Healing Praise

The garden, over grown with weeds,

Still held a secret song.
I hadn’t realized that it
Had been there all along.
So when I passed the tangled beds
And saw the colored glow,
I felt the brightness of its joy
Touch my heart and then grow.
 
It warmed a place that had grown cold
Through winter’s dreary days,
Reminding my heart it still knew
How to lift up a praise.
For I soon felt one welling up,
From deep within my soul,
And all the broken parts of me
Became a joyous whole.

Nibbled Away

It seems as if I am consumed

By worries every day
They nibble at my happiness
Until it’s worn away.
 
I know that faith should be enough
To hold those fears at bay,
But here I am letting them chew
A bit more joy today.
 
So I ask that you give me faith
Strong enough to hold sway
Over what’s nibbling at me, Lord.
Please make me whole, I pray!

The Empty Nest

Flowers bedeck the empty nest

Where nothing else now lives.
One cannot help but noticing
The empty feel it gives.
 
The hollow place within the heart
Where love once dwelt in bliss
Can sometimes feel like that old nest,
Filled with those we still miss.
 
It doesn’t matter that the blooms
Make the old nest look bright.
One can’t escape the obvious,
That something is not right.
 
And so it is with empty hearts,
We smile and carry on,
But all the while we feel the pain
Of those that are now gone.
 
It’s said the sparrow does not drop
Out of sight of Your eye,
And I feel sure You also see
The tears that I still cry.
 
Oh Lord, I know these tears will dry
And that I will find rest,
But for this time please keep Your eye
On my heart’s empty nest.

Understanding

A quiet moment, just at dusk

When all the world is still,
I hold my breath, and in the calm
I sense His perfect will.
 
He is the life within the bloom,
The color of the sky.
He is the wind that lifts the wings
Of the bird flying by.
 
He’s in the darkness, cool and still,
And in the rising sun.
He knows the fears that haunt our dreams
And all the good we’ve done.
 
I sense it and I understand,
Without quite knowing how.
Tomorrow I may not recall,
But I understand now.

To Be an Eagle

The eagle flies despite the storm,

It feels no need to hide.
Nor will it hunker down and wait,
But takes the storm in stride.
 
I want to be the eagle, Lord,
Who rises through this storm
And flies with faith despite the winds
That buffet my fierce form.
 
I’m not that strong, nor am I fierce,
But, Lord, with You I’ll try
To spread my wings, face down this storm
And rise, in faith, to fly!

In Times of Troubles

Why is it that we must have times

When our whole life goes wrong?
Those times when blow on crashing blow
Can break even the strong?
 
Why would a God who loves us so
Walk us through living hell?
Why do we have to face rough seas
Instead of one big swell?
 
There has to be some reason why,
Though I may never know,
But this much I can attest to
Those hard times let faith grow.
 
Those are the times when I call out
And seek God in my fear,
When I reach out to Him alone,
Begging Him to stay near.
 
When I am tossed upon some storm,
I know that I’ll be lost
If I don’t have Him as the shore
Upon which I am tossed.
 
There may be reasons far greater
Than any I can see,
But when I’m most in need of Him
Is when He’s nearest me.
 
So, though I dread the rising storms,
I don’t face them with fear,
Because I know in every storm
I’ll call and find Him near.
 
Acts 17:27
God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.

This photo is blessing from NF. Thank you, N, for an incredible shot!

Thank You... Again!

I know I’ve had a crazy week

With way too much to do,
But I wanted to take a break
To say a quick thank You.
 
You got me through the chaos days,
They whirled by so quickly.
While I was too busy for You
You never forgot me.
 
So now that I have time to think,
I think I’ll talk to You
And tell You how thankful I am
For everything You do!
 
I Love You!

Still Holding On

I think that I’m still holding on,

It’s hard to tell these days.
The only thing that gets me through
Is holding God in praise.

For praise can lift my spirits up
When life has cast them down.
I cannot live in self pity
While wearing heaven’s crown.

So, yes, I’m barely holding on,
But praise will see me through.
And I am stronger than I think
When holding, Lord, to You!

Joshua 23:8
But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now.

Above My Troubles

Though troubles seem to mount up, Lord,

I’ll keep my eyes on You
I may have struggles on the way,
But I know I’ll come through.
 
This life is often difficult,
I know that this is true,
But it is also filled with joy
And that’s what I’ll look to.
 
For living in the shadow of
The darkness I once knew
Kept me from rising into joy
As I wanted to do.
 
I’ll rise above the troubles, Lord,
That this life is prone to
And live in faith that, by Your grace,
I won’t lose sight of You.
 
2 Corinthians 4:17
For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all.

Peace and Grief

I wish you peace when you are lost,

When you feel most alone.
May you find happiness though grief
Has turned your heart to stone.
I hope the tempests of your life
Are followed by a calm,
And may your broken hearted days
Find beauty as a balm.

Unseen

Its beauty is so simple, Lord,

So cheerful and so bright,
It is as if You crafted it
With no thought, but delight.
And yet its role is integral
Within the garden bed,
Although it seems so fragile, still
It is the first to spread.
 
How intricate, the plans You’ve made,
And how they reflect You.
For there is nothing simple in
The simple things You do.
So as I pause in wonderment
At the cheerful array,
I’m overwhelmed by the unseen
That’s also on display.

Standing on the Rock

I’m standing on My Father’s rock

For He has lifted me.
No longer is the darkened vale
The fear it used to be.
And though I’ll pass through it again,
As I don’t doubt I will,
I know that I won’t walk in fear
For my God holds me still.
So I will stand firm on the rock
Formed by My Father’s hand
And carry it within my heart
Just as My Father planned.
 
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.

Light and Delight

They turn their faces to the sun

Rejoicing in its light,
For it is the source of their life
And in it they delight.
 
Thus is it with my Lord and me,
For He’s my strength and light.
And through the love He’s shown to me
I live with great delight.

Joyful Songs

Even in times of difficulty

There should be songs of joy,
Let them fill up your broken heart
Seek gladness, to employ.
 
For He has blessings in His plan
That we have not yet known,
And songs of joyful praises raised
Are seeds of blessing sown.
 
Psalm 100:2
Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.

Food Poisoning

I started out the day with joy

My heart light as the air,
But by its end I knew full well
The taste of mild despair.
                               
I thank you, Lord, for both the ups
And downs that made this day.
Please help me see the blessings in
All things You send my way.

New Blooms

As new joy blooms within my heart,

I turn my face to You
For You have given me this chance
To start my life anew.
 
You lifted me from dark despair
And filled my life with light.
I can’t recall a time in life
When I’ve known such delight.
 
I know that I’ve begun to bloom
After the winter’s pain,
But it is only because You
Touched me with warmth again.
 
So I will turn my eyes to You
That You might see the grace
Which filled an old heart with new joy
Reflected in my face!
 
Colossians 3:9-10
Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Worry and Faith

I know I shouldn’t worry, Lord,

But worrying is what I do.
I don’t mean to show lack of faith,
For I know that You’ll see me through,
But sometimes I forget to trust
Unquestioningly, Lord, in You.
 
Knowing my weakness, as I do,
I try to take the time each day
To sit with stillness in my mind
And let the worries slip away
So that I can remember how
To simply trust You. Then I pray.
 
Psalm 32:10
Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him.

Disjointed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I feel as if I am adrift,

Nothing’s as it should be.

The whole world still spins as it should,

As far as I can see,

And yet, all that I see’s a blur,

As if it’s come undone.

I don’t know how long this will last

As it has just begun.

 

Oh Lord, I feel so very lost,

There’s nothing I can do

Except hold on until it’s gone

And keep my eyes on You.

 

Psalm 16:8

I keep my eyes always on the Lord. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Spice and Little Joys

I’m not sure which spices my life

The blossoms or the chives,
But either way we all need spice
To brighten up our lives.
 
It isn’t all the grand designs
That seem to make life sweet.
It is instead the little joys
That make each life complete.
 
I ought to know, for I am blest,
With little joys galore.
So I wish for you, blooming chives,
And many small joys more!

Enduring Trust

The relics of forgotten plans

Lie scattered on the shore.
The dreams of that which might have been,
But now flourish no more.
 
The works of man are fragile things,
Inclined to fall to dust,
But that which God formed by His hand
Endures in lasting trust

Laughter and Joy

You sent me laughter this week, Lord,

Just when I needed it.
I don’t know how You arranged that
But, Lord, it was a hit!
 
The day to day gets so crazy
I sometimes need a break.
I hit the point where my poor mind’s
Taken all it can take.
 
So filling the end of this week
With laughter, fun and friends
Was just the way I hope find
Each week, from now on, ends!
 
Job 8:21
He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.

Right Near By

I got a little lost today,

But You were right with me.
You helped me get right back on track
Where I was meant to be.
 
I felt myself begin to break,
But, since You were nearby,
You wrapped my in such loving grace
I stopped needing to cry.
 
I felt the panic creeping in,
But with You standing near,
I heard You when you whispered that
You love me in my ear.
 
The day was filled with little downs
Though, looking back, I see
That it was filled with far more ups
Since You stayed close to me.

Promise Blossoms

Each bloom is another promise

That life has more to give,
But only if we take the time
To help each blossom live.
 
The Lord has given us the task
Of tending each promise,
And we must do so faithfully.
They’re lost, if we’re remiss.
 
So nurture all the promises
That God lays at your feet,
And know that, if you tend them well,
Your harvest will be sweet.
 
Psalm 119:41
May your unfailing love come to me, Lord, your salvation, according to your promise;

Lord, Thank You

Lord, thank you for my daily bread

And for the roof over my head.
Lord thank you for the little things,
Like all the comfort that love brings.
Lord, thank you that I’ve found a place
Where I can live in joy and grace.
But most of all, Lord, I thank you
For blessing me beyond my due.   

Touch of Light

Tonight I saw your handiwork

As the sun settled down.
It brushed the trees with golden light
That burnished every crown.
 
But underneath the deepest green
Still marked the water’s rim.
They stood in silent vigil where
Their still reflections swim.
 
I felt my breath stop in my throat,
For, without doubt, I knew
That such a moment, such beauty,
Can only come from You.
 
Ezekiel 31:4
The waters nourished it, deep springs made it grow tall; their streams flowed all around its base and sent their channels to all the trees of the field.

This Peace

Lord, thank you for this time of peace,

I needed it today.
Sometimes the world gets so busy,
It all gets in my way.
But after a day spent with You,
Wrapped in such peaceful grace,
I’m confident this week ahead
Is easier to face.

Thanks to NM for this wonderful photo of peace and beauty.

Breaking Through

The darkness cannot hold domain

Upon the Lord of light
For every darkness must give way
As dawn conquers each night.
And though He died, yet still He lives
The light is breaking through.
And that light soon will fill the earth
His Grace given to you.

He is Risen and death holds dominion no more.

Between Breaths

We’re in the time of waiting now,

That pause between two breaths.
The moment between redemption
And all life’s hopeless deaths.
 
I know that I have been redeemed,
But still I mark this night,
Praying that darkness will soon be
Eclipsed by boundless light.
 
For once again I realize
What I caused on that cross,
And that He faced it willingly.
To Him, I’m worth the loss.  
 
And so I sit here in the night,
Between life and harsh death,
Waiting in silence for the world
To breathe in its next breath.

From Darkness

The skies grew dark, His death drew nigh

And hope fled from the earth,
But by His death a broken world
Was granted a rebirth.
 
From darkness rose a living hope,
And death began to fail,
For, though our sin brought Him that death,
Still it could not prevail.
 
So, while I live in darkness now,
I know light will return,
And it is toward that new light
My heart will ever yearn.

Learing to Fly

That little heart will someday grow,

Take wing and reach the sky,
But for right now God holds it close
Until it learns to fly!
 
For such as this, the youngest ones,
Are most precious to Him.
He keeps His hand beneath their wings
And watches over them.
 
Luke 18:16
But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

To our young ones, now taking wing for the skies. I love you all.

Sweet Promises

Sweet are the promises of the Lord,

And great is His love for me.
For He will lead me from who I am
To become who I should be.
 
Sweet are the promises of the Lord,
And I rest my faith in them,
For what has been reborn within me
Can only bear fruit through Him.
 
Sweet are the promises of the Lord,
And I will rejoice always
For though I will wither on this earth
Still my soul will sing His praise.
 
Luke 1:45
Blessed is she who has believed that the Lord would fulfill his promises to her!”