Withdrawing To Pray

 

He used to slip off by Himself,
To talk to God and pray.
I find as I grow older that
I, too, seek that each day. 

I’m not as diligent as He,
Nor as faithful, at all,
But I have found such comfort in
Listening for His call.
 
I sit in stillness some might find
Boring, without value.
For me, the time I spend with Him
Is a gift, rare and true.
 
The world is busy enough and
Its noise weighs down on me.
The time I spend with Him in praise
Lifts me up, sets me free.
 
I think that’s why He called me to
This daily praise I write.
I need the silence it requires
To hear Him, see His Light.
 
Take my advice, as I took His,
Sit down, be still, and hear
The sound of His love and guidance
Whispering in your ear.
 
Luke 5:16 
But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.
 
Jeremiah 31:25 
For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.

Plans Only You See

 

The plans You made before You spoke,
Calling light on the world,
Have been unfolding for eons,
With some still not unfurled.
 
So, why do I stand here in awe
At how my life works out,
When I know that Your plan’s in place.
Of that, there is no doubt.
 
Each step I take along the way,
Turns my eyes back to You
As I face each new twist along
The path You’ve seen me through.
 
It’s like the blossom on the vine,
The fern still curled in sleep.
You’ve set in place each step within
The pattern they will keep.
 
Though I step out not knowing why
Or what I will walk through,
You’ve already marked every step
And they’ll lead me to You.
 
While I can see the fern’s life plan,
Mine own’s harder to see,
But, like that fern, I need to trust
The plans You’ve made for me.
 
Lord, while I may still be surprised
At what You’ve set in place,
Please know that I'll rejoice each time
Your plans show up as grace!  
 
Ephesians 2:10
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
 
Psalm 139:16 
Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

Standing Here Praising You

 

I stand upon Your Word each day
And praise Your holy name.
Lord, to You is all glory due,
Your grace is all I claim.  
 
For that grace is everything
My grateful heart could need,
And You have given it freely,
This hungry soul to feed.
 
There is no hope to which I hold
That’s not grounded in You.
You are the only truth in life
That always sees me through.
 
So, I will stand upon Your Word
And sing Your praise each day,
Rejoicing in the knowledge that
Your grace is here to stay!
 
Romans 3:24 
and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
 
Psalm 68:19 
Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation.

The Watchmen

 

Like Watchmen, they sat faithfully
Watching each wave roll in,
But they were not watching over
The fate of God’s children.
 
That task has been designated
To shepherds of His flock.
Yet, even the flock’s called to help,
To keep watch and take stock.  
 
We don’t know when evil will come,
But it prowls openly
And seeks to harm, body or soul,
Those who live faithfully.
 
We listen to the Watchmen’s voice,
The wisdom that they speak,
For they have long walked close beside
The Savior we all seek. 
 
Though they are the appointed guards
They are just human, too,
And need us to stand beside them
In the work they must do.
 
We pray for them and for ourselves
And help them share God’s Word
With all who come seeking for Him,
That His truth will be heard.
 
The Watchmen, appointed by God,
Must keep guard constantly,
And we, who are under their watch,
Should guard them equally!
 
Mark 13:
Be on guard, keep awake and pray. For you do not know when the time will come.
 
Ezekiel 3:17 
“Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me.

This sweet photo is another gift from ATF and her gulf coast home. 

Tell His Story Well

From the first kiss of soft sunrise
Until it’s sweet farewell,
I want to share His life, His ways,
And tell His story well.
 
To walk with patience, offer grace,
And share His truth with those
Who have not heard or wish to turn
From the darkness they chose.
 
We each have but one life in which
To share the Truth we know.
We’re not the vine, but we can be
The branch where fruit can grow.
 
We can’t be the Light of the World,
That task is His alone.
We can reflect His Light into
Places It’s not yet shown.
 
We may not have the gift of words
We’d need to truly share
His teachings, but we can aid those
Who have that gift and care.
 
Still, a new day brings each the chance
To live His teachings, too.
Sharing His mercy and His grace,
Is something we can do.
 
The days are passing swiftly now,
Darkness is drawing nigh.
Don’t let the chance to share Him with
Others just pass you by.
 
From the first kiss of soft sunrise
Until it’s sweet farewell,
We’re called to share His life, His ways,
And tell His story well.
 
Acts 13:47 
For so the Lord has commanded us, saying, “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
 
Psalm 113:3 
From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is to be praised! 

With Heart And Mind

 

There is about 12 inches in
Between my heart and mind.
Yet that can be a vast distance
When truth is hard to find.
 
My heart is fixed upon the Lord,
My mind seems fixed on me.
That is the conflict that I face
With regularity.
 
My heart knows that I need His grace,
Yet each day when I rise
I tell myself I’ll do better.
Then fail. What a surprise.
 
I keep forgetting it’s not me
Who turns me from the sin,
But is, instead, His loving grace
Where true change can begin.
 
I think my mind is catching on
To what my heart knows well.
Both heart and mind must be the place
Wherein we let Him dwell.
 
We each have a choice we must make:
Though just inches apart,
Our mind must acknowledge the truth
That we hold in our heart.
 
Matthew 22:37 
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.
 
Psalm 118:8 
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.

Thanks For Small Blessings

 

Quiet blessings no one sees
Except those who know You.
What this world calls coincidence
Is Your grace shining through.
 
Sometimes it’s very impressive,
beyond what’s seen as real.
An illness we were told meant death,
That You step in and heal.
 
More often, though, it’s day to day,
The unexpected grace
When all the worries on our list,
Simply fall into place.
 
Today, for me it’s so much more
My list of things to-do,
Just disappeared, each one resolved
With just a word from You.
 
A day of hurry became rest,
As You erased my list.
You even handled some before
I’d found out they exist.
 
Tomorrow is a day of praise,
Of gathering and song.
Today’s a day of small blessings
That You’d planned all along.
 
Colossians 3:15 
And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.
 
Psalm 106:1
Praise the Lord! Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!

Far From Perfect

 

I may not live a perfect life,
But then, I’m not perfect,
And yet, You’ve called me to be Yours
Despite each clear defect.
 
You washed me in Your perfect grace,
Then set my life on track
To live, to serve, to share Your word
That no soul suffers lack.
 
I still am not always my best,
And that’s where faith comes in.
I don’t give up, sit down and weep.
I rise and try again.
 
For I am walking toward joy
Before Your throne some day.
Not by my works, but by Your grace
That washed my sins away.
 
Neither my life, nor I, myself
Will be perfect on earth,
But You who were and who still are
Restored in me new worth.
 
Philippians 3:12 
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own.
 
Ecclesiastes 7:20 
Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.

Taking Time To Listen

 

Taking some time to just be still,
That moment in between
The hectic pace of day to day
Which often goes unseen.
 
That one still moment between breaths
When I can hear His voice
And feel His hand upon my head.
I’ll just sit and rejoice.
 
Too often I forget to pause
And listen with my heart,
Not to what the world has to say,
But what He will impart.
 
I know that He is King and Lord,
His wisdom exceeds mine.
Yet, in that stillness I can catch
A word, a hope divine.
 
Tonight, I need to hear His voice,
Tonight I will be still.
Tomorrow I will rise in joy
And work to do His will.
 
Mark 4:39
And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
 
Psalm 46:10 
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Hard Times and Dark Valleys

 

However dark the valley is,
He’s walking by our side.
Though we bear grief and sorrow here,
He knows each tear we’ve cried.
 
Why must we face trials and pain
When we belong to Him?
How could He love us and let us
Walk through valleys so grim?
 
When the path lies smooth before us
We tend to go our way,
But when that path gets hard, painful,
We tend to stop and pray.
 
We have to understand this life
Is not an easy thing,
Believing we’re good on our own,
Adds more pain to the sting.
 
Yet, when we walk through, trusting Him
And leaning on His grace,
Then fear and worry start to ease
And peace grows in their place.
 
All that this world may throw at us,
That exceeds our control,
Is still within His sight, His plan,
And He treasures each soul.
 
Don’t fear the valley or the pain,
However harsh and grim.
His plan’s in place, He’s by your side,
Just keep walking with Him.
 
Romans 8:28 
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.
 
Proverbs 3:5 
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.