Psalm 86:5

I turn to you and you are there,

You hold me in your hand.

I may not know just why you do,

But this I understand,

You love me more than this vast earth

The sky, the sea, the land,

And when I call upon you, Lord,

You’re always near at hand.

Psalm 86:5

You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.

Psalm 121:1-3

There, in the turmoil of the day,

I called upon His name,

For I was buried in the storm.

I called, but no one came.

I felt the tumult piling up

Until I couldn’t see.

And then it past me in the mist,

The sign He sent to me.

It wasn’t something great or loud,

Not sent to lead me through,

In fact all it said was, “I heard!

I heard and I love you!”

I knew that He was watching me,

Though I might not see Him.

So I picked myself up in faith

And carried on again!

Psalm 121:1-3

1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from?

2 My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber;

Thrive Where You Grow

We can’t control what life may bring,

But this one thing I know;

We can control our attitude,

So live with joy and grow.

Don’t let adversity beat you,

Though you cling to the edge;

Dig in your roots and spread your limbs

And climb up to the ledge!

Let that hard place that others fear

Be what makes you grow strong,

For God planted you in that spot

To rise above the throng.

Job 39:28

It dwells on a cliff and stays there at night; a rocky crag is its stronghold.

What Is Beauty

It’s not that they are fair of face,

Nor that they move with perfect grace,

It’s not that they thrive in their place

That makes them seem more fine, less base.

It’s that they live in Your embrace!

For there’s no joy that’s more divine,

Than knowing that Your love is mine.

Luke 12:27

“Consider how the wild flowers grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

Casting His Shadow

A simple deed, a little thing,

Can leave a trace behind;

The shadow of Our Father’s love

In one act, small or kind.

The act that might give hope once more

To one who’s lost all theirs,

Can leave the shadow of His love

In one heart torn with cares.

The cheerful smile, the friendly word,

Like shadows that we leave,

Can offer strength to weary souls,

Or ease the hearts that grieve.

Be sure your shadow, left behind,

Reflects His boundless grace,

Because it lingers long after

You’ve passed without a trace.

Psalm 63:7

Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

Light Above the Storm

When the storm clouds gather close

And skies grow dark and grim,

Remember that there’s light above,

Where you draw close to Him.

So don’t be caught up in the fears

Which roll in with each squall,

For He will lift you in his arms

And hold you through them all.

James 4:10

Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Rejoicing and Grateful

The greatest gifts you give to me

Would be the simple things.

Though I might wish for wealth some days,

And everything it brings,

I know that I am happier

With what I have today.

So let me thank you for those gifts

In my own quirky way…

The sun that rose up through the mist

And shone out clear and bright;

The clouds that haloed a full moon

In gold and orange light;

The loved ones who are near to me

And those too far away;

The food I eat, the clothes I wear,

The love I find each day;

The chance to serve those in my life

And some folk I don’t know;

The opportunity to watch

The kids that I love grow;

The birds that fill my sea and sky,

Even the raucous gulls;

Lord, thank you for the rain, the breeze

The wave that softly lulls.

Oh Lord, your gifts are bountiful,

Though I might think I’m poor,

In fact, I’m blessed with such great wealth

I could not ask for more.

Philippians 4:4-5

4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.

John 10:9

I’ll bloom beside the garden gate
Until you come for me;
I’ll root my blossoms in your soil,
As all blossoms should be.
I’ll shade the young beneath my leaves,
And lift the old or weak;
For that is how I will become
The bloom I know you seek.

Yes I will bloom beside the gate
Until you call me through,
For I will never reach full bloom
Until I bloom with you.

John 10:9
9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture.

Trying To Sing

 

I have no voice to lift in song,

I try, but I can’t sing.

My world feels bleak, without even

The hope that joy might bring.

Yet still I raise my voice each day,

I find some song within,

For I know that by seeking it,

I’ll find my joy again!

Psalm 33:3

Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.

A Heavenly Hug

Radiant is His holy mien,

The earth reflects His loving grace;

Rejoicing in His creation,

He folds earth in His warm embrace.

Revelation 21:11

It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal.

Psalm 119:148

Through all the days still left to me

I’ll turn my eyes to you

And walk in faith where you lead me

Because you ask me to.

However dark my way may be,

I’ll keep my eyes on you.

Down all of life’s hard, twisted paths

I know you’ll lead me through.

And in the darkness of each night

I’ll ponder on your ways,

And when the sun rises again

I’ll offer you fresh praise.

Then in the glory of the dawn

When life is rich with grace,

I’ll still keep my eyes turned to you

I love to see your face!

Psalm 119:148

My eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on your promises.

Beauty in Chaos

Life can be a jumbled puzzle

With pieces that don’t fit,

Yet somehow, if you look for beauty,

You see the best of it.

Don’t focus on life’s upheavals,

Look instead at the joy;

For every day contains them both

Choose which you will employ.

Unspeakable Kindness

While flipping through a photo book

They found a yummy page,

A daughter sitting with a mom,

Wracked by disease and age.

The plate of cookies pictured there

Triggered life in old eyes;

The memory from her lost past

Of a childhood surprise.

Without saying another word

Her daughter rose with care

And opened up the cabinets

To see what was in there.

She gathered up the things she’d need

To make the lovely treat.

Then, from a heart filled up with love,

She baked up something sweet.

She laid them out upon the plate

To match those in the book,

Then served them to her mother with

A soft and loving look.

The light came on in those old eyes;

She knew what lay in store.

As she reached for the fresh baked love,

She was a child once more.

An act of kindness from a heart

That remembered the day

When she was young and fresh baked love

Had touched her heart that way.

It was just a little moment

That came and went so fast,

But, though the cookies are long gone,

Such love will always last.

Reflected Through You

I stopped to lend a helping hand

To one I did not know,

And in her eyes I saw myself,

A face that seemed to glow.

I realized that what she saw

Was not just simply me,

She saw me through a lens of you;

The “me” I ought to be.

I liked the look of who I saw

When she saw me through you,

And all it took was loving as

You’ve told me I should do.

For it was not that I had changed,

It was her point of view;

I looked more perfect through the love

That I learned watching you.

I understand more clearly now

The wonder of your grace,

And pray that I’ll see more of me

Reflected through your face. 

The photo is a blessing from TF, my wonderful room mate from college! Thank you! 

Holding On To Him

There must be somewhere in between

The storms that toss me now

And the peace that comes at last

When, at your throne, I bow.

There must be someplace where the winds

Don’t drive the cutting rain

To tear my heart and fill my world

With sorrow and with pain.

But if there is or if there’s not,

The difference is the same,

For I will hold on to your word

And praise your holy name.

So let the storms of life blow through,

Though I’m out on a limb,

I have no fear that I will fall;

I’m holding fast to him.

Hebrews 3:14

We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.

Petition with Thanksgiving

 

I used to ask you everyday

For all the things I need,

But when I listened to myself

It sounded more like greed.

I’d say “please give this, My Lord,

Or “handle that for me”.

How selfishly I made demands

For what I longed to see.

But then I realized a truth

That I already knew,

I needed to ask you in faith

By starting with “Thank you.”

“Thank you for seeing me through this,

Thank you for helping here,

Thank you for taking constant care

Of those that I hold dear.

I know that I like to be thanked

For little things I do,

And you do so much more for me

For which I should thank you!

Now I still lift the things I need,

But lift them faithfully.

I trust you’ll do what’s best for me,

So I ask thankfully.

Philippians 4:6

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Psalm 43:3

 Please give me clearer vision, Lord,

Then turn my eyes to you;

For what does vision bring to me

If you’re not in my view?

Please help me keep my eyes on you

As I move through each day;

For if I’m focused on your face

I cannot lose my way.

Psalm 43:3

Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.

The Valley of the Shadow

I struggle so from day to day,

It seems that I can’t win.

I think I’m making progress, then

I tumble back again.

I pick myself up every day

And start back up the ridge,

Longing to find an easy way,

Those obstacles to bridge.

But there is not an easy way

To face what lies ahead,

So when I tumble back again

I turn to you instead.

I know you won’t make smooth the way,

For struggle shapes the soul,

But if I’m struggling at your side

I know I’ll get there whole.

Although I’m battered by travail,

I’ll still stick close to you;

The valley may be just as dark,

But your love leads me through.

Psalm 23: 4

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

More Than Gold

 

Greater than all the treasures of earth,

Is the word of my Lord.

Valued above silver and gold,

The heart where it is stored.

Priceless beyond the thrones and thoughts

Of men of great renown,

Is the abundance of His love

That holds for me a crown.

Psalm 119:

127 Because I love your commands more than gold, more than pure gold,

Life Imitates...

It’s just a tiny purple bloom

That I hold in my hand,

And yet it bears resemblance to

Something that’s far more grand.

For in her face I see the sun,

Her petals, its bright rays,

And her life is a reflection

Of old Sol’s cheery ways.

Thus can a humble lump of clay,

Formed by immortal hand,

Reflect, as well, the Good Lord’s Grace…

Here, joyfully, I stand!

The Blessings I Don't See

 

Thank you for daily miracles,

The things I never faced;

The brakes that never let me down

Before they were replaced,

The car that stopped before it struck,

Although I didn’t see,

I could have been hurt in the crash

That you never let be,

The elbow that did not get bumped,

The toe that wasn’t stubbed,

The finger that I didn’t slice

On that knife that I scrubbed.

I thank you for the many things

That I can see you’ve done,

But thank you, also, for the grace

Of those never begun.

They are the little spots of light

That brighten every day,

Problems I never had to face

Because you guard my way.

Romans 8:28

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.

New Hope

Rejoice within the morning’s light;

With each day dawn’s new hope,

For He has plans to prosper us,

Not just to help us cope.

Although His timing is not ours,

He formed the rising sun

And set its path to best serve life

Before life had begun.

So face each new day filled with faith

That He knows what to do,

For, as he knew the sun’s true path,

So His plans will bless you.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

The Bloom In the Thorns

 

The day was hard, it tore my heart,

But when the day was done,

Amidst the thorns I found a bloom

That shone out like the sun!

There was such pain, and yet the joy,

Is what my heart retains,

For, through his grace, the hurt will pass

And only joy remains. 

 

Psalm 31:9

Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief.

Isaiah 32:2

When the storm winds rise before me,

Lashing me with bitter rain,

I seek shelter in your shadow;

Hiding from the storm again.

You are always my strong refuge,

Shielding me from every storm.

Though the tempests rage around me,

I know you will keep me warm.

Isaiah 32:2

Each one will be like a shelter from the wind and a refuge from the storm, like streams of water in the desert and the shadow of a great rock in a thirsty land.

Realizations...

 

Thank you for the insight today,

It meant so much to me.

I really had felt like I’d failed,

But now I truly see

It isn’t that the rhyme is great

Or that the thoughts are deep,

Some days it’s really all about

The promise that I keep.

The time I spend turning to you

And recognizing Grace

Is what fills me with happiness

And lights Your Holy Face!

Romans 15:13

13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Time Alone

I need to find that quiet place

Between the land and sea
Where no else but you and I
Can talk of what might be.

I know that I have many plans,
But You have Your plans, too.
And, while my plans sound good to me,
The best plans come from you.

But I get anxious now and then,
A little fearful, too.
I’m worried that I’m off the path,
That I'll lose sight of you.

What if I’m not where I should be?
What if I miss a cue?
I worry that I’m not doing
Something that I should do.

And when it all comes down on me
I don’t need helping hands,
I need some time alone with you
Where silence sweeps the sands.

Pity Party

I need to stop the pity fest,

My life is far too sweet.
It may not be without a flaw,
But it is near complete.

Everyone has some complaint,
And some have many more.
So I need to count blessings not
The things that make me poor.

I need to count the joys in life,
And not the tear or two,
For, if I don’t take note of them,
I might lose those joys, too.

So let me pick my sorry self
Up off the tear streaked floor,
For everyone has tears to shed,
But I like dancing more.

Proverbs 23:29
Saying 19 Who has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaints? Who has needless bruises? Who has bloodshot eyes?

The Coldness

Let not the coldness touch my heart,

Keep me from wrath and rage.

For that which vexes me on earth

Will not in your new age.

Let me not yield to wickedness,

Nor see it everywhere.

Let me not fail to lend a hand

Where there is need or care.

Let me speak always of your love

To those who need to hear.

Let me, when I am most alone,

Not doubt that you are near.

Oh Lord, I walk through troubled times

And, though I feel their chill,

Don’t let my heart turn cold with them

For I would serve You still.

Micah 6:8

He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.

I Reach For You

Sometimes my way is blocked by weeds

That I can’t quite see through,
But when I find I’ve lost my way,
Then I reach out for you.

You are my shepherd, I’m your lamb
And, when I was most lost,
I called your name, you came for me
And you have paid the cost.

Now, even in the everyday,
I find you’re on my mind.
There’s not a moment I’m so lost
That, your love, I can’t find!

Matthew 18:13
And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he is happier about that one sheep than about the ninety-nine that did not wander off.

Never Fear Defeat

There are those days when everything

That could go wrong, just does.

Today was such a day for me

And I do mean, “It was”!

For I refused to take defeat

And weep over my fate.

I took a day that started wrong,

And turned it into great.

Oh yes, the problems are still there

And I must deal with them,

But I know that I’ll get it done

For I rely on Him!

I know my days on earth are few

And not all will be sweet,

But in Him I’ll know victory

So I don’t fear defeat.

Psalm 44:3

It was not by their sword that they won the land, nor did their arm bring them victory; it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you loved them.

Counting Your Blessings

Each day I lift a simple praise
To keep myself on track;
I thank you for some blessing, Lord,
Or ask how to give back.

But everyone has gifts each day,
Or struggles they’ve come through,
And this might be an easy way
That we can all thank you….

Each night take time to recognize
Some blessing in your day
And place it in a special place
To save along the way.

Then at the end of this new year,
In winter’s darkest days,
You can look back at all those gifts
And offer your own praise!

My thanks to Carol Hawley from A Gallery Visit for her wonderful idea and the lovely graphic that makes it so clear! Please, take time at the end of each day to think about what happened and seek His hand in the ups and downs; where He sheltered you from harm, where He spilled a special moment of delight into your life or where He simply walked through the valley of the shadow at your side. Write it down in a journal or note it on a scrap of paper and place it in a jar, an envelope or a drawer and save them all. Then, at the end of the year, pull them out and read back through all the little blessings of the year. You will be amazed at how powerful those blessings can be when you hold so many in your hand at one time, especially the little ones that you may have forgotten along the way. Counting your blessings becomes a whole new blessing in and of itself.