Because in each day, no matter how dark or how long, there is a praise to be found. Sometimes our hearts are too weary or too frightened to voice them, but our souls cry out to God... and He is there.
The fears that used to weigh me down,
No longer trouble me,
For my hopes rest upon Your grace,
As it is meant to be.
To haunt me now and then.
Yet, when they do, I pass to You,
That which is beyond men.
But I no longer fear
That which I can’t see or predict.
For, Lord, I know You’re near.
But, when it seeks me out,
I do my best, give You the rest,
And trust You without doubt.
You shall not be in dread of them, for the Lord your God
is in your midst, a great and awesome God.
The world is full of amazing
People who bloom with joy.
They know Your Word and live in it
With faith life can’t destroy.
Or, too, a dreary room.
I look at them with true delight,
Though I am not a bloom.
Not quite as bold and bright,
But I too cherish living in
My Savior’s golden light.
And have a thorn or two.
You might not think it about weeds,
But we are cherished, too.
While some light up a room,
Others will praise Him quietly…
And even weeds can bloom.
Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in
order to bring praise to God.
Please guard my going out, Oh Lord,
And, too, my coming in.
Keep my feet set upon the path
That leads to You, not sin.
And turn away from lies,
That I may bring glory to You,
Not give cause to despise.
Knowing that, by Your grace,
I will walk through each dark valley
Into a brighter place.
Share Your mercies with all,
That I may help reflect Your Light
So others will not fall.
In an unceasing flow.
Now help me share that flowing grace
That all the earth may know.
Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of
living water will flow from within them.
Are you praying to the Lord, or
Merely praying at Him?
Lifting up demands for grace
Whenever life is grim,
Not grounded in His word?
Too often we will prattle on,
Demanding to be heard.
Engage with such demands
From those who place small value on
His laws and His commands.
As it fits what He’s planned,
Then He will often answer me
In ways I understand.
Letting the noise go still,
Helps me to pray to Heaven’s King
And live within His will.
Too lost to find a thought,
He lets me know He understands
The pain this world has brought.
His answers are best heard
When I stop talking and listen
To Him and to His Word.
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans,
for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like
them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
This is one of the precious photos from AC and her trip to Africa a few years back.
The gospel says we’re to rejoice
Even in grief or pain.
I never really understood,
But the gospel was plain.
The world beat down on me.
That was when my heart finally
Helped my mind clearly see.
I heard His voice saying
Rejoice until the pain eases
For all the joy I’ll bring.
For sunshine follows rains.
When all the tears you’ve cried are dry,
The rejoicing remains.
And age adds to their weight,
But it is to His word I hold.
I’ll rejoice while I wait!
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
What is it about Friday nights
That’s leave me with one thought,
“Thank You for always being there
Through all this week has brought.”
And Oh, Lord, I thank You….
But guess what, Lord, the truth remains,
I thank You, yes I do!
And my heart fixed on You.
You’ve challenged me to offer grace
To all I run into.
And also when I cried.
When I got lost along the way,
Your light has been my guide.
But You just hold on tight
Until I realize I’m safe,
Sheltered within Your might.
Trying to keep the pace,
Until, by Friday night I just
Want to rest in Your grace.
For this week’s “things to do”
And for the time, this Friday night,
To just be still with You.
There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of
God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God
did from his.
I praised You when the sun rose up
And when the stars danced by.
I praised You with a grateful heart
For Your vast, wondrous sky.
And from the valley deep.
I praised You with an awe filled heart
For Your promise You keep.
And where the forests rise.
I praised You with unending joy
For Your splendors surprise.
And when I felt it heal.
I praised You with tears in my eyes
For Your mercy is real.
And will for all my days.
You formed me, healed me, love me still,
Lord, Your blessings amaze.
Psalm 100:1-2
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the
Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
When I was covered in my sin,
He cleansed me with His blood,
And lifted me up from a life
Of wallowing in mud.
I may not be the worst,
But there’s no doubt that He, the pure,
Died to save us, the cursed.
From Him, the Lord of grace,
Could not be cleansed, by word or deed,
By us, the human race.
Of His life for our sin,
But, by His grace, we’ve been redeemed,
We’re not who we have been.
Stay out of sin’s thick mud.
Don’t turn back to the wayward life
That cost such precious blood.
Fill your heart with His grace,
And share them both along the way
With all who seek His face.
Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and
wash your sins away, calling on his name.
This muddy water buffalo photo is a blessing from AC taken on her trip to Africa a few years ago.
Each complication that arose,
You settled out of hand,
As if You’d seen them coming on
And had the answers planned.
And find me a way through.
It seems You see more clearly, Lord,
Than I’m able to do.
Creator of all things,
Yet, sometimes I cannot conceive
The differences that brings.
You have plans set in place
To help me walk through everything
That I will have to face.
But You provide me strength
Or someone who can help me walk
The hardest paths, at length.
And, though I cannot see,
Your plans are vast and they’re detailed,
And Your plans include me.
That I won’t understand
The complex paths that I will walk,
But I’ll trust what You’ve planned.
Nevertheless, I am continually with you; you hold my
right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me
to glory.
The days are getting longer now,
And spring is drawing nigh.
It almost seems as if I hear
The world begin to sigh.
But as the spring comes on,
I find I do not miss the cold
Now that it’s truly gone.
The days hold a hard chill,
And spring is a sweet promise that
The winter can’t fulfill.
Hold on, spring’s on the way.
You, too, will soon feel its warm breath.
Don’t give in to dismay.
Take refuge in His grace.
Trust that He knows each season’s path
And that His plan’s in place.
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the
man who takes refuge in him!