Wherever I May Sail

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where ever life may carry me,

However far from shore,
There is no place that I can go
That God’s not been before.
 
Whenever I feel lost at sea,
Sinking beneath each wave,
With my compass firmly on Him
I’m not too lost to save.
 
So I will set sail in the storm
And dance before the gale,
For God will always be my guide
And He will never fail.
 
Psalm 139:9-10
If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast.

A Place of Rest

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Though I seek Him in the morning

When clouds are gold with light,
And look for Him in twilight’s haze
Before the dark of night,
I will not find Him there.
 
While I may look into the storm
Hoping to see His face,
Or climb up to the mountains peak
With hope that it’s the place,
I will not find Him there.
 
But when, in peacefulness, I rest
Where meadow blossoms grow,
I find God waiting there for me
With peace I’ve longed to know.
 
Isaiah 32:17-19
The fruit of that righteousness will be peace; its effect will be quietness and confidence forever. My people will live in peaceful dwelling places, in secure homes, in undisturbed places of rest.

The Simple and the Grand

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It startles me, sometimes, to see

The world formed by His hand,
Where even insects in a pond
Appear regal and grand.
Mountains may tower to the sky,
The oceans swathe the earth,
But something smaller than my hand
Still equals them in worth,
For it was formed by the same grace
That shaped the boundless skies.
However tiny it may be,
It sparkles in His eyes.

The Odd Duck

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’ve always been the different one

Doing things my own way.
I never followed any crowd
And always had my say.
 
And even now, I’m the odd duck
Of whom you’ve heard folks speak,
When you say up, I’m going down;
I have this stubborn streak.
 
And yet, with all my little quirks,
That You can see right through,
You seem to love me anyway.
And I’m thankful you do!

Lingering Reflections

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the things we do in life

Will linger well beyond today,
Reflecting back in other hearts
Like morning clouds across the bay.
 
Though we may think we’ve left behind
Something done long ago,
That reflection may still linger,
As sorrow that will grow and grow.
 
So let the light that you now cast
Across the lives you touch each day
Be a light that, should it linger,
Brings joy to those touched on its way.

Family Through and Through

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family isn’t always easy,

There’s many tales to tell;
Some of them bring us together,
While others don’t go well.
 
But after all the tales are told
We’re family through and through
So I might well be mad today,
But I will still love you.
 
And that is how God sees us all,
We can do awful things,
But He has seen it and forgives
With healing that love brings.
 
For we are each precious to Him,
His children, through and through,
And whether we’ve been bad or good
God’s love is always true.
 
Jeremiah 23:24
Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?” declares the Lord. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the Lord.

On Losing a Friend

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dear Lord, I lost a friend today,

The gentle heart next door.
He always offered everyone
A smile, a hand and more.
He helped when no one else was there,
With things I couldn’t do.
And when I needed cheering up
He’d share a laugh or two.
 
I still can’t quite believe he’s gone,
His flower bed’s still there,
With all the cheery little blooms
He’d nurtured with such care.
His garden still lies fallow, though,
He couldn’t plant this year.
Perhaps that’s how he came to see
The time to leave was near.
 
I know that he was tired, Lord,
It showed more every day,
But that won’t fill the empty hearts
He left behind today.
He had a gift for sharing joy
And, though I miss him so,
I know that I can find him still
Where his bright blossoms grow.

To A.W.

Philippians 3:15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is such beauty in the bloom

That’s glimpsed between the leaves;
A little orange splash of joy,
Is what my eye perceives.
But, when I change my point of view
And see the leaves instead,
I notice all the cheery shades
Of greens and vibrant red.
 
I had to change my point of view,
The focus of my sight,
To see the beauty I had missed,
Each, an equal delight.
It isn’t always what we see,
But what we missed at first,
That leads us to form opinions
Of what is best or worst.
 
So seek to find a clearer view,
Before you make your choice.
There’s always time enough to choose,
After you’ve sought God’s voice.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Philippians 3:15

All of us, then, who are mature should take such a view of things. And if on some point you think differently, that too God will make clear to you.

The Gift of Laughter

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you for the laughter, Lord,

With which you cheered my day.
It helped to ease the heavy load
And light the dreary way.
It is the richest gift I have,
To share with those I love.
In fact, it’s such a perfect gift
It must flow from above!
 
Psalm 126:2
Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy. Then it was said among the nations, “The Lord has done great things for them.”

The Creator

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do not praise the rising sun,

Which does so on command,
Nor pray I to the mountain’s strength,
That was shaped by His hand.
I do not worship moon or stars,
The trees or raging sea,
For each began within His mind
And, through Him, came to be.
 
My faith is not in creation,
For all its awesome might;
My faith lies in the Creator.
In Him I will delight.

Psalm121: 1-3

"I look up to the mountains - does my help come from there? My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth! He will not let you stumble; the one who watches over you will not slumber."

Calm, After the Storm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We pray to God during the storm,

Clinging in faith or fear;
Casting our voices up in prayer.
Hoping that He is near.
 
But after every storm has passed,
When stillness fills the sky,
That is the time when we can hear
God answering our cry.
 
So, while I quake throughout the storm,
I rejoice in its roar,
For that storm heralds my next chance
To hear His voice once more.

Blessings To Count

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whenever troubles pile up fast

And fill my mind with dread,
I turn away from counting them,
And count blessings instead.
 
They far outweigh my many woes,
Though sometimes I forget,
And still you pile them up for me,
Each day is better yet.
 
So let me thank you, loving Lord,
For blessings manifold
My little troubles disappear
Within the joy I hold.
 
Psalm 21:6
Surely you have granted him unending blessings and made him glad with the joy of your presence.

In Stillness I Hear

In stillness I can hear a voice

That cannot else be heard;
A voice that I hear in my heart,
That speaks without a word.
 
It tells me of the patient grass
That dies, then grows once more;
It whispers of the faithful sun
That warms a shifting shore.
 
It sings to me of fearful mists
That dim the morning’s light
And yet are melted by the warmth
That follows every night.
 
And in each moment I see me
Living within your grace,
And I know it’s Your voice I hear
In that still, silent place.

Mark 4:39
He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.

The Place I Keep For You

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I keep a place within my heart

That I reserve for you.
I go there when I need some peace,
And only Yours will do.
 
It is the one place in my world
That only we two know;
A hidden, sacred sort of place
Where You and I can go.
 
It isn’t easy day to day,
To find time to be still
If You’ll be there, then I’ll go, too,
And I know that you will.

Father's Day 2013

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You were always there for me,

A safe place I could go.
You set aside the time it took
To help me live and grow.
You guided me through ups and downs,
Teaching what I should know,
And loving me through everything
That this world had to throw.
But God loved you as you loved me,
And He called you to go.
Now I know that you’re there with Him,
But I still miss you so.
 
Matthew 7:11
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

Between Troubles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yesterday’s problems now are gone

Tomorrow’s aren’t begun.
Today was made for happiness,
Let’s dance beneath the sun.
 
Don’t look for clouds that have not formed,
Savor the sun’s embrace.
For troubles come and troubles go;
Don’t expedite their pace.

Storm Clouds and Light

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just as, when clouds blanket the sky,

I know the sun’s still there,
So, even when my life is rough,
I know God hears my prayer.
For, just behind the darkest cloud,
There shines an endless light
And, when I feel most overwhelmed,
He guards me with His might.
So I will never fear the storm,
However dark or grim,
For God will always hold me close
And I will cling to Him.

The Stream that Redeems

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When the path that I must travel

Becomes rocky and steep,
Then I rest within the promise  
That Christ was born to keep.
 
For You’re the water when I thirst,
The food when I am weak.
You are the quiet place of rest
That I will always seek.
 
For You walk with me on the path,
You are the rushing stream
That flows from heaven with your love
To refresh and redeem.
 
Psalm 78:15-16
He split the rocks in the wilderness and gave them water as abundant as the seas; he brought streams out of a rocky crag and made water flow down like rivers.

Still Blooming

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I may have lots of prickly flaws,

A few that I regret,
And I have made some real mistakes
I wish I could forget.
But each time that my prickles show
I step back and reset
For, though I’m seeking perfection,
I’m not through blooming yet!

Gather Blessings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

God didn’t make an easy path,

There’s thorns beneath our feet,
But, also, He scattered blessings
To make the journey sweet.
 
So don’t walk down life’s troubled path
And miss the blessings there,
In fact, reach out and gather them,
Then wear them in your hair!

Romans 9:20-21

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m not as smart as some might be.

I’m plump and rather plain.
And often I’m too outspoken,
Or so some folks complain.
There are so many faults to find,
If you just look at me,
But God made me the way I am
And that’s alright with me.
 
For who am I to question God
Or what His plan should be?
So I’ll rejoice in who I am
And trust His plans for me.
 
Romans 9:20-21
But who are you, a human being, to talk back to God? “Shall what is formed say to the one who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’” Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for special purposes and some for common use?

Working Together

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let us work together each day,

To serve our fellow man;
Each one turning to the task,
Doing that which we can.
 
We each have gifts that we’re given,
With which to do some good,
But we must each choose to squander
Or use them as we should.
 
There’s so much more that we can do
When we work side by side;
Combining faith with diligence,
Setting our doubts aside.
 
Remember, when you make the choice,
There’s a greater reward,
For, in service to each other,
We also serve the Lord.
 
James 2:22
You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.