Pray in Faith

Pray with faith in the answered prayer,

Knowing you’re in God’s hand,
Expecting to have the answer
That is as He has planned.
 
Do not let your doubts consume you,
But pray expectantly,
For that for which you pray in faith,
God promises will be.
 
Don’t harbor doubt within yourself,
Instead, just let it go,
God knows what dwells within your heart
Despite what you might show.
 
So empty your hands of all doubt,
Then lift them up in prayer.
For God will hear and answer you,
He’ll fill them, don’t despair.  
 
Mark 11:23-24
“Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in their heart but believes that what they say will happen, it will be done for them. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Fighting the Darkness

The darkness grasped her in its arms

Fear rose within her heart,
She wanted to break free of it,
But knew not how to start.
 
She struggled, knowing she might fail,
But that she had to try,
She dared not give up or give in,
Though she might want to cry.
 
Then suddenly she felt her fear
Give way to joy again,
For she recalled He’d set her free;
That freedom would remain.
 
And so she shrugged off the darkness
Leaving her fears behind,
Carrying His love in her heart,
His promise in her mind.
 
Isaiah 61:1
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners

In Control

I must admit I’m overwhelmed

By all that’s come to be.
It’s clear that someone is in charge,
But I know it’s not me.
 
I cannot fathom how it is
That God handles it all,
From mountains towering on high
To molecules so small.
 
I try to think I’m in control
Of how I live each day,
But I’m often forced to admit
Chaos has had its way.
 
Yet, God seems to have it in hand
When I’m too lost to see.
If one of us must be in charge,
I’m glad it’s Him, not me.

This is another beautiful photo from our friend CC! Thank you for these wonderful gifts!

The News Today

I see the storm is lowering

I hear the thunder growl,
And, though I think I’m safe from harm,
I tremble at its scowl.
 
I know the storm is on its way,
I feel it in the air;
It crackles with the static charge
Of anger and despair.
 
There seems to be so little hope
In all I see today,
But I know that is far from true.
That’s why I pray each day
 
That You will give me strength enough
To stand against the squall
And faith enough to ride the waves
Until You calm them all.
 
Luke 8:24
The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we’re going to drown!” He got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waters; the storm subsided, and all was calm.

Faithfuness

I feel my faith wobble some days.

What witness have I got
To testify to faithfulness
That seems beyond my lot?
 
The truth is that His faithfulness
Is what I see day
When sun and moon rise in the sky
And travel on their way.
 
For He who set them on their course
And will not let them fall
Will overlook my weaknesses
And answer when I call.
 
Psalm 89:37
it will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky.

Something Right

It seems to be a little odd

Not quite the normal hue,
But that’s okay, it’s lovely still…
From my own point of view.
 
It offers up a cheery face
That seems unfazed by life,
Although it bears the little scars
Left by its share of strife.
 
How blessed it is to have the gift
Of bringing such delight.
However quirky it may be,
It’s doing something right!

Crushing Grief

On days like this it’s just so hard

To get up and go out.
The sorrow crashes down again,
I’m plagued with fear and doubt.
 
Oh Lord, I cry out in my pain
Please force me out the door!
You’ve given so much to me, Lord,
Please give me one thing more;
 
Give me the strength to face this day,
The courage to believe
That if I just get up and go
I’ll forget how to grieve.
 
I’ll leave behind the doubts that spring
From within my own heart.
I know they’re lies, but they crush me.
Dear Lord, Just help me start!
 
John 16:20
Very truly I tell you, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy.

When I Called

When I was lost in weeds and thorns

I called out in His name.
Although my troubles were still there,
They were never the same.
My head was clear, my heart felt strong,
And I let go of blame.
I found a way to carry on,
For, when I called, He came.
 
Psalm 116  
I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.

The Narrow View

Sometimes we focus in too much

On what we want to see
Instead of seeing what is there,
As it is meant to be.
 
We let ourselves see all the worst,
Our tangled webs of fear,
While looking past the simple grace
That’s shining bright and clear.  
 
Our lives, to us, seem so complex,
As if to overwhelm,
When we lose sight of one small fact;
That this is our Lord’s realm.

One more amazing photo from our friend CC. Thank you!!

Valleys and Shadows

She climbed the rock face through her fear,

Afraid that she would fall.
Whispering, “Lord, don’t let me slip,
I’d have no hope at all.”
 
She struggled on, heart in her throat,
Until she reached the top,
And even then, both heart and throat,
Found no reason to stop.
 
She stood upon the rocky ledge
Which she had climbed in fear,
And looked back expecting to see
Her fears following near.
 
She saw instead the valley deep,
Through which the river spilled,
And mountain peaks, capped in the light.
A sight at which, she thrilled.
 
For she had climbed up through her fears,
Those fears then fell away,
Leaving her only the new strength
That she’d found on the way.  
 
And so it was she came to know,
However dark the vale,
With God beside her as she climbed,
She would, in time, prevail.
 
Psalm 23:4
Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Another wonderful photo from CC, and another praise drawn from the story about how she took it.

The Sacred Place

I feel Him when I’m in this place,

His voice is all I hear.
His spirit whispers to my heart
That he is ever near.
 
I hear His song within the light
That burns away my fear
And I will stand rejoicing in
The song I hold so dear.
 
Psalm 42:8
By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me— a prayer to the God of my life.

This photo is a blessing from my friend CC. It is one of many she just gave to me to share with you. Some of her Sacred Places.

The Crucible and Flame

We pray He shields them from the flames

And keeps all harm away.
We ask that they be spared the pain
That we felt in our day.
 
We hope the children we gave birth,
And those we love so well,
Will never have to face the heat
Of their own private hell.
 
Yet it is in the crucible
That silver’s purged of dross.
And metal finds its strength within
The forge’s fiery gloss.
 
So let us pray they face the flames,
And come through them alright;
Let them not be warped by its heat,
But burnished by its light.
 
Psalm 12:6
And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times.

Both the photo and the inspiration for this praise come from my dear friend TAF, who has blessed me in so many ways. 

Two or More

They ask, since you can’t see Him there,

How can you make the claim
That He is with you when you pray,
Two or more in His name…
 
Perhaps they’re right, who is to say
If He’s beneath our roof,
Yet, when we meet to pray each day
We are His living proof.
 
I’ve seen so many answered prayers
For things that could not be,
Outside of His intercession.
That’s proof enough for me.
 
So let us gather in His name
And lift up prayers and praise,
For He has promised to be there
To hear each prayer we raise.
 
Matthew 18:19-20
“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”

Step Out

I need the courage to step out,

This is no place to bide,
Though I feel safest in my nest,
I cannot sit and hide.
 
There is a part of me that fears
To face the rising tide,
Yet, also, there’s another part
That says take wing and ride
 
Upon the fierce back of the wind,
Taking the risk in stride.
For answers find those who seek them,
Not those who stay and hide.
 
Joshua 1:9
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Joy in the Morning

The heat that burned them through the day

Broke well before the dawn
And little drops of morning rain
Gave strength to carry on.
 
How like those tender little buds,
Refreshed by morning’s rain,
Is the heart of one who knows
That joy will come again.
 
Psalm 30:5
For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime;
weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

On the Rock

With both feet firmly on the rock

I face what comes my way,
But right now I’ll admit, for me,
That’s harder every day.
 
I get a lead, I take a chance,
But it’s not meant to be.
I’m starting to believe that there
Is just no place for me.
 
I think I may have lost my chance;
Though I look, I can’t see
The path that I am meant to take.
I weep, I want to flee.
 
But then I read Your word again,
I calm down and take stock.
Though I feel battered by this storm,
I’m standing on The Rock.
 
Psalm 18:2
The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

Hush My Words

There are those days when I have thoughts

That would best go unheard.
They probably should not be thoughts,
Much less become a word.
 
I try my best to hold them in,
Though sometimes they slip out,
And I regret them instantly.
Of that, there is no doubt.
 
I mean them to be just a joke
Or some flippant comment,

 

But what I think and what comes out
Don’t sound like what I meant.
 
So help me, Lord, to think it through
Before I start to speak,
And if there’s any doubt at all,
Don’t let me make a squeak!

Faith and Faithfulness

They blossom in the summer sun

And through autumn’s first sting.
They brighten up the drabbest day
With all the joy they bring.
They draw from deep within the earth
The strength from which they spring.
 
Yet brief is their time on this earth,
Their end draws quickly near.
How can they still bob joyously,
Have they no sense of fear?
Or is it that they’re confident
That they’ll be back next year.
                                 
From whence comes strength to face the end
With all the joy they show?
How can they peer so cheerily
At the impending snow
Knowing full well that frozen boughs
Can’t bear blooms that will grow?
 
Could it be a belief in more,
A force beyond their own,
A power born not of the soil
In which their seeds were sown?
Could it be the rich soil of faith
In which those blooms have grown?
 
Psalm 100:5  
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.

My Attitude

I’m always dreaming of the day

I’ll have what’s not now mine,
While, at my feet, there’s something else
That would suit me just fine.
 
It’s not that I need something more,
That’s just a pleasing thought,
But that thought distracts me from all
That I’ve already got.
 
So, Lord, today I ask of you,
Keep me in gratitude.
For I have all I need right now,
Except my attitude!

Matthew 6:33-34
But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Whispering in His Ear

I held my wrath within my heart

And my bitterness grew.
Yet, once I lifted it in prayer
And prayed for them to You,
I found I cared less for my rage
Than what they’re going through,
Thus setting my heart free from wrath,
For that’s what prayer can do.
 
So when I find my thoughts at odds
With what they ought to be,
I’ll whisper a prayer in your ear
And seek a better me.

Today's Prayer

Lord, as we scurry through this day

I ask that You keep fear at bay
Guard loved ones, near and far away
And from Your path, don’t let us stray
But most of all, Lord, this I pray
Close by each side, please, always stay.

Would I Have Followed?

Would I have followed Him back then,

When he walked on this earth?
Would I have doubted due to His
Ignominious birth?
 
If I had lived back in those days
Would I have believed Him
Or would I, too, have condemned Him
To that death, bleak and grim?
 
I know He was a simple man
Born of a humble folk,
So would I have, when He asked me,
Chosen to wear His yoke?
 
Or would I have thought, “This can’t be
The Son of God’s Command.”
Would I have been too filled with doubt
To ever understand?
 
It’s said they’re blessed who did not see
And yet they have believed,
But had I lived to see Him then,
Would I have been deceived
 
By humble features, well-worn clothes
A face seen every day?
I wonder, would I recognize
The God I praise today?
 
Isaiah 53:2-3
He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

Imperfect Blooms

Though some are formed with perfect grace

And others soon will shine,
There are those who will never grow
Though they share the same vine.
 
Though you and I see those that bloom
As better than the rest,
Our Father sees them all the same,
Each one is loved and blessed.
 
Let not the your heart turn from the lost
The weak, the sad, the frail,
For they are born also in Him
Whose love can never fail.
 
Open your eyes and see their face,
For they have beauty, too.
We each must train our eyes and hearts
To see and not look through.
 
Ephesians 4:2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

The Broken Monument

It was impressive in its day,

A testament to love
From those he left when he reached out
To heaven up above.
 
But time has not been kind to him,
Or his last edifice.
The shattered, broken monument
Bears evidence to this.
 
Yet all the ravages of time
Are marked only on earth,
Heaven, instead celebrates life
Through the spirit’s rebirth.
 
Though time has left its mark on him
And on his resting place,
In Heaven he is resplendent,
Living within God’s Grace.

The photo is a blessing from SP. From an old cemetery in New Zealand that has fallen into disrepair and has a freeway interchange built over it. Thank you for the photo and thank you for the lesson!

Imperfect Perfection

She isn’t perfect, but she’s close,

Because she doesn’t care.
Her beauty isn’t what drives her
To joy or to despair.
 
She lives to offer what she can
To those who pass her way,
Whether it be a brief respite
Of joy in a rushed day,
Or an encouragement to trust
There’s peace for those who pray.
 
She stands where all those who pass by
Can see the life she lives.
A life that makes her lovelier
Through all the joy she gives.

Open to Joy

She’s just like all the rest of them,

No differences to see,
And yet she stands out from the rest,
As cheerful as can be.
 
She always has a smiling face.
Whatever the day brings,
She opens her heart to the joy,
Looks heavenward and sings.

Bounty

I spent the day counting my wealth

On every vine and tree,
And when I stopped to pile them up
I soon began to see
There’s much, for which to be thankful,
That You have given me.
So let me thank you with full heart
For such a great bounty,
And let me not forget this day
When caught in self-pity.
 
Psalm 65:11
You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance.

About The Light

They say, when you take in the view,

It’s all about the light;
It marks the shift from drab, dull hues
To colors burnished bright.
 
I do not doubt the obvious,
It is about The Light,
For I have seen that in my life
And can confirm that’s right.
 
I wandered in a darkened world,
And lingered in twilight,
Until my breath drew still with awe
At the hues of The Light.
 
I turned my face away from dusk,
I left behind the night,
And I can tell you, from my heart,
It’s all about The Light!
 
John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

This photo is a blessing from LT. Thank You so much for this wonderful photo.

Dancing

They danced as if they knew but joy

And I felt my heart soar
With happiness I had not thought
That I’d feel any more.

I watched them playing on the path
They danced and whirled with glee,
Their laughter echoed through the wood
And woke something in me.
 
Why is it that a child’s delight
Reminds me how to sing
And fills my heart with happiness
That only they can bring?
 
Psalm 30:11
You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

More Than Listening

I heard You, Lord, I understood,

But I think my way’s best.
I’ll give my way another try
Before I let it rest.
 
I know You’ve told me what to do,
I promise I heard You,
But I think my way just might work
So I will push on through.
 
Oh Lord, of course I heard Your words,
I listened intently,
And I’ll get on it in a while,
I don’t see the hurry.
 
It’s all becoming clear, Dear Lord,
At last I’ve thought it through.
I have to do more than listen,
I also need to do!
 
James 1:22
Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.

Works of Man

The works of man seem mightier

Than they have eer been,
Yet they pale in comparison
With what we have not seen.
 
We have not seen the mighty hand
The holds the sun up high
And guides the moon along its path
Across the starlit sky.
 
We have not heard the secret word
That God spoke in the night
To bring the universe to life
And turn the dark to light.
 
We have not seen the wind’s cool face
Though we have felt its rage,
Nor have we learned to stem the tides
Of time, of death, of age.
 
Oh mighty are the works of man
They take my breath to see,
And yet His works are mightier
Than ours will ever be.
 
Psalm 8:3-4
When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them?