Live Your Love

Let love not live in just our words,

But in the life we lead.
Let it not rest in intentions,
But in our every deed.
 
Let us not walk in solitude
When others need our care,
For God blessed us with extra grace
That He meant us to share.
 
1 John 3:18
Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

For A Friend

I used to think I have no choice,

I simply must hold on,
But those days are now in the past
And such thoughts are all gone.
 
For I have learned to seek my strength
In what God gives to me
And not in that to which cling
Through insecurity.
 
The world I loved may now be lost,
But God gave me strong wings.
I’m learning how to fly again
And my sad heart now sings.
 
So I will rise up in new faith,
Using what God gave me,
And I will not be bound again
To fear or misery!

Psalm 63:7

Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings.

A Hope for Joy

A hopeful face in weary times,

The joy of things to be,
A bright reminder of His love
Sent before spring to me.

Let Me Be Still

Tonight I’m going to take some time

To just be still and pray
For I am greatly overwhelmed
By all I’ve faced today.
 
There is no upside in some things;
Those things we just ride through.
In other things there’s only good.
Either way, I’m with You.
 
So let me sit here, peacefully,
Within this rainy night.
Tomorrow I will rise in faith
And step out in Your light.

It Will Be Well

I hear the pain each time you speak

The sorrow in your voice.
I know you face decisions, though
You feel there’s no good choice.
I know I cannot heal this pain,
Or even offer peace,
But there is one who can do both,
With gentle, loving ease.
 
For He has said it will be well,
Though how is hard to see,
But if He promises something,
Then it will come to be.
So let the pain flow out of you,
Let peace and joy slip in,
Just stay in faith, this too will pass,
And all be well again.
 
Isaiah 3:10
Tell the righteous it will be well with them, for they will enjoy the fruit of their deeds.

The Everyday

In the hustle and the bustle

That fills the everyday,
I sometimes worry about all
That gets lost on the way.
 
I know I miss the small details
That good hearts ought to see,
And I’m seldom quite as caring
As I know I should be.
 
And yet, each morning when I rise,
In the fresh light of dawn,
I commit to trying harder
And not just carry on.
 
And as evening turns to darkness,
When I sit still to pray,
I thank God that I’m still trying
To do more every day.

Encircled

Encircle me within your love

And shield me with your grace,
For I am tossed on stormy seas
Far from any safe place.
 
Surround me, Lord, and keep me safe,
Until I come back home.
For, though, someday, I'll be with you,
This world, I first must roam.

Faith Happens

I try to keep my eye on You,

Yet I glance oft aside.
But I don’t fear that I’ll get lost
You keep me near your side.
 
Faith Happens
 
I try to walk where You lead me,
But I can miss the path.
Yet I know you will wait for me
Without disdain or wrath.
 
Faith Happens
 
I’m never quite where I should be,
Doing what I should do,
But You’ve kept me beneath Your wing,
I know You’ll bring me through.
 
Faith Happens

Too Busy

I get so busy, quite wrapped up,

In all the things I do,
That sometimes I forget to stop
And look around for you.
 
You’re in the ruffle of the breeze,
The peace within this place,
And even in my reflection
Upon the pond’s still face.
 
You’re always right in front of me
Though often I don’t see,
Because I look right past you, Lord,
As you watch over me.

You See Through Me

I put a bold face on each day,

I smile, bright as can be.
I tell myself I don’t need help,
But you see right through me.
 
I’m standing strong within each storm,
A fierce and mighty tree.
I say, “I’ll make it on my own”,
But you see right through me.
 
You see me. Lord, just as I am,
Not as I claim to be,
And you are always there to help
Because you see through me.
 
Isaiah 40:29
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Obstructed View

Often my view is obstructed

By all the things I fear.
I see only angst and worry
And not that hope is near.
 
But you, from your perspective, Lord,
Can see what I can’t see,
And I know you have laid a path
That leads to joy for me.
 
I know that I am limited
By my obstructed view,
So I will lean on your sight, Lord,
To lead me safely through.

Small Blessings

There are those blessings in each day
That often pass unseen,
The unexpected bit of peace
Where anxious thoughts had been.
 
The schedule, filled with too much stress,
That fell apart just right
To let some happiness slip in
With love’s precious delight.
 
Faces of the ones we love,
More dear than we can know,
We sometimes take them for granted,
Until they have to go.
 
The little bloom, the robin’s song
That lifts the weary heart,
The greatest blessing of the day
Can have a simple start.
 
Take note of the tiny blessings,
That fill your everyday.
Rejoice in all the joy they bring
And thank God when you pray.  

Light Within the Darkness

When I wake up within the dark,

At first I see no light,
But if I sit still long enough,
Slowly I regain sight.
For even in the darkest place,
With time, my eyes can see,
And that pure light, within the dark,
Is what You are to me.
 
However dark my path may get,
I will not go astray.
For You light up the deepest night
Enough to see the way.

Patiently

I did not know what I would say

As I sat down to write,
But I knew that God had a plan
To save me from my plight.
 
I waited, patient, for His word
To settle in my mind.
I roamed from place to place to see
What verses I might find.
 
Then I found one that touched my heart.
Did He send it my way,
Or was it just coincidence
That I saw it today?
 
So patiently, again, I wait
On what God wants from me,
Until a second verse like it
Popped up for me to see.
 
I knew then that patience was
The theme for me today,
And so I offer this advice
Wait patiently and pray
 
For God is ever diligent,
He hears us when we call.
Though we may not know what to do,
He’ll lead us through it all.
 
Psalm 40:1
I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry.

Psalm 27:14

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart:
Wait, I say, on the LORD.

Married Life

Their life may not be glamorous,

But they don’t seem to mind
For, side by side, they face each day
Living the joy they find.
 
Sharing the ups and downs of life,
The ride each shifting tide,
But as those waves come rushing in,
They face them side by side.
 
There’s strength in living side by side,
There’s joy and comfort, too,
And they’ve each found a loving heart
That will help see them through.

Genesis 2:24
Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.

Stop to Pray

When I face hard or troubled days,

As the world goes its way,
I take the time to bow my head,
Close my eyes and pray.
 
Oh, Lord, please keep me near to You,
Tucked up under your wing,
And, even in the hardest times,
I’ll have great cause to sing.
 
Oh, Lord, though all the busy world
Swirls round me every day,
I find that I can stay in peace
If I take time to pray.

Tall Trees

I used to think Your trees grew tall

To shade the ground below,
But now I know that they are meant  
To teach me how to grow.
 
They teach me to look up to You,
To try and touch Your face,
And know that, as I grow near You,
I also grow in grace.
 
So thank you, Lord, for mighty trees
That reach up to the skies,
For they have taught to look up
Into my Savior’s eyes.

A Trapped Leaf

I sailed, with joy, on golden light

That filtered through the trees.
I knew that I was meant for this,
To ride an autumn breeze.
 
And at the pinnacle of life,
While I was flying high,
It suddenly came to an end.
I was snatched from the sky.
 
I wept to God, “How can this be?!
My life was going right
And then I’m snatched out of the air,
I’m halted in midflight?”
 
And as I hung there, trapped so tight,
As if held by God’s hand,
I noticed that the other leaves
Scattered across the land.
 
Their broken forms crumbled to dust
Where they had met their fate.
I felt a praise rise up in me,
For my God is so great.  
 
Though I believed that He failed me
When He stopped me in flight,
Instead He caught me as I fell,
And His love holds me tight.
 
So now I’m grateful that I’m here
And not where I could be,
For I still dance upon each breeze
Where God is holding me!

From Death, New Life

I cannot know what broke its heart,

Shattered it to its core,
But all that’s left is a small stump
Upon the forest floor.
 
And yet, despite its broken heart,
It still has much to give,
For it offers another heart
A safe place it can live.

Always Praising

However dark the night may be,

The sun will always rise,
And it will find me faithfully
Praising You to the skies.
 
The cold of winter drapes the trees
In the purest of snow,
But I will sing like it was spring,
To You my praises flow.
 
Psalm 92: 1-2
It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High,
proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,

Hard Times

The rain will not last forever,

The snow will melt away
And we shall find the sun will rise
Upon another day.
 
So don’t give up through troubled times,
Turn your face to the dawn,
For God gives us the strength we need
To rise and carry on!

Snow and Peace

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Softly, on each green bough and limb,

A brush of new snow falls,
Bringing with it all of the peace
For which my sad heart calls.
 
The Lord brings comfort to us all
In subtle little ways,
Who would have guessed the peace I’d find
In quiet, snowy days.

The Color of Joy

In winter, when the trees are bare,

Their leaves a memory,
I love the little touch of joy
That you can bring to me.
 
A flash of blue against the grey,
I feel a smile begin.
And, for that moment of sweet joy.
I thank God, once again.

Beyond Our Sight

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The mist and rain drip through the leaves

And sparkle in the light,
For they see past the darkened skies
To where the sun shines bright.
 
Thus, in our lives we need to look
Beyond the bounds of sight,
For God’s grace is not limited
To that touched by earth’s light.
 
2 Corinthians 4:18
So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

New Light, New Direction

I woke with new light in my heart.

The answers that I need
Were whispering within my mind,
A swiftly growing seed.
 
I asked for guidance in my life
Directions clear to see
And when I woke up this morning
You gave that gift me.
 
So I rose up within the dawn,
Your guidance in my heart.
For you gave me, in that sunrise,
A brand new place to start.

Psalm 113:3

From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised.

Let Me Rest

Oh, let me find my rest in You,

Between the earth and sky.
For if I’m resting in Your hand
My fears will pass me by.
 
Beneath Your feet, the humble earth,
Your throne rises on high,
And in between, my soul will rest,
Where you are always nigh.
 
So let me find my rest in You,
Oh Lord, please hear my sigh.
For, only in the hand of God,
Does my home truly lie.
 
Acts 7:49
“‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me? says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be?

In All Things

Whether I’m still or on the wing,

I turn to You in everything;
My soul bows down in humble prayer
And my voice rises up to sing.

A Vibrant Palette

How vibrant is your palette, Lord,

So clearly on display
In each piece of your handiwork
That we see every day.
 
Each blossom in the early spring,
The autumnal array,
The silken white of first snow fall
When winter’s on its way.
 
I hold my breath as seasons change
To see each new bouquet
Of colorful magnificence;
Your palette on display!