’s point into greater perspective:

 

John 1:16 “From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another.”

Wow. Because he chose to spare my life by taking my sin upon Him at Calvary, I can receive blessings upon blessings? That is somewhat unfathomable for my human brain. What IS fathomable is that I can see the blessings all around me. One of my favorite blessings is, Cole. Another great Cole quote from today, “Even though God may not be giving me what I want, He is still ALWAYS good.”

And finally, I will leave you with my new favorite song on repeat in the Supercharger: One Thing Remains, by Krisian Stanfill. It warms my heart and I hope it encourages you, too. My favorite part of the song is the fact that God’s love is higher than ANY mountain that I come upon here on earth, and His love is CONSTANT during any trial, adversity or change I face. He is real. He is good.

 

One Thing Remains: Kristian Stanfill

Chorus:
Your love never fails
It never gives up
It never runs out on me
(x3)
Your love

Verse 1:
Higher than the mountains
That I face
Stronger than the power
Of the grave
Constant in the trial and the change
One thing remains
One thing remains

Chorus

Verse 2:
Because on and on and
On and on it goes 

It overwhelms

And satisfies my soul
And I never, ever, 

Have to be afraid 

One thing remains 

One thing remains


Chorus

Bridge:
In death, in life
I'm confident and covered 

By the power of Your great love 

My debt is paid
There's nothing that can separate
My heart from Your great love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TItyYhfwClM

Rollercoasters

Rollercoasters: are you a fan of them? In my 28 (almost 29) years of life, I have gone on countless rollercoaster rides. I still remember going to Adventureland with my dad’s work back when I was in 5^th grade. Everyone was going on the Dragon and Tornado, and I was super scared. Jessie looked at me with her big brown eyes and assured me that I would be okay. And I was. It was actually a lot of fun! Since then, I have ventured to rollercoasters at Six Flags, Worlds of Fun, Disney Theme Parks, Universal: Islands of Adventure, and Busch Gardens. So, one would think I would be more than ready to ride the rollercoaster of ‘life,’ right? I have learned that some days are the best days EVER, some are about a 6/10 (10 being the best), and some are just super challenging. Over the past four years, it has felt as if I have been tossed and turned, and sped up and slowed down over and over again. The feelings of my ‘life journey’ match pretty closely to the experience Cole and I most recently felt while riding the Dualing Dragons at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter:

Walking away from the ‘natural high’ of the ride we both felt like we needed an equilibrium check!

And so it is with life. Cole and I were visiting Sunday about our frustrations with our quest to be parents. We talked openly about how God knows what we want, but just has not given it to us…..yet. My favorite line from Cole that day was when he turned to me and said, “Chels, we can’t keep looking for joy in what we desire/want; we need to find joy in what we already have.” This of course made me love the man I married even more! He is so right. Since that conversation Sunday, I have been enthralled by Matt Redman’s song, “10,000 Reasons.” This song was inspired by Psalm 103. After loving the lyrics and song itself, I decided to ponder on the actual scripture. My favorite part is:

Psalm 103: 1-5

1 Praise the Lord, my soul;
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
² Praise the Lord, my soul,
    and forget not all his benefits—
³ who forgives all your sins
    and heals all your diseases,
⁴ who redeems your life from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,
⁵ who satisfies your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The bolded words are what popped out on the page to me. 1) I need to remember all the ways He has already benefited/blessed me. 2) He has healed me over and over again along this journey. 3) He redeemed me by dying on the cross for my sins and allowing me to have an instant relationship with Him. 4) He satisfied my desires ----- waiting for this one to come true, but he still satisfies my daily desires of needing to be loved by those around me. 5) I have renewed strength daily by turning to Him; and by being edified through the people in my life.

As I mentioned, I have been infatuated with this song. So, I wanted to read about why Matt Redman wrote it. Here is what he said, “The point behind the song is this: if you wake up one morning and you cannot think of a reason to bring God some kind of offering of thanks or praise, then you can be sure there’s something wrong at your end of the pipeline, and not his. We live beneath an unceasing flow of goodness, kindness, greatness, and holiness, and every day we’re given reason after reason why Jesus is so completely and utterly worthy of our highest and best devotion.”

“10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord)”

[Chorus]
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

The sun comes up, it's a new day dawning
It's time to sing Your song again
Whatever may pass, and whatever lies before me
Let me be singing when the evening comes

[Chorus]
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

You're rich in love, and You're slow to anger
Your name is great, and Your heart is kind
For all Your goodness I will keep on singing
Ten thousand reasons for my heart to find

[Chorus]
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

And on that day when my strength is failing
The end draws near and my time has come
Still my soul will sing Your praise unending
Ten thousand years and then forevermore

[Chorus x2]
Bless the Lord, O my soul
O my soul
Worship His holy name
Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name

Jesus, I'll worship Your holy name
Lord, I'll worship Your holy name

Sing like never before
O my soul
I'll worship Your holy name
Jesus, I'll worship Your holy name
I'll worship Your holy name

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51fQIiHlu8Q

So, in light of Matt Redman’s song, I have decided to share some of my 10,000 reasons why I can Praise the Lord. He has blessed Cole and me with countless opportunities (there were supposed to be pictures with each one of these, but for some reason technology would not cooperate with me): 

Being united as one, September 23, 2006

Delayed honeymoon to Florida, March 2007
Moving into our first house, August 2007
Visiting Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City Royals game, July 2008
Visiting the Arch in St. Louis, July 2008
Visiting Estes Park, Colorado, for the first time, September 2008

Cheering on the Hawks together, October 2008
Visiting Estes Park, because it’s so beautiful, September 2009
Visiting the Badlands, July 2009
Visiting Mount Rushmore, July 2009
Getting to fly in Ross’ plane in Spokane, WA, July 2009
Visiting Yellowstone National Park, July 2009
Visiting the Grand Tetons, July 2009
Visiting Colorado Rockies Stadium, July 2009
Visiting Oahu, July 2010
Visiting Kauai, July 2010
Celebrating Cole’s 30^th birthday & master’s in administration, May 2011
Trip to Target Field to see Twins together, July 2011
Visiting Duluth, MN, and Lake Superior, July 201
Visiting Tettegouche State Park, MN, July 2011
Visiting Busch Stadium for St. Louis Cardinals game with Israel and Sarah, June 2012
Visiting the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, July 2012
Visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom, July 2012
Visiting Lido Beach, Sarisota, FL, July 2012
Visiting Tropicana Stadium for Tampa Bay Rays game, July 2012
Hanging out with Jess and girls at their pool, FL, July 2012
Being blessed over and over again by our families: Pederson’s
Being blessed over and over again by our families: Matthias’
And being blessed over and over again by our friends: you know who you are!

Thanks for taking a walk down memory ‘blessing’ lane with me. So, I guess I am a fan of rollercoasters – for fun – and for life. The fun rollercoasters at amusement parks have given me thrills and excitement. The rollercoasters of life have helped shape me into the person I am today, and have helped me find joy in the big, and not so big aspects of life. Hoping you can find joy in something God has blessed you with so far in your life journey.   

Numbers 6: 24-26

²⁴ “The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
²⁵ the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
²⁶ the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace.”’