With Faith and Hard Work - Re-Posted

 

The harvest is now growing near

And summer passes on,
But there will still be sweeter days
Before the season’s gone.

We cannot know, when spring first blooms,
What fruits autumn will bear,
But still we work in patient faith
That those fruits will be there.

We count the blessings yet to be,
By keeping faith in place,
And work to bring good fruit to bear
While trusting in God’s Grace.

Psalm 128:2
You will eat the fruit of your labor; blessings and prosperity will be yours.

Don't Live in Envy - Re-Posted

 

Lord, don’t let me be envious
Of those with more than me,
For there are many who see me
As being quite wealthy.

I’ve never been as poor as when
I wallowed in pity
Thinking that I lacked what I need
To live successfully.

The truth is, I was right back then,
I see that now, clearly,
And what I lacked was gratitude
For all You’d given me.

So, Lord, please help me fix my gaze
On all You’ve given me,
That I may not look at the world
Through eyes of jealousy.

1 Corinthians 3:3 

You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans?

Then Bring Me Home - Re-Posted

Oh Lord, my journey lies ahead.

The road winds before me,

And there is no place I can rest

As far as I can see.

I know this is the path for me

And joy lies at its end,

But I am worried I’ll get lost

Around some unseen bend.

So now, before I’m on my way

To do what I must do,.

I pray, please Lord, watch over me,

Then bring me home to You.

Psalm 73:23-24

Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.

You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.

Before the Science - Re-Posted

 

I see them hover in the sky

Above the mountain’s face.
They never seem to settle in,
Drifting from place to place.

I find myself wondering thus,
What moves them here and there,
Other than currents in the wind,
Heated or cooling air.

The science part, I understand.
It all makes sense to me,
But, that it’s not the whole answer,
Is very clear to see.

For nothing started in a void.
Somewhere it all began,
And nothing carries on this well
Without a master plan.

So, while you look at all the clouds
And see impending rain,
I look at them in perfect awe
For all I can’t explain.

Romans 1:20
For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.

Dominion is His - Re-Posted

 

I cannot keep my schedule straight,

I’m late, or I’m too soon.
I have to write down each day’s chores,
My desk is tossed and strewn.
I run in circles half the time;
A silly, lost buffoon.
Yet with no effort shown at all
You guide the rising moon.

You place the stars upon their track
And keep the sun on course.
The universe bows down to You,
For You’re the greater force.
For all the order that I seek,
My means are crude and coarse,
But Yours are effortless and true
For You’re the flawless source.

Job 25:2
Dominion and awe belong to God; he establishes order in the heights of heaven.

Tattered, But Blessed - Re-Posted

 

Though I am tattered from this life,

My time on earth’s been rough,
A crown of glory waits for me
And that is Grace enough.

God does not see the tattered soul,
He patched that with His love,
All He sees is the faithful heart
And life’s crown, formed thereof.

James 1:12
Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.

Help Me To Start - Re-Posted

 

On days like this it’s just so hard

To get up and go out.
The sorrow crashes down again,
I’m plagued with fear and doubt.

Oh Lord, I cry out in my pain
Please force me out the door!
You’ve given so much to me, Lord,
Please give me one thing more;

Give me the strength to face this day,
The courage to believe
That if I just get up and go
I’ll forget how to grieve.

I’ll leave behind the doubts that spring
From within my own heart.
I know they’re lies, but they crush me.
Dear Lord, Just help me start!

John 16:20
Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.

Standing In The Word - Re-Posted

Let me not stand in the ways of man

But in the way of The Word,
For mankind changes every day
And daily grows more absurd. 
 
But Christ stands ever unchanging, 
And that’s how I want to be.
So when the world looks in my heart,
It’s His heart that they will see.
 
I know that I am not there yet, 
Nor do I even drawn near,
Yet, let me stand in shadowed lands
And live The Word without fear. 
 
Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

Another Thank you to LT for this perfect Black and White photo!

Where I Can't Hide - Re-Posted

 

I hide my fears from all the world,

My pain is tucked away,
For all the world has fears and pain.
They don’t need more today.

I keep my worries hidden, Lord,
Sometimes even from me.
For some of them would break my heart
With ceaseless misery.

All of these things I hide away
And then I hide me, too,
But I am never so hidden
That I am lost to You.

You find me in my fear and pain
You find me when I’m weak,
And when I’m far too overwhelmed
To even try to speak.

Though I may hide from all the world,
And not a soul may care,
I know You’ll find me where I am
And I’ll know that You’re there. 

Psalm 38:9
All my longings lie open before you, Lord; my sighing is not hidden from you.

Climb Into Faith - Re-Posted

She climbed the rock face through her fear,

Afraid that she would fall.
Whispering, “Lord, don’t let me slip,
I’d have no hope at all.” 
 
She struggled on, heart in her throat,
Until she reached the top,
And even then, both heart and throat,
Found no reason to stop.
 
She stood upon the rocky ledge
Which she had climbed in fear,
And looked back expecting to see
Her fears following near. 
 
She saw instead the valley deep,
Through which the river spilled,
And mountain peaks, capped in the light.
A sight at which, she thrilled.
 
For she had climbed up through her fears,
Those fears then fell away,
Leaving her only the new strength
That she’d found on the way.  
 
And so it was she came to know,
However dark the vale,
With God beside her as she climbed,
She would, through faith, prevail.
 
Psalm 23:4 
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Another wonderful photo from CC, and another praise drawn from the story about how she took it.

Rejoicing Always - Re-Posted

 
The wind whips down the sandy beach  
Tossing the waves that roar,
Yet in the sky they dance with joy  
Above the wind whipped shore. 

Life’s really all about the way  
We face all that it brings.  
Will you rage like the roaring surf,  
Or rise above such things?

Will you let life toss you about
While anger fills your voice,
Or will you gently face the storm
Rise up, sing and rejoice! 

Philippians 4:4-5

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

This joyful photo is a gift from JF! What a happy photo, indeed!

The Autumn Harvest - Re-Posted

How beautiful the summer fruit,

Born from the buds of spring,
But it takes autumn’s crisp, cold winds,
Their full flavor to bring. 
 
Do not lament that, in your youth,
You did such foolish things
That still, in your antiquity,
The old memory clings. 
 
For we are like that summer fruit
That ripens on the tree.
It takes the seasons’ complete march
To reach maturity.
 
And we are meant to bloom in Youth
And grow through summer’s heat
Until, at last, autumn’s chill winds
Teach us that life is sweet. 
 
Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:
a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot,

Hunger for Righteousness - Re-Posted

 

Oh Lord, I thirst for your wisdom,

Your righteousness I claim.
For I long to belong to you,
And live within your name.

Please, fill me with your righteousness.
Teach me, that I may grow
To live within your perfect Word.
Fill me, that I may know.

Matthew 5:6
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Joy for Pain - Re-Posted

The heat that burned them through the day

Broke before the new dawn
And little drops of morning rain
Gave strength to carry on.
 
How like those gentle, summer blooms,
Refreshed by morning’s rain,
Is the heart that trusts in Him
To return joy for pain.

Psalm 30:5 
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

The Crumbling Sand - Re-Posted

I’ll build my house upon The Rock

For I have seen the sand 
Swept out to sea in crashing waves,
Forever lost to land.
 
I would not live tossed by the sea,
With no hope of the shore,
Where my Lord will not only guard,
But will, by Grace, restore. 
 
So I choose to build on The Rock
And, when the storms blow through,
I’ll watch the sands wash out to sea
While clinging, Lord, to You.  

Matthew 7:24-27 
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Standing In Faith - Re-Posted

With both feet firmly on the rock

I face what comes my way,
But right now I’ll admit, for me,
That’s harder every day.
 
I get a lead, I take a chance,
But it’s not meant to be.
I’m starting to believe that there
Is just no place for me.
 
I think I may have lost my chance;
Though I look, I can’t see
The path that I am meant to take.
I weep, I want to flee.
 
But then I read Your word again,
I calm down and take stock.
Though I feel battered by this storm,
I’m standing on The Rock. 

Updated 5 Years later

In looking back from from where I am
I see Your boundless Grace
Oh Lord, though I did not know then,
You had prepared a place.

You led me through my wilderness,
Along the path You planned,
And blessed my life more completely
Than I can understand.

I stood in faith when life was rough,
In faith, I'm standing still. 
You held me through the worst of times.
I Know You always will.
 
Psalm 18:2
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Living in The Light - Re-Posted

 

I want to stand within The Light

And live my life for You,
But sometimes that’s easy to say
And much harder to do.

Yet somehow I keep standing up
And trying once again,
Because I know that giving up
Is not within the plan.

You haven’t given up on me,
And, much to my delight,
It seems that You want me with You
Standing within The Light.

So I will always seek The Light,
And in that Light renew
My promise to live in this life,
A life worthy of You. 

Ephesians 5:8

For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light

Fill Me With Your Grace - Re-Posted

In the stillness of the morning,

When my heart is fixed on You,
I can hear a new day calling
And I don’t know what I’ll do.

Help me to face this day smiling
With a heart so filled with Grace
That there is no room for anger,
And frustration finds no place.

Help me to offer Your blessing
To all those who come my way
That they might end up rejoicing
No matter how hard their day.

Help me stand up to the troubles
That life offers mortal man.
With all the faith I can muster,
Help me do more than I can.

In the stillness of the morning,
In the pure light of Your love,
Lord, I count upon Your promise
Of the sweet Grace from above.

Without Words - Re-Posted

 

My heart is anguished today, Lord,

I cannot think to pray.
I beg You to hear all my prayers
Though I’ve no words to say.

I seek Your peace within my pain,
Your calm within my fears.
I pray that You will ease my heart
And help me fight my tears.

I need Your strength to face what comes.
Though it is no surprise,
For it’s been coming for a while.
Yet, still, my sad heart cries.

Oh, Lord the tears keep falling down,
I feel my spirits sink.
Please hear me, Lord. Though I can’t speak,
For I can barely think.

Romans 8:26
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.

My Whispered Prayers - Re-Posted

 

I held my wrath within my heart

And my bitterness grew.
Yet, once I lifted it in prayer
And prayed for them to You,
I found I cared less for my rage
Than what they’re going through,
Thus setting my heart free from wrath,
For that’s what prayer can do.

So when I find my thoughts at odds
With what they ought to be,
I’ll whisper a prayer in your ear
And seek a better me.

Abundantly,Unceasingly - Re-Posted

I stand upon the shore in faith

That this is where You’ll be,
And wave on wave of Your deep love
Comes rushing in to me. 
 
Abundantly, unceasingly,
It rushes onto shore.
There’s always more Grace than I need,
And still You send me more.
 
I did not ask to be born, Lord,
I do not seek to die,
But in between please keep me close
Beneath Your watchful eye,
 
And I, in turn, will linger near
The ocean of Your grace,
Until the time comes that I see
Your Glory, face to face.

2 Corinthians 9:8

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.

By His Mighty Hand - Re-Posted

How skilled the hand that formed the stars,

That burn the with heaven’s light
And also created the wings
That lift a bee in flight.
 
The massive and the delicate,
With details so precise.
And each one is wholly unique,
Not one has been made twice.
 
How overwhelming is the thought
That such a mighty hand
Might belong to a loving God,
For love we understand. 
 
Psalm 136:26
Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever.

They Have Beauty, Too - Re-Posted

 

Though some are formed with perfect grace

And others soon will shine,
There are those who will never grow
Though they share the same vine.

Though you and I see those that bloom
As better than the rest,
Our Father sees them all the same,
Each one is loved and blessed.

Let not the your heart turn from the lost
The weak, the sad, the frail,
For they are also born in Him
Whose love can never fail.

Open your eyes and see their face,
For they have beauty, too.
We each must train our eyes and hearts
To see and not look through.

Ephesians 4:2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

Peace and Hope - Re-Posted

There is a peace within me now,

Since I spent time with You.
My world is still in chaos, Lord,
But You will lead me through. 
 
Though it was just a few moments,
Oh, Lord, it was enough.
For now I have the peace I need
To stand when things get rough.
 
I have the hope I need to last
Beyond this current night,
Until the darkness breaks at last
In morning’s perfect light. 
 
The world is broken, this I know.
There’s nothing I can do,
But, Lord, my soul finds rest and peace,
And hope when I’m with You.
 
Psalm 62:5
Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him.

Mighty Are You - Re-Posted

The heavens echo with Your voice,

The mountain breathes Your word.
Within the depths of the cold sea
Your every thought is heard.

Oh Lord, how mighty are Your plans;
What splendor You command.
How far beyond my humble thoughts
Are the works of Your hand.

Oh Lord I dwell where mountain peaks
Reach to the boundless sky,
Where bounty greater than my dreams
Is laid before my eye,

And I am often overwhelmed,
Lord, when I understand
The endless power You possess,
The love at Your command.

Psalm 89:8

Who is like you, LORD God Almighty? You, LORD, are mighty, and your faithfulness surrounds you.

My deepest thanks to Kirby and Kelli Kercheval for permission to use their wonderful photo of Mt Rainier

In Your Hand - Re-Posted

Oh Lord, there’s so much everyday,

That I can’t understand,
And yet all of eternity
Lies resting in Your hand.
 
The world is vast, spreading so far,
Yet it’s lost in deep space.
So how am I to comprehend
The reach of Your embrace?
 
For You, what’s past is just as new
As what is still to be.
My mind is simply just too small
To grasp all that You see. 
 
Yet all that is too vast for me
Still moves at Your command,
And someday, when I see Your face,
I know I’ll understand. 
 
Jeremiah 33:3 ‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’

Trust in the Lord - Re-Posted

I hurried through the day today

With lots and lots to do,
But through it all I tried to keep
My eyes fixed upon You.
 
The busy moments scurried by
With little time to spare,
But I was grateful for moments
To lift a silent prayer.
 
Now as the day winds to an end
My thoughts return to You.
I thank You for the grace and strength
With which You brought me through.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

I Turned Away - Re-Posted

I heard You calling me one dawn,

But I just turned away.
Where You were asking me to go
Was far out of my way.
 
I heard You calling me one noon,
But I just turned away.
I had my heart set just on me
And I was off to play.
 
I heard You calling me one dusk,
But I just turned away,
For You expected more of me
Than I would give that day. 
 
Then in the darkness of the night,
When all my fears held sway,
I called to You through anguished tears.
You did not turn away.

I realized that my hard head

Had led my heart astray.

Yet, even though I'd tuned from You,

You loved me anyway. 

So now I rise with each new dawn
And listen, while I pray,
To hear Your voice calling to me.
I smile and turn Your way.
 
Romans 2:4
Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?

The Standards of Earth - Re-Posted

Judge not the mighty by their strength,

The lovely by their face;
Do not assume the small or weak
Will fall back in the race.
 
For, though the mighty seem so strong,
Their strength is born of man,
And those whose strength is born of God
Can do more than most can.
 
They may look humble when you pass,
Barely glancing their way,
Yet they may make the difference
For all of us someday. 
 
So do not judge your fellow man
By standards formed on earth,
But try to see them through God’s eyes
To understand their worth.
 
1 Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”