Stayed On You

 

When all the worries piled up
As the day moved along,
I felt like I might sit and cry
If one more thing went wrong.
 
Then, just as that last thing went wrong,
I felt Your peace once more.
I closed my eyes and turned my heart
To You, whom I adore.
 
The world slowed down, Your peace poured in
And my wild thoughts went still,
For Your perfect peace only comes
When I trust in Your will.
 
The world may try to block it out,
To pile the worries high,
But when that perfect peace rolls in,
Then I know You’re near by.
 
Tomorrow might bring more worries,
That seems to be the way
The world tries to control my thoughts.
Your peace drives it away.
 
Tomorrow is another day,
Tonight, what I will do,
Is rest my weary spirit in
The peace that’s born in You.
 
Isaiah 26:3
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
 
Jeremiah 31:25
For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.

He Strengthens Me

 

A day can go crazy so fast
It’s hard to just hold on,
But He has strength to see me through
When all my strength is gone.
 
More than once or twice I have
Felt like this little leaf
Holding on with nothing more than
His word and my belief.
 
Each time I think I might give up
I hear His still, small voice
Reminding me I’m not alone.
I hold on and rejoice.
 
For my strength rests in Him alone
And He’s faithful always.
His strength is mine when I’m in need…
Which seems to be most days!
 
Hebrews 10:23
Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
 
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Like Footprints In Sand

 

They walked upon the sandy shore
Leaving a trace behind,
But, with the next incoming tide,
There’ll be nothing to find.
 
We are but a footprint in sand,
Now here, and then we’re gone.
Yet, all that we have been in Him
Remains, and will live on.
 
As numerous as all the sand,
Are the thoughts of the Lord.
That He would give a thought to us
Is beyond all reward,
 
And yet His thoughts for us exceed
All of those grains of sand,
For He still holds us tenderly
In the palm of His hand.
 
He will not lightly wash His hands
Of those He calls His own.
Our names are engraved on His palm,
More eternal than stone.
 
The world will turn, the sun will set
And rise on a new day,
But, unlike a footprint in sand,
In Him, our souls will stay.
 
Psalm 139:17-18
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! If I would count them, they are more than the sand. I awake, and I am still with you.
 
Isaiah 49:16
Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are continually before me.

Small Blessings, Great Joy

 

I’ve simple thoughts to share tonight,
But they are filled with awe,
For I have witnessed such blessings.
Let me share what I saw.
 
I saw a yellow butterfly
Settle on fresh mown grass.
I heard a swallow sing with joy
As I beheld it pass.
 
I saw wild berries ripening
Upon a thorn wrapped vine
And stood beside a quiet pond
As Your peace became mine.
 
The smallest blessings seem quite large
In the light of Your grace,
And I see each one as a gift
That You have set in place.
 
James 1:17
Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.
 
Psalm 104:24
O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom have you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.

Feeling Pensive Today

 

I’m feeling pensive today, Lord,
My thoughts weigh heavily.
I needed to stop and recall
What You have said to me.
 
In this world there will be trouble
But You have overcome
All that the world can throw at us.
You’re where our strength comes from.
 
Your plan was in place long before
You commanded the light
To shine down upon this dark world.
Your design’s always right.
 
All these things that now weigh on me,
The evil taking place,
The ever growing willingness
To seek out sin’s embrace,
 
You’ve seen it time and time again.
Yet, in such vast array,
This is the first time I have seen
It all on full display.
 
I know I can’t fix what is wrong,
And I know that You can.
I also know You’re in control.
This is all in Your plan.
 
I just needed to talk to You
To get my thoughts in line,
And give to You what’s beyond me.
Then I can handle mine.
 
Thank You, Lord! I love You.
 
Ecclesiastes 1:9
What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun.
 
James 1:5-6
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind.

Aches And Pains And Rejoicing

 

My weary bones don’t like mornings,
But I rise, just the same,
And step out into what comes next,
Rejoicing in His name.
 
Some days He is my only strength.
Despite the aches and pain
He gives me the will to get up,
Though I might still complain.
 
For each day is another chance
To serve Him just once more,
And I’m excited to find out
What each day holds in store.
 
He never yet has let me down,
There’s always a surprise.
Some brand new blessing waiting to
Appear before my eyes.
 
So, even if I wake in pain
I thank Him for this day,
Get up, get dressed, and get ready
For what He sends my way!
 
Psalm 118:23-24
This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
 
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.

For His Name's Sake

In His name there is redemption
In His name there is joy
In His name is a truth, a hope
That this world can’t destroy.
 
He called us to walk beside Him,
Then share the path we walk.
To teach the wisdom He taught us,
Not simply talk the talk.
 
As He has led us, we should lead
Others to seek His light,
For that is what we each will need
To find the path that’s right.
 
Why should He care that we might live
After what He went through?
I’ve no idea, but I know
His loving grace is true.
 
For He has called me from the dark
And, for His grace, I came.
Though I was without hope back then,
Today I praise His name.
 
So, I will walk His path each day
Rejoicing as I go
For it is leading me to Him.
That’s all I need to know.
 
Psalm 23:3
He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
 
Romans 3:23-24
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus

This sweet photo is a blessing from AC on her trip to Africa a few years back. 

Sweeping Streets In Heaven

 

When I walk in through heaven’s gate
I’ll do so wrapped in sin.
Yet, when my savior calls my name
I’ll be washed clean again.
 
I haven’t done one thing in life
To earn that cleansing grace,
But because I know He is Lord,
He’s made for me, a place.
 
I don’t care if it’s sweeping streets,
As long as they are His.
It’s not the work, it’s who it’s for,
And that’s just how it is.
 
Please, hear me when I tell you, friend,
Reach out to Him today,
So that, when you reach heaven’s gate,
They don’t turn you away.
 
For there is no place that compares
To living in His Light,
And He’s the only path that leads
You to that holy site.
 
I can’t say how grateful I am
That He’s saved me a room,
But I can tell you I will dance
When He hands me that broom!
 
1 John 4:18
There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
 
Psalm 145:20
The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

Not Coincidence, But Providence

I often hear people remark,
“What a coincidence”,
When, in fact, they’ve just walked in grace,
His plan, His providence.
 
We see the world through human eyes
Without understanding
The magnitude of what we’ve seen.
Human viewpoint branding.
 
We need more than just eyes to see
What’s happening these days.
We need a heart that understands
What it sees and obeys.
 
This we should pray with each new day
And when the stars arise,
That we may not just see, but know
What’s there before our eyes!
 
Lord, please give me eyes that can see,
A heart to understand,
That I may recognize the Grace
Which comes straight from Your hand.
 
Proverbs 20:12
The hearing ear and the seeing eye, the Lord has made them both. 

Matthew 13:15-16
For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. 

My Recharging Station

The gull flew down to settle on
The solar charging block.
It sat there hunkered down, fatigued.
What’s next has left me shocked.
 
For, after it had charged a bit,
It stood up tall and proud,
It raised its head and sang a praise.
Its voice renewed and loud!

 

Now you may think I’ve missed a fact,
Or even two or three,
But I was there when this went down.
And it’s happened to me.
 
I’ve sat down in my Savior’s peace
And cut out all the noise,
Until I felt weariness flee
Leaving behind fresh joys.
 
I’ve rested in His living grace,
The mercy He pours out,
Until I’ve found my strength, once more.
Then I stood with a shout
 
And praised His name with all my heart
Rejoicing that, at length,
He renewed me so I could soar
On the wings of His strength.
 
A parable as old as time,
From a new perspective.
Recharging’s one thing we all need
In this world where we live,
And we are blessed, His peace and rest
Are gifts He’ll gladly give.
 
Isaiah 40:31
but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
 
2 Corinthians 4:16
So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.